The Oklahoma State Senate will soon say goodbye to Sen. James A. Williamson. The Republican Leader Emeritus is completing his final session in the Senate due to term limits. On Tuesday, Williamson’s family and friends gathered in the Senate Chamber to watch his colleagues pay tribute to the Tulsa legislator.
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The Oklahoma State Senate approved a resolution Tuesday recognizing the need to provide protections for credit cardholders and urges Congress to support the “Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008.”

Senate Resolution 67 is authored by Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah. Copies of the resolution will be distributed to Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation and to the chair and members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Oklahoma State Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday updating a state statute which protects visitation rights for grandparents.

House Bill 2469 is authored by State Senator Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee, and Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Okay. The bill now goes to Gov. Brad Henry for his approval.

The measure provides that a grandparent may have visitation rights with a grandchild if the grandchild’s mother dies from complications related to the birth of a child.

Sen. Todd Lamb on Wednesday praised Gov. Brad Henry for taking action to make Oklahoma schools some of the safest in the nation by signing Senate Bill 1941, the Oklahoma School Security Act.

“The signing of this measure is good news for Oklahomans. It’s incumbent upon us to do everything in our power to mitigate risks at our schools and ensure they are safe environments for students and staff,” said Lamb, R-Oklahoma City. “This law gives us the opportunity to make numerous security improvements and reduce instances of violence and bullying in our schools.”

The Oklahoma State Senate approved legislation Wednesday authorizing the Commissioner of Public Safety to house and train canines for drug and bomb units.

House Bill 2695 is authored by State Senator Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee and Rep. Paul Roan, D-Tishomingo. The bill now goes to Gov. Brad Henry for approval.

Supporters of a proposal that would require health insurance policies to cover autism diagnosis and treatment say a proposal being suggested to families is no solution at all.

“Suggestions by some House Republicans that an insurance ‘rider’ for autism could be a solution is nothing but a lame effort to reduce political pressure,” said Senator Jay Paul Gumm. “It is no solution at all, and could make the situation worse.”

The Oklahoma State Senate approved a resolution Thursday memorializing Congress and the President to promote the formation of democratic institutions, multiparty elections and respect for human rights in Ethiopia, and to play a mediatory role in peaceful resolution.

Senate Resolution 77 is authored by Sen. Constance N. Johnson, D-Oklahoma County. A copy of this resolution will be distributed to President George W. Bush and the members of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

The Oklahoma State Senate voted 47 to 0 in favor of an ethics reform bill today, sending House Bill 2196 to Gov. Henry’s desk. Earlier in the day, the House of Representatives voted 90 to 6 for the bill.

HB 2196 bans campaign contributions from lobbyists and lobbyist principals during regular legislative sessions. The ban applies to contributions to the campaigns of state legislators and candidates for a state legislative office.

House Bill 2196 is authored by Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, and Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

The state Senate on Thursday voted in favor of strengthening penalties for assaulting pregnant women. House Bill 1897, known as the “Scum of the Earth Bill”, would allow felony charges to be filed against a person who assaults a woman and causes her to miscarry.

Noting that domestic violence is the number one cause of death among pregnant women, Senate author Debbe Leftwich said the state has a moral and legal responsibility to address the problem.

Gov. Brad Henry and legislative leaders have reached an agreement on a $475 million bond package.

The agreement includes money for roads, higher education endowed chairs, a low-water dam project on the Arkansas River in Tulsa, flood control dams in rural Oklahoma, and the Native American Cultural Center in Oklahoma City.