Legislative update: March 24, 2006

The Legislature is nearing the halfway point of this year's session, having recently completed hearing bills originating in the state House. Close to 1,200 pieces of legislation were filed at the start of session by House members alone. Our committee members sifted through those ideas, consolidating and prioritizing the suggested changes in law. During the final week to hear the House bills that emerged from committees, we worked long days and nights to vote on these bills.

By the end of our deadline, the House had approved 490 pieces of legislation, which are now being considered by the state Senate. I am not discouraged that all of those ideas may not be endorsed by the Senate because the discussion of ideas is an important step in the process. Often it can take years of discussion and debate before an issue can be fully researched, considered, and ultimately made into law.

Included in the last group of bills the House sent to the Senate for consideration was House Bill 3004, which would prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to Oklahoma children. In recent years, video games have become increasingly more graphic and violent, depicting drive-by shootings, drug dealing, theft, and the killing of female prostitutes.

Also approved was House Bill 2761, which would allow Oklahomans to place a security freeze on personal credit information in an effort to prevent identity theft. Under the Oklahoma Identity Theft Act consumers who have requested the freeze would be notified anytime a third party attempts to access their credit report. The bill would also require notice to be sent to an individual anytime a security breach occurs.

The personal information contained in a credit report can be used to commit identity theft, yet individuals and businesses can easily access someone else's credit report without the individual's knowledge. The problem is compounded by companies who obtain the reports for resale. In this age of easily accessible information, it is more important than ever to help consumers maintain control of their personal information.

Without a single negative vote, the House approved legislation to help reduce the cost of paperwork for state agencies. House Bill 2634, the Paperwork Reduction Act, would require state agencies to examine paperwork procedures, such as the issuing of reports and other activities, to make state agencies more accountable and more efficient.

In the coming weeks, the House will be voting on legislation that has already been approved by the state Senate. There is a great deal of work to be done in the brief four-month legislative session and there are a lot of ideas to be considered, but I and other members of the state Legislature are focused on bringing the best of those ideas to the forefront.