Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they would try to force an agreement on funding for public schools by blocking efforts by Senate Democrats to move other budget bills through the Senate until an agreement is reached on education funding.

“Senate Republicans are opposed to moving other budget bills through the Senate until there is a bipartisan agreement on a budget for public schools,” stated Senate GOP Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Senate Democratic leaders are moving forward with a progressive "education" budget – after weeks of stone-walling by state House Republican leaders.

Charles R. Ford announced the unveiling of a painting of the historic Santa Fe Trail, as part of a series of paintings commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. The painting is by nationally- renowned artist Wayne Cooper of Depew, Oklahoma, and was unveiled during a ceremony in the Senate Chamber this afternoon.

The State Senate approved a resolution Monday honoring President Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States and one of America's favorite sons.

House Joint Resolution 1001 was authored by Rep. Thad Balkman (R-Norman) and Senator Owen Laughlin (R-Woodward), and then coauthored by all the Republican members from both the House of Representatives and Senate. It designates February 6th of each year as "President Ronald Reagan Day" in Oklahoma to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of the 40th President of the United States of America.

State Sen. Jeff Rabon said he was disappointed that the House won’t hear his legislation to reduce underage drinking. Senate Bill 666 had been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee but Sen. Rabon received word on Monday that the committee would not give the bill a hearing. Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, is Rabon’s co-author for SB 666. Balkman was principal author of a similar House bill that was killed earlier this session.

The Oklahoma State Senate will begin considering single agency appropriations measures by hearing bills to fund 42 state agencies Tuesday, Senate Appropriations Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield said.

Senator Kenneth Corn told a group of concerned citizens today that Senate Democrats understand the importance of The Heartland Flyer, Oklahoma’s only passenger rail service, and told these concerned citizens that Senate Democrats have a plan to save the Heartland Flyer through its 2020 Plan for Bridges and Roads.

Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City has found a way to further enhance their already renowned Arts and Sciences department by utilizing the Senate’s newly implemented webcast technology.

President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, said Republican Leadership in the House has been too busy cranking out politically motivated news releases to act on a Democratic General Appropriations (GA) Bill that truly places value on working families.

He said the newly elected Republican majority in the House has a duty to provide critical services upon which all Oklahomans depend. They are instead, he said, trying to govern through press releases, which falls short of the responsibility that all Oklahomans deserve and expect from the legislature.

Three former educators who are now members of the Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee on Education said Thursday that if the House doesn’t act to pass an education appropriation on Monday school boards across Oklahoma will be forced to make crucial staffing decisions without knowing how much state funding will be allocated to their districts.

The result could be a new exodus of teachers to Texas, according to the trio of lawmakers who have 96 years of experience in public education among them.