House Democrats Outline 2008 Legislative Agenda
House Democrats today laid out their agenda for the 2008 Legislature.
“Oklahomans are some of the hardest working people in the nation,” said Democrat Leader Danny Morgan, D- Prague (pictured). “When given the opportunity, we have achieved great accomplishments. However, we need start to investing in the future of Oklahoma, so our children have the opportunities that I have had.”
“The House Democratic Caucus is committed to making investments that take our State forward,” said Democrat Caucus Chair Chuck Hoskin, D- Vinita. “We have been able to outline areas that matter to working Oklahomans. We are committed to aggressively pursuing this agenda and fighting for working Oklahomans.” Senate Democrats will announce their agenda on Monday.
House Democrats unveiled an agenda that hits on five key points: Fostering an ethically and fiscally sound government, investing in a rising economy, building a successful and rewarding education system, creating a healthy Oklahoma and protecting our country and communities.
An Ethically and Fiscally Sound Government ~ “Citizens trust their elected officials to make important decisions on their behalf. It is important that we don’t violate their trust and that we punish those who take advantage of their public service position,” said Leader Morgan. “That is why we have made Ethics Reform a top priority for our agenda this Session.”
House Democrats have included several measures in their Ethics Reform package. House Bill 2655 by Representative Lucky Lamons, D- Tulsa, would provide the Ethics Commission with the resources they need to oversee political fundraising activities more closely. House Bill 1056 establishes a cap on money that can be raised by candidates for public office and House Bill 2196 is a bipartisan measure that eliminates outrageous political fundraising tactics.
“Elected officials should have nothing to hide,” said Lamons. “These measures will guarantee that we are held accountable and have an honest government that works for everyday Oklahomans.”
Leaders in the House Democratic Caucus have also filed measures that would consolidate government agencies and save taxpayers money. House Bill 2671 by Leader Morgan would consolidate the House and Senate staff into one agency and House Bill 2899 would require Legislative Leaders to use zero based budgeting techniques when crafting a budget.
“We hear a lot of rhetoric about saving taxpayer dollars in the State Capitol,” said Leader Morgan. “However, we have identified several areas that we believe have been overlooked. When it comes to responsible government, we’re looking to enact real reform, not just window dressing.”
Investing in a Rising Economy ~ “Our economy is on the move,” said Morgan. “We need to make investments that keep our economy strong and maintain a healthy workforce to attract new businesses to Oklahoma.” House Democrats will look to build off of last year’s landmark investments in the OCAST and EDGE funds and continue to promote programs that provide working Oklahomans with healthcare coverage.
“We worked very hard last year to expand the O-EPIC program,” said Hoskin. “We need to promote this program and continue to provide healthcare coverage for working families throughout the State.”
In addition to continuing to make investments in Oklahoma’s economy, House Democrats will fight to provide responsible tax relief to working Oklahomans. Among the tax relief policies proposed are: House Bill 2919, A bipartisan proposal for a tax exemption to teachers who buy school supplies for their classroom; House Bill 2493, A tax exemption for college text book costs; House Bill 2894- A tax credit for medical expenses; House Bill 2482- A tax exemption for children of veterans killed in combat; House Bill 2853- A tax credit for rural firefighters; House Bill 2940- A tax credit for student loan repayments.
“These tax relief proposals are all sensible and are targeted towards middle class, working Oklahomans,” said Morgan. A Successful and Rewarding Education ~ “Recent reports have shown that our schools and teachers are some of the best in that nation,” said Representative Jerry McPeak, D- Warner. “However, these same reports show that our schools are under-funded and they desperately need the resources in order to provide our children with a quality education. Last year’s funding for schools was insufficient to cover the costs mandated by the state.”
McPeak and several other Legislators held meetings with school superintendents over the interim to discuss the current state of public school districts across Oklahoma. They have taken the concerns raised in those meetings and included them in their agenda. It includes the provisions in House Bill 2620 by McPeak that prevents the Legislature from considering teacher performance pay measures until the regional average for per pupil expenditure in school districts is met.
“We believe that until the regional average for per pupil dollars spent on public education is reached, no performance pay plan should be discussed,” said McPeak. “Promises have been made, requirements have been placed on public schools and funds have not been given to fund these requirements.”
Teachers should also receive a pay raise under the plan crafted by House Democrats. House Bill 2746 by Representative Neil Brannon, D- Arkoma, awards teachers with a pay raise that will put them at the regional average for teacher pay. House Bill 2484 by Representative Eric Proctor, D- Tulsa, would give bonuses to teachers working in schools where more than 25% of the student population qualify for free or reduced lunches.
