Press Releases

Legislation strengthening Oklahoma’s drug-free school zones is headed to the full Senate.  Senate Bill 1674, by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, would make it a felony to purchase or possess methamphetamine, heroin or cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school.

A measure to help more veterans pursue their college degree has passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senate Bill 1379, by Sen. read more.

David and Floyd made history in Oklahoma when they became the first women since statehood to hold the posts of Majority and Minority leaders in the First Session of the 57th Legislature. David was also the first woman to serve as Senate Appropriations Chair.

An important criminal justice reform measure made it out of committee late Wednesday and will next be considered by the full Senate.  Sen. Adam Pugh is the author of Senate Bill 1456, which directs the Department of Corrections (DOC) to annually review its inmate rehabilitation case plans with all parole-eligible inmates.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Universal Occupational Licensing Recognition Act Wednesday night.  Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, authored the bill to help attract more professionals to move and work in Oklahoma.

The full Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to protect the Second Amendment rights of medical marijuana cardholders.

The Senate Finance Committee has passed Senate Bill 1388, which would incentivize urban gardeners across the state to raise honeybees by giving tax exempt status to any bee product sold. The measure is authored by Sen. Allison Ikley-Freeman, D-Tulsa.

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Tuesday to help fill the large number of teaching vacancies in the state.  Retired teacher Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, said his Senate Bill 1115 is desperately needed to help decrease classroom sizes by extending emergency teaching certificates.

Sen. Larry Boggs, R-Wilburton, presented House Concurrent Resolution 1012 to the full Senate on Monday, which encourages and supports the expansion of the rail line from Shawnee to McAlester.

The full Senate prioritized child safety on Monday with the passage of Senate Bill 1303.

A pair of bills aimed at increasing accountability for those convicted of domestic violence have been approved by the full Senate.  Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of both measures, which were approved on Monday.

The Oklahoma Constitution is well overdue for an upgrade. That’s according to State Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Broken Arrow, who authored Senate Joint Resolution 31, which would give power to the people to decide if the state should call a Constitutional Convention to propose alterations, revisions and amendments to the document. read more.

A measure providing for the display of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” in the Oklahoma State Capitol visitor center has been passed by the Senate.

The Oklahoma Senate approved legislation to improve fiscal transparency and accountability of Oklahoma’s state agencies. Senate Bill 177, by Sen. Ron Sharp, was one of the seven recommendations made by the multi-grand jury in May 2018 following the discovery of financial issues at the State Department of Health.

The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to expand the definition of child abuse to better protect Oklahoma’s children and hold abusers accountable.  Sen. read more.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved two bills Tuesday to help the children of military families easily transition into the Oklahoma education system when their parents are transferred to the state.  Sen. read more.

Social media has allowed at-home food business owners to reach larger numbers of potential customers, but Oklahoma’s strict regulations have kept many from growing and succeeding.  Sen. read more.

A bill to encourage and retain Oklahoma’s top educators has cleared its first legislative hurdle. Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of Senate Bill 1127, the Teacher Retention Act of 2020.  The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Senate Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to strengthen the penalty against individuals who sell intimate photos or videos without their partners’ consent.  Senate Bill 1462, by Sen. read more.

After years of stalled attempts to modernize Oklahoma statutes dealing with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), compromise legislation has cleared the full Senate.  Senate Bill 801 would bring Oklahoma in line with much of the country in how CRNAs are regulated.  The bill, authored by Sen. Paul Rosino, was approved unanimously on Monday.