Parents of multiples would have the right to keep their children in the same classroom under legislation approved unanimously by the State Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 2037, is awaiting consideration by the House Education Committee. The bill’s author, Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, said he was contacted by a mother of twins about the problem.
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The Oklahoma State Senate gave unanimous approval to a resolution honoring Makenna Smith, Miss Oklahoma 2007. The resolution was requested by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, with all of the members of the Senate co-authoring the measure.

“Makenna has done a wonderful job representing our state and promoting a very important cause—her platform has been seat belt safety, and I’m sure she’s been an effective spokesperson for this important public safety issue,” said Morgan, D-Stillwater.
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Senator James A. Williamson, the co-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement regarding a study by the Oklahoma Bankers Association regarding House Bill 1804, Oklahomas illegal immigration law.
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Legislation to strengthen penalties for assaulting a pregnant woman has cleared its first hurdle in the State Senate. Sen. Debbe Leftwich is Senate author of House Bill 1897, which was approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary.

Domestic violence is the number one cause of death for pregnant women. Oklahoma needs to do more to address such violence before it results in the death of a woman and her baby, said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City.

An agreement on lawsuit reform is possible this year, according to the Republican co-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, if Gov. Brad Henry is willing to make a counter-offer to the bipartisan lawsuit reform plans that he rejected during the 2007 legislative session.

“I believe that a meaningful lawsuit reform bill is doable this year if the governor will get engaged in the process and make a formal counter-offer to the bipartisan proposals he rejected last year,” stated Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa, the co-chairmen of the Judiciary Committee.

The Co-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday emphasized the importance of adhering to a fair and fiscally responsible approach to transportation funding.

Sen. Jeff Rabon said that while the Legislature must do more to provide for the state’s long-term transportation funding needs, but not at the expense of essential services. Rabon was specifically critical of proposals to divert revenue produced by motor vehicle excise taxes to transportation funding.

Bill Now Heads to Governor Henry for His Signature

Crossing party lines and teaming up with her Republican counterparts to speed up the legislative process for a bill aimed at making government more efficient, State Senator Nancy Riley applauded the teamwork behind her bill that passed the Senate on Monday making the mining application process less burdensome for local communities. The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature before becoming law.

The State Senate unanimously passed a mining bill on Monday that prevents the needless waste of municipalities’ time and resources in the process of reconsidering mining permits.

Senator Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, authored Senate Bill 706 that allows municipalities the right to limit consideration of certain mining requests. SB 706 helps ensure that city resources are not wasted by reviewing the same application over and over again after it has already been denied.

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Monday that allows students with disabilities to receive an automatic special education transfer after they have been granted school transfers for three consecutive years. The transfer will become permanent and automatically renew each year.

House Bill 2518, authored by State Senator Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, and Rep. Ben Sherrer, D-Chouteau, now goes to the full Senate for approval.

A recent ranking by a gun control group gives a timely boost to an effort to attract firearms manufacturers to Oklahoma, according to the lawmaker who initiated the endeavor.

Last Thursday, the Brady Campaign – a group that advocates gun control measures – said Oklahoma was tied with Kentucky having the fewest gun control “points” in a national study. Out of a possible 100 points, the two states scored a two.