Senate GOP Leader Grades Session ‘D’

Senate Republican Leader James A. Williamson gave the just-completed 2004 legislative session a grade of “D.”

“The 2004 legislative session is one of the worst examples of missed chances I have ever seen,” said Williamson, R-Tulsa.

“This session started with so many positive opportunities to create jobs and promote economic development. Instead, the governor’s program to raise taxes and expand gambling dominated the debate and our time. Even those issues were referred to a vote of the people instead of being dealt with directly by the Legislature,” he said.

“The refusal of Gov. Brad Henry and Democrat legislative leaders to consider workers comp reform, plus the passage of a meaningless lawsuit ‘reform’ bill, mean that Oklahoma’s economy will continue to struggle behind the rest of the nation,” Williamson said.

“Other than the passage of the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment – over the objections of the Democrat leadership – it is hard to find very much positive one can say about this legislative session,” Williamson concluded.