Even though Oklahoma's state highway construction budget is at its highest level in state history, Oklahoma's road-building program has been plagued by innumerable delays that have thrown it far off schedule, according to an analysis by the State Senate staff.

The unexplained delays are causing problems throughout the state, but especially in the Tulsa area, according to State Senator Lewis Long.

State leaders have plenty to brag about on Oklahoma's economic development front, according to a new report by the State Senate staff. The study was compiled at the request of Senator Ted Fisher, chairman of the Senate Economic Development Committee and author of the Quality Jobs Act.

"Too often it seems like people ignore the many good things that are happening in Oklahoma and dwell on the negative. I just think that if we did a better job of promoting the attributes of our state, we'd have even better success on the economic development trail," said Senator Fisher.

The State Senate will fight a lawsuit designed to derail mandated payments to injured workers and halt insurance refunds to thousands of Oklahoma businesses, according to Senator Brad Henry.

Henry was the author of SB 680, a law approved last year by the Legislature and Governor Keating that would bail out the Special Indemnity Fund and order a refund to State Insurance Fund customers.

Governor Keating should force his road-building czar to give Tulsans the straight story about road construction delays in their city, instead of offering misleading excuses, according to a state lawmaker who has questioned the Keating administration's commitment to highway improvements in the Oklahoma's second largest metro area.

Senator Lewis Long said the excuses recited by Secretary of Transportation Neal McCaleb at a Tulsa news conference last week didn't fool anyone.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A bill that would represent the most dramatic reform of the state's workers' compensation system has cleared another hurdle, winning approval of the full Senate. That's according to Senate author Scott Pruitt, author of SB 1606.

"Basically, SB 1606 would change Oklahoma from an adversarial court system to an administrative system that would result in lower costs for businesses and quicker settlements for injured workers," said Senator Pruitt.

The State Senate has taken court action to preserve an insurance rebate that would reward thousands of Oklahoma businesses and pay off approximately 6,000 injured workers in the process.

All Oklahomans will be able to hold their HMOs legally responsible for health care decisions under patients' rights legislation approved by the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday.

SB 1206 by Senator Brad Henry would allow members to sue their HMO if it improperly denied them necessary medical treatment ordered by their treating physician or made other health care decisions that were found to be detrimental to them. The measure easily passed the Senate 41-4 with bipartisan support.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor,
Senate President Pro Tempore

OKLAHOMA CITY - A painting by Oklahoma artist R.T. Foster will be unveiled at the State Capitol Monday. The work portrays the sooner state's highest scoring fighter pilot of World War II. That's according to Senator Charles Ford of Tulsa, President of the Oklahoma Historical Preservation Fund, Inc.

The painting will be dedicated during a ceremony in the Senate Chambers on Monday, March 20, at 1:45 p.m.

Statement by Senator Stratton Taylor, Senate President Pro Tempore

"Dick Rush and the Chamber know how the legislative process works. When a bill is defeated in committee, it is dead for the session. Their performance has more to do with politics than anything else."