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Oklahoma Senate
The State Senate on Tuesday afternoon honored Oklahoma soldier Buddy Hughie, who was killed last week on a mission in Afghanistan.
Senate Resolution 12, authored by Senator Kenneth Corn, was heard before the Senate and praised the heroism of Sergeant Buddy Hughie and mourned his loss.
“There is no way we can ever repay Sergeant Hughie for his sacrifice, and for his dedication to serve his country,” said Sen. Corn, D-Poteau. “This man gave his life to serve and we honor his sacrifice – I hope this resolution in a small way can express our appreciation.”
read more.Two State Senators said they were stunned after their chamber voted to kill a measure aimed at keeping more teenagers in school until they get their diplomas. Senate Bill 519, co-authored by Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, would have eliminated part of current state law that allows a student to drop out of school after turning 16.
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In a fitting tribute to one of the state’s first civil rights leaders, the Oklahoma House of Representatives dedicated a portrait of Green I. Currin, an African American who served in the state’s first territorial legislature, as Black History Month came to an end Wednesday. The portrait, by Oklahoma native Timothy C. Tyler, was sponsored by local businessman Russell Perry and commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund.
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Stillwater Democrat Mike Morgan was elected to a second term as the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Tuesday as part of the Constitutional organization day for the 51st Oklahoma Legislature.
As part of an historic power-sharing agreement, Morgan will serve as president pro tempore through June 30 and again from August 1 through November 19, 2008. Oklahoma City Republican Glenn Coffee was elected to serve as president pro tem for the month of July 2007.
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On Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007, Senator Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, was elected as Co-President
Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate for the 51st Legislature. Coffee was also elected to serve as the first Republican President Pro Tempore for the month of July, 2007.
Coffee commented on the historic agreement between the Republican and Democrat caucuses to share power as a result of the 24-24 tie within the Oklahoma State Senate:
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Statement by Senator Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa
"Nothing as arbitrary as the condition of a child's birth ought to determine that child's access to healthcare. Wednesday's federal appellate court decision has no bearing on the responsibility of the Oklahoma Legislature to fulfill our social obligations to kids.
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The role Oklahoma voters play in shaping the state’s laws and public policy is too important to leave it open to fraud—that’s according to Sen. John Ford, who has filed legislation requiring voters to show identification when they cast their ballots.
“As citizens, we all have not only the right, but a responsibility to vote. As a government, we have the responsibility to assure that only duly registered voters exercise that right to vote,” said Ford.
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Oklahoma Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced that he has named Karl Ahlgren to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Senate. The appointment is part of the power-sharing agreement negotiated between Republicans and Democrats in the evenly divided State Senate.
A 23-year veteran of Oklahoma government and politics, Ahlgren will alternate duties with the Secretary of the Senate, Michael Clingman, who was elected by the Senate on January 2. Ahlgren will handle floor management, parliamentary and clerk duties in the Senate chamber.
read more.State Sen. Debbe Leftwich said Wednesday’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to hike the federal minimum wage was a victory for working people throughout Oklahoma and across the nation. The measure would increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over a two-year period.
Leftwich, co-chair of the Senate Business and Labor Committee, said the measure was long overdue, and said she planned to file similar legislation in Oklahoma.
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