Press Releases

State Sen. Mary Easley says research shows that children learn better when they are physically active. For this reason, she has authored Senate Bill 1186, which passed the Senate Education Committee Monday, to encourage schools to integrate an additional hour of physical activity each week in addition to the hour of physical education already mandated by law.
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Accompanied by members of the Thorpe family, 2007 Jim Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason was honored on the floor of the state Senate on Tuesday. The Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 53, recognizing and commending the standout cornerback from the University of Arizona.

As a senior, Cason was named first-team All American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Football Writers Association of America and was selected first-team all PAC-10 Conference. Cason finished his Arizona career with 15 interceptions.

One state legislator is working to ensure that Oklahoma has more accurate and reliable graduation and dropout statistics so that officials can help more students stay in the classroom. State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson has authored Senate Bill 1634 requiring the state to use the high school graduation formula approved and accepted by the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the governors of all 50 states. The same measure received approval from the Senate last year, but not the House.
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In an effort to stop the brain drain of aerospace engineers from the state, Sen. Mike Mazzei has proposed a $5,000, five-year tax credit for new engineering graduates who take jobs in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 1171 was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. Mazzei said Oklahoma companies are having a hard time filling those jobs, and it is only getting worse.

Claremore Senator Calls Graduation Coaches an Innovative Idea

State Senator Sean Burrage (D-Claremore) said today Senate Bill 1694, which will pair at-risk Oklahoma students with community mentors, passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee. The bill creates a graduation coach program within the Oklahoma State Department of Education that will assist in giving Oklahoma students valuable life tools and helping them stay on track to graduate.

A bill that could save taxpayers thousands of dollars annually passed out of the Senate’s General Government Committee Monday.

Senate Bill 1507 by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, would require the hundreds of reports submitted by state agencies to legislative leaders be transmitted electronically. In addition, the measure would require agency budget requests and the governor’s annual budget to be transmitted electronically rather than through hard copies in the mail.

Parents of children in failing public schools could soon have more education alternatives for their children.

Monday the Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 1669, which would allow Native American tribes to establish charter schools in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. Current law allows the state’s largest public school districts and public universities to establish charter schools.

The Senate Education Committee passed legislation Monday that would encourage school districts to include a special emphasis on autism as part of any professional development program on special education that may be provided to teachers in the district.

Senate Bill 1686 is authored by State Senator Mary Easley, D-Tulsa, and will now go to the full Senate for consideration.

Senator Easley said she is particularly passionate about this piece of legislation because autism personally touches her life every day through interaction with a special family member.

The Senate Education unanimously approved a bill Monday that would change the name of Oklahoma State University’s Technical Branch campus in Okmulgee.

Senate Bill 1442, authored by State Senator Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, would change the school’s name to Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology-Okmulgee. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

Dr. Bob Klabenes, president of the Okmulgee school, said the name change will serve as a key marketing tool for the campus.

Oklahoma must decide whether to hire additional driver license examiners or consolidate current testing sites. State Sen. Kenneth Corn said more and more Oklahomans are becoming frustrated by a shortage of examiners. Corn said Oklahomans who’ve taken time off from work or school to take their driving exam often find themselves waiting hours to be tested, or find no examiner is available to test them at all.
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On Wednesday, Republican budget leaders outlined a number of concerns with Governor Brad Henry’s FY 2008 budget. Below is a summary of the problems described by Senate Appropriations Co-Chairman Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, and House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Ken Miller.

EXTENDING THE SCHOOL YEAR: The governor proposed extending the school year by 5 days in his State of the State of address, but he did not include the $90 million that Superintendent Sandy Garrett requested to extend the school year.
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A bipartisan bill that requires Oklahoma public fund managers to eliminate indirect financial investments in terrorist states can help close the spigot of U.S. cash that unwittingly supports terrorism, the bill’s Senate sponsor, Oklahoma State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC), said today.

The bill is sponsored in the Oklahoma House of Representatives by Representative Terry Ingmire (R-Stillwater).

Co-Chair Mazzei Discusses Legislation to ‘Sunset’ Most Tax Incentives, Proposes Criteria for Future Tax Breaks

The State Senate Finance Committee began a review of Oklahoma’s tax incentives on Tuesday, hearing testimony from Dr. James Wilbanks, chairman of the state Incentive Review Committee.

Wilbanks discussed his committee’s work, and their proposed criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of tax incentives.

Finance Committee Co-Chairman Mike Mazzei said he wants the tax incentive review to be a bipartisan effort.

The Oklahoma State Senate unanimously passed a concurrent resolution Tuesday denouncing the state’s racial segregationist past and called for the Senate to begin Oklahoma’s second century free from all racial bias or prejudice and declared its intention to remain so during all future operations.
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One of the first Senate votes for the 2008 Legislative Session honored President Ronald Reagan and declared February 6, 2008 “Ronald Reagan Day,” in Oklahoma.
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State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC) today praised the life and work of former Democratic State Representative Opio Toure, who died this morning after a long battle with a chronic lung condition.

“We are all saddened today by the loss of our good friend, Representative Toure, who was a consummate champion for social rights in Oklahoma,” Rice said. “He will be remembered as someone who fiercely represented the needs of the people he represented in Oklahoma City. Today, we will honor and commend his service to the people of Oklahoma.”

State Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, commented on Gov. Brad Henry’s 2008 State of the State Address.

“With our state and nation facing so many critical challenges, I believe the people of Oklahoma were hoping to hear more of a vision for change and innovation from Governor Henry. Instead, much of what the governor discussed were repackaged old proposals, and he didn’t even mention many important issues facing our state.

A recent ranking by a gun control group gives a timely boost to an effort to attract firearms manufacturers to Oklahoma, according to the lawmaker who initiated the endeavor.

Last Thursday, the Brady Campaign – a group that advocates gun control measures – said Oklahoma was tied with Kentucky having the fewest gun control “points” in a national study. Out of a possible 100 points, the two states scored a two.

“Governor Henry provided an inspirational state of the state address today calling on the Legislature to invest in the future of our state and continue the progress we have made over the course of the last 100 years.

“His agenda to keep Oklahoma growing during its second century of statehood provides all Oklahomans an opportunity to have a brighter future and demands responsibility from each of us.

“I look forward to working with the Governor and members of the entire Oklahoma Legislature to find common ground on issues important to the great people of our state.”