Saying he was alarmed by the recently adopted travel management plan for the Ouachita National Forest, Oklahoma district, Sen. Kenneth Corn has filed a resolution requesting Congress to intervene and delay implementation of the new plan for the district until public input has been considered.

The new travel management plan would limit ATV use to 40 miles of designated trails in the Ouachita National Forest in LeFlore County. Corn said the policy is too restrictive and would present problems for hunters and the disabled.

Leaders in the Oklahoma House and Senate on Wednesday announced that MGT of America, Inc. has been secured to conduct a comprehensive performance study and audit of the state Department of Corrections. The leaders said that MGT experts would begin meeting with Oklahoma Corrections officials early next week.

MGT will be paid $844,000 to conduct the performance review and transformational study. The comprehensive study was a centerpiece of the final state budget agreement announced in May.

The leaders of the Oklahoma State Senate announced their approval today of 35 interim legislative studies on issues ranging from Oklahomas graduation dropout rates to accountability measures at the Department of Human Services.

The study requests were approved by Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and Co-President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, who share the responsibility of running the evenly-divided Senate.

The author of the legislation creating Oklahoma’s back-to-school sales tax holiday said the annual tax break will help Oklahoma families and retailers. The Oklahoma Legislature passed Senate Bill 861, by Lawton State Senator Don Barrington, during the 2007 legislative session.

The bill created a three-day sales tax holiday on the first weekend of August each year, beginning August 3rd this year, allowing purchases of clothing and shoes up to $100 to be made free of sales tax.

*Note to Editors: Senator Jay Paul Gumm, (D-Durant) who has long been the champion of the “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday in the Oklahoma Legislature, and whose district borders Texas in southeastern Oklahoma, issued the following statement in regards to Governor Brad Henry’s signing of the administrative rules that will govern the operation of Oklahoma’s first ever sales tax holiday August 3-5.

The much anticipated 3-day back-to-school sales tax holiday takes place this weekend, August 3-5.

Senator Don Barrington of Lawton authored this legislation that will benefit families preparing their children for school. Purchases of clothes and shoes under $100 can be made free of sales tax this weekend. Local stores are expected to see an increase in business since shoppers will no longer need to cross state lines to take advantage of the Texas sales tax holiday.

Senator Barrington is encouraged by the benefits this holiday will bring to Oklahoma.

At a State Capitol news conference Monday, State Sen. Randy Brogdon addressed recent criticism of his bill, the Taxpayer Transparency Act, and encouraged Gov. Brad Henry to sign the bill into law.
Senate Bill 1, authored by Brogdon (R-Owasso) and Rep. Paul Wesselhoft (R-Moore), requires the Office of State Finance to create and maintain a searchable Website to let citizens see how state tax dollars are used.
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“This new law will make certain that every student who qualifies for an Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship will receive their scholarship. It will ensure that the state keeps the promise it has made to these dedicated young people and that the OHLAP program will remain a vital part of our efforts to increase the number of college graduates in Oklahoma.”

Note to editors: Currently, approximately 15,000 students are attending college on Oklahoma’s Promise scholarships and another 30,000 middle and high school students have signed up for the program.

Legislation that will increase funding to Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) and Multi-Disciplinary Child Abuse Teams was signed by Gov. Brad Henry this week.

Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, originally authored an amendment that was included in HB 1282. The amendatory language that is now law earmarks a $3 fee on criminal filings for programs that investigate child abuse cases. The new fee could generate as much as one million new dollars for Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) and Multi-Disciplinary Teams.
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A task force has been authorized to examine how state funds are distributed to Oklahoma public schools—that’s after Gov. Brad Henry signed Senate Bill 925 into law this week. Sen. Clark Jolley is principal author of the legislation, co-authored by Rep. Ken Miller. Jolley said he appreciated the governor’s support of the study.

“This is long overdue. It’s been about two decades since anyone took an in-depth look at the school funding formula,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “We need to determine whether it is efficient, fair, and whether it could be simplified.”
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