The Oklahoma Transportation Commission Monday approved adding three important highway projects in Norman to the state’s eight-year transportation plan, a pair of Norman area legislative leaders announced today.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson and House Speaker Pro Tempore-designate Bill Nations said the projects will ease traffic flow in the state’s third-largest city and enhance Norman’s economic development efforts.
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The minority leaders of the state Senate and House of Representatives said Wednesday that legislative action during the last legislative session could have staved off the higher workers compensation insurance rates that Oklahoma employers will soon be facing.

Senate Republican leaders said they hope Gov. Brad Henry’s pledge to “attack” the problems in Oklahoma’s workers compensation system during the next legislative session is serious, but they have doubts based on the governor’s track record on other lawyer-related issues.

Oklahoma’s expensive workers comp system is widely viewed as a major impediment to retaining and attracting jobs in the state. Henry made his pledge Tuesday at a Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Senator Charles Ford announced the upcoming presentation of a portrait of singer, songwriter, and author Woody Guthrie, commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc. The portrait by veteran painter Charles Banks Wilson will be unveiled Thursday July 15th at 12:00 p.m. in the Capitol rotunda.
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The spirit of nationally acclaimed folk singer Woody Guthrie will forever rest in the halls of the State Capitol, Senator Charles Ford announced today. The portrait by veteran painter Charles Banks Wilson is the latest in a series of paintings commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc.

The portrait entitled Woody Guthrie - This Land Was Made For You And Me will be on permanent display in the rotunda of the State Capitol.
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Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson said Friday that a Republican senator who recently claimed that $1 billion could be cut from the state budget needs to produce a list of just where those cuts could be made.
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State Senator Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, responded Friday to criticism by the Senate’s Democrat leader that fiscal reforms cannot be enacted in the state without drastic budget cuts.

“Senator Hobson’s letter highlights a clash of ideas: liberal vs. conservative. Liberals like Senator Hobson believe that tax dollars belong to the Legislature for the sole purpose of growing the size of government. Conservatives believe that tax dollars belong to the taxpayers and that the Legislature should take great care to prioritize and spend those dollars efficiently,” Brogdon stated.

House Minority Leader Todd Hiett’s criticism of the state’s workers’ compensation system last week was misdirected, a veteran state senator charged Tuesday.

Senator Ben Robinson, D-Muskogee, said Hiett completely missed the point of the Work Loss Data Institute’s report card which gave Oklahoma and six other states a grade of “F.”
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State Capitol, Oklahoma City – Following news that the Oklahoma Hospital Association’s medical liability insurance company has been placed in receivership, Senate Republican leaders Monday challenged Gov. Brad Henry and the Democrat legislative leadership to ignore the six-year moratorium on future lawsuit reform and allow real reform to be enacted during the next legislative session.

(Oklahoma City) – The Democrat leader of the Oklahoma State Senate challenged his Republican counterparts to stop playing politics with the health care of Oklahomans and give the newly enacted tort reform legislation a chance to work.

“This is politics, pure and simple. The most extensive lawsuit reform measure in our state’s history became law less than two months ago and already Senators Williamson and Coffee are saying it won’t work. As with any measure of this magnitude, we have to give it time to effect change,” the Lexington Democrat said.