Senate Republicans unveil legislative agenda

State Senate Republicans unveiled their 2008 legislative agenda today that calls for more money for highways and bridges, tax relief and keeping habitual criminals behind bars.

The GOP held news conferences in Lawton and Stillwater this morning with press conferences on their agenda planned this afternoon in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

They said they want Oklahoma government more accountable and transparent, too.

"Senate Republicans are ready to provide the new leadership Oklahoma needs in its second century," said Sen.. Glenn Coffee, an Oklahoma City Republican and the Senate's co-President Pro Tempore. "Today we're proposing forward-thinking policies and reforms to make Oklahoma a more prosperous and secure place to raise a family, start a business, get a good job and retire." Here are key elements of the GOP legislative plan for 2008:

• Establishing an office of accountability at the state Legislature to oversee and conduct regular performance audits of state agencies.
• Dedicating more of the existing motor vehicle taxes and fees for repairing and replacing state, county and local roads and bridges.
• Protecting the public's safety by keeping violent and habitual criminals in prison.
• Ensuring Oklahoma taxpayers get the income tax rate cut of 5.25 per cent that was planned for 2009 and eliminating ineffective and obsolete special interest tax breaks.

The 2009 tax cut currently cannot go into effect because projected state revenue growth is just 3.4 percent. A growth rate of at least 4 percent was needed under the law to trigger the 2009 tax cut.

Current revenue projections show that the Legislature will have only $32.1 million more to spend for the 2009 fiscal year that beings July 1 than they spent in the past legislative session.

The Republicans and Democrats have shared power in the Oklahoma Senate since the 2006 elections when both parties ended with 24 senators.

Both sides will share power during the 2008 legislative session but will be battling in 2008 to gain the majority in the state Senate.