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Oklahoma Senate
Senator Glenn Coffee confirmed Monday that one of his first reforms of state government will be in the form of authoring legislation ending the Senate’s tag agency patronage system by prohibiting lawmakers from recommending tag agents to the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC).
In the past, Oklahoma State Senators have suggested to OTC those individuals they thought should hold the position of tag agent. Under Coffee’s legislation, the Oklahoma Tax Commission will directly appoint tag agents.
read more.Corn said it was important that the Legislature make a firm commitment to ending political patronage, without exceptions. The proposal would require that Election Board Secretaries have at least three years of experience with the system.
read more.“The announcement today by Blue Cross and Blue Shield is yet another clear and convincing piece of evidence that Nick’s Law should become Oklahoma’s law.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield says they have developed a benefit that ‘doesn’t unduly create a price impact’. That statement corresponds with the actuarial study we provided that shows we can help autistic children for mere pennies a day.
read more.With an estimated one in eight veterans under age 65 uninsured nationwide, State Senator Andrew Rice has introduced a bill to ensure that all Oklahoma veterans have access to adequate health insurance.
"There is a common misconception that all veterans qualify for free health care through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, but sadly this isn't the case," said Rice, D-Oklahoma City. "Thousands of vets are falling through the cracks. They make too much to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care, but are too poor to afford private coverage."
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State Sen. Debbe Leftwich said she will again file legislation to prohibit elected officials and state employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists, as well as a measure to prevent elected officials from becoming lobbyists at the Capitol for the first two years theyre out of office.
read more.Senate Democrats have named Charlie Laster as their new leader. Sen. Kenneth Corn, Democratic Caucus Chairman, announced the selection on Monday.
Our members voted unanimously to install Charlie Laster as Democratic Senate Leader for the 52nd Legislature of Oklahoma, said Corn, D-Poteau. We all know Senator Laster as a man of courage, character and wisdom who will provide a voice of experience and solid leadership for our caucus.
State Senator Connie Johnson said she was elated by the tremendous turnout of voters seeking to cast early ballots this year, but wants to make it even more convenient for those taking advantage of that option. Because participation was so great, many voters had to endure extraordinarily long lines to vote. Johnson said thats why she is filing legislation to expand early voting hours during general elections.
read more.State Capitol, Oklahoma City – The November elections that put Republicans in charge of the Oklahoma State Senate for the first time in state history will result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings for Oklahoma taxpayers, according to a preliminary estimate by the Senate’s staff.
read more.Senator Tom Adelson announced plans to file a bill to require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to allocate Disproportionate Share Hospital Dollars based on the percentage of each hospital's Medicaid and charity care burden relative to the total statewide costs of inpatient uncompensated care.
The DSH program is a federal program that allows individual states to allocate DSH funds to safety net hospitals providing uncompensated care to the uninsured, the underinsured and Medicaid enrollees.
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