(State Capitol, Oklahoma City) – Oklahoma inmates must be moved out of a private prison in Hinton within six months. Other private prison space in Oklahoma was allowed to lie dormant for years, but now other states are signing up to rent the space, making these prisons unavailable for Oklahoma’s prisoners.

State Sen. Owen Laughlin, a former prosecutor, said these developments – and a growing shortage of bed space at state-owned prisons – are a direct result of decades of neglect of Oklahoma’s prison system by Democrat legislators.

State Sen. Susan Paddack is back from a week-long trip to the Middle East and Africa aimed at giving leaders from across the country an opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like for Americans serving in the military. The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC), organized by the Department of Defense, enabled Paddack to meet with men and women serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Tinker Air Force Base nominated Paddack to be one of only 45 participants nationwide.
read more.

State Senator Judy Eason McIntyre had always been careful to have an annual mammogram, and had always gotten a clean bill of health—until this past August. When she saw the cluster of white flecks on the mammogram image, she knew something was wrong. A couple of weeks later a biopsy confirmed it was cancer.

“Emotionally, I went from shock, fear, denial, a feeling of helplessness…I started really thinking funeral plans,” said Eason McIntyre.
read more.

Gov. Brad Henry signed into law Thursday Senate Bill 1919 which authorizes creation of the African-American Centennial Plaza on the grounds of the State Capitol as part of Oklahoma’s Centennial Celebration in 2007.

The governor was joined at the ceremonial signing by State Senator Constance N. Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa, who co-authored the legislation.
read more.

State Sen. Jim Wilson has called on the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to take advantage of a new electronic medical data sharing network. Wilson says the network, called SMRTNET for secure medical records transfer network, has been offered at no charge to OHCA, and would help reduce preventable medical errors, improve care and save tax dollars. Wilson said participation by OHCA in the system will not only respond to the requirements set forth in HB 2842 (the Medicaid Reform bill) but will save time and money.
read more.

Students across the state will have a chance to visit one-on-one with their State Senator and find out what it's like to write and pass laws and make budget decisions. It's all part of a national program called America's Legislators Back to School, sponsored annually by the National Conference of State Legislators. The program officially kicks off for 2006 during the third week of September and continues throughout the school year.
read more.

Senator Daisy Lawler, Chair of the Senate Task Force on Illegal Immigration Issues, said she was pleased with the group’s first meeting held Monday at the State Capitol.

Members of the task force heard presentations from representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Hospital Association. Additionally, the Immigrant Policy Project Program Director of the National Conference of State Legislatures presented statistics illustrating the scope and costs of illegal immigration nationwide.

After hearing reports that a second Oklahoma lottery prize had been claimed by a trust, rather than an individual, Sen. Clark Jolley announced he would file legislation for the 2007 session to close the loophole enabling individuals to form anonymous trusts after finding they had a winning ticket. Jolley, R-Edmond, said this loophole undermines the integrity of the lottery.
read more.

Responding to a recent assertion by University of Oklahoma President David Boren that the legislature should not have a role in setting tuition rates, Sen. Jim Wilson on Thursday said it is still the legislature’s function to represent taxpayers on higher education issues.

Before a Tuesday meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Boren said the Oklahoma Legislature should not function like a board of regents and should let universities continue to set their own tuition rates.
read more.

For years, the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) has rented or borrowed space from other government agencies in order to conduct its training academies for peace officers. That will change next month when the K.O. Rayburn Training Center in Ada welcomes its inaugural academy.

Although there had been concerns raised that the agency would not have the funds needed for the first academy in the new facility, Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, and Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, worked to expedite $500,000 in funds designated for the center.
read more.