The full Senate has given approval to a measure that would create the Oklahoma School of the Arts. Senator Mark Snyder is author of Senate Bill 1501 and said the school would be similar to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM.)

State Sen. Jim Reynolds is urging Oklahomans to mail or email petitions to U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe to help secure an appropriate location for a U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Sen. Inhofe, who supports the project, said the more public support he receives, the better the chance he’ll have of convincing fellow members to get behind the project.

A bill to bring art to communities across the state has won final legislative approval. Sen. Penny Williams, D-Tulsa, is principal author of the “Art in Public Places Act.” She said the measure will enrich the state’s cultural development—an investment that will enhance quality of life and boost economic development.

Oklahoma Senators Wednesday sent legislation strengthening Oklahoma’s laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors to the desk of Governor Brad Henry.

State leaders estimate that Senate Bill 1256, if signed into law by the governor, will protect $7 million in federal funding the state receives for substance abuse programs managed by the Department of Mental Health, said Senator Ben Robinson, author of the bill.

Senator Charles Ford announced the dedication of another original painting depicting a moment in Oklahoma’s rich history. The painting, titled “The Butterfield Stage at Boggy Creek” by artist Joe Beeler of Sedona, Arizona, was unveiled during a ceremony in the Senate Chamber this afternoon.

Senate Republican Leader James A. Williamson, the architect of the “Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment,” praised the House of Representatives for passing House Bill 2259 Thursday on a 92 to 4 vote.

“This is a proud day for the people of Oklahoma and for the Oklahoma Legislature, and I want to thank the House of Representatives for its quick consideration of the Marriage Protection Amendment,” stated Williamson, R-Tulsa.

“Oklahomans deserve the right to vote to protect traditional marriage, and they’ll get a chance to do so this November,” he said.

The State Senate has given its final approval to a measure to attract high-paying manufacturing jobs to the state. Sen. Jay Paul Gumm is principal author of Senate Joint Resolution 54, which is aimed at bringing firearm manufacturing to Oklahoma.

“There are parts of the country that are hostile to gun manufacturing. What we want to do is get the word out that we welcome these jobs. Oklahoma has a great western heritage and a college that has a top-notch gunsmith program. We want these companies to know we’d be a perfect fit,” said Gumm.

Senator Charles Ford announced the unveiling of a portrait of “The Buffalo Skinner’s Cart,” by Gordon Snidow, is the latest in a series of paintings commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc.

Snidow has been the foremost storyteller of the contemporary cowboy for over forty years and is one of America’s outstanding fine artists.

UPDATE: Dems Seeking to Stop Gay Marriage Ban Vote in Oklahoma

Former Democrat Governor David Walters has joined efforts by state Democrat leaders to keep the people of Oklahoma from voting on the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment at this fall’s general election.

In a recorded phone message to voters, Walters asks citizens to call House Speaker Larry Adair (D) and demand that he kill House Bill 2259, which would send the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment to a vote of the people in the November general election.

A work of art depicting one of the most prestigious scientist’s of the late 19th and early 20th century will now grace the walls of the State Capitol, according to Sen. Charles Ford, R-Tulsa.

A portrait of George Washington Carver in Tulsa, an African American who revolutionized the research methods and agricultural processes of the day was dedicated today in the Senate Chamber. Artist Mike Wimmer of Norman created the painting, which was sponsored by Sen. Maxine Horner, D-Tulsa.