MEDIA ADVISORY: Lawmakers to Review New Scholarship Program for Special Needs Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: State Rep. Jason Nelson

Capitol: (405) 557-7335

WHO: State Rep. Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City), and members of the House Human Services Committee

WHAT: Legislative study on House Bill 3393, the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act. Under the new law, children with disabilities who have an individualized education program (IEP) qualify for a scholarship to attend any private school that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

WHERE:

Oklahoma State Capitol, Room 412 C

2300 N. Lincoln Boulevard

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 31

THE STORY AT A GLANCE: Officials with the state Department of Education will discuss the implementation of House Bill 3393, Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act. The study will include a review of the new rules governing the program, public interest in the scholarship program, and the questions raised by parents.

Parents Encouraged to Apply for Special Needs Scholarships

OKLAHOMA CITY (August 27, 2010) – The parents of special-needs students in Oklahoma can now apply for scholarships that allow their children to attend private schools, state Rep. Jason Nelson said today.

“The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act became law today, and it’s very important that the families of special needs children are aware of this opportunity and take advantage of it,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “This program creates new opportunities for many children who would otherwise be unable to obtain educational services truly tailored to their unique needs.”

Under House Bill 3393, children with disabilities who have an individualized education program (IEP) qualify for a scholarship to attend any private school that meets the accreditation requirements of the State Board of Education.

The legislation, authored by Nelson and by state Sen. Patrick Anderson, had strong support from many families of children with autism.

The state Board of Education finalized the rules allowing implementation of the scholarship program on August 26, and parents can now contact their resident school district to apply for the program, Nelson said.

“Having visited with many parents of special-needs students, I know how important this scholarship program is to those families,” Nelson said. “It will allow those parents to provide the best education and best future possible for their children beginning this school year. Every parent interested in this program should take advantage of it.”

The scholarship program created through House Bill 3393 does not require new spending, but merely redirects 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.

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

Lawmakers will soon conduct a legislative study on the new law to seek ways to increase its benefit for Oklahoma families. The first meeting will be held Aug. 31 with a second study date to be scheduled later.

State Board of Ed Passes Rules to Implement HB 3393, The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships

At the monthly Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting yesterday the Board voted to approve Emergency Administrative Rules consistent with House Bill 3393 passed during the 2010 legislative session. The rules are disigned to answer questions and provide guidance to public and private schools as well as parents as the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships Program is implemented. This new law becomes effective today.

"I've worked closely with the State Department of Education and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett during the drafting of the rules by the agency," said Rep. Jason Nelson, author of HB 3393. "They have done a great job fielding questions about the program and addressing those question in the new rules."

Here are the new emergency rules which still must be approved by Governor Brad Henry. It is anticipated that he will approve the rules.

SUBCHAPTER 13. SPECIAL EDUCATION


210:15-13-7. Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program
 (a) Scholarship Requests. When a parent of an eligible student requests a scholarship, they must notify the district of residence. The district of residence is defined as the legal district of residence, unless the child is a child with an IEP who has been on a transfer of any kind for three consecutive years, in which case the district is then defined as the receiving district, as required by 70 O.S. 13-103(d). If a child is on a transfer of any kind, that does not meet the three-year rule, and accepts the scholarship, the transfer is effectively terminated.
 (b) Payments. Payments will be made to the private school on a quarterly basis upon verification of continued enrollment and attendance at the private school. Payments will be made in arrears, following the completion of each quarter. The payments will be made after the private school provides the public school with a quarterly attendance record for each child receiving the scholarship.
 (c) Private School Eligibility. In order to be eligible to accept students on the scholarship, private schools must be accredited by the State Board of Education or another accrediting association approved by the State Board of Education. Only school districts within the state of Oklahoma can be accredited by the State Board of Education. No out of state schools are eligible to participate in the scholarship program.
 (d) Amount of Scholarship. Within ten business days of receipt by the public school district of the parental request the State Department of Education must receive from the public school a request form for a determination of the calculation of the maximum scholarship amount. The State Department of Education must provide the calculation of the maximum amount of the scholarship to the public school in writing within fifteen business days of the receipt of the request. The parent shall be notified of the maximum amount of the scholarship in writing in a timely manner, not to exceed thirty business days from the request. Scholarship amounts will be calculated at the time of the parental request and will not change during the course of the school year regardless of a school district’s mid-year adjustments. The amount of the scholarship will be calculated annually as required by 70 O.S. 13-101.1, Section 2(F)(1).
 (e) Tracking. School districts providing scholarships shall annually report for child-count and funding purposes, all students who are attending a private school under the scholarship program to the State Department of Education. Students must be reported as Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Students on both the Special Education Child Count and the First Quarter Statistical Report (FQSR) and the Annual Statistical Report (ASR). These scholarship students will also be tracked through the WAVE.

House Speaker Designate Announces Proposed Changes to the Conference Committee Process

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 28, 2010) — House Speaker-Designate Kris Steele announced today he intends to make changes to the conference committee process in the House that will make the procedure more transparent and open to the public.
Beginning next legislative session, Steele said he plans to put in place a hard 24-hour rule that will require a House conference committee report to be filed and posted online for a full day before it can be considered on the House floor.

Currently, House rules require House conference committee reports be posted on the calendar at least 24 hours for review. But, that rule is waived in the last two days of session. Keeping the 24-hour rule in place throughout the entire conference process will give members, the public and the press time to read bills and better determine their impact on Oklahomans, said Steele.

Why do I need to maintain my home PC?

From the Desk of CPT Jeff Elliott, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security

Home Personal Computer (PC) Maintenance for Windows Operating Systems

Why do I need to maintain my home PC?

As with most types of equipment, you must perform periodic maintenance on your home PC to keep it in good operating condition. Performing maintenance will help your PC run faster, use resources more efficiently, and could save you from headaches caused by system failures and degradation. Most importantly, proper PC maintenance is crucial in order to protect your machine from security threats such as worms, viruses and other malicious activity.

How do I keep my home PC maintained?

State Senate Plans Interim Studies

The Oklahoma State Senate has approved interim studies for this summer and fall.

Below is a list of the approved studies with the name of the Senator and the topic of the study. The complete list with details can be found on the Senate website.

Anderson - Covenant Marriage Proposals

Anderson - 911 funding

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.