OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma State Senate will vote on a bill Monday that would slash the cost of tags for Oklahoma vehicles. That's according to Senator Jim Maddox, Senate author of HB 2663.

"I've requested a floor vote for this Monday, April 17th on HB 2663. We've been getting great feedback from Oklahomans about this bill. They're anxious for the Governor to sign it into law so they can begin enjoying much cheaper tags," said Senator Maddox.

Legislation approved by the State Senate Monday would slash the annual tag fees paid by Oklahoma motorists, charging them a flat fee of $15, $45 or $85 depending on the age of their vehicle. If approved by the full Legislature and the Governor, the measure will also give Oklahoma some of the lowest tag and excise fees in the region --lower than Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.

HB 2663 by Senator Jim Maddox passed the State Senate on a 37-11 vote. It now goes to conference committee where final details will be ironed out.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor, Senate President Pro Tempore

A tag reduction bill advocated by Governor Keating and Republican legislators would hit education hardest, delivering an annual cut ranging from $76 million to $84 million to public school budgets, according to a Senate budget leader who is advocating a more responsible tag cut. The Governor and minority party members are pushing a tag bill that would cut $139 million out of the state budget pie, the largest slice of which is reserved for education.

The State Corporation Commission was simply trying to protect its "political turf," not Oklahoma consumers, when it issued a report citing objections to an electric deregulation bill earlier this week, according to the Senate author of deregulation bill.

Oklahomans would already be enjoying low tag prices comparable to those in Virginia if Governor Keating had not vetoed a car tag bill last year in an effort to use the issue in this year's elections, according to a State Senate leader.

Senator Cal Hobson was responding to comments made by Governor Keating and Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore at the State Republican Party Convention in Oklahoma City Saturday.

Twenty state lawmakers are urging Governor Keating to retract his inaccurate criticism of Oklahoma college graduates and apologize for suggesting that a majority of them aren't competent enough to enter the working world.

When it comes to putting teachers into the classroom, Oklahoma is doing a better job than almost every other state in the country, according to national statistics highlighted in a new Senate report.

"I think it's a very encouraging sign. It indicates that we're doing a great job of getting personnel into the classroom where they can do the most good," said Senator Cal Hobson, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

OKLAHOMA CITY - An international health organization has given Oklahoma the only "A" in the nation for the state's efforts to stop the spread of Hepatitis A. That's according to State Senator Kelly Haney, author of a 1997 bill requiring the vaccination for Oklahoma children.

Legislation establishing a special savings account for Oklahoma's tobacco settlement funds has been approved by the full State Senate. SB 1404 by Senator Stratton Taylor passed on a 45-1 vote Monday.