Senate Judiciary Chairman Charlie Laster expressed disappointment Thursday that the Texas-plus tort reform measure proposed by Governor Henry last year was not considered by the full Senate this week.

He didn’t bring the bill up, he said, because it would not have passed.

“We couldn’t muster one Republican vote for the same bill they said last year was the answer to Oklahoma’s lawsuit reform needs,” Laster said. “We had almost every Democrat on board, but with a narrowly divided Senate, we needed at least a few Republican votes to pass the bill.

Senator Kenneth Corn and Representative Terry Harrison say they are outraged at the reckless behavior of the Republican Leadership in the House who refused to give a bill a hearing in committee that would exempt all state income taxes paid on overtime wages.

“Oklahomans work countless hours of overtime each year only to see a huge chunk of those wages chipped away by taxes,” Corn said. “If Oklahomans are working longer hours away from their families they should be able to keep all wages they earn.”

* Henry’s ‘My Way or Highway’ Approach Leads to Bill’s Demise

Senate Democrat leaders did not bring up Gov. Henry’s watered-down lawsuit reform package for a vote on the Senate floor Thursday after Henry and Democrat leaders could not produce enough Democrat senators to pass the partisan measure.

“The lack of a vote today on lawsuit reform is a failure of leadership on the part of Gov. Henry and the Senate Democrat leadership,” stated Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Gov. Brad Henry’ spokesperson is misrepresenting Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee’s position on Henry’s watered-down lawsuit reform bill.

Henry’s office erroneously claimed Thursday that Coffee had previously endorsed the legislative language contained in Senate Bill 914, which died in the Senate Thursday when Senate Democrat leaders did not bring it up for a vote because of bipartisan opposition to the bill.

State Sen. Scott Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow, announced that a Republican workers’ compensation reform plan is estimated to reduce costs by three times as much as a competing proposal by Democrat Gov. Brad Henry.

Pruitt said that independent analyses released this week by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) estimates that the Henry plan would reduce costs by only
$20-$51 million. In comparison, NCCI estimates the GOP plan, authored by House Speaker Todd Hiett and Pruitt, would save three times as much – $70 to $158 million.

Having reached an agreement with Governor Henry and House leaders on a $500 million capital investment in Oklahoma’s colleges and universities, Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson said Wednesday he has accomplished his top priority for the legislative session and will resign as the leader of the Oklahoma State Senate.
read more.

Stillwater Senator Mike Morgan was elected President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday.

“I am humbled by the awesome responsibility of this job and the challenges that lay ahead. I’m thankful to my Senate colleagues for their support and I know I can count on each and every one of them – both Democrats and Republicans – to put aside petty political differences in the coming weeks as we seek to move Oklahoma forward,” Morgan said.
read more.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, made the following statement regarding the resignation of Sen. Cal Hobson as President Pro Tempore.

“First and foremost, our prayers and thoughts are with Sen. Hobson during this difficult time for him and his family. My disagreements with Sen. Hobson have always been over policy issues – not personal issues.

Senator Johnnie Crutchfield has been promoted to serve as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan. The Ardmore Democrat was promoted to the post shortly after Senator Mike Morgan, (D-Stillwater) was elected as President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday.

Senator Cal Hobson, a long-time champion of education, has been appointed the Senate Education Committee and the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Education, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan announced Thursday.

“Education must truly be our first priority as a state. Investing in our school children and our college students is a very real investment in the future of Oklahoma,” Hobson said

Hobson, D-Lexington, has also been assigned to the Judiciary, Energy and Retirement and Group Health Committees.