When supporters of Senate Bill 13 went to lunch on March 10, Sen. Kim David, R-Wagoner, hurried up a vote to keep the bill from advancing in the Legislature. SB13, authored by Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow, is the Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act. Forty state senators – mostly Republicans – voted to stop…
The Oklahoma Senate approved the “Unborn Person Wrongful Death Act” to address the pain and suffering of family members of babies whose lives are ended through abortion. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 1728, which modifies provisions relating to awarding damages resulting from wrongful death in cases of abortions performed under…
A bill that would allow city employees to carry firearms for protection at work passed out of the House of Representatives this week. House Bill 2547, by state Rep. Sean Roberts, would allow municipalities to pass ordinances that authorize all or certain municipal employees to carry concealed firearms. The bill would require those employees to…
The Senate has passed a measure that would prohibit law enforcement entities from requiring officers, justices or judges to meet traffic citation quotas. Authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, Senate Bill 1264 would prohibit any political subdivision or agency of the state to maintain, require or suggest that employee evaluations, promotions, compensation or discipline…
The House of Representatives passed legislation to grant cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees in six Oklahoma pension plans, including teachers, firefighters, police, public employees and justices and judges. House Bill 3350 passed with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 99-0. “Our state retirees have not had a cost-of-living adjustment for 12 years, even as their health…
Anyone who wants an absentee ballot for the April 7 elections should apply now, according to Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman. Freeman urged voters to apply now even though the Election Board can accept applications for absentee ballots until 5 p.m. April 1. The ballot on April will have: Tulsa Public School Board,…
State Rep. Mark McBride. R-Moore, won passage of legislation that recognizes Israel as one of Oklahoma’s top trade partners and the nation’s greatest ally in the Middle East. House Bill 3967 specifies that unless exempted by the secretary of state, the state of Oklahoma will not enter into contracts with companies that advocate boycotts, divestments…
State Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, honored the legacy of former United States Sen. Tom Coburn with the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 41, which calls for an Article V Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. Coburn is a staunch advocate for a convention and has said it is the only way to halt…
A bill that was an attempt to better address academic concerns and related issues within the state’s two largest public school districts is dead this session. That’s according to the bill’s author, Senate Education Committee Chair, Gary Stanislawski. “Senate Bill 600 would have allowed the people of Oklahoma City and Tulsa to vote to split…
State Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, passed legislation to update the statutory income qualifier to claim an additional homestead exemption through the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The qualifier has not been raised since 1997. House Bill 3653 increases the statutory income qualifier to claim an additional homestead exemption from $20,000 to $25,000. The additional homestead exemption…