State Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Dale DeWitt joined with their legislative colleagues in honoring one of their own today. Senate Concurrent Resolution 37 congratulates U.S. Senator and former state Senator Jim Inhofe for receiving the American Farm Bureau’s Golden Plow award, the highest honor the organization bestows on members of Congress.

“In light of the current budget crisis, the Senate Republican caucus has voted to place policy over politics and defer the election of our next Senate President Pro Tem Designee until the first Tuesday after the November general election. We will spend this session concentrating on the business of the state, and the significant fiscal challenges that face us today.”

State Sen. Cliff Branan has filed legislation to expand the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and was pleased when the Governor announced his support of the idea last week. Branan’s Senate Joint Resolution 69 would increase the cap on the fund from ten to fifteen percent.

Senate Republican Rural Caucus Chairman Ron Justice and members of the Senate Republican Rural Caucus unveiled their policy agenda for the 2010 legislative session at a news conference Wednesday.

With continued success in moving rural Oklahoma forward, the Senate Republican Rural Caucus pledged to continue their efforts in protecting the resources and assets that are vital to the well being of Oklahoma’s economic development and job growth.

State Sen. John Ford said he was encouraged by Gov. Brad Henry's announcement that he supported increasing the cap on the state's Rainy Day Fund. Ford originally filed legislation raising the cap from 10 to 15 percent to be heard in the 2007 session, however that measure did not make it into law. This past November he announced he had filed the same proposal with Senate Joint Resolution 47 and would push for its passage in the 2010 legislative session.

Sen. Joe Sweeden has filed legislation that will move back the starting date for Oklahoma public schools to the last full week in August. Sweeden said the measure could result in important savings in the midst of a budget crunch.

Oklahoma could more aggressively punish convicted sex offenders under legislation filed by Sen. Dan Newberry.

“The heartbreaking nature of these crimes demand a stronger approach to sentencing and punishment,” said Newberry, R-Tulsa. “Abuse, exploitation and kidnapping are crimes that tear families apart and permanently impact the lives of far too many vulnerable people. These measures would bring us a step closer to appropriate punishments for such heinous offenses.”

OKLAHOMA CITY—“Senate Republicans again today failed to address the elephant in the room and ignored the pressing issue on the minds of all Oklahomans - ‘What will be done this session to get us out of the horrible budget crisis?’”

“It’s truly bizarre. For the second week in row, Senate Republicans gather in a room to share “new” ideas, which are anything but new, and continue to show a lack of basic leadership on the one issue that has to be addressed immediately—creating a new budget to finish this year in the midst of a billion dollar shortfall.

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Sen. Debbe Leftwich applauded Gov. Brad Henry’s executive order to prohibit state employees from texting while driving. The prohibition would ban texting when public employees are driving on state business.

“This is a great start. Studies have shown texting while driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving—but this executive order only applies to state employees,” said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City. “I will continue to push for passage of Senate Bill 900, which would ban teenagers from texting while behind the wheel.”