Defendants suffering from mental illness will be able to enter two new pleas beginning November 1 following the signing of Senate Bill 1214 earlier this week. The bill, by Sen. Ron Sharp and Rep. Justin Wood, modifies the “not guilty by reason of insanity” (NGRI) defense by creating the “guilty but with mental defect” and “not guilty by reason of mental illness” defenses.
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The increasing popularity of drones has created new security concerns for businesses, government facilities and private citizens. On Wednesday, Gov. Fallin signed House Bill 2599 to restrict flight of unmanned aircraft over locations and businesses that are completely fenced in or have signs to prevent intruders. Sen. Ron Sharp is the principal Senate author of the bill that he says will help better protect the privacy and security of Oklahoma businesses and facilities.
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Sen. Ron Sharp has filed legislation for the upcoming legislative session to boost teacher pay. Senate Bill 8 would modify the minimum salary schedule beginning with the 2017-2018 school year to allow for a $5,000 increase in salary and/or benefits.
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Sen. Ron Sharp filed legislation Friday to expand the Trooper Nicholas Dees and Trooper Keith Burch Act of 2015. Senate Bill 44 strengthens the law to prohibit not just texting while driving but using any kind of hand held device while behind the wheel unless it is with a hands free accessory.
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On Tuesday, Sen. Ron Sharp filed legislation to increase accountability and transparency of taxpayer dollars through strengthening Oklahoma’s Performance Informed Budgeting (P.I.B.) system. Senate Bill 189 would remove Zero-Based Budgeting from Oklahoma statutes as the state no longer uses the system and would refocus legislators’ attention to the importance of the state’s Performance Informed Budgeting System.
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Sen. Ron Sharp filed legislation Thursday to strengthen Oklahoma’s Reading Sufficiency Act to ensure more Oklahoma students have the reading skills necessary to be promoted to the fourth grade. Senate Bill 221 will make Student Reading Proficiency Teams a permanent component in third grade retention and promotion decisions as well as provide more guidance for public schools about summer reading academies.
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Sen. Ron Sharp has filed legislation to address Oklahoma’s high number of uninsured motorists especially those with DUI convictions. Senate Bill 260 would require an individual convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) to have valid auto insurance on file with the Department of Public Safety for at least one year after their conviction.
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Under Oklahoma law, sheriffs and other law enforcement officers are responsible for transporting individuals who require mental health services under Emergency Orders of Detention (EOD). This is an expensive and time consuming process for the agencies but Sen. Ron Sharp has filed Senate Bill 252 to help by allowing them to contract with third parties to provide such services.
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The Senate Appropriations Committee gave unanimous approval to the Performance Informed Budget and Transparency Act of 2015 Wednesday. Senate Bill 189, by Sen. Ron Sharp and Rep. Dennis Casey, is a new budgeting process that will allow for budget dollars to be aligned to state priorities and measurable outcomes.
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The full Senate has given its approval to a bill that will reform the budgeting process to align resources with state priorities and measurable outcomes. Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, and Rep. Dennis Casey, R-Morrison, are the principal Senate and House authors of Senate Bill 189, the Performance Informed Budget and Transparency Act of 2015, which was approved on Wednesday.