State Sen. James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, said the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) is wrong to oppose SB 714 and HB 1317, Williamson’s bills that would prohibit state funds and facilities from being used to perform abortions.

Tuesday, OSMA issued a letter from Dr. Jack Beller, Chair of OSMA’s Council on State Legislation, encouraging legislators to oppose the measures.
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HENRY MAY BE SETTING STAGE FOR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Senate Republican leaders questioned Gov. Brad Henry’s line-item veto of funding for an independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections – which the governor described as his “first” line-item veto of HB 1234, the bipartisan general appropriations bill overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature last week.

The Co-Chairs of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources both praised provisions of House Bill 1234, the General Appropriations bill.
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The life of one of Oklahoma's brave young sons was honored by the State Senate Wednesday. Senate Resolution 22, by Senator Jim Wilson, memorializes the life and the military contributions of U.S. Army Sergeant William J. "B.J." Beardsley who was killed in Iraq on Monday, February 26.
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A Senate committee approved a measure Thursday that would encourage all retailers to implement voluntary restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter medications containing dextromethorphan. The bill, House Bill 1794, is authored by Sen. Ron Justice.
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Lack of prenatal care for babies and their mothers costs the State of Oklahoma millions of dollars each year and the lives of hundreds of infants. On Thursday, the Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, by Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, to help bring awareness to this growing problem in the state.
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Sexual violence is increasing in Oklahoma and State Senator Andrew Rice is joining with the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault as well as Take Back the Night: Oklahoma (TBTN) to help raise awareness of the growing epidemic.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Calling it a “moral imperative” for Oklahoma’s working families, a Democratic senator has introduced legislation to repeal the state sales tax on groceries.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 34, which would end collection of the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. The state sales tax on groceries is 4.5 cents on every dollar spent at the check-out stand.

Veteran State Senator Kenneth Corn, has filed a series of bills aimed at shoring up Oklahomas Teachers Retirement System (OTRS). He said OTRS, the retirement system for Oklahomas retired educators, is in serious need of an overhaul to save the future of the system and protect the financial future of thousands of Oklahoma teachers.

Oklahomas teachers are the best in the nation, Corn said. They deserve to know when they invest their money into a state retirement account, that money will still be available for them when they leave the classroom.

One of the first official votes in the State Senate in the 2007 session was the unanimous approval of a resolution honoring President Gerald R. Ford, who died this past December at the age of 93. The resolution was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee.
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