Press Releases

“Governor Henry is right. We have tremendous transportation infrastructure needs in Oklahoma. I applaud his willingness to devote additional growth revenue in the next fiscal year to transportation issues, including the Heartland Flyer, but I think we need to do more.
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The $500 million Higher Education Bond Issue cleared another legislative hurdle today, passing out of the Appropriations Committee with a bi-partisan unanimous 46-0 vote.

“Today’s vote puts us a step closer to making a critical investment in education that will make a better tomorrow for our children,” Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan said. “We anticipate a vote on the Senate Floor as early as next week.”

Morgan, D-Stillwater, said swift action is needed on the bill in order to save money on low interest rates and avoid rising construction costs.
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A bill to expand a prescription assistance program has cleared the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services, Senator Susan Paddack, author of the measure said.
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, and Representative Rebecca Hamilton, D-OKC, have co-authored legislation to give families more peace of mind when looking at nursing homes for loved ones.

Sen. Leftwich is principal author of Senate Bill 870. Her legislation would require local law enforcement officials to provide nursing homes with copies of the state’s sex offender registry. Those facilities would then be required to display the list in an area accessible to residents, employees and visitors.
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Fighting for the rights of the 703,000 Oklahomans who are without health insurance, Senator Tom Adelson won passage of a bill requiring hospitals to extend discounts for certain income eligible patients. Under the “Hospital Discount for Qualified Self-Pay Patients Act,” a family of four at or below 400% of the federal poverty level will not be charged more than the insured population for their hospital care.

Senate Leaders Friday pledged once again to fully fund the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program and said that they are insulted by suggestions that the program is floundering.

“No qualifying student has ever been turned down for an OHLAP scholarship and no qualified student ever will be,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater. “My commitment and the commitment of Senate Leadership to this vital program has been unwavering from its inception and we remain committed to expanding the opportunity for higher education to even more Oklahoma students.”

A $500 million Higher Education Bond Issue cleared its first legislative hurdle today, passing out of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Senator Johnnie Crutchfield, chairman of the committee said.

“Today we accomplished the first step in passing the biggest economic development program Oklahoma has seen in more than a decade.” Crutchfield, a Democrat from Ardmore said. “Our goal is to get this bill through the Senate and over to the House for action as quickly as possible.”
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Coffee: Votes Show Dems Don’t Trust Henry’s Lottery Predictions

Senate Democrats on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education defeated a pair of GOP amendments that would have provided a back-up funding source for the proposed $500 million higher education bond issue.

Thursday, Senator Daisy Lawler toured the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Laboratory in Oklahoma City and was not pleased at the conditions of the lab. The Chairman of Senate Agriculture Committee, Lawler, (D-Comanche) was on site to demonstrate the agency’s need for a new lab facility after filing legislation to build a new laboratory in Oklahoma City and expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
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At a news conference Wednesday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, a group of Republican state senators pledged to fight any effort at the Oklahoma Legislature to force the consolidation of rural school districts.

“If forced consolidation is attempted by this Legislature, I predict that you will see widespread opposition by the Senate Republican Caucus – and not just by rural members,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, Assistant Republican Floor Leader in the Oklahoma State Senate. “I think you will see many urban and suburban Republicans joining us to stop it.”

The tax cut package sponsored by Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday (Feb. 8).

The Helping Oklahomans Prosper Economically Plan – or HOPE – is contained in Senate Bill 958 by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant. The Senate Finance Committee approved the measure Tuesday on a bipartisan vote.

Gumm, Senate assistant majority leader and chair of the Finance Committee, said the bill would lower taxes on working families, attract new jobs to the state, and protect Oklahomans’ investment in critical programs.
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Saying the ranks of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will be greatly depleted by retirements over the next 18 months, Senator Kenneth Corn called Tuesday for funding back-to-back Highway Patrol Academies in Fiscal Year 2006.

“It’s a matter of safety. We need to be ready by June of next year to put 100 new troopers into the field to ensure the safety of Oklahoma families. Since the last academy in 2002, we’ve had 40 troopers retire, resign or be killed in the line of duty. Over the next year and half we will lose as many as 60 more troopers to retirement,” said Corn, D-Poteau. read more.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Ted Fisher
“We heard today, for the third straight year, from a governor who believes in Oklahoma. We agree with him. Oklahoma is a great place to live, work and raise a family and we are proud to join Governor Henry as we build on the great strides we have made in the last two years.
“Supporting our teachers, our students, our men and women in the military, small business and working families remain at the center of the governor’s agenda and our agenda because we believe it is truly an agenda for Oklahoma.”

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City made the following statement following the State of the State address by Gov. Brad Henry:

“Senate Republicans are pleased to hear that Gov. Henry has adopted so many longtime Republican proposals – from workers’ comp reform to tax relief to rigorous standards and accountability in our public schools. We are also pleased to hear his acknowledgement that real lawsuit reform is still needed in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Senate adopted a resolution Monday honoring one of America's favorite sons and the 40th President of the United States, President Ronald Wilson Reagan.

The passage of Senate Resolution 2 was one of the first orders of business for the Senate on the opening day of the 50th Legislative Session. The resolution authored by Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee designates February 6 to February 12, 2005 as "Ronald Reagan Week" in the state of Oklahoma.
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The Oklahoma State Senate is once again leading the way in utilizing the latest technology for more open government and better public service. President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson has announced the Senate is now officially Oklahoma’s newest wireless internet hot-spot.

“We’re very excited about this latest innovation. It means that visitors to the Senate will be able to have full internet access through their wireless laptop computers. They’ll be able to access legislation, streaming and digital audio, web-based email and more,” Hobson said.

Senator Nancy Riley has once again filed legislation that will increase the amount an individual serving in the Armed Forces can take as an income tax deduction.

Under current law, the $1,500 of the salary an individual receives from any component of the military may be taken as an income tax deduction. Provisions of Senate Bill 46 would increase the tax deduction amount to $3,000, if the bill passes the legislative hurdles during the upcoming session.
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Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson

“First, I want to put an end to the spread of false information. I never agreed to a moratorium on further lawsuit reform last year and I was never asked to sign any such agreement. I have said repeatedly that in the coming session Oklahoma will become the first state in the country to address lawsuit reform for the third consecutive year

“We can still improve our system of civil justice, in particular, by focusing on the repeat offenders in both the medical and legal communities.
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Statement by Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan

“Governor Henry’s proposal does more than just continue the advancements we made last year when we fully funded health insurance premiums for our teachers and agreed to increase their salaries to the regional average.
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A veteran State Senator has introduced legislation to reform the way Oklahoma purchases, manages and disposes of state-owned vehicles.

Citing a November 2004 report by the State Auditor and Inspector which said the state could save more than $20 million on vehicle costs over the next 10 years if authority over state-owned vehicles was centralized, State Senate Frank Shurden has introduced the “Fleet Management Reform Act.”
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