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Sen. Kenneth Corn has filed three measures intended to curtail the influence of special interests in Oklahoma's electoral process and restore integrity to the system.

Corn said the proposals are a response to a growing concern that average Oklahomans have been priced out of the political process and their influence has become secondary to that of special interest groups.

2008 Legislative Agenda Focuses on Opportunity and Responsibility

State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC) today introduced “Steffanie’s Law,” a bill to require health insurance providers in the State of Oklahoma to cover routine care costs for patients participating in a clinical trial.

Rice said “Steffanie’s Law,” or Senate Bill 1521, would relieve Oklahoma families of the risk of losing their health insurance coverage by participating in clinical trials, which are in some cases the best available treatment for their illness. Currently, most insurance companies deny coverage of routine health care costs once a patient joins a clinical trial.

State Senator Bill Brown wants to reduce the number of alcohol- and other intoxicating substance-related deaths and accidents on Oklahoma’s lakes and rivers. He hopes to do this through Senate Bill 1140 which would require a conviction of boating while under the influence (BUI) to be made part of an individual’s driving record.
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Members of the Oklahoma State Senate’s Republican Rural Caucus released today their policy agenda for the 2008 legislative session, which includes their “Vision for Improving the Quality of Life in Rural Oklahoma.”

The Republican Rural Caucus’ agenda calls for more funding for county roads and bridges, opposing forced school consolidation, attracting and keeping physicians in rural Oklahoma, among others.

While the people of Oklahoma voted in favor of a statewide lottery in 2004, it has consistently failed to produce the amount of education revenue supporters had claimed it would. That’s why Sen. John Ford, who represents Craig, Nowata and Washington Counties, has filed legislation that could result in the privatization of the lottery.
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State Sen. Kenneth Corn has filed legislation to create Oklahoma’s “Second Century Promise.” The program will target students who currently do not qualify for Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program, formerly known as OHLAP.
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State Sen. Clark Jolley has filed legislation designed to jump-start Oklahoma’s economy and offer an even richer college experience for students at state campuses. Senate Bill 2103 would generate additional funding for the Oklahoma for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) Program, Oklahoma’s Economic Development Generating Excellence (EDGE) Fund, as well as endowed chairs at state colleges and universities.
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Noting that about one of every eight veterans under age 65 are uninsured, State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC) today announced he is introducing legislation this year creating the Oklahoma Veterans’ Health Insurance Program.

“Most people assume that all veterans qualify for free health care through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department,” Rice said. “Sadly, that’s not true and when the legislature sets our priorities at the beginning of this session, Oklahoma’s military veterans deserve to be at or near the top.”
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Sen. John Ford is renewing his effort to protect Oklahomans against election fraud. Ford has filed Senate Bill 1150 which will require voters to show identification when they cast their ballots. While similar legislation has gone unheard in past sessions, Ford said it was important to keep fighting for this measure.
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