Press Releases

On Wednesday, Sens. Tom Ivester and John Sparks, along with Rep. Emily Virgin, will host the second Annual Oklahoma Legislative Interfaith Iftar Dinner at the state Capitol.

Iftar is the breaking of the fast at sunset during the month of Ramadan.

Sparks said Oklahoma’s Muslim community is diverse and dynamic, and includes numerous professionals, business owners and educators contributing to the state’s vitality.
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Sen. Brian Crain said Monday the latest round of personnel upheavals in the state medical examiner’s office point to the need to focus more attention on operations funding. His comments came after reports that the state’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Eric Pfeifer, had recently fired a doctor and two supervisors from the agency.
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Sen. Patrick Anderson today commended Gov. Mary Fallin for supporting the continued operation of the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center of Enid (NORCE) and the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center (SORC) in Pauls Valley.

The two facilities house and care for some of the state’s most vulnerable disabled persons. On Thursday, the governor intervened in deliberations regarding the future of NORCE and SORC, directing that Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioners not act on a plan to consolidate the operation of the two facilities. The plan would have closed SORC.
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Sen. Patrick Anderson today called upon the Governor to intervene and stop the proposed transfer of $2 million from the budget of the state Department of Agriculture to the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

The budget proposal approved this year by the Legislature increased appropriations to the State Department of Agriculture by $2 million. Anderson said the funds apparently were not intended to be used by the Department of Agriculture, but instead were to be diverted to the Oklahoma Youth Expo – a private livestock show held annually in Oklahoma City.
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Sen. Patrick Anderson has been notified by the State Attorney General’s office that his fight to stop the giveaway of $25 million of taxpayer funds is headed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. In February Anderson requested an AG’s opinion on the constitutionality of issuing bonds for a project that was different from the plan originally approved by the legislature in 2009. Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s office called the senator Thursday to tell him the case would be presented to the high court.
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Sen. Bill Brown, Chair of the Senate Committee on Retirement and Insurance, on Monday called upon Gov. Fallin to stand with other governors who have announced their refusal to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) following the Supreme Courts recent ruling.

Calling the decision a blow to individual liberty and free markets, Brown said the state must refuse the expansion of Medicaid and federally-run market exchanges. Brown referenced Medicare as an example of the governments tendency to underestimate the cost of its far-reaching programs.

Sen. Bryce Marlatt, Chair of the State Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation, said the 2012 federal highway bill will help Oklahoma in its continued efforts to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure. The measure was signed into law on Friday and ensures Oklahoma will receive its current funding level of approximately $612 million a year through 2014.
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State Sen. Patrick Anderson urged Oklahoma’s chief executive to join her fellow Republican governors across the country and state for the record that she will not implement ObamaCare. Anderson, a Republican from Enid, said Gov. Mary Fallin needs to be on the front line with those governors who have already announced they won’t submit to the federal health care law.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Kim David received top marks from the National Federation of Independent Business and the Research Institute for Economic Development (RIED) for her support of pro-business legislation this year.