The Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to send the legislation known as the Unity Bill to the full Senate for approval. Sen. Greg McCortney is the chair of the Rules Committee and Senate principal author of House Bill 2612, creating the safety and regulatory framework necessary for Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry after voters approved State Question 788 last June. The measure has already been approved by the House.

State Sen. Greg McCortney won committee approval Monday for a bill renaming the closed Southern Oklahoma Resource Center in Pauls Valley. Under Senate Bill 7, the facility, long known as SORC, will be called the Washita Valley Complex.

The long-time institutional care facility provided residential care for adults with severe disabilities but closed in 2015 after the Department of Human Services decided to move residents to community-based services.

State Sen. Greg McCortney has filed legislation to add school nurses or other designated employees to those who can administer life-saving opiate antagonists. Currently, state law includes first-responders, including emergency medical technicians, law enforcement and firefighters. Senate Bill 85 would amend that law to include school medical personnel or an employee designated by the school’s administration to be able to administer opiate antagonists, a treatment that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, allowing time to seek emergency medical care.

Senator Greg McCortney, R-Ada, issued the following statement in response to the House minority leader's call for a special session on medical marijuana:

On Tuesday afternoon, the Senate Transportation Committee approved two bills by Sen. Kevin Matthews to bring high speed rail to Tulsa and eventually throughout the state. Senate Bill 1082 creates the “High Speed Transit Rail Expansion Commission” and Senate Bill 1379 directs the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements for light rail passenger service in Tulsa.

Members of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, for an interim study on the awarding of state contracts to businesses owned by disabled veterans. The study, which will be held in room 535 at the state Capitol, was requested by Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa.

“We have highly capable disabled veterans, not only in my district, but I believe throughout Oklahoma. Some may not be able to do strenuous physical labor, but they have the capability of owning a company that could serve our state in a number of areas,” Matthews said.

Building upon the success of previous legislation, the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a series of criminal justice reform bills.

The measures continue an effort by the Oklahoma Senate to examine and modify, as necessary, the state’s criminal justice system in order to address the state’s prison population and provide treatment for those in the justice system who need mental health or substance abuse services.

Nearly half of Oklahoma counties, 32 of the 77, are considered food urban/rural deserts where citizens have limited or no access to fresh food and produce. One of those areas is north Tulsa, and Sen. Kevin Matthews requested an interim study to find ways to help his district and others around the state through the use of urban gardens.

Members of the Senate Health and Human Services met Tuesday to hear from local healthcare organizations about the importance of the health center uncompensated care fund (UCF) to the health and well-being of Oklahomans. The Oklahoma Department of Health stopped distributing payments to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) for health care to the uninsured following the second mid-year revenue failure but resumed payments for services rendered in July.