Officials: No OHP Trooper Furloughs Necessary

State troopers will not face furloughs as the result of budget cuts this year thanks to an additional $2.5 million that will be directed to the Department of Public Safety, officials announced today.

“As a conservative, I believe in a constitutionally limited role for government, but public safety is clearly one of those roles,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, Moore Republican who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on public safety. “Today’s agreement will prevent an unnecessary reduction in troop presence on our roads, which could save lives."

“It has always been our intent to avoid furloughs within DPS and keep our troopers on the road, and we have done so,” said Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary. “I am committed to funding Public Safety as we continue in the budget process.”

“The Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Oklahoma Senate and the Governor have worked diligently to avoid cuts to the Department of Public Safety that would result in Oklahoma state troopers being furloughed,” said Roy Rogers, president of the Oklahoma State Troopers Association. “We appreciate their effort and attention to this pressing need.”

“With this $2.5 million, the department will still have to implement other cuts and there will be diminution of services of departmental personnel such as driver’s license examiners who leave the agency who won't be replaced, but this plan will prevent any furlough of troopers on the road,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Kevin Ward.

Prior to today’s announcement, the Department of Public Safety was facing a $6.3 million total budget cut, which would have required the elimination of patrol academies (which train replacements for retiring troopers), loss of money for a new Troop K headquarters in north-central Oklahoma, a $1.2 million reduction in operational expenses such as fuel (which equates to a 25 percent cumulative cut in the operational budget over the past three years), implementing a policy of attrition (leaving vacant the positions of 25 troopers expected to retire this year and potentially as many as 40 total who may leave the agency), and implementation of furlough days for each of the remaining 800 highway patrol troopers.

Now, thanks to the $2.5 million infusion, furloughs have been taken off the table and the money for a new Troop K headquarters remains in the DPS budget, Ward said.

“We will still take budget reductions that impact our operating costs, such as gasoline for patrol cars, but we will make those cuts work within this budget framework,” Ward said.

“When you take troopers off the highways, it is diminishing our ability to fulfill our mission to protect the public,” Rogers said. “We really appreciate the House, Senate and Governor for working to prevent any potential trooper furloughs.”

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Official English Measure Clears Legislature

Oklahomans will vote next year on the opportunity to make English the official language of state government following final House passage of legislation today.

“As our common language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it makes possible has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. “This legislation will reinforce our nation’s unity and help end the drift toward linguistic Balkanization."

House Joint Resolution 1042, by Terrill and Senator Anthony Sykes, recognizes that English is Oklahoma’s common and unifying language, and declares that all official actions of the state must be conducted in English. It also bars individuals from suing the state to have services provided in languages other than English.

Under the provisions of the legislation, private individuals and businesses will still be allowed to use whatever language they choose. Only official government business would be affected.

The bill also contains specific provisions protecting the “use, study, development, or encouragement” of any Native American language, including the languages used by Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes.

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Proof Of Citizenship Requirement Passes Panel

A bill requiring proof of citizenship for those seeking office has been approved by a Senate committee and now goes to the Senate floor for a vote.

The bill, by Rep. Mike Ritze and Senator Anthony Sykes, would require candidates filing in Oklahoma to provide documentation of their citizenship.

House Bill 1329, by Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, and Sykes, R-Moore, requires prospective candidates to provide a birth certificate showing U.S. citizenship, a non-birth U.S. citizenship certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a passport in order to file. U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates would not be able to use either certificate of naturalization or passport. It would also make those documents subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

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Don't Ask About Guns Measures Advance

From The Tulsa World ~ Measures moving through the Legislature would ban employers from asking job applicants whether they own a gun.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 793 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, on Monday by a vote of 43-1. The measure now heads to the House.

Employers found guilty of violating the proposed law could be fined as much as $1,000 and/or jailed for as long as 90 days. It would apply to all employers, private and public.

The House voted last month to pass House Bill 1025 by Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, which also would ban employers from asking whether a job applicant owns a weapon. The vote was 85-15.

Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, questioned the necessity of what he called a "silly" measure. He was the only senator to vote against the measure. Adelson asked whether it provided an exemption for an employer who determined through a background check that an applicant had a criminal history and needed to know whether the person might be a risk to employees.

