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The state Senate voted Wednesday to direct $45 million from the state Rainy Day Fund for immediate tornado disaster relief. Senate Bill 249, passed unanimously in the Senate, directs funds to the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management to aid recovery efforts in affected communities. SB 249 was passed in response to a request by Gov. Mary Fallin.
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In the past two years, three Oklahoma families sent loved ones to a substance abuse program at Narconon Arrowhead with the hopes of recovery. Instead, those families wound up planning funerals. Sen. Tom Ivester responded by filing legislation ensuring the state would have oversight of facilities operated by Narconon, known to have close ties to the Church of Scientology. Senate Bill 295, by Ivester and Rep. David Derby, was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin this past week.
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The State Senate has honored an Oklahoma physical science teacher for being one of only five educators nationwide to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Deborah Cornelison, a ninth-grade physical science teacher at Byng Junior High School, was a guest in the Senate chamber on Thursday when members honored her accomplishments with the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 30, by Sen. Susan Paddack and Rep. Todd Thomsen.

On Thursday, the Oklahoma State Senate honored the 2013-2014 National Youth Ambassador for the American Indian Health Research and Education Alliance (AIHREA). Cierra Fields, a Cherokee native and 8th grader from Fort Gibson, was diagnosed with Melanoma at the age of 4 and spent her fifth birthday on the operating table. Her 14th birthday was different, however, as Cierra had the opportunity to share a special message with members of the Senate both in Cherokee and English.
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The community of Woodward just marked the first anniversary of the April 15, 2012 tornado that destroyed 87 homes, 13 businesses and claimed six lives. On Tuesday, members of the House and Senate paused to honor former Woodward firefighter and News 9 storm tracker Marty Logan, and the station’s weather team, for helping warn Woodward residents that the deadly storm was headed their way.
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Senate Appropriations Chairman Clark Jolley said the budget agreement announced Thursday by Gov. Mary Fallin and legislative leaders carefully prioritized the allocation of growth revenues for the FY 2014 budget. The agreement itself was reached earlier this session than in past years. Jolley attributed that accomplishment to the hard work of his subcommittee chairs.
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