Members of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, for an interim study on the awarding of state contracts to businesses owned by disabled veterans. The study, which will be held in room 535 at the state Capitol, was requested by Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa.
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On Tuesday afternoon, the Senate Transportation Committee approved two bills by Sen. Kevin Matthews to bring high speed rail to Tulsa and eventually throughout the state. Senate Bill 1082 creates the “High Speed Transit Rail Expansion Commission” and Senate Bill 1379 directs the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements for light rail passenger service in Tulsa.
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Oklahoma has long protected schools, day care centers and parks with “zones of safety” aimed at keeping convicted sex offenders away from potential victims. But a case in Bristow brought attention to a loophole in the law—a loophole Sen. James Leewright, R- Bristow, and Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Depew, are working to close this legislative session. Senate Bill 1221 was approved unanimously by the full Senate on Monday.
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The Senate unanimously approved a measure Tuesday to protect victims from sexual predators. Sen. James Leewright and Rep. Kyle Hilbert are the authors of House Bill 1124, also known as the Justice for Danyelle Act of 2018, to prohibit sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of their victims.
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State Sen. James Leewright, Rep. Kyle Hilbert and Mayor Rick Pinson of Bristow are joining together to urge members of the public to attend a public forum on current Oklahoma drug threats, hosted by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) to be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 24th at the City of Bristow Courthouse, 110 West 7th.

Interim Director Bob Cook and other experts with OBN will take part in the forum which is aimed at keeping citizens better informed about current and emerging drug issues that directly impact families, schools, businesses and communities.

State Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, has been appointed to serve on the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission, a 21-member panel that will help plan the state’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the highway known as “The Mother Road.”

Legislation allowing Oklahoma companies to register as “benefit corporations” is now headed to the governor’s desk. The designation would give greater legal protection for companies pursuing business models that are for profit, while placing a high priority on having a positive impact on society.

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, is the Senate principal author of House Bill 2423. It was the freshman member’s first bill to pass out of the Senate, and was approved unanimously on Monday. The House authors are Rep. Lewis Moore, R-Arcadia, and Rep Ben Loring, D-Miami.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold an interim study this Thursday, September 19, to examine how the state manages its buildings and properties and how to innovate these processes, staffing and resources. The study, which will meet in room 535 at 9 a.m., was requested by Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City and Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton.

Sen. Julia Kirt will be holding a community forum next month to discuss legislative issues with citizens in Senate District 30. The public event will take place Tuesday, November 5 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany. Kirt will be sharing information about interim studies, the upcoming bill request deadline, legislative issues from the 2019 session as well as what issues will be tackled next session.
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A bill that would create more than 300 new jobs in the Hinton was signed by the Governor this week, according to State Sen. Darcy Jech.

Senate Bill 116 authorizes private corrections companies to contract with federal agencies for the housing of federal prisoners in facilities owned and operated by the private corrections companies. The legislation allows existing facilities that are currently sitting vacant, like the Great Plains Correctional facility in Hinton, to re-open.
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