Press Releases

Showing: February, 2007

In an effort to make Oklahoma courtrooms safer, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a measure Tuesday to allow judges to carry firearms while performing their duties.

Senate Bill 145, authored by Senator Brian Crain, would allow for the carrying or use of weapons in courtrooms by district, associate district and special district judges.
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History was made in the Oklahoma Senate Tuesday when Republican Senator Glenn Coffee presided over the Oklahoma State Senate’s session.

It was the first time a Republican presided over the evenly-divided Senate as part of the power-sharing agreement adopted last January.

Coffee serves as the Senate’s Co-President Pro Tempore.

Democrats had controlled the Senate since statehood until the 2006 elections, when Republicans gained two seats to create a 24-24 tie in the chamber.

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Senate Honors President Ford

One of the first official votes in the State Senate in the 2007 session was the unanimous approval of a resolution honoring President Gerald R. Ford, who died this past December at the age of 93. The resolution was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee.
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Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“Governor Henry, again today, provided an upbeat outlook on the state of our state, and called on the Legislature put aside partisan differences to keep Oklahoma moving forward.

“The governor unapologetically set new lofty goals for education, health care, public safety and economic opportunity – goals we can accomplish if we put aside partisanship and work together.

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Veteran State Senator Kenneth Corn, has filed a series of bills aimed at shoring up Oklahomas Teachers Retirement System (OTRS). He said OTRS, the retirement system for Oklahomas retired educators, is in serious need of an overhaul to save the future of the system and protect the financial future of thousands of Oklahoma teachers.


Oklahomas teachers are the best in the nation, Corn said. They deserve to know when they invest their money into a state retirement account, that money will still be available for them when they leave the classroom.

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Democratic Senator Authors Legislation to End State Portion of Grocery Tax

OKLAHOMA CITY – Calling it a “moral imperative” for Oklahoma’s working families, a Democratic senator has introduced legislation to repeal the state sales tax on groceries.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 34, which would end collection of the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. The state sales tax on groceries is 4.5 cents on every dollar spent at the check-out stand.

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