Republican members of the Senate General Government Committee killed a measure Monday that would have allowed added fire protection for Oklahomans who live in rural sections of incorporated municipalities.

Senator Debbe Leftwich announced today that a measure to extend the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act that was signed by the Governor during the last legislative session, has cleared its first legislative hurdle. Senate Bill 755 also renames the Act that was specifically geared toward keeping Dayton Tire Company from uprooting its multi-million dollar industry and moving to another state to the Oklahoma Specialized Quality Investment Act.
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State Senators celebrated “Higher Education Day” at the State Capitol Tuesday by sending Governor Brad Henry’s $500 million bond issue proposal for the state’s colleges and universities to the Oklahoma House of Representatives with a third straight unanimous vote.

Senators voted 47-0 in favor of Senate Bill 745, which contains the governor’s higher education bond proposal. The measure now goes to the House for consideration.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson praised Tuesday’s bi-partisan passage of the measure.
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Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee made the following statement following the Senate’s bipartisan vote to pass the higher education bond issue.

“Senate Republicans are strong supporters of higher education, and we proudly provided bipartisan support for the higher education bond proposal today,” Coffee stated.

The Governor’s Workers Compensation Reform measure passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee today with a 5-4 vote. Republican committee members James Williamson, Todd Lamb, Brian Crain and Scott Pruitt all voted against the measure that when enacted, will reduce costs for businesses that operate in Oklahoma.

Judiciary Chairman, Senator Charlie Laster, (D-Shawnee) said passage of the bill out of committee puts the measure one step closer to bringing a comprehensive workers compensation reform package to Oklahoma businesses.

Gov. Brad Henry’s watered-down workers’ compensation reform bill was passed 5 to 4 on a party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

“Senate Bill 846 does nothing to address the out-of-control legal costs or the dueling doctors problem that are driving up workers’ comp insurance rates in Oklahoma,” stated Judiciary Committee member Sen. Scott Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow.

State Senator Jonathan Nichols said he was outraged that members on the Senate Appropriations Committee defeated legislation that would have banned inmates from using cell phones in prison. The former prosecutor said he was stunned by the Wednesday morning vote which killed Senate Bill 654. The measure would have categorized cell phones as illegal contraband in Oklahoma prisons.
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Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson Wednesday offered to rescue the Higher Education bond issue from a sea of unnecessary partisan politics by announcing he would consider each of the other unrelated issues included in Speaker Todd Hiett’s bond proposal on their own merits.
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A bill aimed at providing working families with a tax rebate cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee today by receiving a majority vote that will now send the proposal to a vote on the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 918, authored by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, creates the Helping Oklahomans Prosper Economically (HOPE) Fund. The bill is part of Gov. Brad Henry’s tax package.
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Lack of Senate Action Does Not Bode Well for House Bills

Senate Republican leaders said Thursday that Senate Democrats seem intent on keeping the Senate’s reputation as the Legislature’s “graveyard for good legislation” by refusing to schedule committee hearings for dozens of good public policy legislation authored by Republicans. A Senate bill that did not receive a committee hearing by Thursday is dead for the session.