The full Senate has given unanimous approval to a resolution honoring the life of former Lieutenant Governor and University of Oklahoma football star Jack Mildren. Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, President of the Senate, presided over the chamber as the resolution was read and approved unanimously. Mildren, age 58, was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and died on Thursday.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, principal author of Senate Resolution 105, said he was extremely saddened by Mildren’s passing. He recalled Mildren as a man who loved life and always had a smile on his face.

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, the leader of Republicans in the evenly divided Senate, gave the 2008 legislative session a “solid B” grade.

“2008 was a good legislative session, but not a great one. I’d grade it a solid B,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

A “puff-piece” profile of the lawmaker leading the fight against “Nick’s Law,” the autism insurance bill, reveals his true intentions, according to Senator Jay Paul Gumm.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) distributed a profile of Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow. The profile lauds the lawmaker’s “courage” for blocking even consideration of Nick’s Law when it arrived in the House of Representatives, noting Peterson’s defense of “free enterprise.”

Rice hopeful for bill’s future after unanimous committee passage

A bill aimed at battling food insecurity in Oklahoma moved one step closer to bringing needed relief to the state’s hunger crisis with a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the Senate Finance Committee today, according to Sen. Andrew Rice.

The state Senate on Tuesday honored Army Staff Sergeant Chris Hake of Enid, who was one of four U.S. soldiers killed on Easter Sunday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq.

Hake was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, where he served as a Squad Leader.

Senate Resolution 68 was authored by Sen. Patrick Anderson to honor Hake’s contributions to his country and the state of Oklahoma.

Legislation to require day care providers to carry liability insurance has cleared its first major hurdle in the State Senate. House Bill 2863, called Demarion’s Law, was approved unanimously by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday.
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Bingman, author of roads and bridges bill, says with $10 billion backlog in maintenance and potential to lose $127.5 million in currently scheduled construction projects lawmakers have made transportation a priority this year with the passage of HB 3342

State Capitol, Oklahoma City—In response to recent criticism, Senator Brian Bingman said there is room in the state budget to fund both transportation and education at adequate levels. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee thought so too when they passed Bingman’s House Bill 3342 today with a 16-0 vote.

State Sen. Harry Coates said he was appalled that Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, was “gaveled down” during a House committee hearing on legislation to make English the “official” language of Oklahoma.

“The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation was not allowed to share his concerns about the legislation and was treated badly,” said Coates, R-Seminole. “I believe he should have been given the courtesy of expressing his views in what is supposed to be the people’s house.”
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The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a measure to strengthen penalties for assaulting a pregnant woman. House Bill 1897 would allow felony charges to be filed against a person who assaults a woman and causes her to miscarry.

Senate author Debbe Leftwich noted that domestic violence is the number one cause of death for pregnant women and that the state has a responsibility to address this tragic problem.

In response to the recent independent truckers strike protesting the increasingly high cost of fuel, state Senator Kenneth Corn has filed a resolution requesting that the President open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for increased sales. Senate Concurrent Resolution 64 also calls upon Congress to formulate a national energy policy and investigate the profits of energy industries.

Corn said the President should open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to counterbalance high costs and reduce the risk of further strikes and economic hardship.