The state Senate on Tuesday honored the life and accomplishments of athlete and musician Wayman Tisdale. Tisdale played basketball at the University of Oklahoma from 1983-1985, where he was the first player in collegiate history to be named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press in his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. He was the first athlete in Sooner history to have his jersey number retired.

Many Democrats in the Senate are more obsessed with politics than they are in producing results for Oklahoma citizens, according to members of the Republican Senate Rural Caucus. “Disgruntled members of the Senate minority are more concerned with lobbing bombs than they are in moving Oklahoma forward,” said Ron Justice, R- Chickasha, Chairman of the Senate Republican Rural Caucus and the Senate Agriculture Committee.

A current example is the Democrat grandstanding on REAP funding in the recently announced state budget.

The State Senate passed House Bill 1949 by Senator Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, which received overwhelming bipartisan support and includes tax credits for compressed natural gas (CNG) use in Oklahoma.

House Bill 1949 extends the duration of existing tax credits available on the purchase of qualified clean-burning and electric motor vehicles. A 50% tax credit is available for originally equipped and converted qualified clean-burning and electric motor vehicle property.

Anyone convicted of injuring or killing someone while driving with a license that has been suspended or revoked now faces tougher penalties in Oklahoma. Governor Brad Henry signed House Bill 2263, enacting the “Gaje Jeffrey Florence Act.” Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Mike Christian, R-Oklahoma City, were the authors of the measure.

“Senate Republicans realize the importance of rural Oklahoma and the critical need to fund REAP. For years, members of the Senate Republican Rural Caucus have worked tirelessly to bring quality reform to this state and protect such a vital asset like rural Oklahoma. Nothing has changed this year to detour their course of strengthening rural Oklahoma. Despite the many claims we are neglecting this most valued resource, Senate Republicans are continuing to look at additional revenue sources to fund REAP.

The state Senate on Monday approved a resolution praising the life and career of the late Sen. John Young. Young, who served as a state Senator from 1964 until 1986, died in January at the age of 85.

Sen. Brian Bingman authored Senate Resolution 55 praising Sen. Young for his numerous contributions to the state.

Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was extremely pleased that Gov. Brad Henry had signed legislation authorizing a Ten Commandments monument to be placed on the grounds of the State Capitol. Brogdon was principal Senate author of the legislation.

“I want to thank Governor Henry for signing this legislation,” Brogdon said. “It passed with bipartisan support, and I believe it is something the people of Oklahoma would like to see at their State Capitol.”

The Oklahoma State Senate approved two pro-life measures by Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb on Friday, advancing both to the Governor’s desk.

House Bill 1595 prohibits a person from performing an abortion solely because of the sex of the child and creates the Statistical Reporting of Abortions Act, which requires physicians who perform abortions to report certain information to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). This legislation passed the Senate with a 35-9 vote.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Friday said provisions included in Senate Bill 982 could potentially knock thousands of Oklahoma college students out of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP). Corn added that the proposal fails to address a number of concerns raised by higher education leaders regarding recent legislative changes to the program.

Gov. Brad Henry, House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced a budget agreement today that protects the four core functions of government, including education, health care, corrections and transportation.

Those four areas are at least held harmless in this agreement, all while not tapping the state’s Rainy Day fund, leaving about $600 million in place for future needs if necessary.