Press Releases

The Senate has given its approval to a measure modifying Oklahoma’s Reading Sufficiency Act. Those changes are contained in House Bill 2625, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Katie Henke, R-Tulsa. The measure was approved 43 to1 by the full Senate on Wednesday.
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The House gave final approval to legislation Wednesday putting into statute an agreement made in 2013 between the Governor and the War Veterans Commission addressing smoking in Oklahoma’s veterans centers. Senate Bill 1777, by Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Pat Ownbey, will permit smoking by the residents of the centers until January 2018.
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Small businesses in Cleveland, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties could soon be able to qualify for the Oklahoma Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act thanks to legislation given final approval Tuesday. House Bill 2956, by Sen. Ron Sharp and Rep. Josh Cockroft, is on its way to the Governor’s desk after passing unanimously out of the Senate.

The bill amends the Oklahoma Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act by eliminating the requirement that qualifying establishments locate in counties with populations under 200,000.
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The Senate Republican caucus has voted unanimously to re-elect Pro Tem Brian Bingman to another term. Monday’s caucus vote means Bingman will be the first Republican in state history to serve three terms as Pro Tempore of the Senate.

Senate Democratic Leader Sean Burrage issued the following statement Tuesday regarding the selection of Senator Brian Bingman to serve as Pro Tempore-elect for the 55th Legislature.

“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman. It has been a pleasure serving with Senator Bingman and it’s also been my privilege to co-author several pieces of legislation with him. He’s a man of intelligence, integrity and humor. I feel fortunate to count Brian as a friend and I wish him the best in his third term as President Pro Tempore.”

On Monday, the Senate honored the work and dedication of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry’s (ODAFF) Investigative Services Division and their Chief Agent, Jerry Flowers. Sen. Ron Justice was joined by Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb in presenting Senate Resolution 69.
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The Senate approved legislation Monday adding four additional drugs to the state’s Trafficking in Illegal Drugs Act. House Bill 2589, by Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Pat Ownbey, adds Morphine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and Benzodiazepine to the list of controlled substances in the Act.
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The Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday to better protect the privacy of Oklahoma’s teachers. Sen. Ron Sharp is the principal Senate author of House Bill 3173, which would require public bodies to keep confidential all records created under the Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System (TLE) that identify a current or former employee.
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Sen. Sharp was the principal Senate author of Senate Bill 442, which would have made it illegal to text and drive.  The bill was not heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee.  He also was a Senate coauthor of SB 1601 making it illegal for anyone operating a motor vehicle to use a wireless communication device in a school zone.  The bill would not have applied to stopped cars, drivers using hands-free devices, or emergency calls as outlined in the bill. read more.

The full Senate has given unanimous approval to a measure aimed at protecting the rights of parents to decide how best to raise their children. House Bill 1384, by Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, is also known as the “Parents Bill of Rights.”
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State Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton, issued the following statement on Friday regarding the recent decision by Senate Democrats to name him as their Leader-elect.

“The issue of the horizontal drilling tax is an overriding one this session, especially considering the budget constraints we’re facing. We realize there’s a great deal at stake for everyone at the table, and discussions are ongoing.

A bill requiring current photos of registered sex offenders in the state has been signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. Senate Bill 1444, by Sen. David Holt and Rep. Elise Hall, will provide for updated photographs for Oklahoma’s online sex offender registry.

Under the provisions of SB 1444, when sex offenders check in with local law enforcement, which they are already required to do, their photo must be updated if it is more than a year old.
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A bill extending tax incentives credited with creating hundreds of high-paying aerospace engineering jobs in Oklahoma is awaiting Gov. Mary Fallin’s consideration. House Bill 2509, by Sen. Mike Mazzei and Rep. Earl Sears, won final approval by the full Senate on Thursday. Without the legislation, those incentives would expire in 2015. Mazzei said the tax credits have a proven record of creating high-paying jobs in the state.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – The House and Senate gathered in joint session Wednesday in honor of Veterans Awareness Day.  Each year, the Oklahoma Veterans Council, which consists of 24 veterans organizations around the state, honors one senator and one house member as legislators of the year for their support and dedication to helping Oklahoma’s veterans through legislation. This year, Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Tommy Hardin received the awards.

A bill aimed at providing more resources for Oklahoma schools has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. In its current form, House Bill 2642, also known as the “Securing Educational Excellence Fund,” by Sen. Jim Halligan in the Senate and Rep. Lee Denney in the House, would divide current “off the top” funding that now goes to transportation and give half of that amount to public schools.

Sen. Josh Brecheen, Sen. Anthony Sykes and Rep. Jason Nelson issued the following statements after Tuesday’s Senate vote on HB 3399. The measure, which passed on a vote of 37 to 10, calls for the adoption of new English and math standards created by Oklahomans and prevents direct or indirect federal control over those standards and assessments.