A measure supported by the National Rifle Association that strengthens the rights of gun owners and protects employers from lawsuits has cleared another legislative hurdle according to Senate author of the measure, Senator Jay Paul Gumm. Gumm, (D-Durant) said House Bill 1243 passed off the Senate Floor with a bi-partisan majority vote.

A bill to provide tax credits for producers of ethanol in the State of Oklahoma passed the Senate Monday afternoon. House Bill 1556, authored by Sen. David Myers and Rep. Mike Jackson, will encourage companies to build ethanol facilities in the state.

Under provisions of the bill, an ethanol plant could not be eligible for tax credits until the plant had been operating for six months at 25-percent of capacity.
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Senator Jeff Rabon and Representative Paul Roan are questioning whether their Senate Concurrent Resolution naming the official state dinosaur will receive a House Committee hearing. The bill was assigned to the House Rules Committee and will more than likely not make it on the agenda. The deadline to give bills a committee hearing from the opposite house of origin is quickly approaching – bills must be heard before 5:00pm Thursday, April 21st, 2005.

The State Senate has unanimously approved a measure to increase the statute of limitations for filing charges against suspected child molesters. House Bill 1013, by Rep. Larry Glenn, D-Miami, and Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, would increase the statute of limitations from seven years after discovery of the crime to 12 years.
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A portrait of Mrs. Lamar Looney, the first woman ever elected to serve in the Oklahoma State Senate, was unveiled during a ceremony in the State Senate Chamber on Tuesday.

The painting is the latest in a series of historical paintings, a project by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. The portrait is sponsored by the 2005 Senate Women’s Caucus, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the Rural Women’s Business Center and the Family of Mrs. Lamar Looney. The painting was done by Norman, Oklahoma artist Mike Wimmer. read more.

A bill to encourage people to enter physician assistant education programs and to practice in Oklahoma's rural and medically underserved areas won unanimous approval in the State Senate today.

House Bill 1411 establishes the Physician Assistant Scholarship Program, which will be supported through a revolving fund created for and administered by the Physician Manpower Training Commission. The measure was authored by Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, and Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada.
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A bill to encourage the processing, market development and research of alternative fuels derived from agriculture products such as grain was signed into law Tuesday. SB 363, authored by Sen. Robert Kerr, D-Altus, and Rep. Dale DeWitt, R-Braman, creates the Oklahoma Biofuels Development Act.
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Senator Jeff Rabon, an assistant majority leader in the Oklahoma State Senate, said he is completely baffled by a decision from House leadership and their Republican committee chairmen who refuse to hear two bills aimed at making tomorrow better for Oklahoma children. Rabon said he has recently learned State Rep. Kris Steele is refusing to hear Senate Bill 666, aimed at curbing the epidemic of binge drinking in the state. He also said Rep. Sue Tibbs is refusing to hear Senate Bill 702, known as the Truth in Campaigning Act, aimed at increasing accountability for candidates seeking office. read more.

The full State Senate has approved a bill to give Oklahoma consumers greater protection when they purchase gift cards from retailers. HB 1986, by Rep. Terry Ingmire, R-Stillwater and Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, would ensure that gift cards could be redeemed for their full value for up to five years after the time of purchase.
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Republicans in the House are turning their heads to the problems that come with credit card debt and bankruptcy by killing a bill being backed by the State Chamber of Commerce. Senate Bill 378 would have required students who graduate from an Oklahoma school to take one semester of Personal Financial Economics but was killed when House leaders refused to hear the bill in committee.