Private schools that are currently accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Ed

House Bill 3393, the Lindsey Nicole Henry Students with Disabilities Scholarships Program, provides scholarships to any public school students who are on IEPs. The students may use the scholarships attend private schools that better meet their specific needs. HB3393 becomes effective August 26.

Several parents have asked me which private schools are participating. Private schools that wish to participate in the program must be accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (SDE) and they must notify the SDE of their desire to participate. There is no current list of participating private schools, but there is a list of private schools currently accredited by the SDE. If any of these schools wish to participate, they will simply need to notify the SDE.

I urge interested parents to contact private schools to find out if they intend to accept the scholarships. I have included a link to the SDE list of accredited private schools to help parents identify those schools that are now eligible to participate.

If a school wishes to participate but is not currently accredited, it will need to achieve accreditation first.
You can also find a more readable version of HB3393 for parents on this blog.

I will provide more details as the SDE develops administrative rules to implement the new program. The State Board of Education is tentatively scheduled to take up consideration of proposed administrative rules at their July 27th meeting.

Interim study on Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships among those approved by Speaker

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 24, 2010) – House Speaker Chris Benge today approved 68 interim studies that will be conducted over the summer and fall prior to the next legislative session.

The studies cover a wide range of issues, including child welfare services, agency consolidation, math education in Oklahoma schools, tax credits and incentives, and a review of recent government modernization efforts, among other topics.

"Interim studies give lawmakers an opportunity to investigate and flesh out potential legislative proposals before drafting bills," said Benge, R-Tulsa. "This year we have a good set of studies covering a diverse array of topics."

Overall, 76 study requests were approved, although eight were combined with either similar or duplicate proposals, bringing down the total number of actual studies to 68.

A study on the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships Program created by House Bill 3393 was among those approved. Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, requested the study to monitor the implementation of the new special education school choice law.

"During session I told opponents and supporters of HB3393 that I would request an interim study to monitor the implementation of the new law so that any unforeseen issues that come up can be reviewed and addressed during the next session," said Nelson. "The study will give us the opportunity to hear from public and private schools, parents and students as well the State Department of Education about the level of interest and participation in the program and to discover any challenges that need to be addressed by the next legislature."

Due to the budget situation, the number of days committees can conduct interim studies was limited to reduce costs.

"In light of the budget situation, we felt it was important to strike a balance between reducing expenses and allowing for legitimate examination of issues," Benge said.

Click http://www.okhouse.gov/Committees/ShowInterimStudies.aspx to see the list of interim studies.

Children Win as Louisiana Enacts Special Needs Scholarship Program

Washington, D.C. (June 25, 2010) - Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal this week signed into law the nation's 20th private school choice program, which will allow children with special needs to use state-funded scholarships to attend the private schools of their parents' choice.

Hailed by school choice activists as a significant, bipartisan victory for children with special needs in Louisiana, the legislation enacts a two-year pilot program benefiting children in the state’s parishes with populations of 190,000 people or more. Accordingly, children in Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes will be eligible to participate.

The scholarships are worth up to half the cost of what the state pays to send participating children to public schools. The new law will assist children in Kindergarten through eighth grade who have autism, developmental delay or other specific learning disorders.

“This new program is a significant victory for Louisiana's children,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children, a leading school choice advocacy organization. “This program will improve educational access and quality for thousands of students with special needs across the state, and we applaud legislators from both parties for doing what is right for families and not bowing to pressure from special interests.”

The bipartisan piece of legislation was authored by Representative Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge) and cosponsored by Representative Major Thibaut Jr. (D-New Roads), Representative Patrick Williams (D- Shreveport), Senator Conrad Appel (R-Metairie), Senator Ann Duplessis (D-New Orleans), Senator Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte), and Senator Gerald Long (R-Winnfield).

The School Choice Pilot Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities Act will place Louisiana in the ranks of six other states (Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Utah, and Oklahoma) that have enacted school choice programs designed for children with special needs. Across the country there are approximately 24,555 students enrolled in these programs and nearly 200,000 students participating in private school choice programs in general.

Posted on Saturday June 26, 2010 | Louisiana

Curtain Falls on State Attorney Sunshine Act

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 10, 2010) – Legislation that would require greater transparency when state agencies hire private attorneys will not become law this year, state Rep. Mark McCullough said today.

