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Cutting rules for small businesses

Tulsa Beacon

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 out of…

Free state park access to veterans

Tulsa Beacon

Under current state law, honorably discharged veterans get free entry to all state parks and museums.  However, the law is written assuming state parks charge per person rather than per vehicle, which parks are starting to do.  To ensure these veterans continue getting free entry, Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, authored Senate Bill 1185 at the…

Reform bill for nurse anesthetists

Tulsa Beacon

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. “The crux of the…

Tulsa Public Schools OKs layoffs due to budget shortfall

Tulsa Beacon

Tulsa Public Schools will eliminate 90 jobs as part of a plan to make up for a looming $20 million budget shortfall. The Tulsa School Board followed the recommendation of Superintendent Deborah Gist’s reorganization plan by a 5-1 vote. Board member Jennettie Marshall voted no. The district will eliminate 232 jobs in the district office…

HUD to give $5.5 million to Tulsa

Tulsa Beacon

The Housing Authority of the City of Tulsa is getting $5,585,832 from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make capital improvements to their properties.  (HUD) awarded more than $2.7 billion to public housing authorities (PHA) in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the…

Amnesty for moving violation tickets

Tulsa Beacon

Tulsa Municipal Court is offering an amnesty session for citizens who have outstanding moving violation citations. Moving violation amnesty begins Feb. 24, 2020, and ends March 6. The amnesty session falls in line with the Resilient Tulsa Strategy, which helps equip all Tulsans with resources to overcome barriers to thrive. Amnesty is limited to moving…

Assistance for wounded police officers

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation to protect the pension benefits of police officers injured while serving their community passed the House Banking Financial Services and Pensions Committee with a unanimous vote of 11-0 last week. House Bill 3330, authored by Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha, would change the disability percentage for officers disabled as a result of a violent act…

New Oklahoma Mesonet advisors

Tulsa Beacon

STILLWATER –  The Oklahoma Mesonet has created a new faculty advisory council to draw on the knowledge of university experts in the state. Dr. Jamey Jacob, director of Oklahoma State University’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute, is among five faculty members who were named to the council. The Faculty Affiliates program aims to encourage faculty and…

No marijuana smoking in public?

Tulsa Beacon

The Senate Health and Human Services approved Senate Bill 1296 to add marijuana to the list of products that cannot be smoked or vaped in public places.  Sen. Lonnie Paxton authored the bill to address the growing number of citizens utilizing medicinal marijuana around stores, restaurants and other public places. “While marijuana is legal in…

Bill helps in-home hospice providers

Tulsa Beacon

An exemption allowing in-home hospice providers the ability to opt out of electronic prescribing has been passed by the full Senate. Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, authored Senate Bill 1278, which allows outpatient hospice patients to have greater access to their medications by exempting their doctors from Oklahoma’s electronic prescription law that went into effect on…