Some of Oklahoma’s biggest entertainment attractions may soon benefit from the construction of a luxury hotel to be constructed in Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.

On Tuesday, the full Senate approved House Bill 2019 to provide a tax refund of $354,000 on the construction of a hotel that would be built near Remington Park. Senate author Richard Lerblance explained the bill would benefit not only Oklahoma City, but the state as a whole.
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A comprehensive lawsuit reform bill is gaining momentum with a key endorsement by the National Rifle Association, the Senate’s co-president pro tempore said Tuesday.

“The NRA’s endorsement of SB 507’s liability protection for firearms and ammunition manufacturers has added to the momentum for meaningful lawsuit reform this year,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “The NRA’s support should ensure additional votes for SB 507 from rural Democrats who support Second Amendment rights.”

In an effort to bring attention to the importance of biofuels in Oklahoma and to place increased emphasis on the production of oil seed crops, the State Senate passed House Bill 1916 Tuesday. The principal Senate author, Senator Ron Justice explained the legislation would allow for a tax exemption on the production of biofuels.
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State Capitol, Oklahoma City On the same day the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on partial-birth abortions, Gov. Brad Henry took the opposite track on the abortion issue in the State of Oklahoma, vetoing bipartisan legislation that prohibits state funds, facilities, and employees from being used to perform abortions. The bill also requires abortionists to file reports with the state to ensure they are following Oklahomas laws requiring parental notification and informed consent.
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A section of proposed law buried inside a tort reform bill could allow nursing homes and hospitals to hide information about what injured or killed a patient. Sen. Debbe Leftwich said most Oklahomans would be outraged if that were allowed to happen. She said the language, contained in sections 24 through 28 of the 119 page bill, should be removed.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said Thursday that passage of extreme changes in the state’s civil justice system contained in Senate Bill 507 will severely cripple access to justice for everyday Oklahomans.
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State Capitol, Oklahoma City - Oklahoma Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma, issued the following statement regarding Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode.

"Denise Bode is a faithful leader who has provided nearly a decade of service to the people of Oklahoma as a member of our Corporation Commission. Oklahomans appreciate her hard work and commitment to our state, and we will miss her. I wish my friend and colleague the best of luck in her new endeavors.

The State Senate on Monday honored the distinguished life and career of the late Senator Robert M. Kerr with the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 32, dedicating the “Senator Robert M. “Bob” Kerr Memorial Highway” in Jackson County.

The soft-spoken Senator from Altus was first elected to the state Senate in 1986 and served through his passing in 2006.

Sen. Mike Schulz, author of SCR 32, said Kerr would always be remembered as a gentleman who had the respect and admiration of everyone at the State Capitol.

Each year, approximately one million pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn baby and Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre has authored a concurrent resolution mourning these deaths. SCR 25, co-authored by Rep. Mike Shelton, also designates October 15, 2007 as "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day" in Oklahoma.
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Doctors should not pressure women into having abortions because medical tests indicate the baby may be born with disabilities. That was the message at a State Capitol Press Conference on Tuesday with Sen. James A. Williamson, principal author of Senate Bill 714, a measure to ban the use of state facilities or employees to perform abortions. That measure was recently vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry.
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