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.

Oklahoma is one step closer to making history as a bipartisan lawsuit reform bill passes the State Senate Thursday with a 42-5 vote.

House Bill 1603, authored by President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, is a multi-faceted measure, including several key components of reform which will improve health care access to all Oklahomans, as well as assuring small business’ health and viability in the state.

Pro Tem Coffee comments on passage of the landmark legislation:

"Today we have finally settled the issue of tort reform, and now we must continue the more important debate about lowering the cost of health care for all Oklahomans.

“The only way to lower health care premiums in Oklahoma is to enact meaningful insurance reform and the Democratic Caucus stands ready to lend our voice to help bring real relief to all Oklahoma families who struggle every day to pay for health care.”

State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm said he was extremely pleased that a tort reform provision he had authored for several years was included in the lawsuit reform bill approved by the Senate on Thursday. The provision would prevent a gun manufacturer from being sued if their product was used in the commission of a crime.
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The Oklahoma State Senate approved two pro-life measures by Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb on Friday, advancing both to the Governor’s desk.

House Bill 1595 prohibits a person from performing an abortion solely because of the sex of the child and creates the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act, which requires physicians who perform abortions to report certain information to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). This legislation passed the Senate with a 35-9 vote.