Citizen access bill moves on
Citizen access bill moves on
The state Senate last week approved legislation that could make it easier for Oklahoma voters to petition their state government.
Senate Joint Resolution 13 by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, would allow Oklahomans to vote on a proposal that would reduce the number of voters necessary for an initiative petition seeking to change legislative and constitutional measures.
Brogdon said reforms are needed to make state government more accessible to citizens.
“We should be doing everything in our power to make state government more open and accessible to Oklahomans,” said Brogdon. “The right to petition is a fundamental constitutional right, and it provides citizens with another important tool to make their voices heard.”
SJR 13 would decrease the number of legal voters needed to propose any legislative measure by tying the signature collection process to the governor’s race rather than the presidential race. This would amount to about a 37 percent decrease in the number of signatures required to get a measure on the ballot. Brogdon was also successful in advancing a resolution that would send to a vote of the people a proposal to institute term limits for all statewide elected officials. Brogdon said term limits had been successful in the legislature and should be extended to statewide elected officials.
“Legislative term limits have brought important new ideas into the Legislature and they would do the same for statewide elected offices,” Brogdon said. “I’m pleased that we were able to approve a measure that gives the people an opportunity to vote on this issue, and I’m confident that Oklahomans will continue their strong support for term limits.”
Senate Joint Resolution 12 would limit the term of a Corporation Commissioner to 12 years and other statewide elected officials to 8 years. Both measures have been advanced to the Office of the Secretary of the State to be put on the ballot.
Day of Prayer
Members of the Oklahoma Legislature joined with citizens around the state and nation in recognizing the National Day of Prayer on May 7. Sen. Earl Garrison introduced SCR 20 endorsing the special event.
“Now more than ever with our country facing the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, we need to look to the Lord for guidance, wisdom, and discernment on how to address this crisis,” said Garrison, D-Muskogee.
The resolution also asked President Barack Obama to proclaim a special National Day of Prayer in June exclusively for the nation’s continued economic recovery. Garrison said prayers are powerful and the National Day of Prayer says a lot about the United States of America.
Rep. Jerry McPeak was the principal House author of the resolution.
“‘Faith without works is dead’. We have put some measures in the ‘works’ to help our people and our economy,” said McPeak, D-Warner. “A day of prayer is appropriate to ask for God’s continued help, guidance and wisdom.”
Having national days of prayers in times of crisis has been a long tradition in the United States. The Continental Congress called for one in 1775, and President George Washington declared February 19, 1795, as a solemn day for prayer.
President John Adams requested one in 1798, and President James Madison did the same in 1813. President Abraham Lincoln called for a day of prayer on March 10, 1863.
On June 6, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt led the nation in prayer as American, British and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer on April 17, 1952, as did President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
President George Walker Bush declared January 21, 2001 ,as a day of prayer and this year’s observance was proclaimed for May 7.
Coburn likes cuts
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla.., applauded President Obama’s pledge to cut 121 government programs that could save taxpayers $17 billion.
“President Obama’s spending cuts are a serious first step toward changing the culture in Washington. American families have to make hard choices every day. So should politicians in Washington,” Coburn said. “These proposals must be followed by real action and enforcement by Congress and the White House. Many presidents have proposed specific spending cuts, but nearly all have failed to carry through on their pledges. In these tough economic times, the perfect political moment for change and a new era of restraint is now. The American people loathe wasteful spending and will not forgive empty promises from either party.”
Coburn said Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi should begin debating these specific spending cuts now, regardless of how imperfect or incomplete the President’s list may be.
“In fact, congressional leaders should be embarrassed the president is doing the work they should have already done. Congress has the power of the purse and should not wait on President Obama to force them to exercise fiscal discipline and eliminate wasteful and duplicative programs.
“ If members of Congress can find time to submit new earmark requests for special interests, they can certainly spend an afternoon debating and voting on this modest number of specific spending cuts,” said Coburn, who has identified more than $300 billion in annual government waste.
“If Congress fails to act on these proposals, I would urge the president to veto the first appropriations bill that arrives on his desk. Otherwise, Congress will feel emboldened to ignore any further calls for restraint, as Congress has done under previous administrations,.”
Boy Scout Centennial draws praise
State lawmakers recognized the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America and the role played by the citizens of Pawhuska in founding the organization.
“It’s a source of pride that the Boy Scouts were founded in Pawhuska,” said Rep. Eddie Fields, R-Wynona. “The group has had an enormous impact through the years and turned many fine young men into outstanding citizens as adults.”
The first Boy Scout troop in America was organized in Pawhuska in May 1909 by the Reverend John F. Mitchell, a missionary priest from England sent to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, by the Church of England. The group had the honor of being Troop No. 1 in the BSA and the original certificate is still on exhibit in the HistoricalMuseum in the Scout Room and is commemorated with a life-sized bronze statue in front of the Osage County Historical Museum.
