OK-Thousands of bills expire with sine die
Author :  Erin Boeckman  - eCapitol
Date :  05/27/2008

(OK) A few thousand bills were filed, but only a few hundred succeeded during the 2008 legislative session.
Before the second half of the 51st Legislature began in February, 2,551 bills had been filed - 1,334 bills and resolutions in the House and 1,207 bills and resolutions in the Senate.

As the 2008 session progressed, committee and house deadlines rendered final verdicts on more than 3,600 bills, according to eCapitol's records. These bills ultimately failed legislative deadlines.

Thus far, 259 bills - 141 Senate bills and 118 House bills - have received the governor's approval this year. In 2007, the governor signed 364 bills - 179 House bills and 185 Senate bills, according to eCapitol's records.

One of the controversial bills of the 2008 session that would have allowed some students to carry guns on college campuses failed a Senate committee hearing deadline. HB 2513, by Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, and Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, would have allowed a concealed handgun licensee who is on active military duty, National Guard duty or regular military reserve duty; honorably discharged from active military, National Guard or military reserve duty; or certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to carry a weapon to carry a concealed handgun into or on any pubic college or university property. It would have required persons authorized to carry concealed handguns on college or university property to provide written notification to the office of the college or university president prior to carrying the handgun into or on the property. It would not have affected a college or university's authority to establish policies that restrict the carrying of concealed handguns in access-controlled events where people are subject to security checkpoint screenings.

The bill passed the House on March 13 in a vote of 65 to 36, but it did not receive a hearing from the Senate Appropriations Committee by the Senate's April 3 committee deadline.

Also failing was bill that would have sent to a vote of the people the proposal to make English the state's official language. SB 163, by Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, and Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, proposed a constitutional amendment to make English the official language of the state of Oklahoma. The measure stated that such a mandate would apply to all state entities or agents while performing official actions for the state. It stated that English was to be used exclusive to the use of any other language, unless such other use is specifically required by federal or state law and provides. It would have allowed unofficial or nonbonding translations or explanations of official actions to be provided separately in languages other than English under certain circumstances. The measure also would have allowed the state to use a language other than English if the use is essential to certain activities.

The bill was amended in the House to include the preceding language and passed on the House floor in a vote of 70 to 28 on April 23. When the legislation returned to the Senate, House amendments were rejected, and the bill was sent to conference committee with instructions from Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater. The

Bill failed to be reported out of conference and heard on the Senate floor before sine die adjournment.

Initially, the success of a bond package seemed doubtful, but a much talked about proposal to invest millions in roads and bridges received approval on the very last day of session. HB 2272, by Rep. Kenneth Miller, R-Edmond, and Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, authorizes the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority to issue bonds of no more than $150 million no earlier than Aug. 1, 2009, and another $150 million no later than Aug. 1, 2010. The measure states that the purpose of the bonds is to provide funding for construction maintenance and improvement of state highway and state bridge assets identified in the Oklahoma Transportation Commission Work Plan for federal fiscal years 2007 through 2014. The measure also states that beginning July 1, 2009, and each year thereafter, $30 million is to be appropriated to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund to make bond payments. The annual payments are to continue until a cap of $300 million is reached.

The bill passed 94 to 5 in the House and 47 to 1 in the Senate. It is now awaiting action from the governor.

The end of the 2008 session also saw passage of an ethics reform bill. HB 2196, by Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, prohibits lobbyist and lobbyist principals from making or promising to make contributions to or soliciting or promising to solicit a contribution for a member of the Legislature or a candidate for a state legislative office during any regular legislative session beginning the first Monday in February through adjournment and for five calendar days after sine die adjournment. It also prohibits a member of the Legislature or candidate for state legislative office from intentionally soliciting or accepting a contribution from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal during that time period. The measure states that any person who knowingly and willfully violates such prohibitions be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment in county jail for up to one year.

HB 2196 passed 90 to 6 in the House and 47 to 0 in the Senate. This bill, too, has been sent to the governor's desk where it awaits action.

©2008 eCapitol, LLC.