The State Senate’s author of a an omnibus pro-life bill that overwhelmingly passed the State Senate and House of Representatives urged Gov. Brad Henry to sign the bill before tonight’s midnight deadline for gubernatorial action on the bill.

“I strongly encourage Gov. Henry to join the Oklahoma Legislature in taking a stand for the rights of the unborn and for the sanctity of life by signing this bill before tonight’s deadline,” said Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, author of Senate Bill 1878.

Senator James A. Williamson’s “Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act” passed the Senate today as an amendment to House Bill 2633.

Williamson’s amendment provides protection to students who voluntarily express their religious views at school.

The amendment reads, “Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, ‘see you at the pole’ gatherings, or other religious gatherings before, during, and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups.”

Endowed chairs help bring some of the most brilliant minds in higher education to Oklahoma college campuses, but for years the private donations have far outpaced the state matching dollars needed to fund those positions. That could change, thanks to a measure by Sen. Kenneth Corn.

Sen. Jeff Rabon on Wednesday announced he would pursue an effort to provide an additional and permanent revenue stream for the State Transportation Fund.

The Co-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee has proposed a plan to reallocate a portion of motor vehicle taxes and fees from the General Revenue Fund to the State Transportation Fund. Rabon’s proposal would not reduce the percentage of revenues currently dedicated to the General Revenue Fund.

The State Senate gave unanimous approval Wednesday to a measure to establish the Oklahoma School for the Deaf regional service center on the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) campus in Chickasha. House Bill 1546 is authored by Chickasha Republicans Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Susan Winchester.

The State Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to override Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of Senate Bill 1878, a bipartisan pro-life bill, by a vote of 37-11. Thirty-two votes were required to override the veto in the Senate. The House of Representatives voted 81-15 to join the Senate in overriding the veto.

It is the first gubernatorial veto overridden by the State Legislature since the administration of former Gov. David Walters.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Thursday said one of Oklahoma’s greatest impediments to economic growth is a lack of college graduates. Under his proposal to provide qualifying high school graduates with two years of tuition at Oklahoma colleges and Universities, Corn said the state could make significant progress in building a more educated workforce.

Corn on Thursday successfully amended House Bill 2446, which modifies certain eligibility requirements for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), to include his proposal.

On Thursday, Senator Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, provided Senators with cost estimates he received from OSEEGIB (Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board) for an autism insurance mandate proposal and a proposal that has been referred to as the “Patients Bill of Rights.”

These estimates prepared by OSEEGIB, which manages the State’s health insurance plan which covers State employees and retirees, shows that the bills could have a “catastrophic” impact on the state budget.

Saying there is more than one way to achieve fairness for Oklahoma cancer patients, State Senator Andrew Rice, D-OKC, successfully amended a House insurance bill in the State Senate today with language from his bill known as "Steffanie's Law".

Rice, who co-authored the original legislation named for Steffanie Collings, a young woman from Noble who passed away last month, added key provisions of "Steffanie's Law" to HB 3115 when it came to a vote in the Senate. The amended bill passed the Senate by a margin of 26-21.

The co-president pro tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate praised Thursday’s passage by the House of Representatives of legislation to tweak the Quality Jobs Act to encourage the National Basketball Association to move a professional basketball team to Oklahoma.

The State Senate passed the bill Tuesday. The bill now goes to Gov. Brad Henry, who is expected to sign the legislation.