State Senators John Ford and Clark Jolley are calling for a member of the State School Board to resign from that post.

Jolley, a member of the Senate Education Committee said he was appalled by reports that former State Senator and current board member Herb Rozell had referred to State Superintendent Janet Barresi's legislative liaison as "useless" because she was pregnant and her baby is expected to be born during the legislative session.

With consumers struggling to pay ever increasing insurance rates, Sen. Earl Garrison wants insurance companies to be accountable to citizens and justify any rate increases. Senate Bill 354 would ensure that premium rate information relating to the individual accident and health insurance market be readily available to the public

Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa) today expressed concern over what he called a pattern of obstruction by the State Board of Education in recent months. Bingman’s comments came after the State Board of Education today blocked the hiring of key personnel at the Department of Education by new State Superintendent Janet Barresi.

Sen. Bill Brown has introduced legislation to help Oklahomans see exactly what different medical providers charge for the same procedure or services. Brown says the system will ultimately bring down the cost of medical care in Oklahoma.

"Consumers will be able to go online and see for themselves what their out-of-pocket cost would be for a specific procedure and actually compare what different providers charge," said Brown, R-Broken Arrow. "This will not only help individual consumers save money on medical care, but I believe it will be the catalyst for more competitive prices."

State Sen. David Holt has introduced legislation to repeal the system known as "binding arbitration." Holt, R-Oklahoma City, said Senate Bill 826 would restore taxpayer control and fiscal responsibility to local spending decisions.

The deadline for members of the Oklahoma State Senate to file legislation for the first session of the 53rd Legislature was 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 20th. By that deadline 969 bills and 44 joint resolutions filed. Last year 1082 bills and 82 joint resolutions were filed, with 860 Senate Bills and 38 Senate Joint Resolutions carried over from the 2009 session.

The newest member of the Oklahoma State Senate is now officially on the job. Senator Greg Treat took the oath of office during a ceremony in the Senate Chambers on Wednesday.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Oklahoma in the State Senate and I look forward to helping pass a conservative agenda that will create jobs and fuel our economic recovery,” Treat said.

Every year, thousands of Oklahoma students are unable to attend college because of the expense. In an effort to ensure that all students can pursue their dream of obtaining a college education, Sen. Jim Wilson has filed legislation to provide low income students with a two year scholarship.

After officially being elected President Pro Tempore on Tuesday, Brian Bingman (Bing-man), R-Sapulpa, announced his Judicial Nominating Commission selection today. State Question 752, which passed by a vote of the people on November 2nd 2010, grants both the President Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House a selection to the Judicial Nominating Commission. The appointments will result in two additional members and give more input into the judicial selection process.