Senator Don Barrington, R-Lawton, announced he is authoring Senate Bill 723 that will expand his successful Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday to include school supplies and reference materials.

The Republican majority looks forward to working with Senator Laster and his leadership team to move Oklahoma forward, even in this challenging fiscal environment in which will operate this session.

As I experienced in the minority, good ideas are not the sole domain of the majority. As I pledged on Senate organizational day, we will give a fair hearing to those ideas and proposals that will help grow our state, keep it safe and educated, build a stronger business climate, protect our families, and empower Oklahomans to prosper.

Sen. Randy Brogdon has authored a measure to block any efforts to relocate prisoners from the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay to Oklahoma. Thats after President Barack Obama signed an executive order to close the prison within a year. Brogdon said previous locations considered for inmates have included Fort Sill in southwestern Oklahoma. He said it is critical for the State Legislature to back efforts by Oklahomas Congressional delegation to stop that from happening.

Sen. Jay Paul Gumm on Friday announced that another analysis of Nick’s Law shows that the proposal will have a minimal impact on insurance costs.

The Oklahoma State Education Employees Group Insurance Board this week released the findings of their study, which showed an impact to claims of 1 percent or less. Gumm said these findings are in line with those in a comprehensive study by Jim Bouder, which was presented to the Legislature in May.

State Sen. John Ford said he was extremely gratified by Tuesday’s passage of State Question 746. Ford was author of the legislative referendum which will protect the integrity of Oklahoma's voting system by requiring voters to show identification before casting their ballots at the polls. According to unofficial returns, about 75 percent of voters approved the measure.
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“Yesterday was truly an extraordinary day in the history of our state in many ways. Republicans fielded an outstanding slate of Senate candidates in all corners of the state, and they worked hard to convey their pro-growth message that resonated with Oklahomans across party lines. It was truly phenomenal to pick up six seats, and we’re gratified by the response of the voters in the districts. We had great candidates and they campaigned hard. read more.