The state Senate voted Wednesday to direct $45 million from the state Rainy Day Fund for immediate tornado disaster relief. Senate Bill 249, passed unanimously in the Senate, directs funds to the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management to aid recovery efforts in affected communities. SB 249 was passed in response to a request by Gov. Mary Fallin.
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Sen. Mike Schulz and Rep. Charles Ortega said the selection of Altus Air Force Base for the first Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the Air Force’s new KC-46 air refueling tanker will have numerous benefits for the base and the city of Altus and Southwest Oklahoma.
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The Senate has approved a package of tax relief measures to help Oklahoma tornado victims. Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, is the author of Senate Bill 330. He represents the district hardest hit by Monday’s EF5.

“We know that thousands of Oklahomans have lost everything, including their homes and their vehicles. Even with insurance, there can be a tremendous personal expense for replacing these things,” Sykes said. “This package of credits will help offset some of the cost for replacing homes and vehicles, and help businesses that were impacted.”
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Oklahomans whose property was damaged in the May tornadoes need to be cautious when it comes to hiring someone to make roofing repairs. Taking the time to make sure a roofer is registered to do business in Oklahoma can protect property owners from being ripped off by scam artists who exploit storm victims.

OKLAHOMA CITY –Sen. Bryce Marlatt and Rep. Mike Jackson said a bill to ensure more equitable representation on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has been signed into law. Marlatt and Jackson are the authors of Senate Bill 965, which was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday.
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Having received unanimous approval from both the Senate and House, Senate Bill 251 is on its way to the Governor’s desk. The measure, authored by Sen. Earl Garrison and Rep. Author Hulbert, will give the Oklahoma School for the Blind and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf more leniency in making decisions for their students.
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Sen. Harry Coates is disappointed one of his bills was not given a hearing Thursday even after the chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee said he would hear the measure. House Bill 1056, by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel and Sen. Coates, would have created the Parole of Aging Prisoners Act in an effort to address the costs associated with Oklahoma’s ever increasing aging population and prison overcrowding.
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Senate Democratic Leader Sean Burrage and Caucus Chairman Tom Ivester issued the following comments Thursday in response to the passage of HB 2032 by the Senate Finance Committee earlier in the day.

Before a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday, the Oklahoma Gold Star Medal of Honor was presented to the families of two fallen Oklahoma servicemen. The honor is given to members of the military born in Oklahoma who have lost their lives in the line of duty, or in a combat zone, since Sept. 11, 2001.
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The Senate on Tuesday recognized Duane “Dog” Chapman and his wife Beth for their efforts to establish regulations on bail enforcers and bring fugitives to justice. Chapman, formerly the star of the long-running television series, Dog the Bounty Hunter, visited the state Capitol in support of Sen. Ralph Shortey’s Senate Bill 1013, which would create the Bail Enforcement and Licensing Act.

The measure would require all persons acting or engaging in bail enforcement or bail recovery to be certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET).
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