The Senate has unanimously approved legislation to ensure nonviolent offenders in Oklahoma’s prison system are prepared to live independent, productive lives once released.  Sen. read more.

Sen. Roger Thompson announced Friday that some 40 area fire departments had been chosen to receive $171,598 in grants from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.  The funds, provided to rural fire departments annually, are authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature and are administered by the Forestry Division’s Community Fire Preparedness Program.

Sen. Roger Thompson said he is continually tracking economic factors that impact the state budget as he prepares for the upcoming legislative session.  It was announced in June that Thompson, R-Okemah, will serve as Senate Appropriations Chair in the 57th Legislature, filling one of the most crucial roles in state government.

Thompson said in recent years, all members of the Senate have been appointed to the full Appropriations Committee.  This year, there will be just 16 members, including the chair and vice chair.

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been appointed to the Budgets and Revenue Committee for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).  Thompson, who chairs the Oklahoma State Senate’s Appropriations Committee, was appointed by NCSL leadership.

The committee’s jurisdictional areas include federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including funding for services and programs, budget processes, tax and revenue systems, legislative oversight, unfunded mandates and state-local fiscal relations.  

In his first legislative session as Senate Appropriations Chair, Sen. Roger Thompson helped carve out priorities for the 2020 fiscal year budget and determine how best to fund and support key agenda items aimed at moving Oklahoma forward—the end result is a balanced budget that made new investments in core services of government, increased emergency savings and accomplished it all without a tax increase.

Sen. Roger Thompson has been named Rural Legislator of the Year by an organization that advocates for rural schools.  The Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools (OROS) was formed in 1984 and represents 330 school districts and over 400 individual schools across the state. Funding and the opposition of forced consolidation of school districts are among the issues OROS has prioritized for rural education.

OKLAHOMA CITY— State Senator Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, was recently appointed to serve on the Education Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference.  Thompson was chosen to serve earlier this month by Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman.

Family, friends and supporters looked on Wednesday as Sen. Roger Thompson was sworn in to serve another four years in the State Senate.  The ceremony was held in the Senate Chamber a week after Thompson was reelected to the District 8 seat. During Thompson’s second term he will hold one of the most powerful positions in the Capitol, serving as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.