With Monday’s announcement that Legislators will actually have $195 million less to spend for the coming budget, employees with the State Department of Corrections worry their officers will be placed in even greater danger as a result. Sen. Jim Wilson said Tuesday the problem has been ignored far too long.

State Senator Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher and co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said fully funding the Department of Corrections will remain a top budget priority in the 2008 legislative session despite a new Tax Commission estimate that revenues will be lower than originally estimated.

“The MGT performance audit was very clear that the Legislature must end the budget practice created by former Democrat Senator Cal Hobson that deliberately under-funded prisons every year and made DOC come begging for supplemental funding,” Johnson said.

Motivated by potential energy cost savings and reduced hydrocarbon emissions, State Senator Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City) today urged the Oklahoma legislature to adopt his bipartisan bills to encourage public institutions in the state to adopt energy saving policies.

In a meeting with the media on Wednesday, Rice unveiled two bills: the first to convert large state-owned vehicle fleets to compressed natural gas (CNG) or any other alternative fuel, and a second bill requiring Oklahoma public schools to establish annual energy savings goals beginning next year.

One state legislator is working to ensure that Oklahoma has more accurate and reliable graduation and dropout statistics so that officials can help more students stay in the classroom. State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson has authored Senate Bill 1634 requiring the state to use the high school graduation formula approved and accepted by the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the governors of all 50 states. The same measure received approval from the Senate last year, but not the House.

In an effort to stop the brain drain of aerospace engineers from the state, Sen. Mike Mazzei has proposed a $5,000, five-year tax credit for new engineering graduates who take jobs in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 1171 was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. Mazzei said Oklahoma companies are having a hard time filling those jobs, and it is only getting worse.

Accompanied by members of the Thorpe family, 2007 Jim Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason was honored on the floor of the state Senate on Tuesday. The Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 53, recognizing and commending the standout cornerback from the University of Arizona.

As a senior, Cason was named first-team All American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Football Writers Association of America and was selected first-team all PAC-10 Conference. Cason finished his Arizona career with 15 interceptions.

State Sen. Mary Easley says research shows that children learn better when they are physically active. For this reason, she has authored Senate Bill 1186, which passed the Senate Education Committee Monday, to encourage schools to integrate an additional hour of physical activity each week in addition to the hour of physical education already mandated by law.

The Senate Finance Committee has given unanimous support to legislation creating special license plates for Oklahomans who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. State Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, is author of Senate Bill 1138.

“Approximately 70 Oklahoma soldiers have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 5,500 Oklahoma Air and Army Guard have served two to three tours of duty…and approximately 21,182 active duty or reserve soldiers have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Lamb said.

Oklahomans would have the option to purchase a license plate displaying the national motto of “In God We Trust” if a bill approved by the Senate Finance committee becomes law.

Senate Bill 1146, written by Senator Jay Paul Gumm of Durant, was okayed by the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday; the measure now moves to the full Senate.

Under the proposal, Oklahomans could purchase license tags for their vehicles that include a patriotic display and the national motto of “In God We Trust.”

A bill that could save taxpayers thousands of dollars annually passed out of the Senate’s General Government Committee Monday.

Senate Bill 1507 by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, would require the hundreds of reports submitted by state agencies to legislative leaders be transmitted electronically. In addition, the measure would require agency budget requests and the governor’s annual budget to be transmitted electronically rather than through hard copies in the mail.