Major Legislation Review

HB 1001 by Reese -- Covenant Marriage. Requires couples seeking a covenant marriage license to obtain premarital counseling and provides for grounds for divorce. Assigned to House Judiciary Committee.

HB 1002 by Nations -- Sales Tax Holiday. Would waive Oklahoma sales taxes on clothing and footwear with a sales price of less than $100 per item during a three-day period in early August.

Passed by the House Revenue and Taxation Committee; sent to full House.

HB 1004 by Sullivan (John) -- Grocery Tax. Calls for a state sales tax exemption on food and beverages and the sale of nonprescription drugs and medicines. Assigned to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

HB 1013 by Toure -- Death Penalty Moratorium. Would prohibit courts from setting execution dates between March 1, 2001 and March 1, 2002 and require the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission to review and analyze all homicide cases occurring after July 24, 1976.

Defeated by House Rules Committee.

HB 1024 by Claunch -- Ten Commandments. Would authorize local boards of education to permit or direct schools to post the Ten Commandments, the Mayflower Compact, the Oklahoma Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Emancipation Proclamation. Assigned to House Rules Committee.

HB 1038 by Graves -- Abortion Pill. Would make it unlawful to prescribe, dispense or distribute mifepristone (RU-486) in Oklahoma. Assigned to House Public Health Committee.

HB 1122 by Winchester -- Abandoned Babies. Provides that a parent who leaves a child in the care of health-care providers without providing for food, shelter and clothing shall not be prosecuted for the crime of abandonment nor for certain related crimes. Passed by House Criminal Justice Committee and full House; sent to Senate.

HB 1328 by Covey -- Vehicle Inspections. Would repeal state laws requiring annual vehicle and emission control equipment inspections. Assigned to House Public Safety and Transportation Subcommittee of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

HB 1445 by Glover -- Electricity Deregulation. Would postpone the deadline for restructuring pursuant to the Electric Restructuring Act of 1997 from July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2004. Assigned to House Energy and Utility Regulation Committee.

SB 62 by Johnson -- Income Taxes. Would decrease the top income tax rate from 6.75 percent to 6.5 percent for tax year 2002, 6.25 percent for tax year 2003 and 6 percent for subsequent tax years.

Assigned to Senate Finance Committee.

SB 63 by Johnson -- Would modify individual income tax adjustments to increase the personal exemption for individuals.

Amended and passed by Senate Finance Committee; sent to Senate.

SB 720 by Pruitt -- Parental Notification. "Oklahoma Parental Notification of Abortion Procedures on Minors Act" would require 24-hours notice to parents prior to the performance of an abortion and counseling prior to an abortion. Assigned to Senate Human Resources Committee.

SB 728 by Wilcoxson -- Education. Increases the number of units required for high school graduation in Oklahoma from 15 to 18, beginning in the 2004-05 school year, to require one additional unit each of math, science and social studies. Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 757 by Pruitt -- M-rated Games. Would prohibit the rental or sale of video games with high-violence content to persons under 18 years of age. Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 770 by Pruitt -- Workers Compensation. Would eliminate the Workers' Compensation Court and create a workers' compensation system. Assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

SJR 1 by Herbert -- Right to Work. Seeks a constitutional amendment to prohibit a requirement that a person be a member of, or make payments to, a labor union in order to enter into employment or remain employed. Committee substitute passed by Senate General Government Committee; sent to full Senate.

SJR 4 by Herbert -- Railroads. Calls for a statewide vote to impose a 1-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline from Jan. 1, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2012 to pay for extending passenger rail services throughout the state. Passed by Senate Finance Committee; sent to full Senate.

SJR 24 by Henry -- Oklahoma Lottery. Would place a referendum on a statewide ballot to create a state lottery. Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee.