OKLAHOMA CITY Two legislators have been given the Oklahoma Hospital Associations (OHA) Outstanding Achievement Award for their efforts to improve healthcare and outcomes throughout the state. Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, and Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan, have co-chaired the states healthcare working group at the state Capitol. The lawmakers were honored during the 2019 OHA annual convention, held in Oklahoma City this past week.

Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, recently joined Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell in representing Oklahoma during the U.S. Legislature Leaders Delegation trip to Taiwan to promote agricultural trade and investment. From left to right: Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Taiwan Deputy Minister of Agriculture Junne-Jih Chen, and Sen. Roland Pederson.

The state Senate recently wrapped up their State Charitable Campaign (SCC) raising more than $14,000 for Oklahoma charities.

OKLAHOMA CITY Each year, state employees from around 80 state agencies participate in the United Ways State Charitable Campaign, a statewide effort to help raise funds for more than 250 charitable organizations. The state Senate held their campaign in September and October raising more than $14,000. Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat commended the Senates generosity and commitment to helping others.

OKLAHOMA CITY Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, filed two bills Friday to continue his efforts to improve administrative and financial accountability of Oklahomas virtual and brick-and-mortar charter schools.

Oklahoma citizens will be able to pre-register to vote when they turn 17.5 years old thanks to a new law going into effect on November 1. Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, and Rep. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, authored Senate Bill 496 this past session to make it easier for young voters to remember to get registered to vote before they turn 18.
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In March, Sen. Ron Sharp, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, requested financial information from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) regarding funding to one of the state’s largest public brick and mortar charter schools. The agency told the senator they were working on his Open Records request but after nearly three months of receiving no answers, the senator’s request was placed on hold. In June, OSDE’s legal counsel responded that there would be an $850 fee for the labor required to provide the financial information.
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Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, issued the following statement on the passing of former Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman. Standridge succeeded Nichols in representing Senate District 15 after Nichols was term-limited in 2012.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Thursday named two appointments to the board of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said Kari Stomprud of Yukon and Dr. Carisa Wilsie of Yukon will serve as his appointments on the ODMHSAS board in accordance with government accountability reforms enacted earlier this year.
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Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Thursday announced his appointment of Randy Curry of Weatherford to the board of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

Curry currently serves as rural health coordinator for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University School of Pharmacy. Before that, he spent more than 30 years in retail pharmacy. Curry holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from SWOSU.
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More than half of the members of the Oklahoma State Senate represent communities impacted by this week’s storms, which included tornadoes and severe flooding across the state. On Wednesday those members issued the following statement:

“Although we are at the Capitol completing work on the 2019 session, we are all monitoring the weather situations in our districts, staying in contact with state and local emergency management officials, first responders and other officials as situations continue to unfold.