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. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, will extend in-state tuition status to veterans who are not residents but file a letter of intent to establish residency and reside in the state while attending an Oklahoma institution of higher education. 

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.

Senate Bill 959, authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, clarifies that anyone authorized to use medical marijuana would also be allowed to have a concealed carry permit. Even though Oklahoma is a constitutional carry state, some citizens may want a permit if they travel to other states that require them and offer reciprocity.

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.

Ikley-Freeman said a food desert in her district forced her to look at alternative ways for constituents to access fresh produce. This examination led her to a pollinating force: honeybees.

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.

“For years, the rail line running from McAlester to Shawnee played an important role in Oklahoma’s economy, especially in the eastern half of our state,” Boggs said. “It transported peanuts and other agricultural products from Southeastern to Central Oklahoma and ammunition from McAlester to Tinker Air Force Base.

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

Authored by Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, the measure would require any child under the age of 17 to wear a seat belt while riding in the back seat of a vehicle. Current Oklahoma law only requires children under the age of eight and passengers in the front seat to buckle up. 

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.

Senate Bill 1103 deals with domestic violence attacks that deal with strangulation, a crime that is often a precursor to domestic homicide. Senate Bill 1104 deals with domestic violence against pregnant women.

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. Although it has been amended over the years through state questions, the constitution has not undergone a comprehensive review since it was first drawn in 1906.

The proposal passed the Senate Rules Committee unanimously on Wednesday.

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.

Senate Bill 1118, authored by Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, aligns the state with the tradition established by the display of the national motto in the Tourist Information Center of the United Sates Capitol Building. The measure directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to utilize money from the Oklahoma State Capitol Building Repair and Restoration Fund to place the motto in the Oklahoma State Capitol.

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.

SB 177 requires state agencies to provide a balance sheet and statement of revenues, expenditures and changes in fund balances as prescribed by the State Auditor and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES).

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. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, authored Senate Bill 1773, which extends the crime to include anyone who engages in or enables child abuse. 

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. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, said the bills were necessary to help lessen the stress of military families regarding their children’s education when they’re preparing to relocate.

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. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, wants to remove unnecessary regulations for these small business owners with his Senate Bill 1714, the Homemade Food Freedom Act, which passed unanimously Monday out of the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee.

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. Kim David, R-Porter, creates a felony for individuals attempting to gain financial advantage or gain anything of value as a result of the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images.

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.