The naming of a two mile section of Interstate 35 near Stillwater after Nancy Randolph Davis will be celebrated at a dedication ceremony and reception on Thursday, November 1 in Stillwater, according to State Sen. Anastasia Pittman. The event will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at Oklahoma State University in The Council Room, located on the 4th floor in the Student Union. The public is invited to attend.
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Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks (D-Norman) released the following statement on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus:

“The Senate Democratic Caucus urges Governor Fallin to call the legislature into special session to address issues related to medical marijuana. Today’s letter from Attorney General Mike Hunter to Health Department Interim Director Tom Bates clearly concludes the Board of Health approved medical marijuana rules exceeding its statutory authority.

State Sen. Roger Thompson and State Rep. Weldon Watson were joined this week by ten other members of the House and Senate in signing a letter urging members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to approve Public Service Company of Oklahomas application for preapproval for the Wind Catcher Energy Connection Project.

OKLAHOMA CITY The legislature approved much-needed pay raises for teachers and school support staff this year. Sen. Rob Standridge and other legislators are growing concerned after hearing plans by multiple districts that want to give their administrators pay raises meant for support staff. The legislators want to ensure the pay raises are dispersed correctly and want to encourage the public to hold local school boards and administrators accountable as these decisions are made in the next few weeks and months.

More Oklahoma Lottery improvements became law this year, including a bill projected to increase education funding by up to $6.5 million a year by allowing lottery tickets to be bought with debit cards.

Senate Bill 1303, by Senate Assistant Majority Floor Leader Eddie Fields and Rep. Chad Caldwell, modernizes lottery player convenience by allowing debit card purchases of lottery tickets at lottery retailers. The bill was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus:

“After a decade of failed tax cuts and revenue failures, this session the legislature finally started to change course. For the first time in recent memory the legislature acted on new revenue and the enacted budget does not include cuts to state agencies. While this is an improvement, we should not be celebrating simply because we are beginning to repair the damage.

In response to multiple media inquiries regarding Senate Bill 1203 and the story in yesterdays Sunday Oklahoman, Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, issued the following statement today:

Sen. A.J. Griffin and Rep. Harold Wright applauded the signing of SB 1516, a continuation of the Lay Caregivers Act, which was passed in 2014. The Lay Caregivers Act allows hospital patients to designate a lay caregiver upon formal admission to a hospital facility and requires hospitals to notify the designated caregiver of the patients discharge to the patients residence or another licensed facility. The law also requires hospitals to consult with designated caregivers regarding the aftercare needs of hospital patients.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on the grand jury report and performance audit of the Oklahoma State Department of Health:

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks released the following statement on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus:

“Today the Senate Democratic Caucus welcomed thousands of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens to the Capitol. We stand with them in their fight to properly fund public education in Oklahoma.

Paying our teachers a fair and competitive salary is a priority, but this movement is about more than just teacher pay, it’s about the chronic underfunding of public education in Oklahoma.