Today, the Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision, refused to grant Sen. Clark Jolley’s request to stop the proceeding of an appointment of a Supreme Court Justice to replace deceased Justice Marian Opala. Jolley had sought the Court’s assistance in slowing down the nominating process, which has been rushed for political purposes instead of being properly done under the newly reconstituted Judicial Nominating Commission as approved overwhelmingly by voters in November.

Senator Judy Eason McIntyre and Senator Jim Wilson joined the call on the Corporation Commission to reject another rate hike request from Ohio-based AEP-PSO

Sapulpa Republican Brian Bingman was formally elected as the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Tuesday during the senate’s organizational day session. Bingman received a unanimous vote from senate members to serve as leader of the Oklahoma State Senate.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve Oklahoma in this capacity as Pro Tem of the State Senate,” Bingman said. “Receiving unified support means a lot and I appreciate the task ahead as we all work together to improve Oklahoma.

The Senate Democratic Caucus announced the remainder of its leadership team Monday after having elected Sen. Andrew Rice of Oklahoma City in November to serve as the next Democratic Leader.

“I was so honored that my colleagues chose me to lead our caucus. It is a tremendous privilege and I’m grateful for this opportunity,” said Rice. “I’m looking forward to working with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to create public policy that will help strengthen our state’s economy and help move Oklahoma forward.”

Sen. Jonathan Nichols will play an important role in determining whether the Legislature will redraw Oklahoma’s judicial districts based on 2010 Census data. Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Brian Bingman recently announced that the Norman Republican will serve as Judicial Vice Chairman on the Senate Redistricting Committee.

Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, announced committee assignments for the 2011-12 sessions today.

“The Oklahoma Senate is fortunate to have so many good and capable leaders,” said Bingman, R-Sapulpa. “Committees have hard work ahead but these members are more than up for the task. We had a lot of experience and talent to draw from when making these appointments.”

“I would also like to thank Minority Leader Senator Andrew Rice for helping to select Democrat membership,” Bingman added.

Sen. Patrick Anderson will hold an interim study on reforming the state pension systems on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 511-A of the State Capitol. The executive directors of the various state pension systems will be presenting reports on the current financial status of their respective systems.

An Oklahoma law to ensure greater opportunities for special needs students is gaining national attention. Enid Republican Patrick Anderson was the Senate author of legislation approved this past session to enable public dollars to fund private educational opportunities for special needs children from single parent and lower income households.

On December 1, Anderson will be in Washington D.C. to speak at a national conference about the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship, named for the infant daughter of Gov. Brad and First Lady Kim Henry who died from a rare neuromuscular disease.

“I applaud Governor-elect Fallin on her selection of Pyllis Hudecki as Secretary of Education. She has a proven track record in education and business. Students in our schools, universities, and career tech systems will all improve as a result of her leadership” stated Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.

After receiving an invitation from President Abdoulaye Wade of the Republic of Senegal, Sen. Constance Johnson will be attending the opening week of the World Festival of Black Arts and Cultures in Dakar next month, December 10-17. The Oklahoma City senator will be joining an official U.S, delegation which includes members of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.