OKLAHOMA CITY Citing conflict of interest, Sen. Ralph Shortey said Friday the chairman of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board should resign. Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, points to a clear conflict of interest involving John Harrington of Edmond, who currently serves as the chairman of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, while at the same time serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Funds for Learning, LLC, a company that he owns that performs e-rate consulting services for Oklahoma public schools.

Oklahoma’s incarceration rates, especially for nonviolent offenders, have grown significantly in recent years filling prisons to capacity and costing the state millions of dollars. To address this growing problem, Sen. Josh Brecheen and House Speaker Jeff Hickman authored Senate Bill 1720, which was recently signed into law. The act will strengthen community supervision requirements of offenders to ensure proven behavior modification methods are used to lower the state’s high recidivism/incarceration rates and help these individuals become productive, self-sufficient citizens.

The Oklahoma State University Museum of Art today packed 55 pieces from the Oklahoma State Senate art collection for transportation to the University’s new Postal Plaza Gallery in downtown Stillwater. The paintings will be featured in the University’s upcoming exhibition entitled Framing History: Highlights from the Oklahoma State Capitol Senate Collection.

The 15,000 square foot gallery is Oklahoma State University’s first dedicated museum facility. The public exhibition will run from July 7, 2014, to Oct. 25, 2014.

President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman comments on the death this week of former state Sen. William “Bill” Schuelein, 86, of Miami. A Democrat, Schuelein represented District 1 in the Oklahoma Senate from 1972 to 1992. He passed away on Wednesday at his home.