OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee confirmed the appointment of Charles E. “Chuck” Skillings of Shawnee to the State Board of Health Monday. Sen. Ron Sharp carried the nomination in the Senate for Gov. Mary Fallin.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee reconfirmed Nisha L. Wilson of Choctaw to the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure Monday to serve a three-year term ending October 31, 2019. Sen. Ron Sharp carried her nomination in the Senate for Gov. Mary Fallin.

OKLAHOMA CITY –   State Senator Micheal Bergstrom announced this week he was notified by the governor’s office that nine communities in northeastern Oklahoma have been named federal Opportunity Zones under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Citizen Advocates for Recovery and Transformation (OCARTA) named Sen. Ron Sharp their Legislator of the Year and presented him with the Recoveree Choice Award Tuesday. 

Oklahoma City – Three legislators from Edmond are thanking their local education community.  State Senator Adam Pugh, State Representative Ryan Martinez and State Representative Mike Osburn have released the following statement after meeting with thousands of educators and constituents: 

“I was pleased to meet with at least five groups with 10 to 20 in each group today.  I was encouraged by the positive approach about additional school funding.  I explained that teacher pay had been priority number one in our recent sessions, with the average teacher raise given last week equaling $6,100, or a 15% increase. 

On Wednesday evening, the Senate approved revenue measures (House Bill 1010XX and HB 1011XX) to fund an average $6,100 teacher pay raise (HB 1023XX).

Late Wednesday evening, the State Senate passed a pay raise bill that would provide a 12.7% pay increase for all state teachers and state employees (SB133), but then failed by two votes to garner enough support on HB 1033xx, the legislation that would have funded those raises.

Senator Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, issued the following statement:

“I’m frustrated we didn’t have enough votes to fund the mechanisms that would have provided the 12.7% teacher pay raise.  I was hopeful we’d have enough bipartisan support to pass the measure.”

OKLAHOMA CITY –   State Senator Micheal Bergstrom filed two bills this week aimed at helping to recruit and retain teachers in Oklahoma schools. 

Senate Bill 1188 would allow a certified classroom teacher to earn a tuition waiver worth 12 credit hours of resident tuition each year the teacher is employed by an Oklahoma public school district to be used for the postsecondary education of the teacher’s child or children. 

Oklahoma City - Freshman Senators Greg McCortney and Adam Pugh, along with House author Representative Mark McBride have filed a bill that will reform the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.