Oklahoma

November 02, 2009 -- (Oklahoma City) -- Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry is urging fellow Oklahomans to support a privately funded effort that helps World War II servicemen and other veterans travel to Washington, D.C., to visit the national monuments and memorials dedicated to their service.

At a State Capitol news conference today, the governor announced that Oklahoma has become an official state hub of Honor Flight Network, Inc., a national non-profit organization that raises private funds to organize and finance trips to the nation’s capital at no cost to the veteran. The hub designation, Oklahoma Honor Flights, allows the state chapter to raise funds to help pay the costs of Oklahoma veterans who are able to participate in the program.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts in the area struck by record snow and near record snow during the period of March 27-28, 2009.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to the State and eligible local governments in the counties of Beaver, Ellis, Woods, and Woodward.

Assistance is available to State and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures that were undertaken to save lives and protect public health, safety and property over a continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period.    » read more »

June 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) yesterday introduced legislation to exempt fishing guides and other operators of uninspected vessels on Lake Texoma from Coast Guard regulation. The legislation will preserve the fishing guide industry and will ensure safety on Lake Texoma.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is a co-sponsor of the legislation and Congressman Dan Boren (D-Okla.) of the 2nd district has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

"After weeks of discussions with the Coast Guard and thoughtful consideration, many in the Oklahoma delegation have decided that this is the course of action that will best protect an industry that is extremely important to the people of southern Oklahoma," Inhofe said.    » read more »

Bill would provide greater access to quality care for rural Oklahomans

June 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) this week joined six other Senators in cosponsoring the Critical Access Flexibility Act of 2009 (S.1171). The legislation restores a state's authority to designate a facility as a necessary provider by allowing the state to waive the mileage criteria required to qualify as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), assuming all other requirements are met.

"This legislation is necessary to protect rural hospitals in Oklahoma and nationwide. It will return flexibility to the state that is needed to safeguard the future of the hospitals in rural communities," Senator Inhofe said.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Dan Boren, and Tom Cole, together with Senator Jim Inhofe and Senator Tom Coburn, continued discussions today with the United States Coast Guard officials to settle recent licensing issues for fishing guides at Lake Texoma.

Lake Texoma, considered "navigable waters" by current federal statute because of its location between two states, is under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard. For the past fifteen years, the Coast Guard has not been enforcing licensing requirements for operators of uninspected passenger vessels like many fishing guides on Lake Texoma.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- Oklahoma City -- Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today requested that President Obama grant public assistance for 17 Oklahoma counties in the aftermath of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that battered parts of the state between April 25 and May 16.

The counties included are: Alfalfa, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Dewey, Garfield, Garvin, Grant, Jefferson, Love, Major, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Tillman, Wagoner and Woods. More counties can be added to the request as additional information becomes available.    » read more »

Four Core Areas of Government Protected Under Agreement

May 15, 2009 -- Oklahoma City — Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced a budget agreement today that largely protects the four core functions of government, including education, health care, public safety and transportation.

“I want to thank House Speaker Benge and Pro Tem Coffee for their hard work and bipartisan cooperation during this process. I also want to commend Treasurer Scott Meacham and House and Senate Democratic leaders for assisting me during these negotiations," said Gov. Henry.    » read more »

May 08, 2009 -- (Oklahoma City) Saying it would turn back the clock on decades of education reforms, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today vetoed Senate Bill 834, legislation that would have allowed local school administrators to ignore more rigorous state standards and create their own academic benchmarks and rules.

Supporters of the measure claimed SB 834 would increase local control and give districts more flexibility, but in his veto message, the governor said the tradeoff would be weaker standards across the board.    » read more »

May 06, 2009 -- Oklahoma City -- Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today signed a measure aimed at strengthening the state’s innovative Insure Oklahoma program. Launched in 2004 as part of the Governor’s healthcare imitative, Insure Oklahoma is a public-private partnership that helps small businesses purchase health insurance for their employees.

Gov. Henry said House Bill 2026, authored by state Rep. Kris Steele (R-Shawnee) and state Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), helps continue the successes of the nationally lauded program.    » read more »

May 05, 2009 -- Oklahoma City — Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today made the following remarks about the confirmation of Oklahoma’s first case of H1N1 influenza.

“We expected that eventually there would be a confirmed case of H1N1 flu in Oklahoma, so this is no surprise. The confirmation of a case in the state means citizens should be cautious, but not fearful.

"It simply means that Oklahomans should continue to take commonsense measures to avoid getting the virus, and to see a doctor if they experience flu-like symptoms. Oklahoma’s healthcare and public safety communities have the resources and personnel in place to handle any challenges posed by H1N1 flu.”

Source: Oklahoma Governor

April 28, 2009 -- Oklahoma City -- Surrounded by fans of internationally celebrated rock band The Flaming Lips, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today signed an executive order proclaiming the group’s song, “Do You Realize??,” the official rock song of Oklahoma. The action took place at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.

The recognition comes after an online vote held late last year. In that statewide contest, the Flaming Lips’ song, from the 2002 compact disc “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” drew 51 percent of more than 21,000 votes cast.    » read more »

April 27, 2009 -- Oklahoma City — While Oklahoma currently has no confirmed cases of swine flu, Gov. Brad Henry said today that state officials are being vigilant in the event any cases emerge.

“This is a serious health concern that demands attention and alertness,” he said. “Oklahoma’s healthcare, public safety and emergency management communities are working hard to ensure that we are prepared if and when any cases of swine flu are confirmed in the state.”

Swine flu cases in the U.S. have been confirmed in New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio.

The state Department of Health is bolstering its influenza surveillance and asking healthcare providers to consider testing for influenza patients with flu-like symptoms, particularly if they have traveled to Mexico.    » read more »

April 22, 2009 -- Oklahoma City - Citing misconceptions about pending legislation on stem cell research, Gov. Brad Henry announced late today his plan to veto House Bill 1326, legislation that would have made it a crime for a scientist to perform any form of embryonic stem cell research, the same kind of research supported by such pro-life, conservative leaders as Nancy Reagan and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Although proponents billed it as a “pro-life” measure, the governor noted that HB 1326 does not address abortion in any manner or save a life.

“There are all kinds of misconceptions and misinformation about this issue, and that’s regrettable,” said Gov. Henry.    » read more »

Wireless-Only Phone Use Varies Widely Across United States

March 11, 2009 -- Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of households with cell phones only, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a quarter of households (26.2 percent) in Oklahoma had only wireless and no landline phones in 2007. On the other end of the spectrum, only 5.1 percent of households in Vermont were wireless–only in 2007.

The report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, “Wireless Substitution: State–level Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January–December 2007,” is the latest report on wireless substitution in the United States.    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- Oklahoma City — Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today announced the creation of a state coordinating council to help oversee Oklahoma’s use of federal stimulus funds.

In an executive order signed today, the governor formally established the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Coordinating Council. The panel includes state agency and executive branch leaders who have already been working on various aspects of Oklahoma’s stimulus response.    » read more »