OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved legislation Wednesday addressing a gap in eligibility for nonviolent offenders to participate in the Electronic Monitoring Program.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Each year, the Oklahoma Economic Development Council (OEDC) honors an outstanding legislator who has been a strong advocate for the future of economic development in Oklahoma.

State Senator George Young, D-Oklahoma City, issued the following statement in response to the Senate Rules Committee voting down Senate Bill 209, which would require a racial impact statement for any piece of criminal justice legislation that creates a new offense, significantly changes an existing offense, changes the penalty for an existing offense, or changes existing sentencing, parole or probation procedures.

OKLAHOMA CITY –Work at the Clinton-Sherman Airport in Burns Flat are underway in preparation of the arrival of Boeing Airlines in the coming weeks.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to clarify and strengthen penalties for those who commit crimes during violent riots is now on its way to the full Senate.  Senate Bill 806, creating the Oklahoma Citizens’ Protection Act, by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, was approved on Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Rules Committee has approved Senate Bill 253, authored by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, which would modify declaration of candidacy forms for citizens seeking to hold public office.

The measure would require candidates to provide the date they registered as a voter of the political party they are running for as well as his or her voter registration identification number.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen.

The Senate Public Safety Committee approved Senate Bill 631, also known as the Second Amendment Sanctuary Act, in a 9-2 vote on Monday. The measure, authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, would make Oklahoma a Second Amendment sanctuary state.

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a measure to prohibit law enforcement agencies from releasing audio or video showing an officer dying in the line of duty unless a court rules the material should be released in specific cases.  Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, is principal author of Senate Bill 968.  Haste said his legislation has the support of law enforcement as well as the Oklahoma Press Association.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure allowing social media users to sue for damages against any social media website that censors a user’s political or religious speech was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. State Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, authored Senate Bill 383 to eliminate selective censorship of opinion on social media and to ensure free speech is treated fairly.