Press Releases

Oklahoma is poised to create the nation’s top research and treatment center for diabetes. That’s according to OU President David Boren who addressed the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of Senate Bill 1056. The measure, co-authored by Sen. Cal Hobson and Sen. Glenn Coffee would help fund the start up cost for creating two facilities based on the OU campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The committee gave its unanimous support to the measure.
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich, chair of the Senate Business and Labor Committee, wants more county officials to be part of the budget making process for county budgets.

Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City) filed Senate Bill 1576 known as the “The County Budget Act” which modifies the way a county determines or chooses to be part of the county budget board process.

This bill would expand the number of budget board members to include both county commissioners and other elected county officers.

The family of Caitlin Wooten asked a Senate panel today for support of The Caitlin Wooten Act. Shortly after hearing testimony from Donna Wooten, Caitlin’s mother, Senate Bill 1037 was approved by a unanimous vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Paddack, an Ada Democrat and author of the measure, said the law seeks to protect Oklahoma families and communities from senseless acts of violence.
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Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee made the following statement regarding Senate Bill 1874, the so-called “Lawsuit Responsibility Act.” The bill is authored by Sen. Charles Laster, the Shawnee Democrat lawyer who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday approved a measure that will reduce the cost of litigation and further reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits in Oklahoma. By an 8-0 vote, the committee voted to send the Lawsuit Responsibility Act to the full Senate for consideration.

Judiciary Chairman Charles Laster said Senate Bill 1784 would address the issue of frivolous lawsuits “on the front end of a case by giving judges more authority to dismiss cases deemed to be frivolous.”
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- Republican senator seeks committee hearing on his bill to reduce income tax on low income Oklahomans

By a 7 to 6 vote, Republicans on the Senate’s Finance Committee defeated an effort by Senate Democrats to expand a welfare-style program.

Senate Bill 1821, by Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, would have doubled the state’s Earned Income Credit, a welfare-style program that provides income tax “refunds” to some individuals even when they pay very little or no income taxes.

State Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson has won committee approval for Senate Bill 1089. The Senate Finance Committee approved the legislation on Tuesday. SB 1089 would ban the sale of lottery tickets at pawn shops, payday lenders and check-cashing businesses.
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A bill to pay millions to Oklahoma counties owed them because of Ad Valorem reimbursement obligations has won approval by the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Jeff Rabon is author of Senate Bill 1774. He has long advocated ensuring the reimbursement fund has adequate resources and said he was gratified by Tuesday’s committee vote. The fund was created to reimburse counties for lost property tax revenue due to Ad Valorem breaks and double homestead exemptions.
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich said the Senate has given its final approval to the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act. The measure would provide incentive payments to “at risk” manufacturing companies in an effort to keep those facilities in the state.

“The bottom line is saving Oklahoma jobs. We need to make sure that the economic advantages of keeping those facilities and jobs in our state are enough to keep us in the game. The incentives offered in House Bill 1619 can give us the edge we need,” said Leftwich, D-OKC.

The full Senate will soon vote on a measure to give neighborhoods across the state greater protection from rapists and child molesters. Sen. Glenn Coffee is author of Senate Bill 1754, which would create the Neighborhood Protection Against Sex Offenders Act. The bill won approval in the Senate Business and Labor Committee on Monday.
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Bills Author Says Merit Pay Plan Promotes Greater Accountability in Oklahoma Classrooms

“Sadly, Senator Wilcoxson is misrepresenting what happened in the Education Committee today.

“The Senate Education Committee voted to pass a plan that would increase incentives for teachers to become national board certified as well as increase incentives for teachers to become mentors to less experienced teachers in Oklahoma classrooms.
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State Senator Mary Easley (D-Tulsa), vice-chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee said she was pleased that her funeral picketing bill was approved by the full Senate on Monday.

Senate Bill 1020, known as the “Oklahoma Funeral Picketing Act” would make it a misdemeanor to picket within 500 feet of a cemetery, mortuary or church from one hour before the scheduled commencement of funeral services until one hour after the actual completion of the funeral services.

The House co-author is Rep. Wade Rousselot (D- Waggoner).
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State Sen. Debbe Leftwich is continuing her push to create a Department of Aging to help older Oklahomans cut through red tape and bureaucracy for much needed services. Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, is author of SB 809, which she initially introduced in the 2005 session. Leftwich said she is hopeful that 2006 will be the year Oklahoma seniors get the kind of streamlined services they’ve been requesting for years.

On Monday the Senate Education Committee adopted a Republican senator’s proposal to provide some Oklahoma public school teachers a pay increase of up to $10,000.

The amendment authored by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, would provide a $10,000 pay increase for teachers with a doctoral degree; a $5,000 pay increase for teachers with a master’s degree; and a $3,000 pay increase for teachers with a bachelor’s degree. The original proposal by Senate Democrats was for a flat $3,000 pay hike for all teachers.

In a party line vote Monday, Senate Democrats blocked a Republican senator’s proposal to reward teachers who earn a National Teacher Certification status and act as mentors to other teachers.

The amendment, authored by Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Moore, would have provided $10,000 national teacher certification bonuses each year for nationally certified teachers who act as a mentor to at-risk teachers and participate in performance evaluation research.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich, chair of the Senate Business and Labor Committee is sponsoring a bill aimed at amending the state’s lineal estate tax law to include collateral heirs.

Senate Bill 1391 would modify the current law and allow collateral heirs to have the same exemptions that lineal heirs have.

Under current law, lineal heirs have an exemption of up to $1 million on estate taxes, but there is no exemption for collateral heirs.

Sen. Daisy Lawler said she was very pleased that her Farm-to-School legislation had passed its first challenge in the legislative process. Senate Bill 1515 won approval by the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services this week and will next be heard by the full Appropriations Committee.
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- Sen. Leftwich’s proposal ‘nibbles around the edges’

State Sen. Owen Laughlin, Assistant Republican Floor Leader, said Friday that Oklahoma’s death tax needs to be fully eliminated, and said a proposal by Senate Democrats to amend the death tax law is inadequate.

State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson is touting legislation she says could generate an additional $2 million a year in savings for college. Wilcoxson’s measure, Senate Bill 1307, would offer employers a tax credit for contributing to an employee’s savings account. She said the idea behind the bill, was to help more Oklahomans earn college degrees.
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