Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman comments on U.S. Senior District Judge Terence Kern’s ruling today regarding Oklahoma’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, which was approved by 76 percent of Oklahoma voters in 2004.

Sen. Patrick Anderson has authored legislation that would enable the state to sell the campuses of the Southern Oklahoma Resources Center (SORC) in Pauls Valley, and the Northern Oklahoma Resources Center (NORCE) in Enid. Both facilities, which are slated to be closed by the state, provide care for the severely mentally disabled. SORC is set to close this April and NORCE in August, 2015.

Anderson said that after the 2012 decision to close the facilities, residents are now being forced to relocate to for-profit group homes.
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Despite enthusiastic support for three upcoming passenger railroad trips between Tulsa and Oklahoma City in February, the Eastern Flyer could already be looking at the end of the line. Tulsa Republican Brian Crain was the Senate author of legislation passed in 2011 creating a task force examining restoration of passenger rail service between the two metros. Crain said he was extremely disappointed to learn that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), which owns the tracks, has set a January 30 deadline for bids to sell the rail line that will carry the Eastern Flyer. read more.

A group of Republican lawmakers from the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives have introduced a tax cut plan for consideration in the 2014 legislative session that will lower Oklahoma’s individual income tax rate to four percent within four years.

The deadline for members of the Oklahoma State Senate to file legislation for the second session of the 54th Legislature was 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 16. By that deadline, 976 bills and 35 joint resolutions were filed. Last year at this time, a total of 1,119 bills and 34 joint resolutions were filed; 915 Senate Bills and 31 Senate Joint Resolutions still alive from the 2013 session will carry over into the 2014 session.
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“Today, I learned along with many Oklahomans that Senator Tom Coburn will resign at the end of 2014. Although Senator Coburn and I did not always see eye to eye on every issue, I believe that he is a man of honor and integrity and he has had a distinguished career in Congress. He brought to the attention of the American people the waste and reckless spending that happens in government; and I believe that no matter the political party, we can all agree that wasteful spending hurts all Americans. read more.

State Sen. Randy Bass has filed legislation giving Oklahomans control over whether to allow horse slaughter plants in their communities. Senate Joint Resolution 66 would require proposed equine slaughter facilities to be approved by a majority of qualified voters in the county where the facility is to be located.
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The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Committee on Public Health will hold a joint hearing on Wednesday, January 22, to study the benefits of electronic cigarettes and vapor devices as aides in tobacco harm reduction. The committees, chaired by Sen. Brain Crain, R-Tulsa, and Rep. David Derby, R-Owasso, worked closely together to schedule the hearing so key expert witnesses from around the country would be available to testify about the safety of these products.

Sen. Roger Ballenger announced Wednesday he will not seek another term in the Oklahoma State Senate. Although the Okmulgee Democrat would not have been term limited until 2018, Ballenger said at this point in his life, he has decided to devote his time and attention to his family, his ranch, and his local community.

Although pulling people over for speeding and other traffic violations is a routine part of the job, former police officer Sen. Al McAffrey is all too familiar with how quickly a traffic stop can turn dangerous. For this reason, he has authored Senate Bill 1872, which would allow law enforcement officers to issue electronic citations for traffic, misdemeanor and municipal ordinance violations as well as other law enforcement data.
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