“I am thankful for the leadership Governor Henry has displayed by expanding the special session to include funding priorities for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC).
“On Tuesday I asked the Governor for his help on this matter because I was fearful that waiting any longer to address the issue of additional funding for DOC would seriously compromise the safety of Oklahoma communities.
“After the successful passage of a meaningful workers’ compensation bill this week, I believe the Legislature is now ready to roll up our sleeves and find a way to responsibly fund public safety in Oklahoma.
“In a year where we are making a record deposit into the Rainy Day Fund and responsibly putting more money back into the pockets of working families, we should demand the same responsible funding for public safety.
“The safety of our citizens is simply too important for us to continue to ignore the public safety funding problem.
“Making tomorrow better for our children means keeping them safe so they can realize the full promise Oklahoma has to offer.”