Comments from Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson, D-Lexington

“We’ve been following the efforts of Governor Henry’s bi-partisan study group and I’m anxious to see its proposal. Just yesterday I met with more than half a dozen of Tulsa’s most prominent business leaders discussing at length the progress of the governor’s task force and their own efforts to craft bi-partisan reforms to our state’s workers’ compensation system.

Comments from Senator Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater

“We stand behind the commitment that Senate Leadership made to the college presidents last spring and remain in support of the $500 million higher education bond issue. We also believe it’s important to make passage of this legislation one of the first priorities when the Legislature convenes next month.

“The economic development impact of this bond issue goes far beyond the 4,000 initial construction jobs and the $700 million that projects themselves will pump into Oklahoma’s economy.
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Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said today that Senate Republicans are generally supportive of the higher education bond proposal, but are concerned whether the new state lottery will provide sufficient funds to pay the annual debt service.

“Senate Republicans have long been very supportive of higher education, and I am certain there will be widespread support within our caucus for the concept of a higher education bond issue,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee has filed legislation which would make county elected positions nonpartisan. Those positions would include offices such as county commissioners, sheriffs, treasurers and county clerks. Sen. Coffee said the idea makes sense on a number of levels.
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Senator Jeff Rabon has requested a bill that will provide more incentive for candidates to run a fair and honest campaign. The Democrat from Hugo has authored legislation that will make it a misdemeanor for a candidate to knowingly release untruthful information about an opponent during an election cycle.
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Buying a first home is a special milestone in the lives of many Oklahomans, but often times those who serve and protect us as police officers and firefighters or teach our children how to read find themselves unable to achieve that milestone. Thanks to a program through the Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority (OHFA), this special group of Oklahomans who give so much to this state through their dedication to their professions will now be eligible for low interest home loans, according to Senator Kenneth Corn.
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Although he agrees there are serious capital needs at Oklahoma colleges and universities, State Senator Jeff Rabon said he has reservations about the idea of using revenues from the new state lottery to pay for a $500 million bond issue to fund those projects.

“First of all, I think when most Oklahomans voted for an education lottery, they were thinking those dollars would go directly into the classrooms of their children’s public schools. I don’t remember anything about using those proceeds to pay for a higher education bond issue,” said Rabon, D-Hugo.
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The recent case of a Republican lawmaker who continued to receive his legislative salary while locked up in jail should never be repeated, Senator Jay Paul Gumm said Tuesday.

Gumm, a Democrat from Durant who is an assistant majority leader in the Senate, has filed legislation that would suspend the pay of any state elected official who is in jail for as long as they are locked up.
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Speaker of the House Todd Hiett and Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee announced that House and Senate Republicans will seek common legislative goals in the upcoming 2005 legislative session.

Hiett and Coffee publicly released an eight point legislative platform recently approved by their respective caucuses.

Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson

“We’re pleased with the goals outlined by Republican legislative leaders today. Improving the quality of education for our children, creating jobs, supporting working families and making health care more available and affordable have been the backbone of the Democrats’ agenda since statehood.