The state Senate today approved legislation that would guarantee persons convicted of human trafficking will serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.
Sen. Dan Newberry, author of Senate Bill 1433, said the measure will ensure that some of the state’s most dangerous criminals serve a sentence that fits their crime.

Oklahoma State Senators Josh Brecheen and Anthony Sykes filed an amendment to Senate Bill 1764 that will address the growing concern with Common Core education standards.

The amendment to SB 1764:
1. Orders the State Board of Education to remove alignment with the K-12 Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

A portrait of critically and internationally acclaimed Oklahoma author Ralph Ellison was unveiled in a special ceremony at the state Capitol on Thursday. Ralph Ellison was author of the 1953 National Book Award-winning novel “Invisible Man,” as well as other acclaimed works, including “Shadow and Act,” “Going to the Territory,” “Juneteenth” and “Three Days Before the Shooting.”

The fundraising effort for the artwork was led by State Sen. David Holt, Oklahoma City University President, Robert Henry, and Kevin Perry of Perry Publishing and Broadcasting.

The state Senate today approved a plan to complete the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM) without undertaking further state bond debt.
Senate Bill 1651 will fund completion of the project using $40 million in one-time monies from the state’s Unclaimed Property Fund, which will be matched by $40 million in private donations. The proposal enables the project to be completed without accepting any federal debt financing, and eliminates the state agency structure of AICCM, removing its annual cost from the state budget.