A new study shows Oklahoma is part of a national trend that shows fewer youthful offenders being incarcerated. According to new numbers from the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), between 1997 and 2013 Oklahoma’s juvenile incarceration rate decreased between 40 and 49 percent.
“That’s a significant improvement for our state, but that same study shows despite that change, we need to do a better job of getting youthful offenders on the right track, staying crime free, doing well in school and ultimately getting jobs,” said Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie. read more.

“Recent events across the nation should serve as a wake-up call. The student backlash at the University of Missouri over equality and inclusion and the Yale University incident concerning the “white girls only” invitation to the SAE function are unfortunate reminders that racism is still very much alive in our nation and on many college campuses. read more.

Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, and Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, filed legislation Tuesday to resolve Oklahoma’s ongoing non-compliance with the Real ID Act of 2005.

Sen. Clark Jolley on Thursday said an agreement has been reached to relocate the State Medical Examiner’s Office to the Oklahoma County Health Department building. Jolley said the agreement would result in significant savings and help the Medical Examiner’s Office to restore its accreditation.

State Sen. Anastasia A. Pittman has announced an interim study focusing on school preparedness for kindergarten students in Oklahoma. The study is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 in room 419C at the State Capitol.
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Sen. Kyle D. Loveless (R-Oklahoma City) joined with the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the Oklahoma Policy Institute, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma at the state Capitol on Thursday to release the results of a recent poll commissioned by OCPA and OKPolicy.
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Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater, has decided that the 2016 session will be his last to serve in the Oklahoma Legislature. Before being elected to the Senate in 2008, Halligan, who chairs the Appropriation Subcommittee on Education, was president of Oklahoma State University. He issued the following statement on Wednesday:

Sen. Bryce Marlatt on Tuesday said he intends to file legislation to give Oklahoma teachers an across the board pay increase in the coming legislative session. Marlatt said the state’s teacher shortage has reached a point of crisis, with school administrators across the state struggling to fill teaching vacancies.

The State Department of Education has received an unusually high number of requests for emergency teaching certifications, which allow candidates who have not completed standard education and training requirements to teach in state classrooms, he said.

I am shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Commissioner Costello. Oklahoma has lost a leader who had a unique passion for politics and took great pride in the work he did on behalf of all Oklahomans. He was a model public servant, and we are all better for the example and legacy he leaves behind. My thoughts and prayers are with his family in their time of mourning. Senate Pres. Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa

State Labor Commissioner Mark Costello was a kind, generous man. He had a heart for public service and a sincere desire to institute good public policy. We are all shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks, D-Norman