The Senate Appropriations committee has given its approval to language ensuring the right of schools to display the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” (Out of Many One)” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.”

Senator Charlie Laster is author of House Bill 2477, known as the “Reading Sufficiency Act.” The Shawnee Democrat amended the measure to include language declaring the right to display the mottos.
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“I think it was obvious again that we have a young governor with a vision for our state and the boldness to lead. A true leader doesn’t just point out the problems, he proposes real world solutions and that’s what this governor did today.

“I was particularly impressed by his continued dedication to improving education in our state and his recognition that teachers are the engine that make our education system go. Educating the next generation of Oklahomans is the best way to ensure a prosperous future for our state.
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Senate Republican Floor Leader James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, made the following response to Gov. Brad Henry’s State of the State address:

“We know Gov. Henry likes to talk the talk about bipartisanship, but his State of the State address left many Republicans wondering if he will walk the walk. He adopted many Republican proposals like tax relief and lawsuit reform, but then failed to mention some of the most important issues facing our state.

A painting depicting two of Oklahoma’s most famous sons, Will Rogers and Wiley Post, has been dedicated at the State Capitol. State Senator Charles Ford, President of the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund Inc., unveiled the artwork during a ceremony in the State Senate Chamber on Tuesday morning.

Sen. Charles Ford, R-Tulsa, announced the dedication today of two more original paintings commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. The oil portraits of Oklahoma’s first territorial House Speaker, Arthur N. Daniels, and Oklahoma’s first statehood House Speaker, “Alfalfa Bill” Murray, were unveiled during a ceremony this afternoon in the House of Representatives Chamber.
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State Capitol, Oklahoma City – A brand new decision by the activist Massachusetts Supreme Court that “only full, equal marriage rights” for gays is constitutional puts Oklahoma at further risk that same sex marriages will be forced on our state. The ruling is a follow-up by the court to its controversial ruling last year.

Senate Republican Leader James A. Williamson said recent actions by Gov. Brad Henry and Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson, D-Lexington, have added to the risk that Oklahomans could soon have same sex marriages forced on them by activist courts. read more.

For the first time ever, Oklahomans from across the state can now listen to the legislature live on the internet. The webcasts began this week with the first day of the 2004 legislative session and Gov. Brad Henry’s State of the State Address.
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The leader of the State Senate said Thursday he doesn’t believe that recent decisions by the Massachusetts Supreme Court make gay marriage one of the most pressing issues facing Oklahoma.

Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson said Senate Minority Leader James A. Williamson’s assertions that Oklahoma’s 1996 Defense of Marriage Act is on the verge of being overturned are ill conceived.
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Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, praised former University of Oklahoma cornerback and Jim Thorpe Award recipient Derrick Strait today on the Senate floor by presenting him with Senate Resolution 36.

The Austin, Texas, native was presented with the nation’s best defensive back award at the ESPN-Home Depot College Football Awards show in early December 2003. The outstanding defensive player also received the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player just days before receiving the Thorpe Award. Strait was also named to the Walter Camp All-American Team.

A painting depicting a woman whose U.S. Supreme Court case helped to break the racial barrier in Oklahoma’s higher education system will now grace the walls of the State Capitol, according to Sen. Charles Ford, R-Tulsa.

The painting of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, the first woman of color to be admitted to the University of Oklahoma law school, was dedicated today in the Senate Chamber. Artist Mike Wimmer of Norman created the painting, which was sponsored by Sen. Penny Williams, D-Tulsa.