The full Senate has given its support to a bill that would make it illegal to text while driving. State Sen. Jerry Ellis is the author of Senate Bill 146 which was approved on a vote of 32 to 9 on Wednesday.

This isnt a new problem, but it is a growing problem, and the public is seeing first-hand how texting while driving increases the chance of being in an accident, said Ellis, D-Valliant.

The full Senate has given approval to a measure letting voters decide whether to cut the growth of annual property tax valuations. Senate Joint Resolution 5, by Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, would give voters the option of lowering the current property valuation cap from a maximum of five percent to three percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

The Oklahoma State Senate concluded official business Wednesday, one day before the required deadline to hear all Senate bills that had passed committee. Constitutionally, the Senate or House must receive approval from the opposite chamber in order to adjourn from legislative business early.

The Senate unanimously approved a measure Wednesday to send to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment to remove the Governor from the parole process for nonviolent offenders. Sen. Josh Brecheen, author of Senate Joint Resolution 25, said the measure would help speed up the parole process as well as save the state millions.

The full Senate gave approval to a bill that will allow the Senate President Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House to adjust per diem rates given to legislative members.

A bill to reduce Oklahoma’s drunk driving fatalities has cleared the Senate and is on its way to the House of Representatives. Dixie and Keith Swezey, of Edmond, and other family members watched from the Senate Gallery as lawmakers voted unanimously for Senate Bill 529, the Erin Elizabeth Swezey Act. The bill is named for the Swezeys’ 20-year-old daughter, Erin, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2009.

Sen. Ralph Shortey on Monday successfully amended a measure to require that presidential primary candidates provide proof of natural-born United States citizenship upon filing with the state election board.

Shortey added the provision to Senate Bill 91, which would require candidates for public office to provide photo ID and proof of eligibility to hold office.

The Senate gave unanimous approval to Senate Bill 251 Monday, which would make college more affordable for members of Oklahoma’s National Guard and Oklahoma Reserves who live in surrounding states. The measure, by Sen. Steve Russell, creates the “Armed Services Tuition Fairness Act”.

The Senate unanimously approved legislation last week to better protect citizens from domestic violence. Senate Bill 447 would require a court to schedule a full hearing on a protective order petition within 14 days of the filing rather than twenty, which is current law.

Financial relief could soon be on its way to over 2,500 widows of disabled veterans thanks to legislation approved Monday by the full Senate. Senate Bill 46, by Sen. Don Barrington, would extend a portion of the sales tax exemption given to 100% disabled veterans to their spouses.

Barrington, a Vietnam Veteran, explained the sales tax exemption for disabled veterans is Oklahoma’s way of acknowledging and thanking veterans for their tremendous sacrifice that ultimately left them unable to work.