The State Senate approved legislation Tuesday slashing annual license plate fees, an action that will result in $53 million in savings for Oklahoma motorists by the year 2009. It will also give Oklahoma some of the lowest tag and excise fees in the region, lower than Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.

HB 1734 now goes to the Governor for his signature.

"If Governor Keating vetoes the bill, he'll be vetoing a tax cut. Just ask the Senate Republicans who voted for the bill. They supported it because it's going to deliver significant relief to thousands of Oklahoma motorists. It looks like Governor Keating is out of step with his own party and his own rhetoric.

In an effort to justify an ill-advised veto of car tag reform legislation, Governor Keating is cooking the books in a futile attempt to show that HB 1734 increases vehicle tags and fees rather than decreases them. Figures from the Oklahoma Tax Commission show the opposite.

Constitutional questions about the Board of Regents for Oklahoma Colleges authority over Rogers State University could require the two entities to part ways, according to a Senator who is drafting legislation to correct the problem.

House Bill 1734 isn't the great savings for Oklahoma drivers that supporters have claimed. That's according to State Senator Scott Pruitt, who was one of only two Senators voting against the measure on Tuesday. Pruitt said the legislation is really just smoke and mirrors.

"While it will cut the price of car tags, the flip-side of this is a substantial hike in the excise tax you pay on your vehicle. Supporters have been playing that fact down, but I think Oklahomans would be extremely angry to find out they'd been had," said Senator Pruitt.

Injured workers and business owners will be the main beneficiaries of legislation approved by the State Senate Wednesday. HB 1771 by Senator Brad Henry and Representative Mike Ervin will pump much-needed money into the Special Indemnity Fund, the account used to compensate workers for on-the-job injury awards, in addition to returning a $120 million premium rebate to State Insurance Fund customers.

Oklahoma motorists will pay the biggest price for Governor Keating's decision to veto legislation today which would have slashed car tag fees, delivering millions of dollars in savings. Official projections showed HB 1734 would have put an additional $53 million into the pockets of Oklahomans over the next nine years, giving Oklahoma the lowest tag and excise fees in the region.

Governor Keating can deliver the equivalent of a $120 million tax cut to businesses across the state and help the families of thousands of injured workers if he signs HB 1771 into law. That legislation would pump much-needed money into the Special Indemnity Fund and return a $120 million premium rebate to State Insurance Fund customers.

Oklahoma's senior U.S. Senator and state transportation czar are trying to derail Oklahoma's newly restored passenger rail service before it ever leaves the station, according to the state lawmaker who was instrumental in bringing Amtrak back to Oklahoma.

"We wanted a Cadillac, but they're trying to give us a Yugo instead. Either these guys didn't know what they were doing when they negotiated the deal or they're deliberately trying to sabotage Amtrak's chances of being successful in Oklahoma. This deal stinks," said Senator Dave Herbert.

Legislation mandating vehicle seizures of repeat drunk drivers has gotten even tougher in conference committee, picking up a provision which would allow authorities to better track DUI offenders who rack up multiple offenses in courts that don't leave a paper trail.

SB 423 is the product of the mother-son team of Representative Mary Easley and Senator Kevin Easley. The legislation is ready for floor action in the Senate.