Coworkers and wellwishers gathered to offer their congratulations to Cinda Hughes at the State Capitol on Thursday. The Senate receptionist was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 200 last Saturday during a national pageant in Des Moines, Iowa.
Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson presented Hughes with a citation honoring her latest achievement.
Cinda should be an inspiration to us all. She focuses on her abilities and finds ways of overcoming obstacles with a positive attitude. I am not at all surprised that she was chosen for this honor, said Senator Hobson.

Oklahoma State Senate Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 30 For Immediate Release: July 2, 2003 Clip
Senator Harry Coates
Senator Coates Comments on Wrangler Announcement
to Cut Nearly 00 Jobs After Wrangler Jeans announced it would be cutting nearly 00 jobs at its Seminole facility by late September, State Senator Harry Coates said the first priority must be to help take care of displaced workers and their families.

Oklahoma State Senate Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 30 For Immediate Release: July , 2003 Clip
Senator Keith Leftwich
Senator Leftwich says High Speed Rail One Option in
Meeting Future Transportation Needs Although 202 sounds like the distant future, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman
Keith Leftwich told those attending a meeting at the State Capitol that the state needs to start work now planning ways to meet transportation demands in the coming years.

Oklahoma State Senate Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 30 For Immediate Release: July , 2003 Clip
Two Oklahoma Senators Named to
National Homeland Security Advisory Council Two prominent members of the Oklahoma State Senate have been tapped to serve on a committee giving input from the state and local level to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Oklahoma is the only state to have two appointees to the panel.

Oklahoma State Senate Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 30 For Immediate Release: July , 2003 Clip
Senator David Myers
Senator Myers and Congressman Lucas Seek
Federal Assistance for Atmospheric Research Site State Senator David Myers, RPonca City, and U.S. Representative Frank Lucas, RCheyenne, are seeking federal support for improvements at a federal research facility in rural Grant County.

State Senator Mike Morgan, chairman of the Legislative Oversight Committee on State Budget Performance, said he was pleased with the initial meeting of the group charged with implementing zerobased budgeting in Oklahoma.
I would say for a first meeting, this went very, very well. I think the overriding thing that became clear today was that we have a very large task in front of us. Theres going to be a lot of information for the members to work with, and this is going to be a big job, said Morgan, DStillwater.

State Capitol, Oklahoma City With a new joint legislative committee on zerobased budgeting scheduled to hold its firstever meeting on Monday, the Republican leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate praised its creation as part of the bipartisan budget agreement reached during the last legislative session. Senate Republican Leader James A.

State Capitol, Oklahoma City – Oklahoma has once again been nationally embarrassed by its unreformed tort system.

A two-page advertisement in Tuesday’s edition of the Wall Street Journal named Oklahoma as one of eight states that are “hazardous to the health of families and businesses” because of “years of out-of-control lawsuit abuse.” The advertisement was paid for by the American Neurological Surgery Political Action Committee.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich announced on Friday that she will be principal Senate author of a bill to allow Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties to operate under home rule. Leftwich and House principal author
Mike Shelton, DOKC, said House Bill 9 was the result of citizen outrage over the move by two of Oklahoma Countys three commissioners to disband the county budget board.

Oklahoma is a better place to live today because of the efforts of Senate Democrats in the First Session of the 0th Oklahoma Legislature, President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said moments after the session concluded at :22 p.m. Senate Democrats fought hard for working families and made sure any legislation passed out of this body that would help make tomorrow better for our children, said Morgan, DStillwater. Morgan said it would be easy to call 200 the Education Session but added the list of accomplishments is so long that such a characterization might be inadequate.