For his distinguished service and heroism flying combat missions during World War II, the Oklahoma Senate and the French government on Thursday honored a World War II veteran from Moore.

Lloyd Mitchell served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator in a B-17, and completed 25 air missions over Nazi occupied France, including 12 missions over France when there was no fighter protection for Allied bombers. Mitchell received the Distinguished Flying Cross and many other decorations for his service.

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been named to the panel responsible for preparing and approving the project programming plan for the repairs of the state Capitol building. The historic building is in the midst of repairs and restoration necessary to ensure its safety and functionality, but throughout the project, Thompson will help make sure the publics dollars are spent prudently.

Oklahoma Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman and Senate Appropriations & Budget Committee Chairman Clark Jolley said they were surprised by comments from Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister in her news release regarding school textbook funding today.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks, D-Norman, issued the following comments in response to the passage of the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget and the close of the legislative session.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, commented on the close of the 2016 legislative session:

The Senate has passed HB 2763, which creates the Revenue Stabilization Fund, with the intent of preventing future budget shortfalls like the one the state is currently experiencing. The authors are Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton. It passed the Senate 44-2 and now awaits the governor’s consideration.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, released the following comment after the Senate approved House Bill 3168, which will allow for the issuance of up to $125 million in bonds to continue the repair and restoration of the state Capitol:

Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, principal authors of House Bill 2398, issued the following statement on Monday after the full Senate gave final passage to the measure which closes a loophole in Oklahoma’s sodomy law. The legislation was written in response to an Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals discussion upholding a lower court’s dismissal of a sodomy case on the grounds that Oklahoma’s rape law covers people who are unconscious and unable to give consent, but didn’t specifically address sodomy under such circumstances.

The Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted Friday in favor of legislation aimed at protecting students and schools from federal overreach as the result of the president’s public school restroom directive regarding transgendered students. President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman is the principal Senate author. The bill passed 20 to 15.

The full Senate voted Monday to approve a group of bills aimed at helping close the budget gap for the 2017 fiscal year. The finance reform measures will generate more than $250 million that can be appropriated in the 2017 budget as part of a comprehensive effort to address the state’s $1.3 billion shortfall.

Senate Finance Chair Mike Mazzei presented the measures on the floor.