A bill naming the southbound I-44 Bridge over the Red River in honor of President George W. Bush is on its way to Gov. Mary Fallin for consideration. On Monday, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in approval of Senate Bill 304. Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, is principal author of the measure.
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The full Senate has given approval to House Bill 1614, a measure to move Oklahoma’s presidential primary from February to March. Republicans David Holt and Gary Banz are the Senate and House authors, respectively. Holt said new national rules adopted by Republicans and Democrats are forcing states like Oklahoma to move their primaries to March if they want to participate in the national conventions.
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Senate Democratic Floor Leader Andrew Rice said Republicans voted against fiscal accountability when they voted to block a Democratic amendment Tuesday. Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said the language would have been placed in House Bill 1225, a bill to require initiative petitions to include information on how any proposals requiring state dollars would be funded.
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Senate Republicans blocked an amendment earlier today by Sen. Tom Ivester, D-Sayre, which would make it more difficult to reduce the size of Oklahomas government. The amendment would have required all legislation heard on the Senate floor that would result in a loss of revenues include information on how those revenues would be replaced. Republicans said that amendment would undo recent major reforms.
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Today the Oklahoma Senate passed House Bill 2140, authored by President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa and House Speaker Kris Steele. The measure will consolidate administrative processes and help to eliminate duplication of services.

“We must be proactive in finding ways to make our state government more affordable and less expensive to the taxpayer. This is a vital part of our government right-sizing efforts in conjunction with the Governor and House, and I am pleased to see this bill one step closer to becoming law,” said Bingman.

Tuesday the Oklahoma House approved a bill that will give businesses and individuals the opportunity to play a role in providing quality education for Oklahoma children. Known as the “Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act,” Senate Bill 969 by Senator Dan Newberry, R-Sand Springs, passed in the House by a vote of 64 to 33.

“I’m very pleased the House passed the private scholarship bill,” said Newberry. “This is very important to Oklahoma kids and it gives under privileged children opportunity to succeed and receive the education they deserve.”

Statement from Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, author of SB 529

Wednesday evenings House vote in favor of Senate Bill 529, the Erin Elizabeth Swezey Act, is another important step toward protecting the lives of innocent Oklahomans by strengthening our drunk driving laws.

I want to express my profound thanks to House Speaker Kris Steele and Floor Leader Dan Sullivan for ensuring this bill was heard, along with my House author, Rep. Jason Nelson, for all he has done.

Sen. Rob Johnson on Thursday applauded members of the Oklahoma House for approving Senate Joint Resolution 15, which would allow voters to approve an amendment prohibiting discrimination and preferential treatment in state government.

Johnson’s measure would ban programs that allow discrimination against, or give preferential treatment to, any person on the basis of race, sex, color or national origin.

This week, Senate Bill 826, a bill to reform binding arbitration, was not heard in the House before the deadline to hear Senate bills. The bill could be considered in the House in the 2012 session. Principal author of the measure, Senator David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, made the following remarks.

"I want to thank Representative Scott Martin for his incredible leadership, and Speaker Kris Steele, for supporting Representative Martin and this important bill every step of the way.

"On behalf of every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, I strongly condemn the reprehensible racist and sexist comments made by Rep. Sally Kern yesterday on the floor of the House of Representatives. Such immoral beliefs have no place in a civilized society. I am shocked that a member of the legislature would show such disrespect and mean-spiritedness by expressing such antiquated and bigoted views.