Sykes said the measure provided no exceptions. But Sen. Steven Russell, R-Oklahoma City, said felons are prohibited from carrying weapons. Adelson said employers have freedom of speech and should be able to determine whom they will hire. "Isn't it a free country?" he asked. Adelson said the bill appeared to be designed to show that someone is more American than someone else.

Russell, noting that employers can't ask about an applicant's race or religion, said they shouldn't be able to ask about gun ownership, either.

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Corn Plans To Ban Agency Lobbyists

Senator Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, today won approval for a proposal to ban state agencies from hiring lobbyists.

Corn’s proposal was an amendment to Senate Bill 454 by Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Newcastle, to prohibit the use of state funds for lobbying. The measure, as amended, was approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee.

“I want to commend Senator Sykes for filing his bill, and for allowing my amendment to be included. Public funds are supposed to be used by state agencies to provide specific services and programs—not to hire lobbyists,” Corn said.

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Lawmakers Try Again On English Language

Lawmakers will again seek to make English the official language of Oklahoma government this year.

Reps. Randy Terrill, George Faught, Mike Christian and Senator Anthony Sykes today said they are filing legislation to send a proposed constitutional amendment to Oklahoma voters that would make English the state’s official language.

“As our common American language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it supports has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Terrill, R-Moore. “However, that success has been threatened by politically correct multilingualism that divides America into separate communities with little in common except geographic location. Our legislation will promote cohesion and end the divisiveness.”

“Our government should encourage legal immigrants to assimilate so they can access the American dream, but current law actually discourages that process,” said Faught, R-Muskogee. “Impeding efforts to help people become fluent in English condemns them to a low-income life in the shadows of our society. We need to help legal immigrants join American society, not ostracize them.”

“Making English the official language of state government is not only the humane thing to do, it’s also cost-effective,” said Sykes, R-Moore. “Right now, Oklahoma taxpayers can be forced to pay for government materials to be printed in up to 300 different languages or even pay for individual translators in every language. We are already seeing large sums spent on Spanish-language driver’s manuals no one uses while facing a shortage of English manuals. It’s time to eliminate that waste and be efficient with taxpayer funds.”

“This is a common-sense idea that’s time has come,” said Christian, R-Oklahoma City. “There is no compelling reason for the state to waste money printing documents or manuals in languages seldom or never used in Oklahoma.”

More than 30 states have already approved official English laws and so have more than 50 nations around the globe.

Under the provisions of the legislation, which will be very similar to last year’s Senate Bill 163, private individuals and businesses will still be allowed to use whatever language they choose. Only government activities would be affected.

The bill will also contain exemptions for the languages of Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes and allows the use of both Braille and sign language in government services. The legislation also contains a number of other specific, narrowly tailored exceptions for things like public health and safety, as well as trade, commerce and tourism.

The bill’s authors cited three main reasons to make English the official language of Oklahoma government.

First, the bill will prevent the state from being compelled to provide taxpayer-subsidized services in any language other than English. Terrill noted that issue has become more urgent thanks to a federal government investigation of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety over allegations the agency violated the civil rights of two Iranian immigrants who were not provided written driver’s license exams in Farsi, the chief language of Iran.

Second, making English the official language avoids all of the cost, burden and conflict associated with bilingualism and multilingualism.

Most importantly, the lawmakers said making English the official language of state government would promote assimilation for all immigrants.

If approved by voters, the official English law would have three main impacts. First, there would no longer be any bilingual or multilingual driver’s license tests. Second, when citizens call a state agency, they will no longer be greeted by a “press 1 for English” prompt. Finally, there will no longer be any official state forms or signage in any language but English, unless covered by one of the specifically enumerated exceptions previously noted.

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House, Senate Budget Review Hearings Due

The State House and Senate budget committees responsible for oversight of public safety programs, including the state prison system, will conduct joint budget review hearings for the first time in recent memory.

Rep. Randy Terrill and Senator Anthony Sykes, both R-Moore, announced the move today, saying Republican control of both chambers of the Legislature has made the cooperative effort feasible.

