(Oklahoma City) Legislative leaders are preparing to appoint a special task force to examine security issues in Oklahoma, namely the state's ability to protect its citizens from a terrorist attack.

Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor and House Speaker Larry Adair announced the creation of the Joint Homeland Security Task Force today, saying the panel would be charged with assessing Oklahoma's level of vulnerability and its ability to respond to such a crisis.

A special interim task force on children's health issues is looking at the potential health risks facing overweight youth in Oklahoma, and at possible ways to fight that trend. That's according to Senator Bernest Cain, who along with Representative Darrell Gilbert authored SB 708 creating the task force.

Because legislative leaders and Governor Keating have not been able to reach an agreement on legislation that would fix problems with the Multiple Injury Trust Fund, state lawmakers will not be returning for a special session on Friday, September 7th as scheduled, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor.

Senator Bernest Cain, Chairman of the Senate Human Resources Committee has announced that a series of town meetings will be held throughout Oklahoma to discuss the impact of the Olmstead v. L.C. decision. The U.S. Supreme Court decision requires state Medicaid agencies to provide services to persons with disabilities in the community in "the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs."

Ralph Rouse, Regional Manager of Region VI, Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services will speak at each of the six public meetings.

A special task force on electric restructuring will hold its second meeting in Lawton on Wednesday, September 19th.

State Senator Kevin Easley, chairman of the Electric Restructuring Advisory Committee, said the panel is in the process of touring the state, gathering information and seeking public input on how Oklahoma should proceed with the complicated issue.

(Oklahoma City) State lawmakers will return to the State Capitol on October 2nd to reconvene an ongoing special session of the Oklahoma Legislature, according to an announcement today from House Speaker Larry Adair and Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor.

The two legislative leaders said that they plan to use the meeting to address problems with the Multiple Injury Trust Fund and other pressing items on the special session agenda. The MITF, a special account that makes payments to disabled workers, is scheduled to run out of money in October.

Two controversial state contracts should not be renewed when they come up for review in late September and early October, according to a state legislator who has been critical of the contract expenditures.

Senator Larry Dickerson said he came to that conclusion after reviewing expense reports filed by Mary Myrick and her public relations firm Public Strategies. Myrick, a longtime political consultant, has come under fire in the past year for her handling of contract work related to Governor Keating's Marriage Initiative and his Safe and Drug Free Schools program.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Kelly Haney said legislators and other state leaders must put a greater focus on the need to increase access to quality health care throughout Oklahoma. On Friday he addressed a meeting of healthcare providers, physicians, public officials and others during the 2001 Health Care Symposium held in Oklahoma City on September 27th and 28th at the Hilton Inn Northwest.

If Oklahoma's economy continues to produce growth revenue next fiscal year, the bulk of new funds should be set aside to meet needs in the state's public school system, according to two key state lawmakers who oversee public school legislation.

Senator Penny Williams and Senator Cal Hobson said they want to stake an early claim for education funding so that there is no confusion about fiscal priorities when initial budget estimates are made later this year.

Support from the Oklahoma Congressional delegation has brought the planned Native American Cultural Center and Museum a giant step closer to reality. That's according to State Senator Kelly Haney, who has been working on funding for the center since 1994.