Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan announced today that members of the Oklahoma Senate will reconvene the First Extraordinary Session of the 50th Oklahoma Legislature next week.

“The Senate has a plan to address the public safety crisis created by a shortage of correctional officers in our state prisons. We have the money to fund the plan and we are going to act,” Morgan said.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee made the following statement regarding Democrat Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan’s decision to bring the State Senate back into special session.

In addition to $11 million in funding for the Department of Corrections, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Majority Leader Ted Fisher announced today that they will ask Senators to approve a $10 million appropriation for the Oklahoma Centennial Commission when the Senate convenes in Special Session Tuesday and Wednesday.

Republican Senator Randy Brogdon of Owasso said today that the call for special session should include a fix for the tobacco tax.

“The Senate is coming back in a special session this week and Governor Henry needs to expand the call so that the legislature can fix the ever-growing problem that is the tobacco tax. It is the governor and Treasurer Meacham’s poorly drafted tobacco tax plan that has caused this mess; at the very least the governor should enable the legislature to clean up his mess.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said today he is disappointed, but not surprised by the Republicans’ latest political stunt in response to the public safety crisis in Oklahoma created by a shortage of corrections officers in the state’s prisons.

“Their solution to this serious public safety crisis is to hold a press conference. Senate Democrats intend to return to work tomorrow and Wednesday and pass a funding plan that will once again make Oklahoma families safe,” Morgan said.
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Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said today that after comparing the Republican plan which advocates deficit spending with the Senate Democrats’ comprehensive plan that will be taken up during a special session today and Wednesday, he is confident the only plan that keeps Oklahomans safe is the Senate Democratic plan.

“Their plan is based on a ‘promise now-pay later’ mentality,” Morgan, (D-Stillwater) said. “Our plan is based on an ‘act now to keep Oklahomans safe’ mentality.”
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Comments by a Senate Democrat leader that there is “no difference” between inmates at minimum and maximum security prisons shows just how out of touch Senate Democrats are on public safety issues.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, the Democrat’s point person on public safety funding, made the comment while criticizing a GOP prison funding proposal that would give correctional employees larger pay increases if they work at more dangerous facilities. Corn said no pay differential is necessary because there is “no difference” between inmates in different types of facilities.

“No” votes by Senate Republicans Wednesday may have doomed the celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial in 2007, Senator Jeff Rabon said.

Senate Bill 5X, which would have provided $10 million in funding for projects across the state, failed on a 24-23 vote with all 22 Republican Senators voting against the measure.

“Because they defeated this bill, its unlikely now that there will be any state funds to finish centennial projects in towns like Ponca City, Choctaw, Owasso, Seminole and Tinker Air Force Base,” Rabon said. read more.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee made the following comments regarding today’s meeting of the Oklahoma State Senate in special session:

PUBLIC SAFETY

“Now that the Senate Democrats’ theatrics are over, the real work can begin on properly funding public safety,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“Instead of putting on a political sideshow by forcing the Senate to meet in a meaningless special session, Senate Democrats would have better served the public by working with Republicans to develop a bipartisan agreement,” he said.

The State Senate has given unanimous approval to a resolution honoring the centennial of the Catholic Diocese of Oklahoma. Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, is author of the measure which was approved during Wednesday’s special session at the State Capitol.