The full Senate has given approval to a measure that would allow an income tax deduction for taxpayers who support a relative over the age of 70.

Sen. Andrew Rice, author of Senate Bill 725, said the measure was authored to ease the burden on middle class families who care for both their children and their elderly parents.

A delegation from Muskogee was at the State Capitol Monday to help raise awareness of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and museum. Sen. Earl Garrison welcomed the entourage from the floor of the Senate and praised their efforts to promote Oklahoma musicians.
read more.

A measure that will ensure that the state meets its financial obligations to reimburse counties and school districts for ad valorem tax revenue lost as a result of economic development incentives passed the Oklahoma State Senate Monday on a 25-23 vote.

The full Senate has given approval to a measure that would make it a felony to report a false Amber Alert. Sen. Cliff Aldridge, R-Midwest City, is the author of Senate Bill 371. Aldridge said of 13 Amber Alerts that have been filed in Oklahoma, four turned out to be false, including one in his district.
read more.

The State Senate on Monday approved a measure intended to curb the growing problem of copper theft in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 472, authored by Sen. Cliff Branan, would require additional regulations for junk dealers, making it easier to establish a paper trail to track down copper thieves.
Branan said the legislature has to take action to curb a dramatically increasing problem throughout the state.
read more.

The full Senate has given approval to a measure aimed at saving the lives of thousands of Oklahomans. Sen. Debbe Leftwich is the author of SB 14, which would require insurance companies to cover colorectal cancer screening.

“This is the second leading cancer killer in the nation,” said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City. “It’s estimated that 1,880 Oklahomans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and of those, 720 will die. Early detection would save most of them.”
read more.

A measure designed to strengthen the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma (TRS) has won full approval from the State Senate. Sen. Mike Mazzei is the author of the bill which would substantially improve the funded liability ratio of the system over the next 20 years.

SB 1119 was approved unanimously on Tuesday. That measure would raise the dedicated stream of revenue from income and sales tax collections to pour additional money into TRS.
read more.

A bill to give greater protection to victims of identity theft has won passage in the State Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 567, was authored by Sen. Randy Bass as a result of an incident in his district.
read more.

A bill that would increase penalties for hunting or fishing without permission on land primarily devoted to farming, ranching or forestry was approved by the Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 95, authored by Senator Kenneth Corn, would remove the requirement for the landowner to post warning signs and would require the forfeiture of hunting or fishing licenses for individuals caught violating the law.

Corn said the legislation would amend existing statutes which discouraged trespassing, but offered little punishment.
read more.

Members of the Oklahoma Senate unanimously voted to strengthen the “Oklahoma Funeral Picketing Act” originally passed last year.

That law was passed as a response to a group from a church in Topeka, Kans. that travels the nation to protest at military funerals. Under the 2006 law, picketing is illegal beginning one hour before the funeral until one our after it, and the picketers have to be at least 500 feet away from the ceremony or cemetery.
read more.