Press Releases

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.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The SNAP (food

WELLSTON – Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, welcomed the reopening of the I-44/Turner Turnpike bridge over Route 66 following a yearlong reconstruction project by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

The project replaced the more than 70-year-old Wellston bridge and expanded it to six lanes to accommodate the future expansion of the Turner Turnpike.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee released the following statements regarding the state revenue figures certified Friday by the state Board of Equalization.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry:

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, have filed legislation to address Oklahoma's reading crisis.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Senator Todd Gollihare (R-Kellyville) has been named to The Journal Record’s 2025 “50 Most Influential Oklahomans,” acknowledging his lifetime of public service and leadership that continues to shape Oklahoma’s future.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, filed legislation this week to update the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act to require all public bodies to provide a reasonable opportunity for public comment on agenda items before any official action is taken.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, has filed legislation to reduce the administrative burden on Oklahoma schools.

The Administrative Report Consolidation Act, also known as Senate Bill 1236, would establish an 11-member board to reduce administrative reporting requirements for public school districts and technology center school districts.

OKLAHOMA CITY - After a visit to eastern Oklahoma Thursday to meet with individuals involved in the poultry industry and other local stakeholders, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, is calling on those involved in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods case to return to the negotiating table and work toward a resolution.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Casey Murdock, R-Felt, and Senator Spencer Kern, R-Duncan, were recently named legislative champions by the Oklahoma Rural Association (ORA).

OKLAHOMA CITY - Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, on behalf of the Senate Education Committee, hosted a Christmas celebration today at the Oklahoma State Capitol, welcoming students from across the state to perform music, sing Christmas carols and showcase holiday-themed performances in the fourth-floor rotunda.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, filed legislation today to responsibly freeze or eliminate homeowners’ property taxes while shifting to a system whereby local governments and public schools are funded through adjusted sales and consumption taxes.