Press Releases

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Appropriations Chair Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, and Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, issued the following statements after the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing Tuesday on the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) announcement of the closing of the William S. Key Correctional Center in Fort Supply.  Among those appearing before the committee were Tricia Everest, Cabinet Secretary of Public Safety, Deputy Secretary Jason Nelson, Scott Crow, DOC Director, and Ashlee Clemmons, DOC Chief Financial Officer.  

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, has been joined by nearly a dozen fellow members of the Senate in asking Interim Attorney General Dawn Cash to investigate allegations of price gouging and market manipulation in the building supply industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A joint legislative committee will help prioritize proposals for state government’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Under federal law, ARPA funds for state governments are to be used only to respond to the public health emergency and negative economic effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Such uses can include payments to state agencies, nonprofits, industry and households. They can also include investments in public infrastructure.

Senate Bill 658, which will greatly restrict mask mandates and forbid COVID vaccine passports in educational institutions, has been signed into law. The measure was authored by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, said now that Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed Senate Bill 1033 into law, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) can proceed with developing and finalizing agreements that will better protect legitimate Oklahoma businesses by ensuring more resources to go after criminal operations. Leewright is principal author of the legislation.