Press Releases

OKLAHOMA CITY –Sen. Nathan Dahm, Rep. Mike Ritze and Rep. David Brumbaugh are inviting citizens to attend a town hall meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 5 at 7 p.m. at the Central Park Community Center in Broken Arrow. 

Dahm said they would share their insights on the 2013 legislative session as well as discuss some of the issues that may be in the spotlight when the 2014 session convenes in February.  He said those attending would also have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss topics they’re concerned about as well.

For the first time since World War II, Oklahomans will be able to take advantage of their first true “Black Friday” sales. Senate Bill 550, by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Tom Newell, R-Seminole, was signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin during the 2013 legislative session, and takes effect on November 1. Under existing state law, retailers were not allowed to offer the same sale prices as in other states.
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Members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services on Wednesday heard from key figures in successful Medicaid reforms efforts in Georgia, Kansas, and North Carolina. Requested by Sen. Rob Standridge, the interim study closely examined systems implemented to improve health outcomes and establish fiscally sustainable systems for Medicaid management.
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Over the past several months, Sen. Frank Simpson and Representatives Pat Ownbey and Tommy Hardin have been working diligently with the Governor’s staff, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA), and the War Veterans Commission to develop a plan to accommodate those veterans at the state’s seven centers who choose to smoke. The issue arose after Gov. Fallin banned smoking on all state property, including the state’s veterans centers, on February 6, 2012 with executive order 2012-01.
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The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Health and Human Services will begin its examination of possible changes to Medicaid in Oklahoma in a meeting scheduled for Oct. 23.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman recently appointed Sen. Frank Simpson to the Senate Agenda Committee to decide what issues the Senate Republican Caucus will be addressing in the 2014 session.   

Sen. Connie Johnson will join the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) on a tour of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary Death Row, Execution Chamber and Burial Grounds next week. The tour follows the group’s recent meeting with the governor to try to persuade her to issue an Executive Order to study and examine the costs and use of the death penalty in Oklahoma.
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There are currently approximately 340,000 veterans in Oklahoma. Of those, almost 78,000 are considered peacetime veterans and are not eligible for admission to the state’s veterans’ centers. The Senate Veterans Committee held their first meeting Monday to study the disparity in eligibility and how it can be addressed. read more.