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Senate Republicans claim productive first 50 days
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Author: Bryan Smith
Date: 04/28/2009
(OK) Senate Republicans gathered for a press conference Tuesday to tout a productive first 50 legislative days since taking control of the Senate for the first time in Oklahoma history.
"Last November, Oklahoma voters decided that 101 years of one-party control was enough and gave Republicans the majority for the first time," said Senate Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb, of Edmond. "We promised reform of state government, and despite the sometimes clandestine and often over-the-top efforts of our opposition, we are experiencing great success in advancing our reform agenda."
Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, of Oklahoma City, laid out an exhaustive list of bills on a range of issues that have made it through both chambers, to a ballot initiative or to the governor.
"While we haven't been able to pass everything on our agenda yet, we have seen unprecedented success in bringing positive reforms for the people of Oklahoma to a public discussion at the very least, which was seldom afforded us in years past," Coffee said.
Coffee claimed victory on nine bills that had been signed by the governor, such as legislation to revoke pension benefits for state and county officers convicted of a crime, an expansion of teacher certification, protections for pregnant women, Oklahoma State University Medical Center funding and others, which had mostly been approved in bipartisan fashion. Included in that list are the following: Read More
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Tobacco committee adopts state plan, resolution opposing legislation
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Author: William W. Savage III
Date: 04/21/2009
(OK) Members of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt changes to the State Plan for Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation as well as a resolution opposing a resolution currently on the Senate agenda.
Oklahoma Health Department Chief of Staff Kevin Pipes filled in for the department's interim director and acted as chairman during Tuesday's meeting.
Pipes had strong words against a resolution he said would inhibit current progress being made on smoking cessation in the state.
HJR 1035, by Rep. John Enns, R-Waukomis, and Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, proposes a constitutional amendment modifying appropriation limitations from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund. It directs that 10 percent of the fund is to be expended by the Legislature on adult stem cell research. In the Senate, the section calling a November 2009 special election was removed.
"It's absolutely essential (…) to keep TSET from being bled off," Pipes said. "We're just beginning to see a little progress.
"It's not time to change the agenda quite yet. Maybe not for a few years." Read More
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State receives almost $90 million in tobacco funds
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Author: OAG
Date: 04/17/2009
(OK) Attorney General Drew Edmondson and State Treasurer Scott Meacham said Oklahoma has received almost $90 million from the tobacco industry, 75 percent of which went directly into the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund.
Meacham's office confirmed receipt of a wire transfer in the amount of $89,825,336.54 from the trustee of the tobacco settlement funds.
"November was the 10-year anniversary of the Master Settlement Agreement," Edmondson said. "We knew back then that the monies Oklahoma would receive from this settlement would help the state, and in this economic environment, these funds are even more beneficial. But, as important as the monetary aspect of the agreement is, the true measure of our work can be seen in the statistics that reflect a downward trend in smoking, especially among youth."
More than $67 million of the payment was deposited in Oklahoma's Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund, which now has a balance of more than $384 million. Read More
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