Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced Wednesday 46 of the Senate’s 48 members have been assigned to the General Conference Committee on Appropriations.

The conference committee, which will consider legislation dealing with budgetary matters, will include every senator other than the two leaders.

The full Senate has given final approval to a bill allowing relatives of murder victims to wear buttons displaying a picture of their loved one in the courtroom. Sen. Jim Reynolds is principal author of Senate Bill 868, known as “Taylor’s Law.” Reynolds said it was a victim’s rights issue.

“Usually, the only images seen of the victim in court are the crime scene photos,” Reynolds said. “Their families want to be able to remember them as they were in life—not just homicide victims. They should have that right.”

A joint meeting of the Senate and House Committees on Education has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 9 a.m. in the State Senate Chamber. Legislators will have the opportunity to learn more about a recent report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which gave Oklahoma a “D” in education. The study, called “Leaders and Laggards: State Report Cards,” was highly critical of Oklahoma’s public education system in areas ranging from academic achievement, truth in advertising about student proficiency, and data quality.
read more.

The evenly-divided Oklahoma Senate voted Monday to send Gov. Brad Henry a tax relief package that speeds up income tax cuts and provides Oklahomans with a back-to-school sales tax holiday.

Senate Bill 861, by Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton, passed on a bipartisan 33 to 15 vote. This bill is the result of a bipartisan tax relief agreement announced by Senate and House leaders in March.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, called on Henry to sign the legislation.

The Democratic author of the “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday praised passage of this year’s tax cut agreement legislation that passed off the Senate floor today.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm said this year’s agreement includes four specific tax cuts—none of which are more important than a proposal he authored for a “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday.
read more.

Legislative leaders from the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives disputed published comments by Gov. Brad Henry that an agreement is near on a lawsuit reform compromise.

Henry recently vetoed Senate Bill 507, a bipartisan lawsuit reform bill passed by the Legislature. In the May 6, 2007, edition of The Sunday Oklahoman, Henry said he feels a compromise on lawsuit reform is “very, very close.”

Two of the principal architects of a measure to strengthen the Teacher’s Retirement System of Oklahoma (TRS) praised Gov. Brad Henry for his support of Senate Bill 357. Sen. Kenneth Corn, D- Poteau, and Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, joined the governor for a signing ceremony at the State Capitol on Monday.
read more.

The leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa joined State Sen. James A. Williamson on Tuesday in support of a measure to restrict the performance of abortions at state facilities or by state employees.

Senate Bill 714 was vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry last month. Williamson has vowed to continue bringing up the legislation until he is successful in an override of the veto. Williamson said he intends to move to override when the Senate meets on Wednesday.
read more.

A trio of Democratic Senators Tuesday blasted Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa, over his latest effort to override Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of Senate Bill 714.
read more.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Tuesday announced that fundraising efforts for “The Greatest Generation Project” will allow 51 World War II veterans in his district to visit the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C.

Together with Rep. Neil Brannon and Rep. Glen Bud Smithson, Sen. Corn initiated fundraising for the project in February, and enough money has been raised to cover all travel expenses for the group of veterans.

Corn said the inspiration behind the project was that all WWII veterans should have the opportunity to visit the memorial, regardless of their ability to pay.