ADA, Okla. — Wednesday, Sen. Jonathan Wingard celebrated the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada.

The celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on the facility’s progress over the past 60 years and look ahead to its next chapter as growth and investment in Ada continue.

PADEN – Sen. Bryan Logan, R-Paden, celebrated areas in four counties across his Senate district have been named federal Opportunity Zones, or areas primed for investment and economic development to support local communities. 

Census tracts in Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Creek and McIntosh counties have been selected for the federal Opportunity Zones initiative.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, is preparing legislation aimed at strengthening Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas workforce by encouraging the hiring of qualified engineers and providing tax incentives for employers who invest in the next generation of industry professionals.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, on Thursday congratulated two constituents who
were named among the state’s top law enforcement officers.

Coleman praised Tulsa Police Detective Paula Maker, who was recognized as the 2026
Oklahoma Officer of the Year at a ceremony in Oklahoma City. Attorney General
Gentner Drummond created the Officer of the Year initiative to recognize and
celebrate the best and brightest Oklahomans serving in local law enforcement
agencies.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, on Thursday congratulated two constituents who
were named among the state’s top law enforcement officers.

Coleman praised Tulsa Police Detective Paula Maker, who was recognized as the 2026
Oklahoma Officer of the Year at a ceremony in Oklahoma City. Attorney General
Gentner Drummond created the Officer of the Year initiative to recognize and
celebrate the best and brightest Oklahomans serving in local law enforcement
agencies.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, is celebrating Edmond’s selection for federal Opportunity Zone designation, and thanked Gov. Kevin Stitt for securing the designation for Edmond.

The State of Oklahoma has 413 federally eligible tracts, but federal law only allows the governor to nominate no more than 104. Edmond received three of those.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, today hosted a Senate committee meeting to explore the economic benefits and community concerns surrounding data center developments.

Murdock invited economists and a national security expert to the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee to present on the wide-ranging impacts of the data center boom.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reports that the U.S. Department of Justice will send monitors to three Oklahoma counties, Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Muscogee, for the Nov. 3 General Election have raised concerns. In response to questions from citizens, Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, are working to inform voters about what the monitors can and cannot do.

“People should feel safe to vote,” Kirt said. “We want to make sure Oklahomans have the information they need to vote their conscience without fear of intimidation.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, and Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City, will join together this Thursday, Oct. 29 for an interim study to examine how domestic violence courts could help the state better ensure the safety of victims and at the same time address cycles of abuse that can last for years and extend through multiple generations.

OKLAHOMA CITY –Sen. Kristen Thompson, R‑Edmond, was presented the 2026 “Heavy Hitter” award by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association for her work on legislation aimed at strengthening student safety and improving school reporting procedures.

Over the past two years, Thompson has pursued measures focused on school safety. Senate Bills 1730 and 1733, address how schools report alleged abuse and how they respond when students bring concerns to teachers or counselors.