"This effort did not receive a final vote this year, which is unfortunate, because I believe the public should know when and how their tax money is used by state agencies to hire private attorneys," said state Rep. Mark McCullough, R-Sapulpa. "I believe our current process is lacking and does not encourage an arms-length transaction between agencies and the firms they hire, which is why I will continue this fight in the 2011 session."

Senate Bill 1379, by McCullough and state Sen. Anthony Sykes, creates the Private Attorney Retention Sunshine Act and would require state agencies hiring private attorneys to use a competitive, public process anytime the contracts are greater than $5,000.

"I supported this bill in committee and on the floor and will do so again next session until this common sense effort becomes law," said state Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. "Currently there is too much opportunity for abuse and this legislation would open the process to much needed scrutiny."

Supporters praised Gov. Brad Henry today for signing HB 3393 providing special-needs scholarships

Supporters praised Gov. Brad Henry today for signing a bill providing scholarships to special needs students.

“This is a great day for Oklahoma families with special needs children,” said state Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “For those families, this bill is a chance at a better education and a better life.”

House Bill 3393, by Nelson and state Sen. Patrick Anderson, would allow students with disabilities who have an individualized education program (IEP) to qualify for a scholarship to attend any public or private school that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The legislation had strong support from many families of children with autism.

The legislation has been named the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act to honor the memory of the governor’s daughter, who died of a rare neuromuscular disease as an infant.

“We are very honored that Governor and Mrs. Henry have allowed us to name this important piece of legislation after their daughter who passed away at seven months of age,” said Wanda Felty, parent of a child with multiple disabilities. “The simple fact is there is often an unspoken bond among parents of special needs children, and although Lindsey Nicole’s life was short, she helped shape the type of people the Henrys are. We appreciate their compassion and understanding of our plight, and we certainly appreciate the Governor’s support of this bill.”

“We want to make it clear, neither the Governor, nor his wife, nor his staff nor anyone connected to him asked for this change. Instead it was suggested to him as a way to honor the memory of his daughter and let it be known for generations to come that she, and her parents, are helping to improve the lives of special needs children across the state,” said state House Speaker Pro Tempore Kris Steele, R-Shawnee. “Especially given that this program was passed in the waning days of the last legislative session of Governor Henry’s tenure, we think this action is both appropriate and warranted. We are pleased that Representative Nelson agreed to amend his Conference Committee Report to include this change.”

Lindsey Nicole was the twin of the Henrys’ oldest daughter, Leah. Lindsey died at seven months of age due to complications from a rare genetic disorder.

The scholarship program created through House Bill 3393 would not require new spending, but would merely redirect existing state funds that are currently spent on the student.

Other states with similar laws include Florida, Georgia, Utah, Ohio and Arizona. The Florida program has been in place since 1999 and now serves approximately 20,000 students with special needs. House Bill 3393 closely mirrors the Florida and Georgia laws.

“Having visited with many families of special-needs students, I know how important this legislation is to ensuring they are able to provide the best future possible for their children,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “It is only fitting that we honor the Henrys and Lindsey Nicole as part of this process to show that even the worst moments of our lives can have positive repercussions. I appreciate the governor’s support and this opportunity to honor his daughter.”

Rep. Jason Nelson scores 94% on pro-taxpayer legislative index

Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, earned a 94% on a legislative index created by Oklahomans for Responsible Government. After a long session, OFRG has chosen legislation to be included in the Legislative Index and Scorecard for Taxpayers (LIST) which grades lawmakers based on how they voted on issues important to taxpayers.

OFRG recently posted the results of its first Scorecard for Taxpayers on its website: www.ofrg.org. OFRG identified 21 measures that would have an impact on the average taxpayer and scored lawmakers on whether they voted for the good bills and against the bad ones.

“We feel this is the only legislative ranking that looks at policy decisions which affect taxpayers’ pocketbooks,” said Brian Downs, OFRG Executive Director. “We’ve made it easy for anyone to look up their lawmaker and see how they voted on bills that promote a more efficient and transparent government.”

In the House, the average score was 83.1%. There were 17 bills making up the LIST in the House with 15 requiring a Yes vote and two requiring a No vote.

Energy Stabilization Fund Legislation Headed to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 28, 2010) — A bill that would remove volatility of state gross production tax collections and help stabilize state budgeting over the long-term passed the House today.

House Bill 3032, by House Speaker Chris Benge, creates a state energy stabilization fund that aims to reduce the impact energy price volatility has on state revenue collections.