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Official English 'Obstruction' Cited By GOP

Supporters of the bill to make English the official language said today they are disappointed that Senate Democrats utilized a rarely-used procedural maneuver to block an up-or-down vote on the bill by sending it to a conference committee.

The bill’s author, Senate Republican Floor Leader Owen Laughlin, said the Democrats’ obstruction likely kills Senate Bill 163 for the 2008 session.

“Making English the official language of our state is an issue whose time has come in Oklahoma. I am very disappointed that Senate Democrats voted in lock-step to block an up-or-down vote on this important issue,” stated Laughlin, R-Woodward. “Senator Morgan sent a pretty strong signal on the floor that the Democrat leadership plans to kill this bill in conference.”

Other supporters of SB 163 also expressed their concerns about the Senate Democrats’ action.

“Republicans have made the Official English proposal a priority for many years. We believe the people overwhelmingly agree that English should be our official language. I am sorry that the Senate Democrats have continued to block the people’s right to vote on this important issue,” stated Sen. James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised by the Senate Democrats’ actions. Instead of allowing the people of Oklahoma to vote on this critical issue, they maneuvered it into a conference committee where they can gut and kill the Official English bill,” said Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso.

“The Senate Democrats’ substitute language is just a piece of paper that does not change the status quo. It still requires the state to expend funds to provide unnecessary translations for government services. Our version would have stopped the silly lawsuits that seek to force our state to provide services in any number of foreign languages,” said Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore.

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Campus Gun Carry Measure Fails

Another effort has failed in the Senate to advance a proposal to let some students, including military veterans, carry guns on college campuses.

Rep. Anthony Sykes offered an amendment on Thursday to revive the gun bill after the original proposal died in a Senate committee.

Sykes' bid was blocked, however, when senators approved a motion to cut off consideraton of amendments. That motion was lodged by Sen. Patrick Anderson, an Enid Republican.

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Sykes' 'Tagging' Bill Wins Senate Approval

The Senate on Tuesday approved a measure to increase penalties for the malicious injury or destruction of private property.

Senator Anthony Sykes, author of the legislation, said the bill is a response to the growing problem of ‘tagging’, or the defacing or destruction of property with graffiti.

Sykes said the crime is not only becoming an increasingly more frequent nuisance in urban areas but is also occurring in Oklahoma’s smaller communities.

“This is no longer a problem limited to our metro areas,” said Sykes. “It’s spreading through the state’s rural areas and it’s important that we establish stronger penalties to create an adequate deterrent. This bill would ensure that prosecutors have the ability to hand out punishment fitting the crime.”

The bill would establish a felony for damage, defacement or destruction resulting in an aggregate loss greater than $1,000.

Sykes explained that under current law, a criminal may commit numerous ‘tagging’ violations and be charged with a series of misdemeanors. Under SB 1663, District Attorneys would be able to charge offenders with a felony if the aggregate damage meets the $1,000 threshold.

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Legislation Origination Bill Passes Senate, Goes To House

The Senate has approved a bill that would enable the public to find out which legislation was requested by a state agency or lobbyist.

Senate Bill 1962, by Senator Anthony Sykes (pictured), was approved unanimously. The Moore lawmaker said this is an enhancement of the Taxpayer Transparency Act approved last year to enable the public to track how all their tax dollars are appropriated through the Internet.

“One of the things I observed during my first session was that most bills are agency request bills. It seemed like every time a bill was presented, the Senator would stand up and say ‘this is an agency request bill’ and that was about it as far as an explanation as to why the legislation was being proposed. It appeared that the bureaucracy was driving the process,” Sykes said. “Under my bill, the public can track which state agencies are requesting legislation, and what that legislation does.”

During the committee process, Tulsa Senator Tom Adelson added language that would also require disclosure of bills specifically requested by lobbyists. This amendment was welcomed by Senator Sykes.

“The public needs every assurance that members of the legislature are there to serve their needs, not those of a special interest,” Adelson said. “By disclosing who the stakeholders are on legislation, I believe we’re opening up the process, and creating more transparency and accountability.”

The bill next moves to the House for further consideration.

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