On Wednesday, Republican budget leaders outlined a number of concerns with Governor Brad Henry’s FY 2008 budget. Below is a summary of the problems described by Senate Appropriations Co-Chairman Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, and House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Ken Miller.

EXTENDING THE SCHOOL YEAR: The governor proposed extending the school year by 5 days in his State of the State of address, but he did not include the $90 million that Superintendent Sandy Garrett requested to extend the school year.

The Oklahoma State Senate unanimously passed a concurrent resolution Tuesday denouncing the state’s racial segregationist past and called for the Senate to begin Oklahoma’s second century free from all racial bias or prejudice and declared its intention to remain so during all future operations.

One of the first Senate votes for the 2008 Legislative Session honored President Ronald Reagan and declared February 6, 2008 “Ronald Reagan Day,” in Oklahoma.

Co-Chair Mazzei Discusses Legislation to ‘Sunset’ Most Tax Incentives, Proposes Criteria for Future Tax Breaks

The State Senate Finance Committee began a review of Oklahoma’s tax incentives on Tuesday, hearing testimony from Dr. James Wilbanks, chairman of the state Incentive Review Committee.

Wilbanks discussed his committee’s work, and their proposed criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of tax incentives.

Finance Committee Co-Chairman Mike Mazzei said he wants the tax incentive review to be a bipartisan effort.

State Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, commented on Gov. Brad Henry’s 2008 State of the State Address.

“With our state and nation facing so many critical challenges, I believe the people of Oklahoma were hoping to hear more of a vision for change and innovation from Governor Henry. Instead, much of what the governor discussed were repackaged old proposals, and he didn’t even mention many important issues facing our state.

“Governor Henry provided an inspirational state of the state address today calling on the Legislature to invest in the future of our state and continue the progress we have made over the course of the last 100 years.

“His agenda to keep Oklahoma growing during its second century of statehood provides all Oklahomans an opportunity to have a brighter future and demands responsibility from each of us.

“I look forward to working with the Governor and members of the entire Oklahoma Legislature to find common ground on issues important to the great people of our state.”

State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC) today praised the life and work of former Democratic State Representative Opio Toure, who died this morning after a long battle with a chronic lung condition.

“We are all saddened today by the loss of our good friend, Representative Toure, who was a consummate champion for social rights in Oklahoma,” Rice said. “He will be remembered as someone who fiercely represented the needs of the people he represented in Oklahoma City. Today, we will honor and commend his service to the people of Oklahoma.”

A recent ranking by a gun control group gives a timely boost to an effort to attract firearms manufacturers to Oklahoma, according to the lawmaker who initiated the endeavor.

Last Thursday, the Brady Campaign – a group that advocates gun control measures – said Oklahoma was tied with Kentucky having the fewest gun control “points” in a national study. Out of a possible 100 points, the two states scored a two.

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Monday that allows students with disabilities to receive an automatic special education transfer after they have been granted school transfers for three consecutive years. The transfer will become permanent and automatically renew each year.

House Bill 2518, authored by State Senator Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, and Rep. Ben Sherrer, D-Chouteau, now goes to the full Senate for approval.

The State Senate unanimously passed a mining bill on Monday that prevents the needless waste of municipalities’ time and resources in the process of reconsidering mining permits.

Senator Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, authored Senate Bill 706 that allows municipalities the right to limit consideration of certain mining requests. SB 706 helps ensure that city resources are not wasted by reviewing the same application over and over again after it has already been denied.