Senator Bernest Cain, Chairman of the Senate Human Resources Committee has announced that a series of town meetings will be held throughout Oklahoma to discuss the impact of the Olmstead v. L.C. decision. The U.S. Supreme Court decision requires state Medicaid agencies to provide services to persons with disabilities in the community in "the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs."

Ralph Rouse, Regional Manager of Region VI, Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services will speak at each of the six public meetings.

A special task force on electric restructuring will hold its second meeting in Lawton on Wednesday, September 19th.

State Senator Kevin Easley, chairman of the Electric Restructuring Advisory Committee, said the panel is in the process of touring the state, gathering information and seeking public input on how Oklahoma should proceed with the complicated issue.

(Oklahoma City) State lawmakers will return to the State Capitol on October 2nd to reconvene an ongoing special session of the Oklahoma Legislature, according to an announcement today from House Speaker Larry Adair and Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor.

The two legislative leaders said that they plan to use the meeting to address problems with the Multiple Injury Trust Fund and other pressing items on the special session agenda. The MITF, a special account that makes payments to disabled workers, is scheduled to run out of money in October.

Two controversial state contracts should not be renewed when they come up for review in late September and early October, according to a state legislator who has been critical of the contract expenditures.

Senator Larry Dickerson said he came to that conclusion after reviewing expense reports filed by Mary Myrick and her public relations firm Public Strategies. Myrick, a longtime political consultant, has come under fire in the past year for her handling of contract work related to Governor Keating's Marriage Initiative and his Safe and Drug Free Schools program.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Kelly Haney said legislators and other state leaders must put a greater focus on the need to increase access to quality health care throughout Oklahoma. On Friday he addressed a meeting of healthcare providers, physicians, public officials and others during the 2001 Health Care Symposium held in Oklahoma City on September 27th and 28th at the Hilton Inn Northwest.

If Oklahoma's economy continues to produce growth revenue next fiscal year, the bulk of new funds should be set aside to meet needs in the state's public school system, according to two key state lawmakers who oversee public school legislation.

Senator Penny Williams and Senator Cal Hobson said they want to stake an early claim for education funding so that there is no confusion about fiscal priorities when initial budget estimates are made later this year.

Support from the Oklahoma Congressional delegation has brought the planned Native American Cultural Center and Museum a giant step closer to reality. That's according to State Senator Kelly Haney, who has been working on funding for the center since 1994.

New York, NY - The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) announced the appointment of Oklahoma Senator Jim Dunlap as its National Chairman for 2002 at an August 3rd session of their annual meeting. Dunlap will be installed this December at the organization's States' and Nation Policy Summit in Washington, DC.

"Senator Dunlap is an exemplary leader, both in his home state of Oklahoma and as a leader in ALEC," said outgoing 2001 National Chairman Steve McDaniel. "It is truly an honor to have him as our National Chairman in 2002."

After successfully completing chemotherapy treatments and a rigorous rehabilitation program, State Senator Larry Dickerson is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday morning in Houston to remove some final "suspicious nodes" related to his cancer treatment.

The local legislator made the announcement on Wednesday, saying he wanted to keep his constituents updated on his condition.

"The people of my district mean a lot to me and I wanted them to know what's going on. It's just like letting your boss know that you're going to be out sick for a few days," he said.

(Oklahoma City) The Oklahoma Legislature will return for special session on September 7th, but it does not plan to take up the issue of tax reform then, according to House Speaker Larry Adair and Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor.

The two legislative leaders announced today that they want to address several pressing issues during the session, but will delay any action on a proposed tax reform package until a later date.