The legislation creates an automatic collection of any gross production taxes above a simple three-year average for deposit into the fund. In years when gross production taxes collected fall below the three-year average, the fund will automatically deposit the difference into the state’s general revenue fund to help mitigate budget shortfalls.
The fund will become active in 2015.

"This bill will allow us to capture gross production revenues in high collection years for use in reduced collection years," said Benge, R-Tulsa. "The budget impact of continued energy price volatility would be negated by this fund, which would take out the uncertainty in our budget planning as it relates to gross production revenues."

The bill passed the House and the Senate today and will now go to the governor for final review.

Please call Governor Henry, ask him to sign HB3393

We need as many people as possible to place a call to (405) 521-2342 and ask Governor Henry to please sign HB3393, the Lindsey Nicole Henry Students with Disabilities Scholarships Program Act. HB3393 is on the governor’s desk and must be signed by June 12th.

Governor Henry has said he will sign the bill but he is still under immense pressure to veto this important legislation. It is very important that he hear from as many supporters as possible encouraging him to sign the bill into law. Please have your family and friends make the call to his office today or tomorrow. Please feel free to post this on your social networks.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Remembering on Memorial Day

After attending this morning's ceremony at the 45th Infantry Division Museum I feel impressed to pass along this thought from the conclusion of President Ronald Reagan's 1986 Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery:

"And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.

That, of course, is the lesson of this century, a lesson learned in the Sudetenland, in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in Cambodia. If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does. That’s the lesson of this century and, I think, of this day. And that’s all I wanted to say. The rest of my contribution is to leave this great place to its peace, a peace it has earned."

To my family members,  my friends and all the brave Americans who have answered the call to preserve our Nation and its principles of Freedom on the fields, skies and seas of battle, thank you. I can not repay you but I will remember and I will teach my children to remember and to keep our promise to you.

Read the full text of President Reagan's address at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=37350&st=Memorial+Day

Oklahoma Could Become National Leader in Special Needs Education

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 5, 2010) – A proposed scholarship program for special needs students would easily withstand a federal constitutional challenge and could make Oklahoma a national leader, according to a respected legal expert and a former school superintendent whose child has multiple disabilities.

"Oklahoma would not be breaking new ground with this law but would still be one of the more advanced states when it comes to serving children with special needs," said Richard "Dick" Komer, senior attorney at the Virginia-based Institute for Justice. "There are already five other states with similar scholarship programs that so clearly constitutional that no one has even tried to challenge them under the federal constitution."

House Bill 3393, by state Rep. Jason Nelson, creates the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program. Under the bill, students with disabilities (such as those with Down's syndrome or autism) who have an individualized education program (IEP) would qualify for a scholarship to attend any public or private school that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The scholarship program would not require new spending during the downturn, but would merely redirect existing funds that are currently spent on the student.

National Expert, School Official to Discuss Proposed Scholarship Program for Special Needs Children

WHO: Richard “Dick” Komer, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice (based in Virginia), Ron Brown (former superintendent and parent of a child with disabilities) and state Rep. Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City)

WHAT: Press conference to discuss how Oklahoma could become a national leader in providing greater educational opportunities to special-needs children.

WHERE: Room 432 B (press room), Oklahoma Capitol, 2300 North Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City

WHEN: 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.

THE STORY AT A GLANCE: Richard “Dick” Komer, senior attorney at the Virginia-based Institute for Justice, will discuss how passage of House Bill 3393 could make Oklahoma a national leader in providing a quality education to special-needs students.
Ron Brown, a former Oklahoma school superintendent and parent of a child with disabilities (including autism) will discuss how the legislation could dramatically aid families of special-needs children.

Komer has litigated school choice cases in both federal and state courts. Prior to his work at the Institute, Komer worked as a career civil rights lawyer for the federal government, working at the Departments of Education and Justice, as well as at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He ended his government employment as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

House Bill 3393, by state Rep. Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City), creates the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program. Under the bill, students with disabilities (such as those with Down's syndrome or autism) who have an individualized education program (IEP) would qualify for a scholarship to attend any school that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The scholarship program would not require new spending during the downturn, but would merely redirect existing funds that are currently being spent on the student.

House Bill 3393 is currently in conference committee, but is expected to advance for final votes in the state House and Senate later this week.

House Approves Legislation to Exempt Military Personnel from Vehicle Tag Renewal Fine While Deployed

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 19, 2010) – Under legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives today, military personnel deployed outside the state would be exempt from a fine if they failed to renew their vehicle tag.

