Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore

"If any blame should be assessed, it should be against Governor Keating. As chief executive of the state of Oklahoma, he controls the executive branch that directly oversees state agencies like the Health Department. The Governor, not the Legislature, appoints the board that is in charge of
running the department."

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore

"I think we owe it to taxpayers to conclude the Governor's special session as quickly as possibly, preferably in just a single day. We're ready to go in, address the issues that can be resolved and move on."

"The only thing certain about tags at this point is that there is an election scheduled for August 22nd for voters to decide the issue. On workers comp, the Governor and legislative leaders have agreed to appoint a working group of legislators to discuss the issue."

OKLAHOMA CITY - Environmental Protection Agency officials heard presentations by several companies today that were presenting their technology to help Oklahoma deal with the ongoing problem of hog waste from big corporate farming operations, according to Senator Paul Muegge, D-Tonkawa.

Unless additional money is allocated to higher education in Tulsa, the state may end up constructing new classroom and lab space that cannot be staffed by OU and OSU faculty because of a lack of resources, according to State Senator Penny Williams.

"We're expanding classroom and lab space to meet the higher education needs of Tulsa, but unless OU and OSU get the money they need to staff the facilities, we face the prospect of having classrooms and students with no teachers. That would be an embarrassment," said Senator Williams.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor, Senate President Pro Tempore

"It's my hope that we can work out an agreement with Governor Keating that will deliver meaningful tag reform to Oklahoma motorists. Despite all the rhetoric we've heard on this issue, I really don't think we're that far apart."

OKLAHOMA CITY - A bill that would enable Oklahomans to hold their HMO's legally responsible for health care decisions has been signed into law by Governor Keating. That's according to the legislation's author, Senator Brad Henry.

Senate Bill 1206 enables members to sue their HMO if it improperly denied them necessary medical treatment ordered by their primary physician or made other health care decisions that were found to be detrimental to them.

The budget leader of the Oklahoma State Senate is asking Governor Keating to present legislative leaders with a revised executive budget reflecting available funds and a detailed listing of the obligations that still must be met before the conclusion of the legislative session at the end of the month.

After a meeting with the Governor Wednesday morning, Senator Kelly Haney said it was clear that the chief executive had no plan in place for meeting remaining state budget obligations.

A Tulsa state legislator will lead a Senate review of the Oklahoma nursing home industry, with plans to offer reform legislation before the legislative session concludes at the end of May.

Senator Penny Williams, who has been working to improve staffing levels in nursing homes for a number of years, said the ongoing investigation of the State Health Department's nursing home inspection process underscores the need for a thorough review and legislation this year.

With veterans groups set to rally at the State Capitol Tuesday, State Senator Sam Helton renewed his call for Governor Keating not to pursue his proposed cut to veterans programs in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore