Press Releases

The Oklahoma State Senate approved House Joint Resolution 1014 late Wednesday, which prevents outside interests groups from mandating certain government funding and allows for taxpayer dollars to be spent efficiently and a budget to be balanced in a bipartisan fashion.

State Sen. Jonathan Nichols said cold cases involving some of the worst crimes in Oklahoma will now have a better chance of being solved. Nichols praised Gov. Brad Henry for signing Senate Bill 1102, also known as “Julie’s Law” on Wednesday. The legislation, written by Nichols, R-Norman, would add new misdemeanor crimes to those that can result in the harvesting of DNA. The DNA would only be collected upon conviction of those crimes.
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Gov. Brad Henry signed legislation Wednesday that will help the children and spouses of military personnel killed in action further their education. Senate Bill 721, by Sen. Don Barrington, will allow Oklahomans to donate part or all of their income tax refund to the Folds of Honor Scholarship Program.

The Senate has given final approval to a measure aimed at reducing drunk driving in Oklahoma. Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton, is the principal author of Senate Bill 1185. The measure allows those convicted of drunk driving on a second or subsequent offence to retain their license if they agree to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle. This device prevents the vehicle’s engine from starting if the driver is intoxicated.
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On Wednesday, the State Senate honored one of America’s heroes, Colonel Perry Bill Woolridge. Sen. Earl Garrison, Woolridge’s nephew, authored Senate Resolution 58 commending the Oklahoman’s military career which spanned five decades and included service in both the U.S. Army and the Oklahoma National Guard.
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The Oklahoma State Senate voted Tuesday to send Workers’ Compensation reform to Oklahoma polls next year.

House Joint Resolution 1041 by Senator Clark Jolley requires Senate confirmation of appointments to the Workers’ Compensation Court. Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee said Jolley’s legislation brings reform to a Workers’ Comp system in much need of overhaul.

State Sen. Kenneth Corn said the safety of Oklahoma’s citizens is too important to allow highway patrol troopers to be furloughed. He’s come up with a plan to prevent that. Currently the Department of Public Safety charges $5 for copies of driving records. That fee has not increased for several years. Corn, D-Poteau, said the state could keep the troopers on the job by increasing the fee to $10.
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Many Democrats in the Senate are more obsessed with politics than they are in producing results for Oklahoma citizens, according to members of the Republican Senate Rural Caucus. “Disgruntled members of the Senate minority are more concerned with lobbing bombs than they are in moving Oklahoma forward,” said Ron Justice, R- Chickasha, Chairman of the Senate Republican Rural Caucus and the Senate Agriculture Committee.

A current example is the Democrat grandstanding on REAP funding in the recently announced state budget.

“Senator Corn’s proposed solution to the Department of Public Safety funding issue is a “quick fix” full of scare tactics to detract from the positive reforms Senate Republicans have accomplished for Oklahomans, specifically in the area of Public Safety,” said Senator Steve Russell, R- OKC, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee. “This is a typical Corn solution to raise fees or taxes long-term to fund a temporary challenge. read more.

Oklahoma voters will make the final decision next fall on reform of the Judicial Nominating Commission.

The Oklahoma State Senate voted late Tuesday to send Senate Joint Resolution 27 to a vote of the people. If approved by voters, SJR 27 will bring several reforms to Oklahoma’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

The State Senate passed House Bill 1949 by Senator Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, which received overwhelming bipartisan support and includes tax credits for compressed natural gas (CNG) use in Oklahoma.

House Bill 1949 extends the duration of existing tax credits available on the purchase of qualified clean-burning and electric motor vehicles. A 50% tax credit is available for originally equipped and converted qualified clean-burning and electric motor vehicle property.

Anyone convicted of injuring or killing someone while driving with a license that has been suspended or revoked now faces tougher penalties in Oklahoma. Governor Brad Henry signed House Bill 2263, enacting the “Gaje Jeffrey Florence Act.” Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Mike Christian, R-Oklahoma City, were the authors of the measure.
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The state Senate on Tuesday honored the life and accomplishments of athlete and musician Wayman Tisdale. Tisdale played basketball at the University of Oklahoma from 1983-1985, where he was the first player in collegiate history to be named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press in his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. He was the first athlete in Sooner history to have his jersey number retired.

Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was extremely pleased that Gov. Brad Henry had signed legislation authorizing a Ten Commandments monument to be placed on the grounds of the State Capitol. Brogdon was principal Senate author of the legislation.

“I want to thank Governor Henry for signing this legislation,” Brogdon said. “It passed with bipartisan support, and I believe it is something the people of Oklahoma would like to see at their State Capitol.”
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“Senate Republicans realize the importance of rural Oklahoma and the critical need to fund REAP. For years, members of the Senate Republican Rural Caucus have worked tirelessly to bring quality reform to this state and protect such a vital asset like rural Oklahoma. Nothing has changed this year to detour their course of strengthening rural Oklahoma. Despite the many claims we are neglecting this most valued resource, Senate Republicans are continuing to look at additional revenue sources to fund REAP. read more.

The state Senate on Monday approved a resolution praising the life and career of the late Sen. John Young. Young, who served as a state Senator from 1964 until 1986, died in January at the age of 85.

Sen. Brian Bingman authored Senate Resolution 55 praising Sen. Young for his numerous contributions to the state.

Concerned Republicans are leaving behind rural Oklahoma, every Democratic member of the Senate General Conference Committee on Appropriations refused to give their nod of approval to the proposed state budget today. Specifically Senate Democrats say cutting Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) funds completely out of the state budget will hurt rural fire departments, jeopardize senior nutrition programs and eliminate rural communities ability to make needed infrastructure improvements that supply clean drinking water to their citizens.
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The Oklahoma State Senate approved two pro-life measures by Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb on Friday, advancing both to the Governor’s desk.

House Bill 1595 prohibits a person from performing an abortion solely because of the sex of the child and creates the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act, which requires physicians who perform abortions to report certain information to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). This legislation passed the Senate with a 35-9 vote.

State Sen. Kenneth Corn said he was very disappointed that the budget agreement unveiled on Friday would eliminate all funding for the Rural Economic Action Plan, better known as the REAP program.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Friday said provisions included in Senate Bill 982 could potentially knock thousands of Oklahoma college students out of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP). Corn added that the proposal fails to address a number of concerns raised by higher education leaders regarding recent legislative changes to the program.