Senate Bill 1816, by state Sen. Brian Bingman and state Rep. Pat Ownbey, would make military personnel deployed outside the state exempt from penalty during their assignment and for 60 days after that assignment ends.

“Deployment makes it difficult to keep up with a number of local details including vehicle tag renewal,” Ownbey, R-Ardmore, said. “Legislators have continually looked for ways to reward those men and women who choose to serve our country. This is my contribution, an exemption from a fine if they fail to renew their tag while they are deployed outside the state.”

In addition to the numerous Oklahomans who serve in other branches of the military, around 400 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Myles Deering has recently said he expects some 4,000 Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and airmen will be deployed.

House Passes Cox Bill Lowering Age of Potential Blood Donors

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 15, 2010) – The number of potential blood donors could increase dramatically under legislation passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives today.

NOTE: For accompanying video, go to http://www.okhouse.tv/ViewVideo.aspx?VideoID=270

Senate Bill 1819, by state Sen. Brian Crain and state Rep. Doug Cox, would lower the age required to donate blood to 16, provided parental permission was given.

Special needs scholarship bill passes Oklahoma state Senate

By Patrick B. McGuigan

Legislation designed to support special needs children with scholarships and to empower families to direct the care of such children passed the Oklahoma state Senate on Tuesday (April 13). Senator Patrick Anderson, an Enid Republican, shepherded the bill to passage in the upper chamber. State Rep. Jason Nelson of Oklahoma City, also a Republican, is author of the legislation.

Read full story at CapitolBeatOK: http://www.capitolbeatok.com/_webapp_3006181/Special_needs_scholarship_bill_passes_Oklahoma_state_Senate

Gov. Henry names Pettit new CIO

(Oklahoma City) Gov. Brad Henry announced today he has appointed Alex Pettit as the state’s new Chief Information Officer. Pettit, who has information systems experience in both the public and private sectors, will begin his duties on April 5.

A new law approved by the 2009 Legislature authorized the governor to appoint a chief information officer to oversee all state computer information and technology operations. Today’s announcement follows a national search for qualified candidates.

Republicans Continue Charter School Progress

Committee gives bipartisan approval to reform measure

The Senate Education committee advanced House Bill 2753 by President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee (R-OKC) and Representative Lee Denney (R-Cushing), moving the charter school agenda forward.

HB 2753 removes many restrictions that previously prohibited the advancement of charter schools. Coffee says this is a positive stride in giving charter schools the freedom to provide quality choices to parents and students across our state.

Lawmakers Vote to Improve School Audit Oversight

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 24, 2010) — In light of recent financial scandals at state schools, a House committee unanimously voted today to improve oversight of school audits.

Senate Bill 2034, by Rep. Dan Sullivan, would place the Office of the State Auditor and Inspector in charge of reviewing school district audits.

"More accountability and oversight is clearly needed to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent in the classroom, not padding someone’s pockets," said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. "This legislation would simply put in place additional accountability so Oklahoma taxpayers can have confidence in school expenditures in the future."

Legislation Moving Medical Examiner’s Office to UCO Forensic Science Institute Passes House Committe

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 29, 2010) — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would receive a new facility near the world-class University of Central Oklahoma’s Forensic Science Institute if legislation passed by House committee today becomes law.

Senate Bill 1337, by Rep. Randy Terrill, would require that the ME’s office be located in "close proximity" to the Forensic Science Institute in Edmond. The title is off the bill, meaning it is still a work in progress and will go to conference for further work.

"We have been working to restore public confidence in the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, and I believe relocation to the newly-opened Forensic Science Institute, which is training sought-after pathologists, is a perfect fit for the office," said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. "The University of Central Oklahoma has built a nationally-renowned forensic science program with a new state-of-the-art facility, which will help bring the medical examiner’s office into the 21st century."

The bill passed the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Judiciary and Public Safety today with a vote of 9-1. It will next been considered by the full House.

"We have been working on this issue for the better part of a year so this isn’t something we decided lightly. There were a multitude of options and the consensus seems to be that UCO will be the best place for the new office because it will create a unique, one of a kind forensic science synergy unlike anything else in the country. If this bill becomes law, it will be something Oklahomans can be truly proud of," said Terrill, R-Moore and chairman of the committee.

NOTE: For accompanying video, go to http://www.okhouse.tv/ViewVideo.aspx?VideoID=265

Video of HB3393 House Debate

Here is the video link to the questions and debate of House Bill 3393 on the House floor March 4th.

