The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a measure to bring Oklahoma into compliance with the federal REAL ID law. The measure, House Bill 1845, is co-authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz and Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall.

Sen. J.J. Dossett was recently appointed by his fellow legislators to serve as Co-Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (OLSC). The Sperry Democrat replaces Sen. John Sparks of Norman who completed his chairmanship last month.

“Hunting and fishing is an important part of our state’s heritage and plays a strong role in our tourism industry and economy,” said Dossett. “This caucus works to protect and promote the sportsmen’s traditions in Oklahoma and I’m honored to have been chosen to serve in this role.”
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The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday convened for an organizational day and, on a unanimous vote officially, elected Sen. Mike Schulz of Altus as President Pro Tempore. Schulz is the first senator from western Oklahoma to lead the Senate in more than 50 years. Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, made the motion nominating Schulz as President Pro Tempore and, in a show of bipartisan support, the motion was seconded by Minority Leader John Sparks, D-Norman.
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Oklahoma State Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward, reiterated his opposition to a planned tribal casino near Guymon, saying it’s time to reevaluate the framework of casino gambling in Oklahoma if the federal government is going to allow tribal gaming in areas of the state with no historical tribal connections.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks has announced his appointments to the caucus leadership team for the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions. Sparks, D-Norman, released the assignments on Thursday. read more.

Sen. David Holt has introduced Senate Bill 316, which would provide a $10,000 raise to all Oklahoma classroom teachers over a four-year period beginning this fall. Holt has further introduced 12 separate measures to provide funding options for the raise.

The Senate has completed filing bills for the first session of the 56th Legislature. A total of 831 Senate Bills were filed, along with 46 senate joint resolutions and one senate concurrent resolution. In 2015, a total of 815 Senate bills were filed, along with 32 senate joint resolutions.
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President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz and the Senate Republican Caucus on Thursday unveiled a 2017 legislative agenda with a focus on long-term solutions to build a more prosperous Oklahoma.

Tuesday Oklahoma voters went to the polls and approved State Question 794, also known as Marsy’s Law. SQ 794 passed with 78 percent approval and was the only state question approved by Oklahoma voters. Marsy’s Law places greater protection and rights for victims of crime into Oklahoma’s constitution. State Question 794 was authored by State Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, and was the fourth constitutional amendment by Sykes that Oklahoma voters have approved. Previous state questions include:

SQ 751 making English the Official Language of Oklahoma (76%) read more.

Twenty-four new and returning members of the Oklahoma State Senate were sworn into office at the Capitol Wednesday with Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, President of the Senate, presiding over the ceremony. The oath was administered by the Honorable Douglas L. Combs, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.