Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore

"All in all, I think it was a very productive session. Certainly, we didn't solve every problem on the horizon, but no Legislature ever does. We did do a number of things to improve our state and make life better for the average Oklahoman, from putting more resources into public school classrooms to providing tax relief for working families. Certainly in terms of its conclusion, this may have been one of the most orderly sessions that I have ever experienced at the State Capitol."

OKLAHOMA CITY-Senate Republican leaders declared the 2001 session of the Oklahoma Legislature a success, grading it an 'A-minus' for the people of Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY - State Senator Jim Reynolds is inviting the public to join him and other volunteers this Saturday in Del City where they'll be helping people remove their vehicle inspection stickers. This past week the governor signed a bill making repeal of the mandatory inspections effective immediately.

"I got out and scraped off my old inspection sticker the very next morning. I have to tell you it felt great. Just the idea that we'd eliminated this government intrusion into our lives was a fantastic feeling," said Senator Reynolds, R-OKC.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Senator Jim Reynolds wants to make sure Oklahomans have a choice when it comes to non-emergency medical transportation. However under current law, a person who cannot be transported sitting up and who needs assistance has no legal choice but to call an ambulance service, which can cost hundreds of dollars more than a non-emergency stretcher service.

States that do not have an income tax are growing faster than those states that do levy a tax on their citizens' income, according to statistics released by the leader of the Oklahoma State Senate.

Senator Stratton Taylor said the evidence supports the enactment of the Texas Plan - his proposal to replace Oklahoma's tax system with that of the state of Texas. Texas has no personal or corporate income tax and no sales tax on groceries.

OKLAHOMA CITY - The full Senate has approved a measure aimed at making sure the state's sex offender registration list is a more accurate reflection of where Oklahoma's four-thousand convicted sex offenders actually live. That's according to Glenn Coffee, Senate author of House Bill 1351.

OKLAHOMA CITY - With only seven weeks remaining in the 2001 legislative session, Senate Appropriations Chairman Kelly Haney says he is still working to restore critically needed funding to agencies such as Agriculture, Commerce and the Oklahoma Arts Council. That's after Governor Keating vetoed budgets for those agencies.

Federal funds originally earmarked for local drug prevention and school safety programs ended up in the pockets of a controversial Oklahoma City political consultant and entertainer Bill Cosby, thanks to a sole source contract executed by Health and Human Services Secretary Jerry Regier, according to state records.

Contract information indicates that Regier used the federal grant money to pay Mary Myrick to organize a one-day Safe and Drug Free School Summit in Oklahoma City in February of 2000. The contract for Myrick's public relations firm totaled $450,000.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore

"I applaud Sen. Dunlap for his endorsement of the Texas Plan. When he originally announced his opposition to the initiative two weeks ago, I was concerned, but didn't question his decision."

At a capitol news conference Senate Republican Floor Leader Jim Dunlap said he was looking forward to studying President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor's proposal to convert Oklahoma's tax system to that of Texas and commended him for realizing the need to eliminate the income tax.