The State Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to protect victims of domestic violence from being denied insurance coverage. Senate Bill 1251, by Sen. Jim Wilson, would prohibit health insurance companies from classifying domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.

The State Senate approved legislation Wednesday which would require state elected officials as well as those in the federally-funded Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to undergo random drug testing. Sen. Bryce Marlatt is co-author of Senate Bill 1392, and successfully amended the measure to ensure state elected officials are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the job.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm has won Senate approval for a bill to end the sales tax on groceries throughout Oklahoma once the state recovers from the recession.

The measure, which was approved on a bipartisan 33-11 vote, contains provisions to protect cities and counties dependent on those revenues. Those entities would be reimbursed by the state for the tax they no longer would be able to collect on the sale of groceries.
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After voting in favor of a freeze on property taxes for Oklahoma senior citizens, Senator Kenneth Corn (D-Howe), flip flopped and cast the deciding vote to deny this much needed tax relief for the most vulnerable, fixed-income citizens in the state.

SJR 57, authored by Senator Jim Reynolds (R-OKC), failed in the Senate by a vote of 22-25, with Corn voting in favor of the measure. Reynolds later moved to reconsider the vote, which was granted by his colleagues.

Legislation to give additional protection to domestic violence victims is now awaiting action in the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 2022, by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Sue Tibbs, R-Tulsa, expands current law by enabling victims to see exactly where their abusers are via GPS.

Two years ago, Leftwich authored and passed legislation to allow court-ordered GPS tracking of domestic abusers. Law enforcement can access their location and determine if they are in violation of any court orders regarding proximity to their victim.

The state Senate on Tuesday approved a resolution designating the “Honor and Remember Flag” to officially recognize and honor fallen members of the United States Armed Forces. Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow, author of Senate Concurrent Resolution 48, said the flag was an appropriate unifying symbol for recognizing the nation’s debt to fallen servicepersons.

Days after single-handedly killing a resolution to allow the people of Oklahoma to vote for a freeze on property taxes for senior citizens, Senator Kenneth Corn says he switched his vote from YES to NO “when he remembered Oklahoma voters had already decided the issue.”

“This late memory retention is very convenient on the part of Senator Corn,” said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, “but regardless of his reasoning, Senator Corn cannot deny that he cast the deciding vote against this very fair tax relief measure.”

State Senator Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward) will appear before the U.S. Senate Environmental & Public Works Committee this week to provide testimony regarding rural transportation funding needs, as well as to discuss legislation he authored this session to find ways to implement innovative funding alternatives for Oklahoma’s state roads and bridges.
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Sen. Joe Sweeden this week said he would continue fighting for expansion of the state’s “Make My Day” legislation, as his proposal to expand the rights of business owners to defend their property advances to the state House.

Sweeden said Senate Bill 2257 would make it lawful for business owners to use force against any person who unlawfully interferes with real or personal property in the owner’s lawful possession, or in defense of a physical threat.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and House Speaker Chris Benge urged Oklahoma’s Attorney General on Monday to file suit against the federal government, challenging the constitutionality of yesterday’s health care legislation.