Latest Oklahoma Headlines
All the headlines from our Oklahoma Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma House Panel Votes to Close Daycare Insurance Loophole
Mar 5 2012 // An Oklahoma House of Representatives committee has voted to close a loophole in state law, ensuring that all daycare facilities have liability insurance. House Bill 1848, by state Rep. Mike Shelton, eliminates an exemption...
Oklahoma House Approves Firefighter Pension Reforms
Mar 5 2012 // A measure approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives would stabilize the state’s firefighter pension system by, among other things, increasing the percentage of insurance premium tax allocated to the...
Oklahoma Teen Cell Phone Bill
Mar 5 2012 // Legislation that would prevent teenage drivers in Oklahoma from using cell phones while driving has cleared a Senate panel. The Senate Public Safety Committee voted 6-2 for the bill, Senate Bill 182. The measure prohibits...
Declarations
Mar 5 2012 // No Choice “The Supreme Court has spoken on the issue, so we had no choice.” —Louisiana State Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte. LaFleur, a board member of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp.,...
Oklahoma Advances Open-Carry Firearm Bill
Mar 2 2012 // Despite some concern that Oklahoma is returning to the “lawless days of yesteryear,” a state House panel has approved a bill (House Bill 2522) to allow gun permit holders to openly carry firearms. The House...
Oklahoma Bill Would Ban Alcohol Sales at Self-Checkout Stands
Feb 28 2012 // An Oklahoma state lawmaker has filed legislation aimed at curbing the sale of alcohol to minors by requiring face-to-face interaction for alcohol purchases. House Bill 2725, by Democratic Leader Scott Inman, would disallow...
Oklahoma Panel Rejects Earthquake Insurance Notification Bill
Feb 27 2012 // An Oklahoma state representative said he is disappointed that a legislative panel rejected a bill aimed at informing consumers about earthquake insurance. Oklahoma State Rep. Mike Shelton said the House Insurance Committee...
Committee Calls for Oklahoma Insurance Exchange
Feb 24 2012 // A legislative committee has recommended that Oklahoma create its own health insurance exchange so the federal government doesn’t establish one for it instead. Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa, said the exchange is a...
Tornado Chasers Prepare for High Season
Feb 24 2012 // With the month of March looming, United States tornado chasers are already watching the Southeast as a nasty storm brews with the potential to spin off a batch of tornadoes. But if funnel clouds develop Thursday or Friday...
Oklahoma Bill Bans Cell Phone Use by Teen Drivers
Feb 21 2012 // Legislation that would prevent teenage drivers from using cell phones while driving has cleared a Senate panel. The Senate Public Safety Committee voted 6-2 last week for the bill, Senate Bill 182, which now heads to the...
Washington Tribe OK’d to Move Out Of Tsunami Zone
Feb 20 2012 // The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that will allow the Quileute tribe to move its school and other buildings out of a tsunami zone on the Washington coast to higher ground in Olympic National Park. The...
Oklahoma House Approves Firefighter Pension Reforms
Feb 17 2012 // A measure approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives would stabilize the state’s firefighter pension system by, among other things, increasing the percentage of insurance premium tax allocated to the...
Oklahoma Bill Would Raise Legal Age for Tobacco Use
Feb 16 2012 // Legislation approved by an Oklahoma House committee would make it illegal for anyone younger than 21 to purchase tobacco products. “The younger someone starts smoking, the harder it is to break the addiction later in...
Oklahoma Insurance Department Spokesman Resigns Over Offensive Email
Feb 13 2012 // The Oklahoma Insurance Department’s spokesman said he resigned on Feb. 10 after sending an official email to hundreds of people containing an off-color term for breasts. Glenn Craven told The Associated Press that he...
Uninsured Driver Bill Advances in Oklahoma House
Feb 10 2012 // Oklahoma law enforcement officers would have more leeway to stop those suspected of driving uninsured vehicles under a measure approved by a House committee. House Bill 2525, by state Rep. Steve Martin (R-Nowata,...
Oklahoma House Committee Approves Stricter Seat Belt Law
Feb 10 2012 // Legislation aimed at increasing road safety in Oklahoma was approved in the House Public Safety Committee. House Bill 2583, by state Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, would require every person in a vehicle to wear a properly...
Oklahoma Public Safety Officials Seek More Funding
Feb 9 2012 // Following three years of budget cuts, Oklahoma’s public safety officials told lawmakers their budgets need a boost to restore workforce levels and replace antiquated facilities and equipment. The heads of...
Oklahoma Commissioner Backs Bill to Use Premium Tax Funds for Firefighters
Feb 8 2012 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced his support for using insurance premium taxes to bolster the pension funds of the state’s firefighters. Doak said he supports House Bill 2320 introduced by Rep....
Oklahoma Bill Would Combat Prescription Drug Overdose
Feb 6 2012 // Under legislation by state Rep. Pat Ownbey, physicians could not prescribe a controlled substance without first using the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Prescription Monitoring Program to see what has already been prescribed...
Declarations
Feb 6 2012 // No More Funds-Holding “I have received numerous constituent complaints regarding a mortgage company holding onto funds for weeks while homeowners face emergency repairs that must be made quickly.” —Oklahoma...
