State Senator Harry Coates has sent a letter to Governor Brad Henry requesting that this coming Sunday be declared a day of prayer for the State of Oklahoma. Coates said his district, which includes Seminole as well as parts of Lincoln, Pottawatomie and Oklahoma Counties, has been especially impacted by the wildfires which have destroyed homes and property throughout the state.

Battling Wildfires Has Left Many Departments Broke, Chairman Says

(Oklahoma City) – The Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services will hold a hearing Thursday on the funding needs of rural fire departments in Oklahoma in the wake of the wildfires that have burned more than 360,000 acres and destroyed more than 200 homes and businesses since November 1, Sub-Committee Chairman Jeff Rabon said Friday.

State Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said an education proposal by Senate Democrats calls for additional spending without an expectation for results or improved accountability.

Statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“I have not yet been served with the lawsuit and, obviously, we haven’t had a chance to study it and so I can’t make any specific comments today.

(Oklahoma City) Veteran State Senator Cal Hobson today announced the filing of legislation that will create a permanent funding source to provide state funds to bolster the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

The Helping Oklahomans Pay for Energy (HOPE) Act will set aside an estimated $8 million a year that can be used to help low income Oklahomans pay their utility bills both in the winter and summer months.

State Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, expressed concern that Democrats in the Oklahoma State Senate may again attempt to legalize voting for convicted felons who are on probation or parole.

Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa, has introduced Senate Bill 1042, a bill similar to a measure she introduced in 2005, which would restore voting rights to convicted felons who are on probation or parole.

Senator Coffee cant be serious. The Minority Leader should stop making baseless claims in an attempt to score political points in an election year. Oklahomans arent interested in this kind of hateful rhetoric. They expect real answers to the real issues facing our state and thats what Senate Democrats intend to deliver in the coming Legislative session.

The author of a proposal to end forced school consolidation said Thursday that rural Oklahoma wants consolidation decisions in its hands not with judges, bureaucrats or politicians.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm made the comment in the wake of speculation that a lawsuit by the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) against Oklahomas education funding system could lead to forced consolidation of school districts.

State Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson has filed legislation banning the sale of lottery tickets at pawn shops, payday lenders and check-cashing businesses. Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said the measure would ensure the rules adopted by the Lottery Commission blocking such sales will not be reversed.
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State Senator James A. Williamson has authored legislation calling for a special incentive package for employees within the Department of Corrections. The incentives would be awarded to employees of prisons that can show a measurable reduction in recidivism among their former inmates.
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