Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, has filed legislation to increase Oklahoman’s minimum wage requirement to $10.50 an hour from $7.25 an hour, the Oklahoma minimum wage. Senate Bill 1165 would increase that $10.50 standard should the federal minimum wage rise. The last minimum wage increase in Oklahoma was in 2008 when the rate increased from…
State Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, has filed legislation to give a tax deduction to individuals and families contributing to an Oklahoma STABLE account, which is made possible by the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program. Oklahoma STABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for eligible individuals with disabilities. They have similar features to normal…
Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, filed four bills aimed to tighten sentences for domestic violence offenders, increase accountability for their actions and further protect their victims. Headlining the domestic violence bill package is Senate Bill 1103, which cracks down on offenders of assault and battery with intent to cause great bodily harm by strangulation or attempted…
Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed legislation to ensure men and women serving in the Oklahoma National Guard are only deployed as directed by the U.S. Constitution. Known as the “Defend the Guard” act, SB 1101 is aimed at making sure the Oklahoma National Guard could not be deployed overseas unless Congress fulfilled the constitutional…
Sen. Ron Sharp has filed legislation to try to outlaw the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving unless it is with hands-free technology. Senate Bill 1088 would expand the Trooper Nicholas Dees and Trooper Keith Burch Act of 2015 to try to decrease the number of distracted drivers on Oklahoma roads. “Currently, texting while…
The Tulsa abortion clinic is suing to overturn a law that gives information to woman about reversing the effects of the abortion drug Mifepristone. Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, authored Sen. Bill 614 that was passed in the Legislature and takes effect on November 1. The new law requires that abortionists tell women who take the…
County sheriffs throughout Oklahoma have received support with the passage of Senate Bill 244 this past session. The measure, by Senate principal author Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, and House principal author Rep. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, ends a practice that often resulted in county jails having to pay for the cost of housing inmates awaiting transport to…
Beginning November 1, a new law takes effect to help Oklahoma women be better informed about a condition that can make breast cancer difficult to detect. A signing of Senate Bill 443, known as Nancy’s Law, was recently held at the state Capitol. The legislation is named for Nancy Simpson, of Edmond, who died in…
Eighty-six new state laws went into effect July 1 in, including changes in car tags that could effect everyone in the state. Under a new law, Oklahoma motorists will keep their license plates when selling their vehicles. Registering a newly purchased car with the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) differs whether someone is purchasing the vehicle…
SB 888 will allow seniors to take advantage of options counseling to ensure they are fully informed of their options prior to admission to a long-term care program, including less costly choices like home health and adult day services. One option provided under SB 888 is the PACE program, which is a Medicare and Medicaid…