Realistic State Budget Must Come Before Massive Tax Cuts

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said Monday that any package of tax cuts should be negotiated by Senate and House leaders in conference committee – once a framework for a realistic state budget has been established.
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The State Senate unanimously approved a measure recently to give deaf and hearing impaired students in Oklahoma better access to specialized education. House Bill 1646 would modify the Education Open Transfer Act to allow students to transfer to school districts with specialized deaf education programs at any time during the school year. The legislation is authored by Chickasha republicans, Senator Ron Justice and Representative Susan Winchester.
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The State Senate has given unanimous approval to a bill targeting Internet ''phishing." House bill 2473, by Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Fred Perry, R-Tulsa, would outlaw the increasingly common scam in Oklahoma.

"When we say we're against phishing, we're not talking about the fishing you do at the lake," explained Coffee. "Phishing is a scam used by identity thieves to lure Internet users into providing financial and personal information."
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Calling it an outrageous invasion of privacy, Senator Randy Bass, a Democrat from Lawton, vowed to push for passage of a bill that would protect Oklahomans from this senseless act. Today a bill he authored to do just that won the approval of the full Senate. The Senator said House Bill 2903 now heads back to the House of Representatives for final passage and could be signed into law by Governor Henry in a matter of days.

Senator Tom Adelson said today that under the guise of Medicaid reform House Republicans wish to take away legal protections for one population group while requiring those protections for everyone else.

“Under state law, private insurance companies must provide coverage for preventive health care their doctors and health care providers say they need,” the Tulsa Democrat said.

For 2005 in Tulsa and Oklahoma County, Medicaid paid for:
80,000 children to receive their immunizations;
Breast cancer treatment for 41,027 women;
7,456 mammograms; read more.

State Sen. Scott Pruitt’s legislation to lower the state income tax rate from 6.25 percent to 4.9 percent has cleared another major hurdle. Senate Bill 2022, containing the largest tax cut in the history of the state, has now been approved by the House of Representatives.

“This is a huge victory for Oklahoma taxpayers,” said Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow. “This is not just a token rebate—this is a tax cut that over the next few years is going to put literally thousands of dollars back in the pockets of Oklahoma families.”

The State Senate on Monday honored the exceptional service of Colonel Gary D. Adams, a 38-year veteran of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, approving a resolution in his honor wishing him well upon his retirement. Senate Resolution 88, authored by Senator Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, commends a lifetime of uncompromising dedication to public safety.
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As Andy and Joann Hood, the grandparents of 16-year-old Caitlin Wooten, sat in the House Committee on Corrections and Criminal Justice today, they saw Senate Bill 1037 win unanimous approval and come one step closer to becoming law. Caitlin’s Law, authored by Senator Susan Paddack and State Rep. Wes Hilliard, now awaits action by the full House of Representatives.

“It takes courage to turn tragedy into triumph and this family has shown great courage throughout this process,’ said Hilliard, a Democrat from Sulphur.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan announced today that the Senate will consider a $976.4 million appropriation for Higher Education on Wednesday. The measure includes $87 million in new funding for Oklahoma’s colleges and universities.

“We have the opportunity this year to make a significant investment in Higher Education,” Morgan said. “By increasing funding for our colleges and universities we can keep increased tuition costs to a minimum while continuing to provide a world class education for the next generation of Oklahomans.”

Legislation designed to curb underage drinking took another important step Tuesday, passing the Senate by a vote of 45-1. House Bill 3056 by Sen. Jeff Rabon, D-Hugo, and Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, creates the Prevention of Youth to Access to Alcohol (3.2 beer) Act.