Two bills reforming parts of Oklahoma’s juvenile justice system won approval by the full Senate on Wednesday. Sen. AJ Griffin is the author of Senate Bills 1200 and 1233. She said the measures are part of a comprehensive juvenile justice reform effort based on the findings and recommendations of a two-year task force. read more.

The full Senate has given unanimous support to legislation to better protect victims of domestic violence. Senate Bill 1491, also known as Kristen’s Law, was authored by Sen. Bryce Marlatt and changes the legal definition of pattern of physical abuse. The bill was approved Wednesday 44 to 0.
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Oklahomans will be able to fly commercially with an Oklahoma driver license under legislation passed by the Senate today and authored by Sen. David Holt. Senate Bill 1362 passed the Senate 35-8. In a carefully crafted compromise, the legislation allows Oklahomans to voluntarily choose to retain a license that is not compliant with the federal REAL ID Act or choose to obtain one that is.
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Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus, has won approval for a proposed constitutional amendment allowing most statewide office holders to remain in office 12 years, the amount legislators can serve, before being term limited. The measure was approved by the full Senate Wednesday on a vote of 32 to 12.
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A proposal to combine multiple state law enforcement agencies into one single agency received the stamp of approval today in the Senate. Senate Bill 1561, by Sen. Ralph Shortey and Rep. Mike Christian, would create the Oklahoma Department of Law Enforcement (ODLE), and bring three separate law enforcement agencies under one umbrella, merging them into four divisions reporting to a single superintendent who will have supervisory authority over the agency. The proposed legacy divisions are:

Governor Mary Fallin, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman and House Speaker Jeff Hickman today announced an agreement to use about $78.5 million from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to partially offset budget cuts to common education and corrections for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Under the agreement, the Department of Education is to receive $51 million and the Department of Corrections (DOC) is to receive $27.5 million.
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Senate president Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after the full Senate approved supplemental appropriations for Education and Corrections on Tuesday.

Legislation to help families get assisted outpatient treatment for adult relatives with mental illness before a situation reaches a crisis has been approved by the full Senate. House Bill 1697, by Sen. AJ Griffin and Rep. Lee Denney, was approved unanimously by the full Senate on Tuesday. The legislation is named the Labor Commissioner Mark Costello Act. Costello’s adult son, Christian, who struggled with mental illness for years, is charged in his father’s 2015 death.

The Senate unveiled a portrait Tuesday of the nation’s first African American Deputy Marshal, Bass Reeves.
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“Both the Senate and the House have passed legislation approving the new English Language Arts and Mathematics standards. Additionally both resolutions included suggested improvements and instructions intended to assure that the State Department of Education provides assistance to educators in developing their curriculum, and review clarifications and comments.
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