Oklahoma State Senate
President Pro Tempore DESIGNATE
Senator Glenn Coffee, ROklahoma City
State Capitol Room
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 30
0 23
For Immediate Release: November , 200
Senator Glenn Coffee read more.

Oklahoma State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 30
02
For Immediate Release: July , 200
Sen. Kenneth Corn
Statement from Senate Democrat Caucus Chair Kenneth Corn read more.

Governor Brad Henry has signed Senate Bill 2 into law. Senator Jay Paul Gumm is the principal author the legislation which would require the governor to order flags on state property to be flown at halfstaff on the day of the memorial service for Oklahomans who are killed in combat. In addition, all state agencies, interested organizations, groups and individuals would be authorized and requested to fly the flag at half staff. The director of the Department of Central Services is charged with implementing the new law. read more.

In 2006, nearly 73,000 Americans died of Alzheimer's disease and 411,000 citizens were diagnosed with the disease, and that number is expected to skyrocket as Baby Boomers get older. State Sen. Mary Easley wonders why, based on these numbers, the federal government is not spending more to research the disease. She authored Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 urging Congress to increase federal funding for Alzheimer's disease research. read more.

On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs held its fourth and final meeting studying the states seven veterans centers. Sen. Frank Simpson, who requested the study, said he was pleased by the insight gained from veterans, their families, center staff and members of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs as well as the War Veterans Commission and the many others who testified at the meetings.

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed legislation to give Oklahomans an income tax credit to offset the costs of work-related licenses required by the state.

“We’ve been studying occupational licensing for years, and the one thing we’ve seen is growth in government where people are required to get a license, often unnecessarily, before they are allowed to work and be a productive member of society,” Dahm said. “Only five percent of jobs used to require a license, but now a quarter of all jobs require some sort of government permission just to work.”

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OKLAHOMA CITY – In an effort to help encourage and retain Oklahoma’s top educators, Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, has filed legislation creating a process for teachers who complete their National Board Certification and meet other additional requirements to receive annual bonuses of $1,500 beginning in the 2020-21 school year. Under the legislation, depending on available revenue, that amount could be increased in subsequent years until it reaches a maximum of $5,000.

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, says Oklahoma ranks among the weakest in the nation when responding to Open Records and Freedom of Information Act requests. On Monday, he filed two bills, Senate Bills 1137 and 1154, to tackle this issue and bring the state up to standard.

SB 1154 would require any request under the Open Records Act to be fulfilled within 30 days. If the request is unable to be fulfilled in that time period, the record provider could receive an additional 30 days to prepare the requested documents upon written notice to the requestor.

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OKLAHOMA CITY- Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed legislation Wednesday to create an income tax credit for Oklahoma citizens who successfully complete the gun safety training course required to get a concealed carry permit.

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OKLAHOMA CITY – As of November 1, sex offenders residing with any minor child must now report to the statewide centralized Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) hotline. Previously, only the parent, stepparent or grandparent of a minor had to report to the hotline. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, authored the bill at the request of DHS to better protect all of Oklahoma’s children.

“This was an oversight in our law that needed to be addressed to ensure law enforcement and DHS are aware of who sex offenders are living with when it comes to minors,” Pugh said. read more.