Private citizens, members of the media and others interested in following the legislative process will find accessing actions in the State Senate easier than ever before, thanks to several new technological upgrades that are now being put in place.

New high resolution cameras have been added in the front and back of the chamber for those following the Senate on the Internet, with new software enabling bill information and links to the text of measures to appear next to the chamber video. The camera angle for the website will change depending on which microphone is being used.

State Sen. Jim Wilson has asked Attorney General Scott Pruitt to investigate the removal of an original contribution report from the State Ethics Commission’s website and the substitution of a different report.

Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman today issued the following statement in response to the Oklahoma Human Services Commission vote to complete Oklahoma’s transition from institutional to community care services.

In a move not announced until Wednesday afternoon, Wes Lane, Chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services has placed a vote on the November 1 Commission agenda to close both the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center and the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center.
Sen. Patrick Anderson today said the result of the vote would be to force the state’s most vulnerable and severely disabled citizens out on the streets.

Widows of 100% disabled veterans will soon be getting a financial boost thanks to a law that goes into effect November 1st. Senate Bill 46, by Sen. Don Barrington, will provide surviving spouses who have not remarried with a sales tax exemption of up to $1,000 per year.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ordered that formal oral arguments be held regarding Sen. Patrick Anderson’s constitutional challenge to the issuance of $25 million in state bond funds for repairs to a dam owned by the City of Tulsa. Arguments will be heard in the Court’s historic Courtroom in the State Capitol on Nov. 8, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.

State Senator Steve Russell joined forces this week with other decorated military veterans for the ten-day (Oct. 19-28) East Coast “We Can Do Better” tour to generate awareness of the mounting challenges facing service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as veterans of all generations.

Sen. Patrick Anderson today said a report on the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM) released by the State Auditor and Inspector vindicates critics of further debt-financing for the project. The audit shows that over $97 million in state funds have been spent on the project, and yet, after seven years of construction, its promoters claim they still need an additional $80 million to complete the facility.

Anderson said Oklahoma taxpayers deserve better stewardship of their money than AICCM leaders and Board members have provided.

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on Wednesday examined whether the state may have an opportunity to reduce the risk of disease and death among smokers through tobacco harm reduction strategies.

Requested by Sen. Rob Johnson, the interim study focused on the potential impact of policies that encourage smokers to switch from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco products, which are statistically less likely to result in harmful outcomes.

Johnson said Oklahoma’s high rates of smoking-related disease and death merited a closer look at alternative strategies.

Two lawmakers who’ve been among the most vocal advocates for patients and families at the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center (SORC) in Pauls Valley said they were very encouraged by their meeting with the governor about the future of the facility, and that of the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center of Enid (NORCE). Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, and Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell, also said as policy-makers move forward, it is important that more accurate information about the two facilities is part of the conversation. The lawmakers said the tone set by Gov.