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Oklahoma
State Senate
For Immediate Release: May 26, 2009 With the passage of a landmark lawsuit reform bill; a new centralized function for state information services that will save Oklahoma millions of dollars, as it has in other states; and the new public-private partnership which will ensure OSU Medical Center’s future; a water bill that keeps Oklahomans in control of our most precious commodity; and many other major reforms, the first legislative session under a Republican majority produced unprecedented success and offers more opportunities to continue a reform agenda in 2010, according to Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee and Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb. “Republicans campaigned on bringing long overdue reform to state government, and we delivered in a big way in just our first session,” said Coffee. “Last January, we introduced a legislative agenda with reform in many areas of government, and we saw many good reforms signed into law by the governor, and others going to a vote of the people of Oklahoma.” Floor Leader Todd Lamb concurred. “This session has produced monumental positive change for the people of Oklahoma. I couldn’t be more proud of my colleagues in the Senate Republican caucus. We have passed reform measures that will benefit all Oklahomans, and started a positive, long-term conversation about what direction our state government needs to go. I look forward with great anticipation to pursuing more reforms in future sessions,” he said. “We promised reform in state government, health care, education, public safety and law enforcement, and to bring better economic opportunities to rural Oklahoma,” Coffee continued. “A glance at our accomplishments in 2009 shows what a great start we have, and we will continue that momentum into the 2010 legislative session.” In addition to the passage of landmark legislation, the Republican-led legislature went direct to the people with referenda requiring voter identification at the polls, and more accountability in worker’s compensation court judges. Coffee points to many Senate GOP Agenda bills that were passed into law, and others that will go to a vote of the people: Government Reform: SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… HB 1603 Senator Coffee Comprehensive Lawsuit Reform.
Will provide a boost to HB 1676 Senator Coffee Converts the Criminal Justice
Resource Center into the SB 899 Senator Coffee Requires forfeiture of benefits
by public officials HB 2029 Senator Coates Embodies the work of the
Children and Juvenile Law ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… SB 888 Senator Coffee Ends the Senate’s tag
agency patronage system by SB 980* Senator Coffee Provides for a state Chief
Information Officer, SB 1064 Senator Barrington Bans cell phones in prisons.
SB 692 Requires any individual that votes in person
to show SJR 12 Limits statewide elected officials to just
two terms in SJR 13 Modifies percentages required for citizen initiatives. SJR 25 Reorganizes the reapportionment commission
into a SJR 27 Brings several reforms to Oklahoma’s
Judicial HJR 1014 Prevents outside interests groups from
mandating
HJR 1042 Requires all official business of the state
to be Health Care Reform: SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… HB 1127 Senator Coffee OSU Medical Center –
Tulsa. Public-private agreement to keep the facility operating,
providing health care SB 1103 Senator Coffee Provides protections for
pregnant women who are SB 622 Senator Coffee Organ Donor expansion – mirrors similar laws in various states that help families throughout the nation receive vital organs for their loved ones. SB 1129 Senator Anderson Allows out-of-state emergency
volunteer practitioners to HB 1059 Senator Nichols Allows greater access to dental care for Oklahomans in need. HB 2026 Senator Crain Includes comprehensive health
care reform and creates HB 1595 Senator Lamb Prohibits a person from performing
an abortion solely HB 1114 Senator Lamb Prohibits human cloning in
Oklahoma and makes it a
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… HB 1598 Senator Sykes School Protection Act – lawsuit reform bill providing teachers and schools additional protection from lawsuits. SB 582 Senator Jolley Expands teacher certification
to qualified individuals who ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… HB 1592 Senator Barrington Requires special audit
of certain school districts each SB 222 Senator Jolley The “Educational Accountability
Reform Act” brings Tax Reform: ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… SB 938 Senator Mazzei The 21st Century Quality Jobs
Incentive Act aids in Public Safety Reform: SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… HB 1892 Senator Coffee Expands the definition of
strangulation as it relates to HB 1022 Senator Aldridge Recreates the Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault SB 1102 Senator Nichols “Julie’s Law,”
strengthens public safety by expanding the HB 2030 Senator Coffee Creates statewide Silver
Alert for missing senior citizens, SB 894 Senator Coffee Allows rape victim to have immediate access to medical care before pursuing legal charges against attacker. ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… SB 1166 Senator Jolley Will stabilize and even enhance
Oklahoma’s 911 HB 2245 Senator Sykes Prohibits private prisons
from accepting Gitmo detainees
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… SB 953 Senator Myers Gathers energy industry experts
to work on solutions to ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… SB 833 Senator Bingman Requires state agencies to
develop energy efficiency
ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… SB 832 Senator Bingman Provides for the repair of
obsolete and structurally Rural Caucus Reform: SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR… HB 1482 Senator Justice Protects farmers and ranchers from nuisance actions if the farm or ranch has been in place for 2 years or more. HB 2054 Senator Marlatt Helps make Oklahoma’s
trucking permit system more ON GOVERNOR’S DESK… HB 2154 Senator Schulz Strengthens penalties for trespassing on certain lands.
SB 834 Senator Ford The School District Empowerment
Program designed to SB 586 Senator Ford Expands charter schools to federally
recognized Indian HB 1600 Senator Coffee Modifies requirements for
disability benefits by HB 1601 Senator Coffee Prohibits attorneys from
deducting or withholding any For more information contact:
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