Legislation has been introduced by Sen. Kenneth Corn that would provide a significant increase in pay and benefits for Oklahoma teachers.

Senate Bill 80 would increase the minimum salary schedule for Oklahoma teachers, while Senate Bill 58 would provide all education employees with 75 percent of their dependant coverage.

The Legislature was successful last year in passing a $3,000 across-the-board pay increase for teachers, but Oklahoma needs to keep pace with an increasing regional average, Corn said.

While African Americans represent 13 percent of the nation’s population, they account for nearly half of the new cases of HIV. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Organizations across the country are hoping to bring attention to the epidemic with events marking February 7, 2007, as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. In order to help raise awareness in Oklahoma, Sen. Constance N. Johnson authored a resolution to help bring attention to the issue. Senate Resolution 6 was approved on Wednesday.

History was made in the Oklahoma Senate Tuesday when Republican Senator Glenn Coffee presided over the Oklahoma State Senate’s session.

It was the first time a Republican presided over the evenly-divided Senate as part of the power-sharing agreement adopted last January.

Coffee serves as the Senate’s Co-President Pro Tempore.

Democrats had controlled the Senate since statehood until the 2006 elections, when Republicans gained two seats to create a 24-24 tie in the chamber.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Tuesday said he plans to call for the creation of a Joint Task Force on Corrections to address lingering problems with Oklahoma’s jails and prisons.

Oklahoma currently has one of the highest per-capita incarceration rates for both men and women. Additionally, a crumbling infrastructure and understaffing in the Department of Corrections places an even greater strain on Oklahoma’s corrections system, Corn said.

In an effort to make Oklahoma courtrooms safer, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a measure Tuesday to allow judges to carry firearms while performing their duties.

Senate Bill 145, authored by Senator Brian Crain, would allow for the carrying or use of weapons in courtrooms by district, associate district and special district judges.

Legislation to crack down on caller ID spoofing is one step closer to becoming law after winning approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Sen. James A. Williamson is the author of Senate Bill 712, which would create the “Anti-Caller ID Spoofing Act.” Williamson said criminals are using this technology to commit identity theft and other kinds of fraud.

A measure that will exempt volunteers who provide transportation services for charitable organizations or not-for-profit corporations from liability lawsuits passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

“This bill will provide protection for the volunteers who drive senior citizens to and from hot lunch programs and take them to the grocery store to do their shopping,” said Senator Debbe Leftwich, author of the legislation.

Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“Governor Henry, again today, provided an upbeat outlook on the state of our state, and called on the Legislature put aside partisan differences to keep Oklahoma moving forward.

“The governor unapologetically set new lofty goals for education, health care, public safety and economic opportunity – goals we can accomplish if we put aside partisanship and work together.

One of the first official votes in the State Senate in the 2007 session was the unanimous approval of a resolution honoring President Gerald R. Ford, who died this past December at the age of 93. The resolution was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee.

Veteran State Senator Kenneth Corn, has filed a series of bills aimed at shoring up Oklahomas Teachers Retirement System (OTRS). He said OTRS, the retirement system for Oklahomas retired educators, is in serious need of an overhaul to save the future of the system and protect the financial future of thousands of Oklahoma teachers.

Oklahomas teachers are the best in the nation, Corn said. They deserve to know when they invest their money into a state retirement account, that money will still be available for them when they leave the classroom.