The President Pro Tempore thanked the Governor for signing legislation that would aid in streamlining government.

Senator Coffee’s House Bill 1676 moves the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC) out of the Legislative Service Bureau, reassigning its functions and staff to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and the Attorney General, in an effort to improve efficiency and accountability at the CJRC.

The Water Resources Board should not have sole authority in determining whether Oklahoma water should be sold to Texas. That’s according state lawmakers concerned about a proposal expected to come before the legislature in the final days of the session.
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A bill to require full disclosure of adoption fees is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was given final approval by the State Senate on Wednesday.

“I want to thank my fellow members for their support. Each time this bill has been considered by the Senate it has gotten unanimous approval,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “I believe all of us want to do what we can to improve the adoption process in our state and help more children find loving, adoptive parents.”
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Legislation that will help law enforcement solve cold cases, including murder, rape and child molestation, has been approved by the Senate. Senate Bill 1102, by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would add new misdemeanor crimes to those that can result in the harvesting of DNA. The DNA would only be collected upon conviction of those crimes.

Nichols authored legislation that first expanded the state’s DNA database, which directly led to the arrest and conviction of the man who murdered OU Ballet student Julie Buskin.

Senator John Ford said Wednesday he was disappointed the Governor vetoed Senate Bill 586 which allows charter schools to be sponsored by a federally recognized Indian tribe.

Ford, author of SB 586, said Wednesday that the Governor’s veto prevents students and parents from receiving quality choices in education.

A bill to require full disclosure of adoption fees is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was given final approval by the State Senate on Wednesday.

“I want to thank my fellow members for their support. Each time this bill has been considered by the Senate it has gotten unanimous approval,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “I believe all of us want to do what we can to improve the adoption process in our state and help more children find loving, adoptive parents.”
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State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was “elated” after the Senate joined the House in approving House Concurrent Resolution 1028, asserting Oklahoma’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. An earlier legislative attempt by Brogdon to stop the federal government from overstepping its bounds was vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry.
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The state Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution urging the United States Senate to reject the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sen. Dan Newberry, Senate author of House Concurrent Resolution 1033, said the U.S. government should work to strengthen the rights of parents, rather than adopting international treaties that could weaken the foundation of the family.
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The Choctaw Nation was honored by the Oklahoma State Senate Thursday for its outstanding support of the National Guard and Reserve as well as veterans. Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant, was author of Senate Resolution 48, praising the tribe which was the recipient of the 2008 Pro Patria Award—the highest honor bestowed for support of military men and women. The Choctaw Nation was also awarded the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
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The task to return professionalism back to the appointment and management of tag agencies took yet another huge step on Thursday with wide bipartisan approval from the Senate.