HB3393 is a developmental disabilities education and services reform measure.

The video is 1 hour, 10 minutes long.

DHS Audit Recommendations Implementation Showing Results, House Committee Members Told

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 24, 2010) —Officials with the Department of Human Services today presented evidence to a House committee of progress made by the agency since the passage of legislation implementing recommendations from a groundbreaking audit of the department.

House Bill 1734, authored by Rep. Ron Peters, was signed into law last year. The legislation implemented many of the recommendations of an audit of the Department of Human Services, including a requirement that law enforcement consult with DHS before removing a child; the creation of a passport program to allow information about a child’s physical and behavioral health and educational needs to be available electronically; implementation of a phase-out of public shelters; establishment of a centralized statewide hotline for all reports of abuse and neglect of children; and a reorganization of the department offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma Counties.

Human Services officials testified today to the Children’s Services Oversight Committee that progress has been made in all of those areas of state-based care.

Some of the significant progress seen at DHS includes:

• Record level of adoptions in the last two federal fiscal years and an all-time high finalized adoptions for a state fiscal year
• Reduction of over 3,700 children in out-of-home care since July 2007
• Worker retention continues to increase
• Lowest number of children per responsible worker in years
• Lowest average daily shelter population in years
• Established 449 agreements with law enforcement agencies for joint response
• Oklahoma County Human Service Center reorganized in Oct. 2009
• Tulsa County Human Service Center was reorganized in May, 2009
• Round-the-clock centralized hotline roll-out began in Nov. 2009 and is expected to extend statewide by the end of 2010.
• Official development of a medical health passport (which is an accessible and comprehensive medical and educational record for all children placed in out-of-home care through DHS) began in Feb. 2010

Gov. Henry releases review of ME Office

Oklahoma City — Gov. Brad Henry today released an independent review of the State Medical Examiner’s Office, saying the report’s recommendations will assist the agency as it attempts to regain national accreditation and get back on track.

Last month, the governor tasked Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Terry Cline to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the agency after a series of controversies culminated with the dismissal of the chief medical examiner after less than a year on the job.

Among other things, Cline has recommended additional resources and improved facilities for the ME’s office along with structural changes to strengthen the agency’s governing board and empower a full-time administrator to run the agency’s day-to-day business while the chief medical officer focuses on the office’s medical and clinical work.

Sunday Morning News 9 Interview About HB3393

Here is the link to the in-studio interview about House Bill 3393 from Sunday, March 21.

News 9 Interview

Legislative Leaders Call for Legal Action Against Federal Health Care Reform

Honorable Drew Edmondson
Oklahoma Attorney General
313 N.E. 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Dear General Edmondson,

As you know, the United States House of Representatives met yesterday in a rare Sunday session. By a count of 219-212, the House passed the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, frequently referred to as “Obamacare.” No members of Oklahoma's delegation supported the legislation. As you also may know, we have raised constitutionality questions about this measure for some time. We have outlined those concerns in Senate Joint Resolution 64, which passed the Oklahoma State Senate on February 24 and is pending in the House. Senator Orrin Hatch, a distinguished lawyer and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee has expressed similar concerns as published in the Wall Street Journal on January 2, 2010. A group of Republican Attorneys General have also stated they believe this bill is outside the scope of the enumerated powers granted to Congress by the Constitution.

As we have pointed out numerous times over the preceding months, this legislation will burden our state budget with tens of millions of dollars in new, unfunded health care mandates – money that Oklahoma simply doesn’t have. If the measure becomes law, it will wreck Oklahoma’s already fragile state budget and place undue economic hardships on the people and businesses of our great state.

Some of the provisions of the bill that are likely unconstitutional include: requiring ALL Americans to purchase health insurance and fining or jailing them if they don’t; special arrangements for states contained in the reconciled version of the legislation (e.g., Louisiana and Florida) are inconsistent with the protections afforded by the Constitution against arbitrary legislation; and the requirement that states establish benefit exchanges runs counter to constitutional limitations that forbid the federal government from commandeering any branch of state government to administer a federal program.

As Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma, you are in a unique position to seek redress against the federal government. We urge you and your staff to immediately begin preparations to file suit in U.S. District Court on behalf of our state to challenge the constitutionality of yesterday’s enactment.

