State Capitol, Oklahoma City – A letter to national trial lawyers by State Senator Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, that advertised Oklahoma as a great place to file lawsuits is a major blow to the state’s job recruitment efforts, Republican legislative leaders said today.

Taylor’s letter received some unwanted national attention in a December 19 editorial in the Wall Street Journal, which was highly critical of Oklahoma’s pro-lawyer tort (lawsuit) system.

"Just as we know a new year is upon us, so, too, is the partisan political season. Many in this same group of Senators, on a regular basis in their private law practices, have contacted lawyers from out of state, offering their services.

Our law firm has a long history of representing Texas clients, both corporate and individual, as plaintiffs and defendants in Oklahoma. We, on a regular basis, contact Texas lawyers who represent both plaintiffs and defendants indicating that we are willing to work with them in the event they have legal matters in Oklahoma.

State Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson and State Representative Thad Balkman said recent reports reflecting poor math scores by Oklahoma high school students show the need for the public to decide whether the office of state superintendent should be appointed by the governor rather than elected.

“Out of 44,000 Oklahoma high school students, only 22 percent were proficient in algebra. That means more than three-fourths don’t have the math skills they need for college. This is further proof that we cannot afford the status quo any longer,” said Senator Wilcoxson, R-OKC.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson has announced the appointment of Donna K. Windel of Ardmore to the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

Governor Brad Henry: "The thing I don't like about it right now is that we are dwelling on this (Stratton Taylor) letter and this (Wall Street Journal) editorial when we ought to be talking about how do we get past that; what are our challenges and let's address those head-on." – Tulsa World, 12-23-03

“I have two children ages 8 and 10. I have often told them that words can hurt, whether or not they are intentional. And, if they do hurt someone, I have taught them to apologize.

“This is what I’m doing now. I am apologizing for a letter I recently wrote that unintentionally hurt my fellow Oklahomans.

“I have always strived to represent my constituents and their values with integrity and honor and I intend to continue to do so for the remainder of my term. However, I can make a mistake and, to quote a former U.S. Senator, “when I do, it’s a doozy.”

(OKLAHOMA CITY) Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson has appointed Anna-Mary Suggs, executive director of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, to the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation.

“Ms. Suggs has always been a strong advocate of education and will be a positive addition to the commission. I am confident she will work hard to ensure that we have competent and qualified teachers in every classroom,” said Hobson, D-Lexington.

(OKLAHOMA CITY) Governor Brad Henry and Legislative leaders announced Thursday details of their plan to ask the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to increase the rates paid to nursing homes, hospitals, doctors and ambulance organizations that provide Medicaid services in Oklahoma.
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The Oklahoma State Senate has launched a new Web site designed to increase public access and understanding of the legislative process. The changes include a simplified URL or Web address, more intuitive navigational tools, better graphics and other improvements to help the public follow events in the senate.
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(OKLAHOMA CITY) The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee said Monday that he will make fully funding the state’s scholarship program for deserving students whose parents can’t afford to send them to college among the top priorities when the second session of the 49th Oklahoma Legislature convenes in February.
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