Washington Examiner
By: SEAN MURPHY | Associated Press | 06/20/11 5:03 PM
Oklahoma lawmakers may have adjourned the 2011 session, but many will soon return to the state Capitol to examine several thorny issues, including long-range policies for the state's water resources and a study of the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks handed out by the state each year.
The House also has assembled a special committee to study further changes to the state's pension systems, and a task force has been created to explore possible changes to the state's liquor laws, including the sale of wine and beer with higher alcoholic content at grocery stores.
House members submitted 126 requests for interim studies on issues ranging from the age of children entering kindergarten to the use of stun guns by police. House leaders will likely approve about 50 of those requests, said John Estus, a spokesman for House Speaker Kris Steele.
"We anticipate announcing which ones will be approved by July 8," Estus said Monday. "There are some that deal with similar topics that might be able to be rolled together."
Studies are assigned to various House committees. Members who participate receive a standard mileage reimbursement of 51 cents per mile, and those lawmakers who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol receive an additional $25 per day. A similar reimbursement policy is in place in the Senate... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Mon, June 20, 2011
by John Cox