The scouts and their leaders were presented with a citation from Fields and state Sen. Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, praising officials with Pawhuska’s Troop 33 and Troop 43 for their “outstanding commitment to educating and guiding young boys to become outstanding young men in the great State of Oklahoma and the United States of America.”
The Boy Scouts will celebrate their American centennial at their Historic Trails Camporee to be held in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, July 3, 4 and 5, 2009.
Several members of Pawhuska’s Troup 33 were on hand for the occasion, including scouts Charles Moore, Eagle Scout-Assistant Scout Master for Troop 33 in Pawhuska; Truman Reeves, Life Scout-Boy Scout Troop 33 in Pawhuska; Travis Millard, Life Scout-Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 43 in Pawhuska; Joe Thomas, Second Class Scout-Boy Scout Troop 33 in Pawhuska; Dallan Turner, Second class Scout-Chaplain’s aid for Boy Scout Troop 43 in Pawhuska; Frank Reeves, Scout Master-Boy Scout Troop 33 in Pawhuska; and Bruce Hendren, Scout Master - boy scout troop 43 in Pawhuska.
Reforms should help state protect citizens’ private data
State lawmakers and technology security experts said reforms advancing in the Legislature will increase protection of citizens’ private data and reduce its theft from government computers.
In addition, the reforms would increase efficiency and reduce waste during a tough budget year.
“Because Oklahoma government continues to use an outdated information technology system that is spread across dozens of agencies, it is impossible to hold one person responsible for the data losses,” said state Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie. “The enactment of House Bill 1704 or Senate Bill 980 could not only save millions of dollars in leveraged IT purchases, but would put someone in charge of securing important data.”
In recent months, several state computers containing citizens’ private information were either lost or stolen, including a flash driver from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and laptops from the Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency.
Two bills introduced this session would streamline information technology services and increase data security in state government: House Bill 1704, by state Rep. David Derby, and Senate Bill 980, by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee and Murphey.
Both measures would create a Chief Information Officer for state government, who would direct technology purchases and security policies for all state agencies.
Oklahoma is only one of four states in the country without a centralized technology officer. Dan Yost, chief technology officer for Stillwater-based computer security firm MyLaptopGPS, said the legislation is a step in the right direction.
“When agency policies are not consistent, it generates more loose ends throughout the system – and it only takes one loose end to breach 1 million Oklahomans’ private information, as we have already seen,” Yost said. “Giving one person oversight of the system is a good way to increase accountability and better secure data throughout all of state government. If nobody’s in charge, you’ve really got a problem.”
According to a recent report by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a stolen laptop is roughly $50,000 per computer. Other studies suggest the cost may be greater – a 2002 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey put the cost at $89,000 per laptop and the 2003 ACCSS said the average value of data on a laptop is $250,000.
“Even the $50,000 ‘best case’ scenario is very bad,” Yost said. “Oklahoma government had to spend $200,000 in mailing costs just for notification letters after the theft of only two laptops. More costs for those incidents will likely be forthcoming.”
Yost noted that another laptop is stolen every 12 seconds, at least 2.6 million per year. A 2006 survey by The Ponemon Institute showed that 80 percent of government agencies surveyed reported losing data via laptop theft in last 12 months.
In addition to creating security problems, lawmakers said the current system wastes money.
“Right now, each agency has its own IT department and the state spends $340 million a year on IT not including personnel and salaries,” Murphey said. “The current configuration is an antiquated system that other states have abandoned.”
“There is no need for each state agency to have a separate technology department and director when those needs are often similar,” Derby said.
It is estimated that Oklahoma employs close to 1,500 state employees dedicated to information technology across various agencies.
Some of those jobs are hard to justify given technological advances.
Lawmakers are also working on broader reforms. House Speaker Chris Benge has also asked state Rep. John Wright to conduct a review of state information technology policies.
“Clearly, the security of citizens’ personal data must be a top priority for state agencies,” said Wright, R-Broken Arrow.
Rabbi Eliezer Ben-Yehuda to speak
Miriam Hellman of Prophetic Ministries is sponsoring a lecture with author, Rabbi Eliezer Ben-Yehuda at the Radisson Hotel, 10918 E. 41st St. May 31 at 2:30 p.m. to discuss his new book, Fulfillment of Prophecy.
He will tell the story of what his grandfather, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, went through to fulfill the call of God upon his life as he revived the Hebrew language. His grandfather, at age 17, had an overwhelming “revelation” which set his life’s course in motion. He reveals, “it was as if the heavens were suddenly opened, and a clear incandescent light flashed before my eyes, and a mighty inner voice sounded in my ears: the resurrection of Israel on its ancestral soil.”
