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Having already been successfully amended to a bill approved by the Senate last week, legislation that would provide qualifying Oklahoma students with at least two years of college tuition was successfully added to two additional measures by the state Senate on Tuesday.

Bass Bill Adds Cost of Books and Fees to Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship Initiative

A bill aimed at giving greater opportunities for Oklahoma's school children to realize their dream of a college education won approval from the full senate on Tuesday. The measure, called the OHLAP Enhancement Act, by Senator Randy Bass (D-Lawton) is part of the Senate Democratic "Vision for Oklahoma: Opportunity and Responsibility" 2008 legislative agenda.

If only half of all Oklahoma health care providers would participate in an existing electronic medical data sharing network, within five years the state could save more than $145 million and avoid more than 400 deaths. That’s according to Sen. Jim Wilson and Rep. Mike Brown who are advocating greater participation in the program. The network, called SMRTNET for “secure medical records transfer network,” was created through federal grants.
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“I appreciate the Oklahoma veterans who join me today as we attempt to gain Senate passage of the Oklahoma Veterans Health Insurance Program. These veterans represent thousands more Oklahoma veterans who believe they have earned access to quality health care.”

“Some will say that Oklahoma cannot afford to help uninsured veterans gain access to health care. But, I don’t think those people realize the unfairness in their argument. How many of these veterans, when they were ordered into battle, looked at their commander and said: ‘how much is it going to cost me?’.”

The state Senate on Monday approved legislation that would increase appropriations to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund.

Senate Bill 1141 by Sen. Kenneth Corn would increase appropriations to the fund from $70 million to $120 million beginning June 30, 2009. Established in 2005, all monies dedicated to the ROADS Fund are used for the construction and maintenance of state roads and bridges. The bill would remove a three-percent growth trigger that has previously prevented annual appropriations increases to the fund.