A bill filed Thursday could help public housing authorities collect debts owed to them by tenants. Senate Bill 1019, by Sen. Earl Garrison and Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, would allow public housing authorities to file claims with the Oklahoma Tax Commission to deduct debts owed to them from tenants’ personal income tax refunds.
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The deadline for members of the Oklahoma State Senate to file legislation for the second session of the 53rd Legislature was 4 p.m. Thursday, January 19. A total of 972 bills and 45 joint resolutions were filed with 753 Senate Bills and 41 Senate Joint Resolutions carried over from the 2011 session.

Under Senate rules, appropriations bills are not subject to the deadlines pertaining to substantive (policy) bills. Last year, 976 substantive bills and 45 joint resolutions were filed by the 2011 deadline.
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Each year, thousands of Oklahoma school students take their end-of-instruction tests in order to be able to graduate. In an effort to help more students get their high school diploma and provide educators with more classroom time for teaching, Sen. Harry Coates has filed Senate Bill 1093.
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Sen. Sean Burrage, Democratic Leader of the State Senate, issued the following statement after Department of Human Services Director Howard Hendrick announced he would retire from that position at the end of February.

“Howard Hendrick has spent a quarter of a century of his life in public service, first as a member of the State Senate for 12 years and then as DHS Director for the past 13 years. I want to thank him for that service and dedication and wish Howard and his family the very best as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

“I applaud Insurance Commissioner Doak and state legislative leaders who have worked diligently over the last year to address this gap and ensure access to health coverage for our youngest citizens.

As a father and grandfather, I know how important it is for infants to have proper medical care. The care they receive in their first year will impact them the rest of their lives. This is why it’s so imperative that we make sure all of Oklahoma’s babies have access to high quality medical care and that can only be possible through having proper health coverage.

Senator David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 75, which proposes an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would give local taxpayers or their elected representatives the final approval before any local tax dollars are spent. If approved by the Legislature, the amendment would appear on the November, 2012 ballot for consideration by the voters of Oklahoma. The proposal is dubbed the “Lincoln Amendment” after the President who declared that the American government was “by the people” and “for the people.”

Sen. Harry Coates is frustrated by recent suggestions that the legislature have the citizens of Oklahoma vote to pass a bond issue to fix the State Capitol building. Coates, who has been fighting for Capitol repairs for years, believes this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the legislature and quickly, not by the people in November.
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State Sen. Darrell Weaver has been appointed to four Senate committees for the 57th Legislature. Weaver, R-Moore, will serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Energy, the Public Safety Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary.

As a mark of respect for the memory and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela, Sen. Connie Johnson asked Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday to order all American and Oklahoma flags on state property to be flown at half-staff from 5:00 p.m., Friday, December 13, until 8:30 a.m. on the morning of his state funeral and interment, Sunday, December 15.
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Sunday, Dec. 15, will mark the 222nd anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. In recognition of that anniversary, numerous Oklahoma lawmakers have joined as co-authors of a non-partisan effort to recognize the significance of the Bill of Rights through the filing of Senate Bill 1159.
SB 1159 would allow a monument recognizing the importance of the Bill of Rights to be placed on the grounds of the State Capitol. Costs associated with the project would be paid for with private donations.
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