In order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities, this site has been designed with accessibility in mind. Click here to view
Oklahoma Senate
With an estimated one in eight veterans under age 65 uninsured nationwide, State Senator Andrew Rice has introduced a bill to ensure that all Oklahoma veterans have access to adequate health insurance.
"There is a common misconception that all veterans qualify for free health care through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, but sadly this isn't the case," said Rice, D-Oklahoma City. "Thousands of vets are falling through the cracks. They make too much to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care, but are too poor to afford private coverage."
read more.
State Sen. Debbe Leftwich said she will again file legislation to prohibit elected officials and state employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists, as well as a measure to prevent elected officials from becoming lobbyists at the Capitol for the first two years theyre out of office.
read more.Senate Democrats have named Charlie Laster as their new leader. Sen. Kenneth Corn, Democratic Caucus Chairman, announced the selection on Monday.
Our members voted unanimously to install Charlie Laster as Democratic Senate Leader for the 52nd Legislature of Oklahoma, said Corn, D-Poteau. We all know Senator Laster as a man of courage, character and wisdom who will provide a voice of experience and solid leadership for our caucus.
State Senator Connie Johnson said she was elated by the tremendous turnout of voters seeking to cast early ballots this year, but wants to make it even more convenient for those taking advantage of that option. Because participation was so great, many voters had to endure extraordinarily long lines to vote. Johnson said thats why she is filing legislation to expand early voting hours during general elections.
read more.State Capitol, Oklahoma City – The November elections that put Republicans in charge of the Oklahoma State Senate for the first time in state history will result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings for Oklahoma taxpayers, according to a preliminary estimate by the Senate’s staff.
read more.Senator Tom Adelson announced plans to file a bill to require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to allocate Disproportionate Share Hospital Dollars based on the percentage of each hospital's Medicaid and charity care burden relative to the total statewide costs of inpatient uncompensated care.
The DSH program is a federal program that allows individual states to allocate DSH funds to safety net hospitals providing uncompensated care to the uninsured, the underinsured and Medicaid enrollees.
read more.Newly elected and re-elected members of the Oklahoma State Senate took the oath of office on Tuesday in the Senate chamber. The oath was administered by the Honorable James Winchester, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Newly elected members sworn in were Jerry Ellis. D-Valliant; Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater; Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward; Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa; Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa; and Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City.
read more.The new Republican majority in the Oklahoma State Senate elected the remaining members of the Republican Caucus leadership team on Tuesday.
Last week, Senate Republicans elected Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, to serve as the first Republican to serve in the Senate’s top leadership post, President Pro Tempore. Also last week, Coffee named Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, to serve as Majority Floor Leader.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans elected these members of the leadership team:
read more.In response to increasingly poor economic indicators and a nationwide credit and mortgage crisis, a resolution filed by Sen. Constance Johnson and Rep. Jabar Shumate will encourage Congress to enact the Homeowners and Banks Protection Act (HBPA). Johnson filed a similar resolution in April, when economists were warning of an impending credit crunch and collapse in the housing market, but the Legislature failed to act on the proposal.
read more.
