The Senate Republican caucus unveiled its 2014 legislative agenda Thursday with an emphasis on continuing Oklahoma’s economic momentum. The agenda focuses on jobs and the economy, education, health and human services, public safety, veterans, transportation and government reform.

The Senate Pensions Committee today approved legislation that will move state employees hired after Nov. 1, 2015 away from the traditional defined benefit to a defined contribution plan.

This change is only for new state employees, but will keep the promises made to current workers. The defined contribution plan will make Oklahoma better able to attract the next generation of state employees who value portability when it comes to their retirement plans, while helping lower Oklahoma’s unfunded pension liability over time.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has given unanimous support to legislation barring registered sex offenders from changing their name. Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, is the principal author of Senate Bill 1421, which was approved with a bipartisan vote of 8-0 by the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Loveless explained to committee members that when he was researching another bill last year, he ran across an alarming situation.
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It’s been almost 100 years since the nine foot tall bronze lamp shone its light at the state Capitol, but now it is back in its original home—the Senate Chamber. Eleven others just like it once helped light the chamber, although no one is exactly sure when they were removed or where they were taken. But now the lamp is back in the Senate, where it was first placed when the building was completed in 1917.
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The Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation today that would allow for the much-needed renovation of the nearly century-old state Capitol building.

Senator Connie Johnson and former State Rep. Porter Davis announced a new alliance Wednesday to reform marijuana policy in Oklahoma. Johnson, a Democrat, and Davis, a Republican, share a common interest in ending marijuana prohibition in the state for medicinal, decriminalization and industrial purposes.
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On Tuesday, the Senate Health and Human Services committee defeated by a vote of 3-5 a proposal by Sen. Connie Johnson that would have allowed restaurants and other authorized entities to stock epinephrine auto-injectors (Epi-Pens) for use in emergency situations. Senate Bill 1537 would have also allowed authorized, trained and designated personnel to administer epinephrine auto-injectors, and would have provided Good Samaritan protection for those personnel when acting to administer epinephrine in emergency situations.
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President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after Tuesday’s Board of Equalization meeting, which increased its estimated shortfall for fiscal year 2015 from $171 million to $188 million.

“We already knew from the December certification that our budget would be down next year. We are obviously disappointed to see it move further in the wrong direction, but agencies have known about the downturn for several months now and have been planning accordingly.

The Senate Finance Committee has passed legislation that will help match Oklahomans with jobs identified by the state Department of Commerce as critical occupations.

Senate Bill 1639 would create the Quality Workforce Act, which would incentivize Oklahoma companies to pay for employees to gain a degree or industry certificate in high-need job areas.

The Oklahoma State Senate dedicated artwork Tuesday depicting two of Oklahoma’s most beautiful landscapes, the Wichita Mountains and the Arkansas River
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