“My plan is real performance pay,” said Proctor. “As a former teacher, I know what it takes to educate the future of Oklahoma. Year after year we lose good teachers to states surrounding Oklahoma. We need to give more incentives to our teachers to stay in Oklahoma in order to remain competitive. It is even harder to keep teachers in inter-city and poor rural communities.” A Healthy Future ~ “Businesses need a healthy workforce to thrive,” said Leader Morgan. “We have several bills that will ease the burden of healthcare costs on working Oklahomans.” Among the bills filed is House Bill 2936 that would provide healthcare coverage for all children under the age of 18 and House Bill 2495 that would allow college students to stay on their parent’s insurance plan while they are in college up to the age of 24.
“The pain of the high cost of healthcare is being felt everywhere,” said Representative Bill Nations, D- Norman, the author of House Bill 2936. “We started down the right path by passing the All Kids Act last Session, but now we need to go even further. If Oklahoma provided insurance coverage for all of its children, imagine what kind of jobs would be attracted to this State.”
Protecting our Country and Communities ~ “There is no higher calling than to volunteer to keep our country and communities safe,” said Leader Morgan. “We believe that we should reward those who put their life on the line for the sake of our protection.” Vice-Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Sub-Committee Ryan Kiesel, D- Seminole, has filed a bill to provide healthcare coverage for veterans. House Bill 2841 would establish the Veterans Health Insurance Program.
“Oklahoma is a national leader in the number of our men and women who serve in the military. It is in our character as Oklahomans to serve; it is also in our character to honor the service of our soldiers and that is exactly what my bill does,” said Kiesel.
House Democrats have also filed measures that would crack down on individuals who endanger Oklahoma’s children. House Bill 3266 by Representative Terry Harrison, D- McAlester, would require that parents who are accused of abusing their children would lose their visitation rights until a judge solves the case. House Bill 2929 by Representative Eric Proctor would create an online website where parents and single mothers can search for individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence.
“Our agenda this Session has been put together with input from working Oklahomans across the State,” said Leader Morgan. “House Democrats look forward to working with our colleagues in the House and Senate and with the Governor on enacting this agenda and making new investments in our State.”
“Oklahomans are some of the hardest working people in the nation,” said Democrat Leader Danny Morgan, D- Prague (pictured). “When given the opportunity, we have achieved great accomplishments. However, we need start to investing in the future of Oklahoma, so our children have the opportunities that I have had.”
“The House Democratic Caucus is committed to making investments that take our State forward,” said Democrat Caucus Chair Chuck Hoskin, D- Vinita. “We have been able to outline areas that matter to working Oklahomans. We are committed to aggressively pursuing this agenda and fighting for working Oklahomans.” Senate Democrats will announce their agenda on Monday.
House Democrats unveiled an agenda that hits on five key points: Fostering an ethically and fiscally sound government, investing in a rising economy, building a successful and rewarding education system, creating a healthy Oklahoma and protecting our country and communities.
An Ethically and Fiscally Sound Government ~ “Citizens trust their elected officials to make important decisions on their behalf. It is important that we don’t violate their trust and that we punish those who take advantage of their public service position,” said Leader Morgan. “That is why we have made Ethics Reform a top priority for our agenda this Session.”
House Democrats have included several measures in their Ethics Reform package. House Bill 2655 by Representative Lucky Lamons, D- Tulsa, would provide the Ethics Commission with the resources they need to oversee political fundraising activities more closely. House Bill 1056 establishes a cap on money that can be raised by candidates for public office and House Bill 2196 is a bipartisan measure that eliminates outrageous political fundraising tactics.
“Elected officials should have nothing to hide,” said Lamons. “These measures will guarantee that we are held accountable and have an honest government that works for everyday Oklahomans.”
Leaders in the House Democratic Caucus have also filed measures that would consolidate government agencies and save taxpayers money. House Bill 2671 by Leader Morgan would consolidate the House and Senate staff into one agency and House Bill 2899 would require Legislative Leaders to use zero based budgeting techniques when crafting a budget.
“We hear a lot of rhetoric about saving taxpayer dollars in the State Capitol,” said Leader Morgan. “However, we have identified several areas that we believe have been overlooked. When it comes to responsible government, we’re looking to enact real reform, not just window dressing.”
