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Showing: February, 2005

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

Thursday, Senator Daisy Lawler toured the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Laboratory in Oklahoma City and was not pleased at the conditions of the lab. The Chairman of Senate Agriculture Committee, Lawler, (D-Comanche) was on site to demonstrate the agency’s need for a new lab facility after filing legislation to build a new laboratory in Oklahoma City and expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
read more.

Sen. Lawler says that it is imperative that a new Ag Lab be built for the safety of the workers and all Oklahomans.
Each week during the session, Republican Floor Leader Glenn Coffee would like to make available a Q & A looking back on the week’s events and looking ahead to key issues for the next week. These will run from 4.30 to 5 minutes and may be used in part or in their entirety.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

Thursday, Senator Daisy Lawler toured the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Laboratory in Oklahoma City and was not pleased at the conditions of the lab. The Chairman of Senate Agriculture Committee, Lawler, (D-Comanche) was on site to demonstrate the agency’s need for a new lab facility after filing legislation to build a new laboratory in Oklahoma City and expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
read more.

Sen. Lawler says that it is imperative that a new Ag Lab be built for the safety of the workers and all Oklahomans.
Each week during the session, Republican Floor Leader Glenn Coffee would like to make available a Q & A looking back on the week’s events and looking ahead to key issues for the next week. These will run from 4.30 to 5 minutes and may be used in part or in their entirety.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

read more.
Sen. Laughlin says Senate Republicans are against forced school consolidation.
Sen. Myers says forced school consolidation would devastate rural schools and  communities .
Sen. Coates says the best way to lose a community is to close a rural school.
Sen Justice says consolidation should be left up to local school districts.
Sen. Ford says that parents, teachers, principals & school boards know what's best for their children.
Sen. Barrington says without rural schools there can be no rural development.

Saying the ranks of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will be greatly depleted by retirements over the next 18 months, Senator Kenneth Corn called Tuesday for funding back-to-back Highway Patrol Academies in Fiscal Year 2006.

“It’s a matter of safety. We need to be ready by June of next year to put 100 new troopers into the field to ensure the safety of Oklahoma families. Since the last academy in 2002, we’ve had 40 troopers retire, resign or be killed in the line of duty. Over the next year and half we will lose as many as 60 more troopers to retirement,” said Corn, D-Poteau. read more.

Sen. Corn says it is imperative that the state get more troopers into the field by June to ensure the safety of Oklahoma's citizens.

The tax cut package sponsored by Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday (Feb. 8).

The Helping Oklahomans Prosper Economically Plan – or HOPE – is contained in Senate Bill 958 by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant. The Senate Finance Committee approved the measure Tuesday on a bipartisan vote.

Gumm, Senate assistant majority leader and chair of the Finance Committee, said the bill would lower taxes on working families, attract new jobs to the state, and protect Oklahomans’ investment in critical programs.
read more.

Sen. Gumm says HOPE tax cuts have cleared first hurdle.