In order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities, this site has been designed with accessibility in mind. Click here to view

back to press releases

Senate Leaders Approve Legislative Studies

The leaders of the Oklahoma State Senate announced their approval today of 35 interim legislative studies on issues ranging from Oklahomas graduation dropout rates to accountability measures at the Department of Human Services.

The study requests were approved by Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and Co-President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, who share the responsibility of running the evenly-divided Senate.

The leaders said each study will be assigned to the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in the request.

Interim studies offer a unique opportunity for legislators to take an in-depth look at an issue in a manner that is almost impossible within the Constitutional constraints of the legislative session, said Morgan.

Coffee stated, These studies provide legislators an opportunity to extensively study an issue or a problem, and then develop ideas for legislation to address it. Interim studies are a critical part of the legislative process in Oklahoma.

APPROVED SENATE INTERIM STUDIES INCLUDE:

1 - SUBJECT: Tobacco Tax Enforcement

REQUESTED BY: Senator Patrick Anderson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Finance

2 - SUBJECT: Graduation and drop out rates; GED requirements and rules; Thunderbird Youth Academy

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Education

3 - SUBJECT: Academic Performance Index

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Education

4 - SUBJECT: Weighted students, at risk students, and the proportion of funding schools receive

REQUESTED BY: Senator Judy Eason-McIntyre

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Education

5 - SUBJECT: Retructuring of Department of Human Services to include a Department of Aging

REQUESTED BY: Senator Debbe Leftwich

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

6 - SUBJECT: Department of Human Services review to explore and determine appropriate accountability measures and to examine the feasibility of mandatory show cause hearings

REQUESTED BY: Senator Debbe Leftwich

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

7 - SUBJECT: Review of Williams Company Employee Recruitment Incentives

REQUESTED BY: Senator Tom Adelson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Finance Committee

8 - SUBJECT: Department of Human Services Children First Program and Oklahoma Child Abuse Prevention Fund

REQUESTED BY: Senator Tom Adelson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

9 - SUBJECT: Hormone herbicides

REQUESTED BY: Senator Mike Schulz

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Agriculture and Rural Development

10 - SUBJECT: Eye care in the state of Oklahoma

REQUESTED BY: Senators Branan, Bass, Brogdon, Nichols, Rice and Sparks

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Business and Labor

11 - SUBJECT: Study of health care providers (other than M.D.s and D.O.S) who perform invasive procedures and the impact this has on the delivery of health in Oklahoma

REQUESTED BY: Senator Brian Bingman

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Business and Labor

12 - SUBJECT: Study of the construction management delivery system in the state, and the cost/benefit of construction management delivery versus design/bid/build delivery.

REQUESTED BY: Senator Harry Coates

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Pending

13 - SUBJECT: Certification process for homes, motel rooms, and structures used as a meth lab to be occupied again

REQUESTED BY: Senators Ballenger and Barrington

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Public Safety and Homeland Security

14 - SUBJECT: Current state of oil and gas reserves in Oklahoma and the economic impact that depleting reserves may have on future state budgets.

REQUESTED BY: Senator Patrick Anderson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Energy and Environment

15 - SUBJECT: Funding mechanism for Extension Services

REQUESTED BY: Senator Jeff Rabon

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

16 - SUBJECT: Water usage and availability

REQUESTED BY: Senator Jeff Rabon

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Energy and Environment

17 - SUBJECT: Health care industry's billing and collection practices

REQUESTED BY: Senator Jim Wilson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

18 - SUBJECT: Oklahoma's legal process for dealing with child welfare matters that involve needy children.

REQUESTED BY: Senator Patrick Anderson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

19 - SUBJECT: ATV safety issues

REQUESTED BY: Senator David Myers

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Public Safety and Homeland Security

20 - SUBJECT: Problems faced by HIV/AIDS patients accessing medical care and the increase of HIV/AIDS among certain demographics in Oklahoma

REQUESTED BY: Senator Judy Eason-McIntyre

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

21 - SUBJECT: Review of procedures, efficiency, and collections at DHS Child Support Division.

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Health and Human Resources

&nbp;

22 - SUBJECT: Review of the higher education funding formula as it relates to two year and regional institutions

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

23 - SUBJECT: Review of gross production revenues averages, expenditures and future trends

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Finance

24 - SUBJECT: Transportation funding; creating a lock box for gasoline taxes

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Transportation

25 - SUBJECT: Funding for Skills Centers; number of programs and effectiveness on recidivism rates

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

26 - SUBJECT: Funding for the office of Juvenile Affairs for preventative and penal programs

REQUESTED BY: Senator Kenneth Corn

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

27 - SUBJECT: Management of surface and ground water systems and how to increase the water supply

REQUESTED BY: Senator Susan Paddack

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Energy and Environment

28 - SUBJECT: Higher Education funding formula with respect to institutional peer groupings

REQUESTED BY: Senator Susan Paddack

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

29 - SUBJECT: Process for small towns and cities to hire part time city managers

REQUESTED BY: Senator Brian Bingman

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: General Government

30 - SUBJECT: Whitetail Deer and Elk industry in Oklahoma

REQUESTED BY: Senator John Sparks

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Wildlife and Tourism

31 - SUBJECT: Environmental laws as they affect construction permitted during building of state projects

REQUESTED BY: Senator Sean Burrage

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Energy and Environment

32 - SUBJECT: Funding options for the OSU Division of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Services and Experiment Stations

REQUESTED BY: Senator Ron Justice

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Appropriations

33 - SUBJECT: Review the constitutional and statutory requirements for serving on the Oklahoma State Board of Regents for the Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges

REQUESTED BY: Senator Patrick Anderson

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Education

34 - SUBJECT: Balanced energy use

REQUESTED BY: Senator David Myers

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Energy and Environment

35 - SUBJECT: Insurance premium reform

REQUESTED BY: Senator Charles Laster

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT: Retirement and Insurance

Contact info
Contact for Senator Coffee: Paul Ziriax (405) 521-5654 ziriax@oksenate.gov Contact for Senator Morgan: Robin Maxey (405) 521-5605