The Oklahoma State Senate has unveiled its next phase in the ongoing effort to create more openness in government through greater public access. Just weeks after unveiling its new webcast of the Senate Chamber, Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan announced that starting Monday, the media and the public would be able to watch and listen to Senate committee action via an additional webcam.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore) said today, Speaker Hiett needs to take his own party’s advice and “Fund Education First” rather than point his finger at the State Senate.

“We passed an historic education appropriations bill more than two weeks ago, two days before the ‘Fund Education First’ deadline, while the Speaker played politics and refused to sign on to an agreement that passed unanimously by both parties in the Senate,” Crutchfield said.

State Sen. Scott Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow, announced that a Republican workers’ compensation reform plan is estimated to reduce costs by three times as much as a competing proposal by Democrat Gov. Brad Henry.

Pruitt said that independent analyses released this week by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) estimates that the Henry plan would reduce costs by only
$20-$51 million. In comparison, NCCI estimates the GOP plan, authored by House Speaker Todd Hiett and Pruitt, would save three times as much – $70 to $158 million.

Gov. Brad Henry’ spokesperson is misrepresenting Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee’s position on Henry’s watered-down lawsuit reform bill.

Henry’s office erroneously claimed Thursday that Coffee had previously endorsed the legislative language contained in Senate Bill 914, which died in the Senate Thursday when Senate Democrat leaders did not bring it up for a vote because of bipartisan opposition to the bill.

Senator Kenneth Corn and Representative Terry Harrison say they are outraged at the reckless behavior of the Republican Leadership in the House who refused to give a bill a hearing in committee that would exempt all state income taxes paid on overtime wages.

“Oklahomans work countless hours of overtime each year only to see a huge chunk of those wages chipped away by taxes,” Corn said. “If Oklahomans are working longer hours away from their families they should be able to keep all wages they earn.”

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charlie Laster expressed disappointment Thursday that the Texas-plus tort reform measure proposed by Governor Henry last year was not considered by the full Senate this week.

He didn’t bring the bill up, he said, because it would not have passed.

“We couldn’t muster one Republican vote for the same bill they said last year was the answer to Oklahoma’s lawsuit reform needs,” Laster said. “We had almost every Democrat on board, but with a narrowly divided Senate, we needed at least a few Republican votes to pass the bill.

* Henry’s ‘My Way or Highway’ Approach Leads to Bill’s Demise

Senate Democrat leaders did not bring up Gov. Henry’s watered-down lawsuit reform package for a vote on the Senate floor Thursday after Henry and Democrat leaders could not produce enough Democrat senators to pass the partisan measure.

“The lack of a vote today on lawsuit reform is a failure of leadership on the part of Gov. Henry and the Senate Democrat leadership,” stated Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Workers compensation reforms proposed by Governor Brad Henry passed through the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday afternoon on a straight party-line vote.

With Democrats backing the Governor’s proposal and Republicans voting in opposition, Senate Bill 846 was approved on a 25-21 vote.

“This legislation will save money for Oklahoma businesses, protect the rights of injured workers and provide a boost to Oklahoma’s economy,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charlie Laster, author of the measure

Senator Jeff Rabon announced today that Senate Bill 702, which is also known as the Truth in Campaigning measure cleared another legislative approval with passage on the Senate floor. The legislation, which received bi-partisan support, will make it a misdemeanor for a candidate or individual to knowingly release untruthful information about an opponent during an election cycle.

Henry’s Plan Protects Attorneys from Real Reform at Expense of Doctors, Injured Workers

Senate Republicans unanimously voted against Gov. Brad Henry’s watered down workers’ compensation plan – Senate Bill 846 – in the Oklahoma State Senate Wednesday, charging that the bill penalizes physicians and injured workers in an effort to protect attorneys from meaningful reforms.