A bill to expand a prescription assistance program has cleared the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services, Senator Susan Paddack, author of the measure said.

“Governor Henry is right. We have tremendous transportation infrastructure needs in Oklahoma. I applaud his willingness to devote additional growth revenue in the next fiscal year to transportation issues, including the Heartland Flyer, but I think we need to do more.

The $500 million Higher Education Bond Issue cleared another legislative hurdle today, passing out of the Appropriations Committee with a bi-partisan unanimous 46-0 vote.

“Today’s vote puts us a step closer to making a critical investment in education that will make a better tomorrow for our children,” Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan said. “We anticipate a vote on the Senate Floor as early as next week.”

Morgan, D-Stillwater, said swift action is needed on the bill in order to save money on low interest rates and avoid rising construction costs.

Fighting for the rights of the 703,000 Oklahomans who are without health insurance, Senator Tom Adelson won passage of a bill requiring hospitals to extend discounts for certain income eligible patients. Under the “Hospital Discount for Qualified Self-Pay Patients Act,” a family of four at or below 400% of the federal poverty level will not be charged more than the insured population for their hospital care.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, and Representative Rebecca Hamilton, D-OKC, have co-authored legislation to give families more peace of mind when looking at nursing homes for loved ones.

Sen. Leftwich is principal author of Senate Bill 870. Her legislation would require local law enforcement officials to provide nursing homes with copies of the state’s sex offender registry. Those facilities would then be required to display the list in an area accessible to residents, employees and visitors.

Senate Leaders Friday pledged once again to fully fund the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and said that they are insulted by suggestions that the program is floundering.

“No qualifying student has ever been turned down for an OHLAP scholarship and no qualified student ever will be,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater. “My commitment and the commitment of Senate Leadership to this vital program has been unwavering from its inception and we remain committed to expanding the opportunity for higher education to even more Oklahoma students.”

Thursday, Senator Daisy Lawler toured the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Laboratory in Oklahoma City and was not pleased at the conditions of the lab. The Chairman of Senate Agriculture Committee, Lawler, (D-Comanche) was on site to demonstrate the agency’s need for a new lab facility after filing legislation to build a new laboratory in Oklahoma City and expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

Coffee: Votes Show Dems Don’t Trust Henry’s Lottery Predictions

Senate Democrats on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education defeated a pair of GOP amendments that would have provided a back-up funding source for the proposed $500 million higher education bond issue.

The tax cut package sponsored by Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday (Feb. 8).

The Helping Oklahomans Prosper Economically Plan – or HOPE – is contained in Senate Bill 958 by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant. The Senate Finance Committee approved the measure Tuesday on a bipartisan vote.

Gumm, Senate assistant majority leader and chair of the Finance Committee, said the bill would lower taxes on working families, attract new jobs to the state, and protect Oklahomans’ investment in critical programs.