The Oklahoma Senate passed two measures earlier this week to encourage the manufacturing of alternative fuels in the state. House Bill 1556, by Representative Mike Jackson and Senators David Myers and Patrick Anderson, and HB 1398, by Rep. James Covey and Sen. Owen Laughlin, both received unanimous approval from the Senate and are now waiting for further consideration from the Governor.
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Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said important work for the 2005 legislative session is “to be continued” in a special session.

“This has the potential to be a pretty good legislative session if we can pass a meaningful workers’ compensation reform bill during the special session,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“The biggest disappointment was the lack of action on lawsuit reform – one of the most important economic issues facing our state,” Coffee said.

Members of the State Senate voted Friday to fund an $11.4 million supplemental appropriation for public schools, Appropriations Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield said.

House passage will allow the money to be used to help schools off-set costs that have arisen over the last five years as a result of a $3,000 pay raise for all state teachers which became effective in 2000.

Senator Debbe Leftwich announced today that House Bill 1653, the Graduated Drivers License Act, cleared the full Senate and is now headed to the Governor’s desk. The measure will provide teenage drivers with more time to develop their driving skills and learn in a low risk setting.

The Democrat from South Oklahoma City co-authored the legislation with Representative Danny Morgan, a Prague Democrat. Senator Leftwich stated that the measure follows in the footsteps of her late husband, Keith Leftwich, who brought the issue of a graduated driver’s license to the forefront. read more.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said he is confident a special session on workers compensation reform will result in legislation to save millions for Oklahoma businesses while preserving the rights of workers injured on the job.

“We were just so close to passing meaningful workers’ compensation reform that struck the balance of protecting the rights of injured workers and lowering the cost of doing business,” Senator Morgan, (D-Stillwater) said. “The time constraints of the session just didn’t allow us to get it done today.”
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OKLAHOMA CITY-Republicans in the House are turning their heads to the problems that come with credit card debt and bankruptcy by killing a bill being backed by the State Chamber of Commerce. Senate Bill 378 would have required students who graduate from an Oklahoma school to take one semester of Personal Financial Economics but was killed when Republican House leaders refused to hear the bill before sine die adjournment last Friday.

Senator Kenneth Corn, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety, called on Governor Brad Henry to expand the special session to include funding priorities for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC).

“During the budget process my pleas to those at the negotiating table fell on deaf ears,” Corn said. “I am fearful that waiting any longer to address the issue of additional funding for DOC will seriously compromise the safety of Oklahoma communities and today I am asking the Governor for his help.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus unveiled a plan Friday that would fund replacement or rehabilitation of nearly 900 of the state’s 1,600 deficient bridges over the next 15 years.

“Oklahoma is No. 1 in the nation in the percentage of deficient bridges. We’re here today to announce our support for a plan to change that without raising taxes, without threatening funding for our public schools and without mortgaging the future of our highway maintenance plan,” said Morgan, D-Stillwater.
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Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, made the following statement in response to the Senate Democrats’ “2020 Plan” for transportation funding in Oklahoma.

“Democrats in the Legislature have under-funded transportation for years, so it is encouraging to see that they are finally making transportation a priority. As the saying goes, better late than never. I look forward to studying their plan more closely,” Coffee stated.

SENATOR COFFEE: Gov. Henry is Putting Families at Risk by Releasing A Violent Criminal Every Workday

State Capitol, Oklahoma City – Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said Friday that a new criminal justice study shows that Gov. Brad Henry was “flat wrong” when he claimed Wednesday that releasing violent criminals on supervised parole is better than making them serve their full sentence.