Press Releases

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been selected to receive the Liberty Bell award by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association. Thompson, R-Okemah, will be honored at an awards ceremony slated for August 17 in Oklahoma City.

Mike Boring is the current president of the association, and praised Thompson’s support of key legislation.

Legislation that will save millions of dollars and give greater control to local school districts in evaluating teachers will take effect beginning July 1, 2016. House Bill 2957, by Rep. Michael Rogers, Vice Chair of the House Common Education Committee, and Sen. John Ford, Senate Education Chair, was approved during the just-ended 2016 legislative session. The measure makes changes to Oklahomas Teacher Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System (TLE).

For his distinguished service and heroism flying combat missions during World War II, the Oklahoma Senate and the French government on Thursday honored a World War II veteran from Moore.

Lloyd Mitchell served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator in a B-17, and completed 25 air missions over Nazi occupied France, including 12 missions over France when there was no fighter protection for Allied bombers. Mitchell received the Distinguished Flying Cross and many other decorations for his service.

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been named to the panel responsible for preparing and approving the project programming plan for the repairs of the state Capitol building. The historic building is in the midst of repairs and restoration necessary to ensure its safety and functionality, but throughout the project, Thompson will help make sure the publics dollars are spent prudently.

OKLAHOMA CITY – On Monday, the governor signed Senate Bill 1070 into law.  The bill, by Sen. Ron Sharp and Rep. Scott Biggs, will help keep law enforcement working on the streets rather than transporting mental health patients to hospitals and other facilities. 

            “This new law will allow police and deputies to focus on enforcing the law and protecting public safety rather than being a transport service,” said Sharp, R-Shawnee.  “They should not be pulled away from keeping our communities safe to drive mentally ill patients to various facilities.” 

Oklahoma Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman and Senate Appropriations & Budget Committee Chairman Clark Jolley said they were surprised by comments from Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister in her news release regarding school textbook funding today.