Despite ice and sleet storms the previous weekend that made it difficult for members and staff to travel to the State Capitol, the Oklahoma State Senate met its January 18 deadline for filing legislation to be considered for the 2007 session. By 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, 1,091 bills and 30 joint resolutions had been filed. In 2006, which was the second session of the 50th Legislature, the Senate considered 1,034 new bills and 608 carryover bills, along with 32 joint resolutions.

A lawmaker says every Oklahoma family should be able to bank potentially life-saving umbilical cord blood from newborns through a publicly funded cord blood bank.
read more.

State Sen. Jeff Rabon has authored legislation calling for a salary increase of $1 per hour for state-funded school support personnel.

Rabon said the increase that would be provided through SB 770 is needed to keep pace with the increasing costs of supporting a family.

“As the father of three elementary school children, I know how hard support personnel work to keep everything running smoothly in our schools,” said Rabon, D-Hugo. “This proposal is really the least we can do to ensure the compensation is fair for the hard work done by our support personnel.”

Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“I am encouraged by the agenda unveiled today by Senate Republicans. It appears to be void of the partisan rhetoric we have seen from them in the past. I am confident we can find common ground upon which to build a brighter future for all Oklahomans.
read more.

Republicans in the evenly divided Oklahoma State Senate unveiled their 2007 legislative agenda – titled a “Vision for a Better Oklahoma” – at news conferences in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Lawton on Wednesday.

“Today we’re presenting our vision for making Oklahoma a superior state in which to live and raise a family, receive an excellent education, work at a quality job, succeed in business, and comfortably retire,” stated Senator Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, the Senate’s co-President Pro Tempore.
read more.

Statement By Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“The Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program is one of the most valuable assets we have as we seek to increase the number of college graduates in our state. The governor’s plan for dedicating a portion of the income tax to the program is certainly intriguing and I look forward to looking at it more closely, especially their long-term projections. read more.

With $140 million left on the table after the 2006 session of the Oklahoma Legislature, one lawmaker wants to use half of that money to shore up the Teachers’ Retirement System.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant, has introduced legislation to take $70 million of the so-called “spillover” dollars and put it into the beleaguered system. That money, left on the table after last year’s budget was written, would give the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System (OTRS) a much needed shot in the arm.
read more.

Statement By Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“I am pleased to see Governor Henry continuing his commitment to invest in Oklahoma’s future by proposing an ambitious budget for our public schools, colleges and universities and world-class career tech system.
read more.

Republican leaders in the evenly divided State Senate said Gov. Brad Henry may need to increase taxes to pay for the new spending he is promising for the upcoming legislative session.

In December, Gov. Henry publicly cautioned state lawmakers about new spending in what could be a tight budget year. But in the past week, he has proposed about half-a-billion dollars in new spending – with even more new spending proposals likely to come in the days before the State of the State address scheduled for February 5.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, made the following statement regarding Gov. Brad Henry’s proposal to expand pre-K programs to include three-year-olds.