Senate Floor Leader Greg Treat discusses the 11th week of session.

The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a slate of criminal justice reform bills that will slow the state’s skyrocketing incarceration rates while still keeping communities safe.

The measures were sponsored by Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, the Senate’s two primary advocates for criminal justice reform. The measures are a part of the criminal justice reform bills that, after being sidetracked in 2017, are finally on a clear path to becoming law.

The leading cause of unintentional death in the U.S. is from drug overdoses, killing more than 64,000 people each year. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved three measures Wednesday authored by Sen. A.J. Griffin and Rep. Tim Downing to address the growing health epidemic. The bills were among the eight legislative recommendations made by the Oklahoma Commission on Opioid Abuse that Griffin created through legislation in 2016.

The Senate gave final approval to legislation Tuesday to put the rights and protections of Oklahoma’s foster kids into state statute. House Bill 2552, authored by Sen. A.J. Griffin and Rep. Pat Ownbey, passed unanimously.

“Oklahoma has around 9,600 kids in state custody and it’s our legal and moral responsibility to protect their rights and best interests,” said Griffin, R-Guthrie. “This bill will ensure that these kids and their foster families are aware of those rights while also providing a safe way for foster kids to report grievances.”

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus:

“This week we saw democracy in action at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Thousands of Oklahoma educators, students, parents, and concerned citizens came to the Capitol every day to advocate for education funding. The Senate Democratic Caucus is proud to stand with you. We know that you and your families have made tremendous personal sacrifices to be here. Your voices are being heard, but there is more work to be done.

The Oklahoma Senate on Friday approved measures that will send millions of new dollars into Oklahoma classrooms.

The Senate gave approval to HB 1019xx, a bill that requires online marketplaces like Amazon to collect and remit sales tax to Oklahoma or comply with the state’s notification requirements. The Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates the bill will generate $20.5 million annually.

The Oklahoma Senate will meet Friday to consider special session and regular session measures.

The Senate will meet in special session at 8:30 a.m. Friday to consider HB 1019xx, the marketplace fairness act or so-called “Amazon bill,” as well as HB 1012xx, a bill that repeals the “hotel/motel” tax that was originally included the $530 million revenue package (HB 1010xx) passed by the Legislature last week that completely funds the largest teacher pay raise in state history.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus:

“Today the Senate Democratic Caucus welcomed thousands of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens to the Capitol. We stand with them in their fight to properly fund public education in Oklahoma.

Paying our teachers a fair and competitive salary is a priority, but this movement is about more than just teacher pay, it’s about the chronic underfunding of public education in Oklahoma.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on the grand jury report and performance audit of the Oklahoma State Department of Health:

Sen. A.J. Griffin and Rep. Harold Wright applauded the signing of SB 1516, a continuation of the Lay Caregivers Act, which was passed in 2014. The Lay Caregivers Act allows hospital patients to designate a lay caregiver upon formal admission to a hospital facility and requires hospitals to notify the designated caregiver of the patients discharge to the patients residence or another licensed facility. The law also requires hospitals to consult with designated caregivers regarding the aftercare needs of hospital patients.