The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Pensions said he was extremely encouraged that the solvency of the state’s largest retirement system has dramatically improved in recent months. Dr. James Wilbanks, Executive Director of the Teachers’ Retirement System, announced the decrease in unfunded liability in the pension fund on Thursday.
read more.

In order to allow the Governor to focus on the state's budget and other official business, Sen. Harry Coates has filed legislation to remove her completely from the parole process. Senate Joint Resolution 46 would send the issue to a vote of the people in November 2012.

Legislative leaders today announced full membership of the Joint Legislative Water Committee, which will work on long-range water policy recommendations for Oklahoma.

The Water Committee will begin meeting Aug. 17, when it will start studying the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan and collecting input from a wide variety of other sources and stakeholders as it explores what Oklahoma needs to do to meet its water needs in the next 50 years.

Recent news accounts of local bounty hunters terrorizing an innocent Midwest City family underscore the need for common sense legislation. State Sen. Ralph Shortey was the principal author of Senate Bill 805 that would close a loophole allowing bounty hunters to carry guns in Oklahoma.
read more.

State Sen. Constance N. Johnson praised President Obama’s administration this week for transforming women’s health care in America by classifying birth control as preventative care – an issue the Oklahoma County democrat has been advocating since getting into office.

The Institute of Medicine medical advisory panel recommended the changes to the Health and Human Services Department last month. The panel said contraceptives should qualify as preventive care, which insurers must fully cover under Obama’s federal health care reform plan.
read more.

Sen. Constance N. Johnson believes Oklahoma's sentencing guidelines regarding life without parole for nonviolent drug crimes are unfair, costly and, in the case of Larry Yarbrough, a waste of tax payer dollars.
read more.

State Sen. David Holt praised completion of an initiative to place signage marking historic Route 66 throughout Oklahoma City. The project was spearheaded by Sen. Holt and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and was a joint project of The City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

“In his press release last Friday, Attorney General Scott Pruitt made factually untrue statements with a political spin intended to distract from the real issue -- the extreme cost of unnecessarily locking up people for life for nonviolent drug related crimes.
read more.

Senator Sykes marks historic day in Oklahoma

“My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes, vehicles, and businesses in the tragic wildfires sweeping across northeast Oklahoma City, along with those who have been displaced from their homes, and the pastor and members of Harrison Bethel Baptist Church. You are all in my and so many other Oklahomans’ prayers and thoughts. It’s times like these that government can make the difference in people’s lives, not only with the recovery effort but in other ways as well. We are at your service to help in any way possible as you adjust and work to get your world back to normal. read more.