Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman on Thursday issued the following statement on the passing of former Transportation Secretary and Commission Chairman Herschal H. Crow, Jr. Crow, who was 80, served in the Senate (D-Altus, District 25) from 1969 through 1982. He passed away unexpectedly Wednesday morning days after surgery for a broken hip.

State Senator Anastasia A. Pittman will serve as keynote speaker for the luncheon kickoff for the 45th Annual Miss Black Oklahoma and Miss Black Oklahoma Teen pageant events next week. This year’s luncheon will be held on Tuesday, July 28th at 12pm at the Waterford Hotel in Oklahoma City.

After Tuesday’s luncheon event, the pageant will be held the following weekend on Saturday, August 1, at 7:00pm at the Freede Little Theater located inside the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City.

OKLAHOMA CITY Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, today reacted to the Oklahoma congressional delegations support of the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR Act) legislation aimed at reforming civil asset forfeiture laws at the federal level.

I am pleased that our congressional delegation is standing up and co-sponsoring this important measure, said Loveless. Legislators across the country have been working to reform civil asset forfeiture laws, but meaningful reform cant happen until the federal government fixes things on their end.

More Oklahoma students will be able to qualify for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) and attend college thanks to a new law that went into effect July 1. Sen. Corey Brooks was the principal author of Senate Bill 137, which allows the State Regents for Higher Education to review cases where a family’s income includes nontaxable military benefits or federal Social Security payments due to the death or disability of one or both parents.

The Democrats of the Oklahoma State Senate have chosen Sen. John Sparks as leader of the Democratic Caucus. Sparks, of Norman, will succeed Sen. Randy Bass of Lawton. Sparks will take over from Bass as of this week.

“We are all grateful for Sen. Bass’ leadership this past session. His commitment to Democratic ideals is remarkable and his strong legislative efforts on behalf of Oklahoma’s children and families have been significant,” Sparks said.