Budget agreement reached, no details yet
Lawmakers have reached a budget agreement — that we know for sure. Whether it will stand up and pass the review of caucuses and votes will be the next chapter in the political thriller.
Who got what is another story. We are still waiting for details. There has been no formal announcement of an agreement, but lawmakers have quietly confirmed that negotiations between Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, Speaker of the House Chris Benge, R-Tulsa and Democrat Gov. Brad Henry have yielded some sort of accord.…
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Guest List for May 19 State Dinner
Just in case you’re interested, here’s the guest list for tonight’s state dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon:
The President & First Lady Michelle Obama
His Excellency Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico and Mrs. Margarita Zavala
Mr. Michael Adler, Miami Beach, FL
Mrs. Judy Adler
Mr. Javier Alatorre, Mexico
Mr. Will Allen, Growing Power, Oak Creek, WI
Ms. Cynthia Allen
Ms. Adrienne Arsht, Washington, DC
The Honorable David Axelrod, White House Communications
Mrs. Susan Axelrod
The Honorable Xavier Becerra, House of Representatives
Dr.…
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Edmond cyclists to ride on Friday
Edmond students and working folk will be participating in the fifth annual Bike to Work Day Friday.
The day is a celebration of bicycling as a healthy and fun form of transportation. The event is being held across the metro area. In Edmond, the event is being sponsored by the Edmond Bicycle Committee and Bike Edmond.
A group bike ride will start at 8 a.m. Friday at the University of Central Oklahoma Wellness Center parking lot off University Drive. It will end at OU Medical Center Edmond on Bryant Avenue.…
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Sullivan: Don’t Ban Offshore Drilling Because of Spill
Rep. John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, prepared this statement for a subcommittee hearing on the cause of the Gulf Coast oil spill.
“Thank you for holding this hearing today examining the causes of the Deepwater Horizon gulf coast oil spill. While the exact cause of this terrible tragedy is still being investigated, I am interested in learning from our witnesses their thoughts on what went wrong and their ideas moving forward to prevent this from ever happening again.…
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Southern Baptist Leader Weighs in on Immigration
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said today that hie is joining with other Evangelical leaders to call for a “just assimilation immigration policy” at the federal level that:
_ Respects the God-given dignity of every person;
_ Protects the unity of the immediate family;
_ Respects the rule of law;
_ Guarantees secure national borders;
_ Ensures fairness to taxpayers; and,
_ Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.…
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Hospital association says they’re in favor of a fee
A statement released from the Oklahoma Hospital Association sent out a statement this afternoon saying they are in favor of a provider fee.
The Oklahoma Hospital Association has voiced its support to House and Senate leaders for establishing a hospital provider fee as a means to sustain the services hospitals provide to Medicaid patients in their communities. In light of the state’s current budget crisis and the significant reductions in reimbursement hospitals have already experienced this year through across-the-board rate cuts and targeted cuts to specific health care programs, Oklahoma hospitals believe even more strongly the Legislature should pass a hospital provider fee this session.
…
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Budget talks get contentious, negotiations continue
House and Senate Democrats this morning said they will stall the budget process if a hospital provider fee is not included in the budget. The fee on hospital profits could allow the state to pick up more federal matching money and raise nearly $1 billion.
“We will stall this budget process,” said Rep. Scott Inman, D-Oklahoma City,”if they don’t include the hospital provider fee.”
Innman said the budget didn’t have to be done until July 1, when the 2011 fiscal year starts.…
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USDA Official to Visit Oklahoma on Thursday
Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is scheduled to make a national funding announcement in Kingfisher on Thursday morning and talk about the administration’s economic development efforts in rural America.
Merrigan will make the announcement at the Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, which has received stimulus funding to expand broadband Internet service.
Kingfisher is in the district of Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, who has been harshly critical of the administration’s policies in regard to farm programs and rural development.…
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Senator Inhofe Creates Weather Resource Page
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, has established a web page that includes some specific information about this week’s storms in Oklahoma and more general information and contacts about preparation and reaction.…
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Senate floor leader says leave Fridays open
Senate Majority Leader Todd Lamb is advising members to clear their calendars and be available to meet on Fridays.
Lamb, R-Oklahoma City, announced to members today that the Senate could meet this Friday and May 21. It all depends on the budget crafters, Lamb says. If a budget agreement is reached this week, the Senate could hear budget bills on Friday.
If not this Friday than next, Lamb says.
“It all depends on how budget negotiations go,” he said this afternoon.
During normal legislative weeks, members return to their districts to meet with constituents and community groups on Fridays.…
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