Around the State

Oklahoma House of Representatives, March 19, 2007
"House leaders highlight conservative accomplishments in bipartisan budget agreement"
With the announcement of a historic bipartisan state budget agreement, House GOP leaders highlighted key portions of the accord that will speed up tax relief for working families – providing $90.5 million in tax cuts over the next two years. The agreement meets the April 1 Fund Education First deadline for the first time, and also represents one of the earliest agreements in history on funding for a comprehensive state budget.
Speaker Lance Cargill also pointed to the fiscally-restrained limits of the agreement: more than half the state agencies included in the general appropriations portion of the agreement will receive a less than one percent increase, and other agencies will receive less than two percent increases. Only vital state services – such as education, public safety and transportation – will receive a more than two percent increase.
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Oklahoma State Senate, March 20, 2007
"GOP leaders praise Oklahoma Senate's unanimous passage of 'historic' budget bill"
Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and Appropriations Committee Co-Chairman Mike Johnson praised the unanimous passage by the Oklahoma Senate of HB 1234, a general appropriations bill, on Tuesday.
“The Legislature has a constitutional duty to appropriate money, and we have worked very hard to develop this carefully balanced, bipartisan budget agreement. When Gov. Henry returns from his Spring Break vacation, we are confident he will like what he sees in this historic agreement,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.
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Daily Oklahoman, March 21, 2007
"Governor suggests line-item veto after House passes budget"
Gov. Brad Henry suggested he may use his veto pen on much of a $6.9 billion general appropriations bill that was passed by the Oklahoma House Wednesday, one day after the bill was unanimously approved in the state Senate.
"I will not hesitate to use my line-item veto authority where it is necessary to protect taxpayers' interests," Henry said in a statement after the House passed the measure in a bipartisan 84-16 vote and sent it to the governor for his signature.
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Tulsa World, March 22, 2007
"Business Viewpoint: Oklahoma nanotechnology attracting national attention"
By Thomas Kupiec
Nanotechnology may be a vague, futuristic concept to some people. To me, it's very real. It's very important. And it's very today.
As a member of Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative Advisory Board, I know that nanotechnology is already having an impact on many products -- from prosthetics to clothing to sports gear to medical treatments and diagnosis.
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Oklahoma State Senate, March 20, 2007
"Senate committee approves bill to change statute of limitations"
The Senate Judiciary Committee has given approval to a measure to ensure the statute of limitations on “accessory” crimes is the same as in the substantive crime in a particular case. Sen. Charles Wyrick, D-Fairland, is Senate author of House Bill 1285. Wyrick explained the bill came as the result of the murder of a baby in his district.
“At the time there was no evidence that could be used to prove the baby was murdered, but years later the mother confessed and her boyfriend confessed he’d lied about the crime to police,” Wyrick said. “She could still be charged in the crime, but the statute of limitations on charging him as an accessory had run out.”
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Oklahoma State House of Representatives, March 19, 2007
"Miss America Lauren Nelson and legislative leaders promote tougher restrictions on internet predators"
Newly crowned Miss America Lauren Nelson held a press event with state legislative leaders Monday to promote legislation placing increased restrictions on those who prey on children online.
"Internet safety is a timely issue that’s not always at the forefront of our thinking, so my job as Miss America is to promote awareness and education of this issue," said Nelson, a Lawton native whose personal platform issue as Miss America is internet safety and protecting children online.
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