We had hoped to send a joint resolution signed by the Governor to formally present this request. However, the actions of Congress yesterday require a more timely approach. The people of our state do not want it. The taxpayers of our state cannot afford it. We urge you to act quickly to defend Oklahoma against the efforts by President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid to burden our state (indeed, our entire nation) with their partisan plan for government-run health care.



Sincerely,



Glenn Coffee Chris Benge
President Pro Tempore Speaker
Oklahoma State Senate Oklahoma House of Representatives

Special Needs Scholarship Bill Clears House

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 4, 2010) – Lawmakers voted today to provide scholarships and increased educational opportunities to children with special needs.

"This legislation acknowledges the fact that children with special needs have unique challenges. If those needs are not properly addressed in their assigned local school, I believe we should give those families the opportunity to attend the school that provides the best learning environment for their children," said state Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City.



House Bill 3393, by Nelson, creates the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.

Under the bill, students with disabilities (such as those with Down's syndrome or autism) who have an individualized education program (IEP) would qualify for a scholarship to attend any school (public or private) that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The scholarship program would not require new spending during the downturn, but would merely redirect existing funds that are currently being spent on the student.

A group of parents and advocates for special-needs children were present for the House vote, including representatives from Trinity School, a private school that serves children with learning disabilities in the Oklahoma City area.

Special Needs Scholarship Bill Gains Committee Approval

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation providing scholarships and increased educational opportunities for school children with special needs was approved by the House Human Services Committee today.

“Children with special needs have unique challenges that are not always properly addressed in their assigned local school. I believe the state should give those families the opportunity to attend the school that provides the best learning environment for their children,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City.

House Bill 3393, by Nelson, creates the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.

Under the bill, students with disabilities (such as those with Down's syndrome or autism) who have an individualized education program (IEP) would qualify for a scholarship to attend any school which meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The scholarship program would not require new spending during the downturn, but would merely redirect existing funds that are currently being spent on the student.

The bill was amended in committee to allow special-needs scholarships to be used at either a private or public school.

House Human Services Committee Vote on HB3393

Human Services Committee
2009-2010 Regular Session

HOUSE BILL3393 Self-Directed Care Pilot Program; Scholarships for Special Needs Students

DO PASS AS AMENDED

2/15/2010 4:26 PM

YEAS: 8
Reps. Kern, McCullough, Peterson, Rousselot, McAffrey, Nelson, Reynolds, Watson

NAYS: 3
Reps. Jordan, Shelton, Sherrer

HB3393 Special-needs Bill Will Be Voted On in Committee Monday

HOUSE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Agenda

When: Monday, February 15, 2010 03:00 PM

House Speaker Comments on Release of January Revenue Numbers

OKLAHOMA CITY — “It remains unclear if we have reached the bottom of this financial downturn. There are some signs of an economic pulse nationally, but we may see a delay in those effects in Oklahoma until a strong demand for natural gas returns. It is also important to note that while collections have improved, they still remain 21 percent below the estimate,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “We are watching collections closely and working deliberatively with the governor and the Senate to craft fiscally responsible budgets for both fiscal years 2010 and 2011.”

State Revenue Picture Brightens

OKLAHOMA CITY – State revenue collections in January improved slightly and are more closely tracking projections made by the Tax Commission in December, State Treasurer


Scott Meacham announced today.

Preliminary reports show General Revenue Fund collections in January are $410.4 million. That amount is:

• $82.4 million or 16.7 percent below the prior year; and,

• $107.6 million or 20.8 percent below the estimate.

As was the case in December, January revenue collections are sufficient to fund allocations to state agencies for the month at the previously announced 10-percent reduction from appropriated levels. After allocations totaling $394.8 million are made, $15.6 million remains for use in future months.

Revenue Picture Brightens

Meacham said January’s numbers are somewhat encouraging, even though they remain below prior year collections and the official estimate
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but we are seeing positive movement,” he said.

Workers compensation reform might include sale of CompSource

From CapitolBeatOK.com

A range of options have been submitted to top legislators and Gov. Brad Henry by state leaders who served on a task force studying anticipated new status, including a potential sale to benefit taxpayers, for CompSource Oklahoma. CompSoure is the state’s workers’ compensation “insurer of last resort.”

House Bill 1963 created a Task Force on Privatization of CompSource Oklahoma. The stated goal of the study was “to create a stable, predictable, competitive workers’ compensation market place in the State of Oklahoma for the benefit of Oklahoma employers and employees.”