Press Releases

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, has filed four bills expanding family leave for teachers and other public school employees. Rep. Emily Gise, R-Oklahoma City, is the principal House author of the measures.

OKLAHOMA CITY – In the wake of recent harassment and disruptions at places of worship across the country, Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, announced today that his legislation to protect religious worship services will be heard on the Senate floor during the first week of the upcoming legislative session.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Michael Brooks issued the following statement in reaction to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to utilize a southwest Oklahoma City warehouse as a detention center.

OKLAHOMA CITY – In an effort to return local control to Oklahoma schools, Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, recently filed legislation to repeal the state’s minimum salary schedule for teachers.

Senate Bill 1864 would eliminate the state’s set minimum teacher salary schedule, which sets a floor for compensation based on a teacher’s years in the classroom.

OKLAHOMA CITY- On Friday, Senator Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, announced the introduction of a slate of five America First immigration bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration and protecting Oklahoma workers from visa program abuses.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, has filed legislation to restore balanced instruction in Oklahoma classrooms and promote critical-thinking skills by ensuring students are not subjected to one government-mandated ideology about the origins of life.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has filed a slate of legislation for the 2026 legislative session to strengthen protections for Oklahomans, underscoring his commitment to defending Oklahoma values and constitutional rights, and protecting the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt has filed a slate of bills to increase available affordable housing in the state. Oklahoma is 77,000 housing units short statewide for current workforce, even without increases in population. Almost a third of Oklahomans are cost-burdened when trying to pay for renting or owning a home, which holds back economic growth.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator George Burns, R-Pollard, filed legislation Thursday to update Oklahoma’s groundwater permitting process by requiring applicants to provide basic identity verification when seeking a permit to use groundwater.

The bill would require individuals applying for a groundwater permit to submit documentation showing a valid, unexpired Oklahoma driver license or a valid United States passport as part of the application process with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Majority Floor Leader Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, filed legislation today that requires state agencies to use the historically accurate name of “Judea and Samaria” instead of the term “West Bank” in official government materials when referring to the region in the heart of Israel.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Leaders of the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee today unveiled a comprehensive package of education initiatives introduced for the upcoming legislative session aimed at strengthening schools, supporting teachers and staff, equipping students for success and empowering parents.  

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Burns, R-Pollard, filed legislation today to require health benefit plans in Oklahoma to cover medically recognized cooling systems used during chemotherapy treatment.

The bill would require coverage for cooling caps and other therapeutic cooling devices designed to reduce common chemotherapy side effects, including hair loss and nerve damage affecting the hands and feet. Under the measure, coverage for these cooling systems would not be subject to annual deductibles, co-payments, or coinsurance limits typically applied to covered benefits.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Burns filed legislation Tuesday to update Oklahoma law governing the submission, testing, and long-term retention of sexual assault evidence kits, with the goal of ensuring evidence is handled promptly, consistently, and with clear accountability across the system.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, filed two pieces of legislation to further efforts to prohibit foreign land ownership in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 1582 and Senate Joint Resolution 31 aim to close loopholes within state statute and the Oklahoma Constitution that allow aliens to obtain land.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Senator Christi Gillespie, R–Broken Arrow, released the following statement after the Broken Arrow City Council voted 4-to-1, denying a proposed development at the Olive Avenue and Creek Turnpike corridor. 

“Last night’s decision reflects what many residents have been saying for years: the City of Broken Arrow must follow its Comprehensive Plan and protect long-term economic growth in our community.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt has filed a trio of bills for the 2026 session to make insurance rates in Oklahoma more affordable. Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said her bills were the result of stories from her own constituents about challenges they faced as well as from Oklahomans across the state. Kirt said those concerns were backed up by an interim study she held last fall on insurance rates.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Senator Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, today introduced Senate Bill 1475 to recognize the life and extraordinary achievements of country music superstar Toby Keith by naming a local bridge and future roadway developments in his honor.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Spencer Kern, R-Duncan, was elected to serve as Secretary of the State Ag and Rural Leaders (SARL) Board during the organization’s annual Legislative Agriculture Chairs Summit, held January 3-5 in Louisiana.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Education Committee Chair Senator Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, announced today he has filed legislation for the upcoming legislative session to establish the Presidential Fitness Test as a statewide standard for youth physical fitness in Oklahoma schools, aligning with President Donald Trump’s executive order reestablishing the program nationally.

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP), and other advocates will hold a press conference on Tuesday, January 6 at 10:30 a.m.