State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he had serious concerns that one item on the Governor’s expanded special session call could waste millions of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the Owasso Republican questioned the second item of the amended call which asked lawmakers to consider funding for the Oklahoma Capitol Complex.

State Senators Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a workers’ compensation reform measure that will save Oklahoma businesses more than $110 million while protecting the rights of injured workers.
Final passage of the measure, which is endorsed by the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, is expected by the end of the week.

In a 39-7 vote, Senators sent Senate Bill 1X to the Oklahoma House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Republican leaders said today a “compromise” workers’ compensation bill represents a small step in the right direction, but it falls short of the landmark, “A+” bill that was called for at the beginning of the legislative session – leaving workers’ comp reform as a major issue heading into the 2006 elections.

Senator Kenneth Corn, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety, called on Governor Brad Henry to expand the special session to include funding priorities for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC).

“During the budget process my pleas to those at the negotiating table fell on deaf ears,” Corn said. “I am fearful that waiting any longer to address the issue of additional funding for DOC will seriously compromise the safety of Oklahoma communities and today I am asking the Governor for his help.”

OKLAHOMA CITY-Republicans in the House are turning their heads to the problems that come with credit card debt and bankruptcy by killing a bill being backed by the State Chamber of Commerce. Senate Bill 378 would have required students who graduate from an Oklahoma school to take one semester of Personal Financial Economics but was killed when Republican House leaders refused to hear the bill before sine die adjournment last Friday.

The State Senate has approved a bill to provide Oklahoma nursing homes with sex offender notifications. Principal Senate author of HB 1963, Sen. Debbe Leftwich said the measure will give greater peace of mind to nursing home residents and their families. In addition to providing nursing homes with notifications of individuals on the statewide sex offender registry, it also requires notification of those who are on the state’s violent offender registry.

Members of the State Senate Friday approved a pair of tax reduction bills that will save working families, veterans and retirees hundreds of dollars annually on their state income taxes.

Senate Bill 435 passed the Senate on a 40-7 vote. It contains provisions to raise the standard deduction – the single most effective method of lowering taxes on working families, said Senator Jay Paul Gumm, author of the measure.

The Oklahoma Senate passed two measures earlier this week to encourage the manufacturing of alternative fuels in the state. House Bill 1556, by Representative Mike Jackson and Senators David Myers and Patrick Anderson, and HB 1398, by Rep. James Covey and Sen. Owen Laughlin, both received unanimous approval from the Senate and are now waiting for further consideration from the Governor.

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said important work for the 2005 legislative session is “to be continued” in a special session.

“This has the potential to be a pretty good legislative session if we can pass a meaningful workers’ compensation reform bill during the special session,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“The biggest disappointment was the lack of action on lawsuit reform – one of the most important economic issues facing our state,” Coffee said.

Members of the State Senate voted Friday to fund an $11.4 million supplemental appropriation for public schools, Appropriations Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield said.

House passage will allow the money to be used to help schools off-set costs that have arisen over the last five years as a result of a $3,000 pay raise for all state teachers which became effective in 2000.