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Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat met with media to provide an update following sine die adjournment.

Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd met with media to provide an update following sine die adjournment.

OKLAHOMA CITY – About 40 states nationwide have waiting lists for services for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, said legislation he presented in the Senate on Wednesday to lay the foundation for eliminating Oklahoma’s own waiting list was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt Thursday. 

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Legislature paid tribute to retiring Higher Education Chancellor Glen D. Johnson on Wednesday, thanking him for his service to the state and wishing him well as he begins his next chapter.  Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, and House Chair of the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education Mark McBride, R-Moore, are coauthors of Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, honoring Johnson’s extensive service to the state. Johnson retires as chancellor Sept. 30, 2021.

Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd, Sen. Michael Brooks, Sen. Julia Kirt and Sen. J.J. Dossett met with media to provide an update on session.

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 13, 2021)— A state budget agreement reached Thursday maintains all state core service funding, provides tax relief to individuals and businesses, and makes targeted new investments in key priorities like education, economic development, health care and infrastructure.

The full Senate adopted a resolution Thursday recognizing the first week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to help law enforcement locate kidnap victims faster has been signed into law.  Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, and Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, are the principal authors of Senate Bill 272, the “Kelsey Smith Act,” which will require cell phone companies to provide phone location information to law enforcement in emergency situations, such as an abduction. The measure was signed into law on May 3, which would have been Kelsey’s 32^nd birthday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – As law enforcement officers from throughout Oklahoma watched from the gallery, the Oklahoma Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday recognizing May as “Law Enforcement Appreciation Month” in the state.  Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, is the principal author of Senate Resolution 15.

Weaver, who spent three decades in law enforcement and served as director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, told fellow members about the dangers and risks law enforcement officers face on a daily basis.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, were joined Wednesday by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, and Rep. José Cruz, D-Oklahoma City, in announcing the formation of the bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Latino Caucus. Brooks said the caucus will help better address the unique needs of the state’s fastest growing population, the Latino community, while also celebrating and recognizing their contributions to Oklahoma’s economy.