Press Releases

Senator Charles Ford, Senator Penny Williams and Representative Betty Boyd are calling for the creation of a Tulsa Task Force on Higher Education that will examine the future of higher education in northeastern Oklahoma. The panel will present its findings to the State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Legislature.

The Tulsa Task Force will be designed to examine the unique needs and challenges that its area higher education system will face in the 21st Century.

Senator Lewis Long is calling on State Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau to reimburse the state for the cost of a minimum wage poster deemed improper by the State Attorney General today. Long also wants Reneau to apologize to the businesses and workers whom she forced to display the poster, and personally supervise the retraction and replacement of the poster.

A Legislative leader is urging Oklahoma business recruiters to take the advice of Knight Kiplinger to heart and use it to help attract new jobs to the state.

During a speech in Oklahoma City this week, the nationally-recognized business analyst downplayed Oklahoma's per capita income ranking, saying the state's low cost of living and high quality of life more than compensated for any perceived shortcomings in personal income. Kiplinger also lauded the state's steady "workhorse" economy and its low business costs.

In an effort to keep Oklahoma both economically and educationally competitive into the next century, a Senate leader is proposing a $199.7 million education investment and reform program that would finance teacher pay raises, technology improvements and college scholarships, among other things.

Oklahoma's new fiscal year is off to a good start, posting $55 million in growth during the first quarter, according to the latest revenue report from the Office of State Finance. That's a good sign for the Oklahoma economy and state policy makers, according to a Senate budget leader.

"It's just one more sign that the economic policies we enacted in the wake of the oil bust are working. In fact, they're not only working, they're doing better than anyone ever expected," said Senator Kelly Haney, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Citing recent advice from economic experts, a Senate leader is urging continued investment in education to boost Oklahoma's economic fortunes, particularly its personal income.

"Every time an economic expert analyzes our state, the advice is the same: Invest in education if you want your economic growth to continue and your personal income to rise. I for one am going to make sure we heed that advice, and put education at the top of the legislative agenda again," said Senator Darryl Roberts, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

Saying it could needlessly squander millions of taxpayers' dollars that would be better spent on new roads, a state lawmaker is calling for a massive highway bond issue to be recalled and declared invalid.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that this is a very bad deal for the people of Oklahoma. The way it's set up bond underwriters are going to make a lot of money at the expense of Oklahoma taxpayers," said Senator Dave Herbert.