The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would help the state retain and attract major events. Senate Bill 976 would expand the number of events that qualify under the Oklahoma Quality Events Incentive Act.

The Act gives communities a portion of any incremental sales tax increase generated by an event, for use in the recruitment, promotion and retention of high-value events.

Sen. Dan Newberry, author of SB 976, said expansion of the Quality Events Incentive Act would pump millions of dollars into the state’s economy. read more.

The Senate Appropriations Committees approved Senate Bill 576 Wednesday to change how school district funding is calculated. Currently, school districts can use the highest weighted average daily membership (ADM) of either of the previous two years, or the first nine weeks.

Under SB 576, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, school districts could only use the previous year or first nine weeks’ weighted ADM for the purposes of calculating the State Aid formula.
read more.

As Oklahoma struggles with one of the worst droughts in the state’s history, Sen. Ron Justice has filed legislation to provide the agriculture community with financial assistance in emergency drought conditions. Senate Bill 996, which was approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee, would create the Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund.
read more.

In a year where almost 2,500 bills were introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature, one bill, Senate Bill 310, aims to shrink the Oklahoma statute books. On Wednesday, the Senate Rules Committee passed SB 310 by a 15-4 vote, taking the first step toward creating a “Spring Cleaning Commission” for the state of Oklahoma.
read more.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Connie Johnson has been appointed to serve as Chair of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ (NBCSL) Health Committee for 2013-2014. Sen. Johnson was appointed by NBCSL President Joe Armstrong of Tennessee because of her extensive work in the area of health care at the annual conferences where she regularly introduces resolutions addressing issues important to American’s health. Over the years, Sen. read more.

The full Senate is the next stop for a bill creating two pilot programs to help Oklahoma National Guardsmen returning from duty with either Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Sen. Brian Crain, Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee won passage for Senate Bill 527 in Senate Appropriations on Wednesday. He said the University of Oklahoma would administer the programs.
read more.

Sen. Constance N. Johnson has filed bills to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana in Oklahoma since 2006 and none of those measures were ever given a hearing in a Senate committee until this year. The Oklahoma County democrat is pleased that the Senate Health and Human Services Committee has finally agreed to give the issue a hearing. Senate Bill 710, creating the “Compassionate Use Act of 2013”, will be heard Monday afternoon in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee following session.
read more.

The state Senate today approved legislation that would bar the use of foreign law in Oklahoma courts. Senate Bill 1015 states that courts shall not enforce any foreign law as a means of mitigating punishment or providing justification for the commission of a crime.

Sen. Dan Newberry, author of the measure, said the bill was written to preserve constitutional rights and guarantees for those who enter Oklahoma courts. read more.

State Sen. Earl Garrison says a bill approved in the Senate Education Committee will abolish due process rights for public school support staff. Currently, those working in support positions are “at will” employees for their first year of employment—after that they have limited due process rights. Senate Bill 230, which was approved on Monday, would completely eliminate those rights.
read more.

Sen. Patrick Anderson today praised the efforts of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Director Gary Ridley, to clear roads following Monday’s blizzard. The storm has made travel difficult in North and Northwestern Oklahoma, but ODOT crews are plowing and treating roads to make them passable.
read more.