State Sen. Debbe Leftwich is continuing her push to create a Department of Aging to help older Oklahomans cut through red tape and bureaucracy for much needed services. Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, is author of SB 809, which she initially introduced in the 2005 session. Leftwich said she is hopeful that 2006 will be the year Oklahoma seniors get the kind of streamlined services they’ve been requesting for years.

“Sadly, Senator Wilcoxson is misrepresenting what happened in the Education Committee today.

“The Senate Education Committee voted to pass a plan that would increase incentives for teachers to become national board certified as well as increase incentives for teachers to become mentors to less experienced teachers in Oklahoma classrooms.
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On Monday the Senate Education Committee adopted a Republican senator’s proposal to provide some Oklahoma public school teachers a pay increase of up to $10,000.

The amendment authored by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, would provide a $10,000 pay increase for teachers with a doctoral degree; a $5,000 pay increase for teachers with a master’s degree; and a $3,000 pay increase for teachers with a bachelor’s degree. The original proposal by Senate Democrats was for a flat $3,000 pay hike for all teachers.

The family of Caitlin Wooten asked a Senate panel today for support of The Caitlin Wooten Act. Shortly after hearing testimony from Donna Wooten, Caitlin’s mother, Senate Bill 1037 was approved by a unanimous vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Paddack, an Ada Democrat and author of the measure, said the law seeks to protect Oklahoma families and communities from senseless acts of violence.
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The full Senate will soon vote on a measure to give neighborhoods across the state greater protection from rapists and child molesters. Sen. Glenn Coffee is author of Senate Bill 1754, which would create the Neighborhood Protection Against Sex Offenders Act. The bill won approval in the Senate Business and Labor Committee on Monday.
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State Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson has won committee approval for Senate Bill 1089. The Senate Finance Committee approved the legislation on Tuesday. SB 1089 would ban the sale of lottery tickets at pawn shops, payday lenders and check-cashing businesses.
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The Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday approved a measure that will reduce the cost of litigation and further reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits in Oklahoma. By an 8-0 vote, the committee voted to send the Lawsuit Responsibility Act to the full Senate for consideration.

Judiciary Chairman Charles Laster said Senate Bill 1784 would address the issue of frivolous lawsuits “on the front end of a case by giving judges more authority to dismiss cases deemed to be frivolous.”
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich said the Senate has given its final approval to the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act. The measure would provide incentive payments to “at risk” manufacturing companies in an effort to keep those facilities in the state.

“The bottom line is saving Oklahoma jobs. We need to make sure that the economic advantages of keeping those facilities and jobs in our state are enough to keep us in the game. The incentives offered in House Bill 1619 can give us the edge we need,” said Leftwich, D-OKC.

- Republican senator seeks committee hearing on his bill to reduce income tax on low income Oklahomans

By a 7 to 6 vote, Republicans on the Senate’s Finance Committee defeated an effort by Senate Democrats to expand a welfare-style program.

Senate Bill 1821, by Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, would have doubled the state’s Earned Income Credit, a welfare-style program that provides income tax “refunds” to some individuals even when they pay very little or no income taxes.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee made the following statement regarding Senate Bill 1874, the so-called “Lawsuit Responsibility Act.” The bill is authored by Sen. Charles Laster, the Shawnee Democrat lawyer who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.