Press Releases

Sen. Constance N. Johnson announced on Friday that legislators, Department of Corrections (DOC) officials, members of community-based organizations and the public will meet in the Senate Chamber on Thursday, Sept. 3, for a discussion on the impact of the state’s high incarceration rates.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee was recently selected as the 2009 Legislator of the Year by the Oklahoma Rifle Association (ORA).
Founder of the Sportsman Caucus in the Senate and member of the ORA, Coffee is an avid hunter and has consistently supported and even authored legislation that values the right to bear arms. Coffee said he was honored to receive such an award and looked forward to the future.

Wednesday, August 26 marks Women's Equality Day. The date was chosen by Congress in 1972 to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. To celebrate the event, Sen. Debbe Leftwich and Rep. Lee Denney will honor leaders of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) during a ceremony at the State Capitol.

A legislative task force to review the 2005 Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Act will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, August 25 at the State Capitol.

Sen. John Ford, Senate Education Chair, was author of the legislation creating the task force to conduct a comprehensive review of ACE and determine whether the program should be modified to better meet its objectives. The task force will be co-chaired by Representative Ann Coody, R-Lawton.

After the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that Tulsa Public Schools had been removed from consideration for a $50 Million grant, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee noted another victory for the “defenders of the status quo,” and called the announcement a “wake up call for education reform in Oklahoma.”

State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was extremely disappointed by Tuesdays ruling by an Oklahoma County District Court. Judge Vicki Robertson overturned a 2008 state law requiring a woman to undergo an ultrasound before receiving an abortion.

This kind of judicial activism undermines representative form of government. The people of this state elected us to write laws and create public policy on their behalf, said Brogdon, R-Owasso. Despite this lower court decision, I am completely confident that the legislation we approved in 2008 is constitutional.

The court ruling that overthrew pro-life legislation is disappointing to say the least, but I am confident the Legislature will work to find a solution to protect such an important issue as the sanctity of life.

I firmly believe this legislation was in compliance with Oklahomas constitution, as it dealt with one subjectprotecting life of the unborn. The bipartisan support behind this issue cannot be ignored and ultimately, I believe given the opportunity the constitutionality of this act will be upheld.

Judge Vicki Robertsons ruling we saw today was obviously disappointing, but as author of the legislation I am considering all available options in this situation including a formal request to the Attorney General to appeal the ruling.
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Senator Harry Coates, R-Seminole, has announced plans to run for President Pro Tempore. Coates is the Senate principal author of landmark legislation including Oklahoma’s “Stand Your Ground” law and “Kelsey’s Law.” The lawmaker said his diverse professional background and legislative experience will help the Senate move Oklahoma forward.
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State Sen. Randy Brogdon said the President’s plans for socialized medicine in the United States presents a huge threat to the quality and availability of healthcare in this country. But Brogdon, R-Owasso, said the threat to personal freedom was just as ominous.
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