(Oklahoma City) Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson and House Speaker Todd Hiett announced Thursday an agreement on deadlines for the First Session of the 50th Oklahoma Legislature.

“These deadlines provide a framework for the exercise of democracy, in which critical issues are debated and decided by the people’s representatives. Oklahoma’s citizens can be confident that the new bi-partisan government will work,” said Hiett, R-Kellyville.

“If my particular bill were to be passed, I would sign it. I was serious about that effort last year." -- Gov. Brad Henry, discussing the possibility of future lawsuit reform legislation in The Journal Record, 12/02/2004.

State Capitol, Oklahoma City – New Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said he welcomes comments by Gov. Brad Henry that he would sign new lawsuit reform legislation in the next legislative session.

“It is very welcome news that Gov. Henry now seems willing to ignore his moratorium and support new lawsuit reform.

State Sen. Jim Reynolds will be on hand next week when a new permanent exhibit about the U.S.S. Oklahoma is dedicated at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The unveiling will be on December 6, 2004, the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

“About a million and a half people visit the museum every year. They know all about the Arizona, but there are too many people who don’t know that the U.S.S. Oklahoma sustained the second largest loss of life, with 429 men killed. This exhibit will finally help tell their story,” Reynolds said.

Churches, schools, fire departments, senior citizens groups and other non-profit organizations can once again use raffles for fundraising without fear of breaking the law according to Senator Frank Shurden, a Democrat from Henryetta.

“I’ve been working for years so that non-profit groups could use raffles for fundraising. The only way we could make raffles legal again was to tie the legislation to State Question 705, The Oklahoma Educational Lottery Act,” he said.

“I honestly believe that Speaker Draper was the most intelligent legislator that I ever had the pleasure to serve with in the Oklahoma Legislature. He understood the statutes better than anyone who has served in the House or the Senate in the 26 years that I’ve been here.

“He was a brilliant man and a very effective leader.

“When Dan Draper was Speaker there was no question who was running the House. At the same time I always found him to be extremely fair, informed and compassionate.”

While voters were agreeing last week to raise $150 million to invest in health care services in Oklahoma, the federal government was quietly slashing matching funds, which jeopardizes healthcare coverage for more than 100,000 Oklahomans, State Senator-elect Tom Adelson said Friday.

Adelson called on the state’s congressional delegation to intervene by demanding that the Department of Health and Human Services restore the state’s federal matching funds for Medicaid.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson announced Thursday that Senator Ted Fisher will serve a second term as Majority Floor Leader. Hobson also named the other Senate members who will make up his leadership team for the 50th Oklahoma Legislature.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson and Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan named chairpersons Friday for the seven Appropriations Subcommittees that will write the Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 state budgets in the 50th Oklahoma Legislature.

“In my opinion we’ve assembled an extremely talented team who will make sure that state government is providing critical services to the people of Oklahoma in an efficient and effective manner,” said Hobson, D-Lexington.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson announced the assignment of e chairpersons and vice chairpersons for standing committees for the 50th Oklahoma Legislature Friday.

With 15 new members, more incoming Senators will be called on to serve in committee leadership roles than ever before, Hobson said, and the role of senior members will be more important over the next two years than at any time in history.

All total 21 Senate committees and subcommittees will have new chairpersons when the Legislature convenes again in February.