Press Releases

A measure to better protect elderly and incapacitated Oklahomans passed the Senate this week. Senate Bill 1600, by Sen. Ron Justice, strengthens the Elderly and Incapacitated Persons Act by making abuse against these individuals a felony.

The full Senate has given approval to a bill that would enable the public to find out which legislation was requested by a state agency or lobbyist. Senate Bill 1962, authored by Senator Anthony Sykes, was approved unanimously on Thursday. The Moore lawmaker said this is an enhancement of the Taxpayer Transparency Act approved last year to enable the public to track how all their tax dollars are appropriated through the Internet.
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The State Senate honored the life of one of Oklahoma's great civic leaders and philanthropists this week. Senate Resolution 56, by Sen. Cliff Branan, commended Jeannine Rainbolt for her tremendous contributions and support of the arts, higher education, college athletics and cancer research in the state.
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By a vote of 32 to 14, the Senate approved a measure Wednesday to help Oklahoman families save money on school supplies. Senate Bill 1149, by State Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Don Armes, would extend Oklahoma's Back to School sales tax holiday to include school supplies to the list of items already exempt from sales tax during the first weekend in August.
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The State Senate has approved a measure that could help slow property tax hikes. Senate Joint Resolution 59, by Sen. Jim Reynolds, was passed on Wednesday. If approved by the House, SJR 59 would let Oklahoma voters decide whether to lower the current property tax cap of five percent to three percent.

“This legislation came straight from my constituents who are begging for relief from increases in property taxes,” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. “This is an especially burdensome tax for many low-income and older people in my district and throughout Oklahoma.”

County Commissioners may soon have the authority to declare burn bans in their counties thanks to a measure that passed the Senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 1816 is authored by Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Don Armes.

A bipartisan majority of State Senators voted today for Sen. Andrew Rice’s plan to convert Oklahoma’s government vehicle fleet to alternative fuels.

For Rice, D-OKC, it is his second amendment adopted by the Senate in two days that will reduce energy costs and consumption by public institutions in Oklahoma. His amendment to a public schools auditing bill yesterday will encourage public school districts in the state to reduce their electric energy consumption by five percent per year for six years beginning in 2009.

The Oklahoma State Senate approved legislation Tuesday encouraging schools to increase its physical fitness activities to help ensure a healthy start in life for Oklahoma school children.

Oklahoma Public Schools will be encouraged to reduce electric energy consumption by five percent each year for six years under an amendment by State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC), which passed the Senate by a bipartisan voice vote today.

Rice successfully amended a bill by Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson (S.B. 1951) that sets auditing standards for public schools. Rice’s amendment is similar to legislation he introduced earlier this year. State Rep. Tad Jones, R-Claremore, has introduced comparable legislation in the House.

A bill that holds adults accountable for hosting teen-age social gatherings passed unanimously by a 48-0 vote today in the Oklahoma State Senate. State Senator Debbe Leftwich, author of Senate Bill 1530, said the bill targets adults overseeing the dangerous and illegal consumption of illegal substances.

The Oklahoma State Senate approved legislation Tuesday that encourages school districts to include a special emphasis on autism as part of any professional development program on special education that may be provided to teachers in the district.

Senate Bill 1686 is authored by State Senator Mary Easley, D-Tulsa, and will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senator Easley said she is particularly passionate about this piece of legislation because autism personally touches her life every day through interaction with a special family member.

Childhood obesity rates are climbing nationwide and State Sen. Ron Justice wants to change that trend in Oklahoma. On Monday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1612, which creates the Quality Afterschool Opportunities Act to Reduce Childhood Obesity and Improve Academic Performance, to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity through community programs outside the classroom.
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The State Senate has given full approval to a bill that would require convicted child abusers to be listed on the state’s violent crime registry. Senate Bill 1601, by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, was approved unanimously by the Senate on Tuesday. The measure would also make it illegal for convicted abusers to work with children.
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The Oklahoma State Senate approved legislation Monday that would update Oklahoma’s drinking laws and make it illegal for the consumption or possession of alcohol (hard liquor) by a person under the age 21.

Senate Bill 1724, authored by State Senator Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee and Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Okay, will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“Underage drinking is not just a public safety issue,” Ballenger said. “It’s also a health issue. This legislation is long overdue and will responsibly help keep Oklahoma’s young people safe.”

Bass Bill Adds Cost of Books and Fees to Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship Initiative

A bill aimed at giving greater opportunities for Oklahoma's school children to realize their dream of a college education won approval from the full senate on Tuesday. The measure, called the OHLAP Enhancement Act, by Senator Randy Bass (D-Lawton) is part of the Senate Democratic "Vision for Oklahoma: Opportunity and Responsibility" 2008 legislative agenda.

Having already been successfully amended to a bill approved by the Senate last week, legislation that would provide qualifying Oklahoma students with at least two years of college tuition was successfully added to two additional measures by the state Senate on Tuesday.

If only half of all Oklahoma health care providers would participate in an existing electronic medical data sharing network, within five years the state could save more than $145 million and avoid more than 400 deaths. That’s according to Sen. Jim Wilson and Rep. Mike Brown who are advocating greater participation in the program. The network, called SMRTNET for “secure medical records transfer network,” was created through federal grants.
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“I appreciate the Oklahoma veterans who join me today as we attempt to gain Senate passage of the Oklahoma Veterans Health Insurance Program. These veterans represent thousands more Oklahoma veterans who believe they have earned access to quality health care.”

“Some will say that Oklahoma cannot afford to help uninsured veterans gain access to health care. But, I don’t think those people realize the unfairness in their argument. How many of these veterans, when they were ordered into battle, looked at their commander and said: ‘how much is it going to cost me?’.”

The state Senate on Monday approved legislation that would increase appropriations to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund.

Senate Bill 1141 by Sen. Kenneth Corn would increase appropriations to the fund from $70 million to $120 million beginning June 30, 2009. Established in 2005, all monies dedicated to the ROADS Fund are used for the construction and maintenance of state roads and bridges. The bill would remove a three-percent growth trigger that has previously prevented annual appropriations increases to the fund.

Burrage: “Oklahoma will not be home to schemes that wager on human life.”

A bill that would protect Oklahoma senior citizens in life-insurance scams passed on the Oklahoma State Senate floor by a 43-1 vote today.

Authored by Senator Sean Burrage, a Democrat from Claremore, Senate Bill 1980 creates the Viatical Settlements Act of 2008 to protect senior citizens when in comes to purchasing life insurance.