Press Releases

Senate Judiciary Chairman designate Charlie Laster said he was extremely proud of how members conducted themselves as they prepared for Oklahoma’s first impeachment trial since 1965.

As a result of Carroll Fisher’s resignation as State Insurance Commissioner on Friday, the Senate met briefly Monday to adjourn as a court and then to adjourn the special session. Those final steps followed those administered by the State Senate in 1975, when then Sec. of State John Rogers resigned shortly before his impeachment trial was slated to begin.
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Indictments handed down in Texas Tuesday against eight corporations which made alleged illegal contributions to a political action committee created by Houston Congressman Tom Delay should serve notice in Oklahoma that law enforcement officials everywhere are cracking down on attempts to use corporate politics to buy political power, State Senator Jeff Rabon said Thursday.
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City) had the privilege today to dedicate a portion of I-240 in honor of her late husband and former senator, Keith Leftwich.

Legislation was signed into law during the previous legislative session to designate I-240 between I-35 and I-44 as the “Keith Leftwich Memorial Loop.” The former South Oklahoma City leader died after a valiant battle with cancer on September 19th, 2003. Debbe Leftwich then ran for her late husband’s senate seat and won the race to carry on the Leftwich tradition in public service.
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State Sen. Jim Reynolds announced a new permanent exhibit about the U.S.S. Oklahoma will be dedicated on December 7, 2004 at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Oklahoma City Republican has worked on various projects with survivors and family members of those who served on the U.S.S. Oklahoma.
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Senators across the state will once again be traveling to schools in their districts to personally meet with students, answer questions and share ideas from the students in the public school system. The Senators will also provide the students with a greater understanding of the legislative process through explaining how a bill is drafted and the steps a bill goes through to become law.

Henry, Dems Challenged to Condemn

Oklahoma’s traditional family values are under attack by radical, left-wing organizations, a Republican leader said Thursday.

“I think those who earlier this year said there was no threat in Oklahoma to traditional marriage and traditional adoption would have to admit they misunderstood a very real threat,” stated Senate Republican Leader James A. Williamson.

Members of the State Senate approved two resolutions on Tuesday that laid the groundwork for the impeachment trial of State Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher to begin on September 27, 2004 at 1:30 p.m.

“That will give both the defense and the prosecution time to prepare. The morning of the 27th will be set aside for motions if there need to be any heard, but we expect to be ready to start promptly at 1:30 on September 27th,” explained Charlie Laster, Judiciary Chairman Designate for the State Senate.
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Following Thursday’s vote in the House to approve all five articles of impeachment, the chairman designate of the Senate Judiciary committee announced the full Senate would convene Tuesday to begin the next phase in the impeachment of State Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.
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Grandparents raising grandchildren is the topic of the latest interim study to be conducted in the coming months by the Oklahoma State Senate.

Senator Daisy Lawler, D-Comanche, helped bring awareness to the issue when she requested the study this summer. The Human Resources Committee had their first meeting at the State Capitol on Wednesday to discuss demographics, legal issues and programs offered by the Department of Human Services.
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(Oklahoma City) A pair of state senators charged Thursday that an organization claiming to be independently seeking reform of the state’s civil justice system has stepped over the line into partisan politics and its solicitation and use of secret corporate donations could be in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution and state campaign laws.