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State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was “elated” after the Senate joined the House in approving House Concurrent Resolution 1028, asserting Oklahoma’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. An earlier legislative attempt by Brogdon to stop the federal government from overstepping its bounds was vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry.
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The Water Resources Board should not have sole authority in determining whether Oklahoma water should be sold to Texas. That’s according state lawmakers concerned about a proposal expected to come before the legislature in the final days of the session.
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A bill to require full disclosure of adoption fees is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was given final approval by the State Senate on Wednesday.

“I want to thank my fellow members for their support. Each time this bill has been considered by the Senate it has gotten unanimous approval,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “I believe all of us want to do what we can to improve the adoption process in our state and help more children find loving, adoptive parents.”
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Legislation that will help law enforcement solve cold cases, including murder, rape and child molestation, has been approved by the Senate. Senate Bill 1102, by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would add new misdemeanor crimes to those that can result in the harvesting of DNA. The DNA would only be collected upon conviction of those crimes.

Nichols authored legislation that first expanded the state’s DNA database, which directly led to the arrest and conviction of the man who murdered OU Ballet student Julie Buskin.

A concurrent resolution asking the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to name their complex the “Clem Rogers McSpadden Agricultural Complex” was approved by the House of Representatives after winning unanimous approval in the Senate on Monday.

McSpadden was a former President Pro Tempore of the Senate, but had also won international acclaim as a professional rodeo announcer. He was a fifth generation rancher and the great-nephew of Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers. McSpadden, who was also a U.S. Congressman, died in 2008 at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
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State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was extremely concerned about this week’s take over of Tulsa-based Williams Cos. Gas compression facilities by a Venezuelan government-controlled company. He also said there are direct parallels between that action and U.S. government bailouts and takeovers of American companies.

“Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chavez, is a despotic dictator and an avowed enemy of America, and now he’s seized assets here in Oklahoma,” said Brogdon, R-Owasso. “People should be alarmed about what’s happening in our own state.”

Extensive Talks Result in Comprehensive Lawsuit Reform for Oklahomans

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee and House Speaker Chris Benge are announcing an agreement between all parties involved in negotiations on a landmark comprehensive lawsuit reform package.

The life and work of evangelist Oral Roberts was honored by the Oklahoma State Senate on Thursday, with the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 25. Senator Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa, was principle author of the measure, and said 91-year-old Robert’s impact in both religion and education has been world-wide.

“As Oklahomans, I think most of us are familiar with Oral Roberts, his ministry, and the university he founded in Tulsa, but I don’t know if most people realize how much influence he’s had around the world,” said Newberry.
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