Investing in a Rising Economy ~ “Our economy is on the move,” said Morgan. “We need to make investments that keep our economy strong and maintain a healthy workforce to attract new businesses to Oklahoma.” House Democrats will look to build off of last year’s landmark investments in the OCAST and EDGE funds and continue to promote programs that provide working Oklahomans with healthcare coverage.
“We worked very hard last year to expand the O-EPIC program,” said Hoskin. “We need to promote this program and continue to provide healthcare coverage for working families throughout the State.”
In addition to continuing to make investments in Oklahoma’s economy, House Democrats will fight to provide responsible tax relief to working Oklahomans. Among the tax relief policies proposed are: House Bill 2919, A bipartisan proposal for a tax exemption to teachers who buy school supplies for their classroom; House Bill 2493, A tax exemption for college text book costs; House Bill 2894- A tax credit for medical expenses; House Bill 2482- A tax exemption for children of veterans killed in combat; House Bill 2853- A tax credit for rural firefighters; House Bill 2940- A tax credit for student loan repayments.
“These tax relief proposals are all sensible and are targeted towards middle class, working Oklahomans,” said Morgan. A Successful and Rewarding Education ~ “Recent reports have shown that our schools and teachers are some of the best in that nation,” said Representative Jerry McPeak, D- Warner. “However, these same reports show that our schools are under-funded and they desperately need the resources in order to provide our children with a quality education. Last year’s funding for schools was insufficient to cover the costs mandated by the state.”
McPeak and several other Legislators held meetings with school superintendents over the interim to discuss the current state of public school districts across Oklahoma. They have taken the concerns raised in those meetings and included them in their agenda. It includes the provisions in House Bill 2620 by McPeak that prevents the Legislature from considering teacher performance pay measures until the regional average for per pupil expenditure in school districts is met.
“We believe that until the regional average for per pupil dollars spent on public education is reached, no performance pay plan should be discussed,” said McPeak. “Promises have been made, requirements have been placed on public schools and funds have not been given to fund these requirements.”
Teachers should also receive a pay raise under the plan crafted by House Democrats. House Bill 2746 by Representative Neil Brannon, D- Arkoma, awards teachers with a pay raise that will put them at the regional average for teacher pay. House Bill 2484 by Representative Eric Proctor, D- Tulsa, would give bonuses to teachers working in schools where more than 25% of the student population qualify for free or reduced lunches.
“My plan is real performance pay,” said Proctor. “As a former teacher, I know what it takes to educate the future of Oklahoma. Year after year we lose good teachers to states surrounding Oklahoma. We need to give more incentives to our teachers to stay in Oklahoma in order to remain competitive. It is even harder to keep teachers in inter-city and poor rural communities.” A Healthy Future ~ “Businesses need a healthy workforce to thrive,” said Leader Morgan. “We have several bills that will ease the burden of healthcare costs on working Oklahomans.” Among the bills filed is House Bill 2936 that would provide healthcare coverage for all children under the age of 18 and House Bill 2495 that would allow college students to stay on their parent’s insurance plan while they are in college up to the age of 24.
“The pain of the high cost of healthcare is being felt everywhere,” said Representative Bill Nations, D- Norman, the author of House Bill 2936. “We started down the right path by passing the All Kids Act last Session, but now we need to go even further. If Oklahoma provided insurance coverage for all of its children, imagine what kind of jobs would be attracted to this State.”
Protecting our Country and Communities ~ “There is no higher calling than to volunteer to keep our country and communities safe,” said Leader Morgan. “We believe that we should reward those who put their life on the line for the sake of our protection.” Vice-Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Sub-Committee Ryan Kiesel, D- Seminole, has filed a bill to provide healthcare coverage for veterans. House Bill 2841 would establish the Veterans Health Insurance Program.
“Oklahoma is a national leader in the number of our men and women who serve in the military. It is in our character as Oklahomans to serve; it is also in our character to honor the service of our soldiers and that is exactly what my bill does,” said Kiesel.
House Democrats have also filed measures that would crack down on individuals who endanger Oklahoma’s children. House Bill 3266 by Representative Terry Harrison, D- McAlester, would require that parents who are accused of abusing their children would lose their visitation rights until a judge solves the case. House Bill 2929 by Representative Eric Proctor would create an online website where parents and single mothers can search for individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence.
“Our agenda this Session has been put together with input from working Oklahomans across the State,” said Leader Morgan. “House Democrats look forward to working with our colleagues in the House and Senate and with the Governor on enacting this agenda and making new investments in our State.”
Labels: House Democratic Agenda
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