Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman today issued the following statement in response to the election of Representative T.W. Shannon as House Speaker-designate:
"I want to offer my congratulations to Representative T.W. Shannon on his election as House Speaker-designate. He is undoubtedly a gifted legislator, a dedicated public servant, and a man of proven integrity.

"Today I submitted letters to the Secretary of the Senate, President Pro Tempore Bingman, and Governor Fallin informing them that I will resign my duties as State Senator effective Jan. 15th, 2012.

"Though we may not have always seen eye-to-eye on every issue, I have nothing but respect for Senator Rice and his service to the state of Oklahoma. He is compassionate, intellectually honest, and relentless in the defense of his constituents. I could not have asked for a better Senate colleague and Minority Leader counterpart.

The newest member of the Oklahoma State Senate is now officially on the job. Sen. Greg Childers was officially sworn in during a special ceremony in the Senate Chamber on Wednesday. Among the many friends, relatives and supporters attending the State Capitol ceremony were Childers’ wife, Melanie, and sons Cameron, 12, Connor, 8 and Cole, 6, who joined Childers on the floor for the oath of office.
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Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, Oklahoma school teachers and state employees using HealthChoice for insurance benefits will be forced to fill their prescriptions through an out-of-state mail order pharmacy, Sen. Patrick Anderson said Wednesday. The bureaucratic decision will result in the loss of approximately $75 million from the Oklahoma economy to New Jersey.

President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman has announced the hiring of Nathan Atkins as Leadership Assistant to the President Pro Tempore and Communications Director.

Atkins has an extensive background in government and politics.
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The Oklahoma State Senate has been named “Employer of the Year” by Oklahoma City’s Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns. President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman accepted the honor on behalf of the Senate, and was joined by former Senate intern, Hailey Mathis. The OU political science student was paralyzed in the May 3, 1999 tornado, but continues to live life to the fullest, completing an internship with the State Senate during the 2011 session.

Sen. Constance N. Johnson and Rep. Randy McDaniel along with other advocates will present the 3rd Annual State Capitol Dome Blue World Diabetes Day Program on Monday, November 14 to help raise awareness about diabetes, a growing health epidemic which kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the 2nd floor Rotunda of the State Capitol. Open to the public, the program is part of an effort in which 1,100 monuments worldwide will be lit blue in observance of World Diabetes Day.
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Starting next Tuesday, November 1, Oklahomans who drive drunk will face tougher penalties—changes that supporters say will save lives. Sen. Clark Jolley and Rep. Jason Nelson authored the Erin Swezey Act last session, which won overwhelming approval by the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. The legislation was named for a 20-year-old Oklahoma State University student from Edmond who was killed in 2009 by a drunk driver with numerous DUI arrests and convictions.
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Twelve months of furloughs and losing nearly thirty percent of their staff over the last three years hasn’t dampened the spirits or generosity of the employees at the Oklahoma State Senate who donated thousands of dollars to various state charities including the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank this month.
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