The Senate Republican Rural Caucus announced their legislative agenda today along with explaining their vision for improving the quality of life in rural Oklahoma. The Caucus reassured Oklahomans of their commitment to the Senate Republican agenda released prior to session, but with a special focus on issues critical to rural Oklahoma, making public safety, education and transportation top priorities.

Sen. Simpson at DC conference

OKLAHOMA CITY On Tuesday, Sen. Frank Simpson attended a White House Conference to discuss issues facing todays veterans as well as honor contemporary Native American veterans. Simpson, a retired Navy veteran and Chairman of the State Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, was invited by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Oklahoma will be designated as a Purple Heart State beginning November 1st thanks to legislation signed into law recently. Navy veteran, Sen. Frank Simpson said he authored Senate Bill 232 to give Oklahoma’s Purple Heart recipients the recognition they deserve.

Oklahoma’s 100% disabled veterans currently receive a sales tax exemption for the sale of tangible personal property or services. Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Ardmore, authored Senate Bill 310 to extend that exemption to those veterans’ widows as well as veterans who sustain their disability while under the care of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) and widows whose spouses are killed in the line of duty.

It is estimated that around two million Purple Hearts have been awarded by the U.S. Military since World War I. Sen. Frank Simpson authored Senate Bill 232 to recognize Oklahoma’s 1,340 recipients by designating Oklahoma a Purple Heart State.

“So many Oklahomans have sacrificed life and limb for our country,” said Simpson, R-Springer. “We want to honor their service and sacrifice and ensure it’s never forgotten by designating Oklahoma a Purple Heart State.”

Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Pat Ownbey thanked their colleagues and Gov. Fallin Friday for their support of legislation to help diabetics get reimbursed for life-saving training and education. The legislators are authors of Senate Bill 972, which will direct the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to examine the feasibility of submitting a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enable the Oklahoma Medicaid Program to reimburse providers for diabetes self-management training (DSMT).

The I-40 and I-35 corridor makes Oklahoma a prime location for not only drug trafficking, but human trafficking. Truck stops are major targets for traffickers, which is why Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Steve Vaughan authored House Bill 2651 that received final approval in the Senate Wednesday and is moving on to the governor’s office.

Sen. Frank Simpson announced today that he will ensure that teachers at the School for the Deaf and School for the Blind are included in teacher pay raise legislation this session.

“Our teachers at the schools for our deaf and blind children perform a wonderful job. Being special education teachers, they face challenges that teachers in our public schools may not face,” said Simpson, R-Springer. “If any teacher deserves a pay raise, it is these devoted teachers. I will work to make sure they are not overlooked.”

“Members of the Oklahoma Legislature Veterans Caucus are deeply disappointed in the verdict handed down today in the Bergdahl case. We agree with our Commander in Chief that the sentence handed down was a disgrace and a slap in the face of every combat veteran who, while serving our nation, has placed their life in harm’s way. In our opinion, the 14 year sentence recommended by the prosecution was very lenient and much more appropriate.

More than 14 percent of Oklahomans suffer from Type 2 diabetes with 52 people diagnosed each day. One in four Oklahomans don’t realize they have the disease and it’s estimated that over one million more Oklahomans are prediabetic and most are unaware of it.

Sen. Frank Simpson will hold an interim study on Tuesday, October 10th at the state Capitol to find ways to better educate the public about this preventable disease as well as decrease the number of Oklahomans suffering from the disease.