Press Releases

The full Senate has reaffirmed three pieces of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of the unborn in Oklahoma and the health of Oklahoma women. Senate Bill 1890, by Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, would prohibit the performance of an abortion due to the sex of the unborn child. Lamb said his measure and two others approved by the Senate on Wednesday were approved with bipartisan support.
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The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would prohibit administrative rules by state agencies from taking effect unless they are approved by the Legislature.

Sen. Anthony Sykes, author of the proposal, said the bill would eliminate emergency rulemaking and prevent state agencies from making law.

Sen. Joe Sweeden on Tuesday said a proposal currently being considered by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is a hidden tax that would obligate all telephone customers in the state to pay an additional fee for every phone line they have.

The proposal would make all in-state calls in Oklahoma toll-free, but all customers would be expected to pay an estimated monthly fee of $3.19 for each of their phone lines.

The full Senate voted unanimously Wednesday for a bill by Senator Jay Paul Gumm to increase the “zone of safety” around schools, childcare facilities, playgrounds and parks.

Under current law, sex offenders are prohibited from loitering within 300 feet of those places where children congregate. Gumm’s bill – Senate Bill 2064 – would extend the zone of safety to being within 500 feet of the locations. Further, the bill would put new restrictions on sex offenders who enter the zone to pick up or drop off their own children.

A measure to strengthen state laws aimed at stopping human traffickers has been unanimously approved by the State Senate. State Senator Clark Jolley is the author of Senate Bill 2258, which would increase penalties for stealing or destroying another person’s official identification papers or passport.
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The February revenue report is encouraging, and it’s good to see our revenues meeting projections for the first time in over a year, but we must keep in mind as we craft our 2011 budget that we are still well below where we need to be, and we will plan accordingly as we move through the process

The full Senate has given approval to legislation mandating a two year cooling off period before a former lawmaker could become a lobbyist. State Sen. Debbe Leftwich is the author of Senate Bill 847, which was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, passing on a vote of 40 to 5 on Tuesday.
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The Oklahoma Senate approved a measure Monday that supporters say would be a critical component of the state’s effort to support small businesses.

Senate Bill 1723 would establish an “Entrepreneur Ready Community” program, helping communities find ways to encourage creative Oklahomans to take their ideas and turn them into goods and services. Senator Jay Paul Gumm of Durant wrote the measure.

The Senate passed three significant education reform bills today. Senate Bills 1862, 2033 and 2083 by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee all received bipartisan support.

Students and parents in Oklahoma’s two largest cities will see the expansion of school choices with Senate Bill 1862. This legislation grants the mayors of the state’s two largest cities chartering authority, and removes the number of caps on allowed charter schools.

Oklahoma’s worker’s compensation system took a major step toward reform today with the passage of SB 1973, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee.

Legislation to reduce recidivism and help more Oklahomans pursue better paying jobs has been approved by the full Senate. Senator Harry Coates, author of Senate Bill 2070, said the bill would simply enable individuals who have been convicted of a felony crime and have completed their sentence to later apply for a professional license as long as it is in a field unrelated to their crime.

While many have expressed concern over DHS’s budget-induced reductions in senior feeding programs, Senator Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa) has been working with local pastors in his district to step up and fill the need for their local community.

The full Senate has given approval to a measure ensuring greater consumer protection for renters through passage of the Clandestine Drug Laboratories Remediation Act. Senate Bill 2241, by Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, and Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Wagoner, would require property owners to remediate an apartment, hotel room or residence used to make meth before it could be rented to anyone.
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Legislation to increase access to mental health courts has been approved by the full Senate. Sen. Debbe Leftwich is the author of Senate Bill 2153, which would enable the creation of more mental health courts once resources are available.
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The state Senate on Monday adopted an amendment that would allow the Legislature to reduce the salaries of statewide elected officials in the event of a revenue failure.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, author of the amendment, said elected officials should be prepared to shoulder their part of the burden in a struggling economy.

State Sen. Earl Garrison has won unanimous Senate approval for a bill to make it illegal to videotape assaults and post them on Internet sites such as YouTube. Senate Bill 1981 is aimed at individuals who have prior knowledge that an attack is going to take place, then videotape the assault for the Internet.
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A bill now moving to the House of Representatives contains legislation that will put Oklahoma in a better position to attract high-paying manufacturing jobs—that’s according to Sen. Jay Paul Gumm. The Democrat from Durant said his legislation, which the full Senate approved on Wednesday, shores up his long-term efforts to attract a firearm manufacturer to the state.
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State Sen. Randy Brogdon has won Senate approval for the Oklahoma Firearms Freedom Act. The measure passed with overwhelming bipartisan support—a vote Brogdon says mirrors the values of most Oklahomans. The Senate approved Senate Bill 1685 on Wednesday on a vote of 39 to 3.

“As a private citizen and as a state senator, I believe it is important that we guard against the continued erosion of the Bill of Rights, including the right to protect ourselves and our families,” said Brogdon, R-Owasso. “This legislation reaffirms our Second Amendment rights.”
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Sen. Constance N. Johnson (D-Oklahoma County) on Wednesday issued the following statement regarding the controversy that unfolded in the Legislature this week over whether to restore funding to Oklahoma’s senior nutrition system, after funding was cut by the Human Services Commission last summer: