Press Releases

State leaders have plenty to brag about on Oklahoma's economic development front, according to a new report by the State Senate staff. The study was compiled at the request of Senator Ted Fisher, chairman of the Senate Economic Development Committee and author of the Quality Jobs Act.

"Too often it seems like people ignore the many good things that are happening in Oklahoma and dwell on the negative. I just think that if we did a better job of promoting the attributes of our state, we'd have even better success on the economic development trail," said Senator Fisher.

Even though Oklahoma's state highway construction budget is at its highest level in state history, Oklahoma's road-building program has been plagued by innumerable delays that have thrown it far off schedule, according to an analysis by the State Senate staff.

The unexplained delays are causing problems throughout the state, but especially in the Tulsa area, according to State Senator Lewis Long.

Legislation establishing a special savings account for Oklahoma's tobacco settlement funds has been approved by the full State Senate. SB 1404 by Senator Stratton Taylor passed on a 45-1 vote Monday.

When it comes to putting teachers into the classroom, Oklahoma is doing a better job than almost every other state in the country, according to national statistics highlighted in a new Senate report.

"I think it's a very encouraging sign. It indicates that we're doing a great job of getting personnel into the classroom where they can do the most good," said Senator Cal Hobson, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

OKLAHOMA CITY - An international health organization has given Oklahoma the only "A" in the nation for the state's efforts to stop the spread of Hepatitis A. That's according to State Senator Kelly Haney, author of a 1997 bill requiring the vaccination for Oklahoma children.

Twenty state lawmakers are urging Governor Keating to retract his inaccurate criticism of Oklahoma college graduates and apologize for suggesting that a majority of them aren't competent enough to enter the working world.