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A state senator said he was very surprised when he first heard Senate Democrat leaders taking credit for an increase in the state’s standard deduction, because for years Senate Democrats have blocked Republican efforts to raise the standard deduction for Oklahoma taxpayers.

“Senate Democrats killed my bill to increase the standard deduction during the 2006 regular legislative session, so I was surprised to hear them take credit for this issue in the historic tax cut agreement,” stated Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.
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State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson called a recently released report on high school graduation rates alarming. She said she is disappointed that State Superintendent Sandy Garrett has failed to explain to the public how high the drop-out rates in Oklahoma actually are and how this impacts the entire state.

The newly released report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center showed that Oklahoma does slightly better, with 71 percent of students graduating in 2002-2003, compared to a national rate of 69.6 percent.
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As legislative subcommittees put the final touches on the 2007 state budget, Sen. Debbe Leftwich wants to ensure retirees get a much needed cost-of-living increase. Leftwich is calling on fellow lawmakers to make sure retired state employees, teachers, police, firefighters and state law enforcement officers such as highway patrol troopers all get a cost-of-living increase.
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State Sen. Harry Coates says the new Disney and Pixar film “Cars” could be a real boon for tourism in Oklahoma. That’s because one of the main characters in the film is based on a constituent in his district and her Route 66 Rock Café in Stroud.

“I’ve known Dawn Welch for many years and she’s a huge promoter for Stroud, Route 66 and our entire state,” said Coates, R-Seminole. “It’s a windfall for all of Oklahoma that Disney and Pixar decided to make a movie about Route 66.”
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State Sen. Harry Coates says the new Disney and Pixar film “Cars” could be a real boon for tourism in Oklahoma. That’s because one of the main characters in the film is based on a constituent in his district and her Route 66 Rock Café in Stroud.

“I’ve known Dawn Welch for many years and she’s a huge promoter for Stroud, Route 66 and our entire state,” said Coates, R-Seminole. “It’s a windfall for all of Oklahoma that Disney and Pixar decided to make a movie about Route 66.”
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Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said Friday that the tax cut and budget framework agreed to by state leaders is an historic victory for working and middle class families in Oklahoma.

The agreement includes raising the Oklahoma standard deduction to the level of the federal standard deduction over the next four years – a provision that will historically and dramatically change the tax structure in Oklahoma.
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Assistant Majority Leader State Sen. Gilmer Capps said Oklahoma's aerospace industry took a major step forward Tuesday with the approval of an operator's license for the Oklahoma Spaceport in Burns Flat.

It creates the first inland spaceport in the nation and allows the Oklahoma Spaceport/Clinton-Sherman Airport to serve as a site for the launch and recovery of sub-orbital reusable space vehicles.