As his grandfather thought on this, he realized the importance of having a common language to unite a people. Thus, he saw the two most important things for the Jews to be a nation - the land and the language.
Contact Miriam Hellman at pm@miriamhellman.org or 1-800-869-5615 for questions concerning the lecture.
Creative Writing Contest for youth
The Tulsa City-County Library’s 2009 Young People’s Creative Writing Contest is open for young writers.
Now through June 5, youth between the ages of 10 and 18 who live in Tulsa County, attend school in Tulsa County or have a nonresident library card may enter the competition.
The Tulsa Library Trust, the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries, KWGS Public Radio 89.5 and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust co-sponsor the contest.
There are four age divisions: 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 and 16-18. Within each age division, there are four categories:
• Short Story – each entry no more than 1,500 words.
• Informal essay – a short composition on a topic or issue giving your opinion or recounting a personal experience. No term papers, reports or research papers are considered. Limited to 1,500 words.
• Poetry – one poem, no more than 300 words.
• One-Act Play – no more than six characters, no more than three locations. Limited to five to 60 minutes in length.
• Within each age division and category, cash prizes are awarded in the following amounts: $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.
Christopher Paul Curtis, winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2009 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature, will present awards to contest winners during a special ceremony at 10 a.m. on Aug. 29 at Connor’s Cove, Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. Curtis also will share tips on his creative writing process.
KWGS Public Radio 89.5 will invite some of the poetry and essay winners to record their works, and, at the discretion of the station, will broadcast some of the recordings.
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust will present some of the award-winning plays at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in the Charles E. Norman Theatre. The playwrights will be invited to attend rehearsals and will be honored at a reception following the performance.
Entry forms with rules and regulations are available at all TCCL locations or on the library’s teen Web site at http://teens.tulsalibrary.org. For more information, call your local library or 596-1638.
Medical Technologists to meet here
Medical technologists, laboratory scientists and Ccinical laboratory professionals from across Oklahoma will gather in Tulsa at Tulsa Community College for One Voice III, the joint spring seminar presented by the Oklahoma State Society of American Medical Technologists and the Oklahoma Chapter of American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science.
One Voice III will be May 15 and 16 at Tulsa Community College’s Southeast Campus at 10300 E. 81st St.
In addition to a number of technical seminars, vendors from around the country will be displaying the latest in laboratory equipment.
Mary Burden, MT and national board member for the American Medical Technologists Association says this event allows medical technologists the opportunity to hear the latest information about their profession and to interact with their colleagues from across the state.
“The medical technology field is one of the fastest growing career paths in the United States,” said Burden. “We’ll have a number of med tech students and college instructors attending. This gives our organization the opportunity to talk to the students about what a great career they can have. Having instructors attend means they can hear from laboratory professionals about the latest workforce needs and what skills are in demand.”
“By working closely with the Oklahoma Healthcare Workforce Center, students and college and career tech instructors, we can recruit more people into this challenging and rewarding career.”
Karen Holmes, program director of the medical technology program at Tulsa Community College says the medical technology field is wide open right now.
“Despite the current state of the economy, healthcare still needs more workers,” said Holmes. “In Oklahoma there is a high demand for trained laboratory professionals. Whether it’s working for a hospital, a private lab or a clinic, graduates have several career paths open to them. Depending on the person’s education level, pay for these jobs can start anywhere from $15 to $25 an hour.”
For a complete schedule of the program check okssamt.com or ascls-ok.org. For more information on One Voice III, career opportunities for medical technologists or the American Medical Technologists, contact Mary Burden at 405-206-9821.
Dental Mission of Mercy in 2010
The Oklahoma Dental Association and the Delta Dental Foundation of Oklahoma Charitable co-sponsoring the inaugural Oklahoma Dental Mission of Mercy (OkMOM) scheduled for February 5-6, 2010, at the Tulsa Convention Center.
OkMOM is two days of absolutely free dental care to all who come. OkMOM will be a 90-chair, fully-functional dental facility. There will be no eligibility or income requirements. OkMOM will serve both children and adults and it will be on a first-come, first-served basis; appointments will not be accepted.
An anticipated 1,000 patients will be treated each of the two days. Oklahoma is the 14th state to launch a dental mission of mercy. Two subsequent OkMOMs have already been planned: 2011 in Oklahoma City and 2012 in McAlester.
The Oklahoma Dental Association and the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation are accepting proposals from Oklahoma-based companies with which to partner on the OkMOM project through charitable donations of goods and/or services. For more information, e-mail okmom@okda.org.
Founded in 1907, the Oklahoma Dental Association has a membership of over 1,500 dentist and is headquartered in Oklahoma City. The Association was established to help foster an awareness of the obligations and responsibilities of the dental profession to society, to help advance the art and science of dentistry, and to promote public health and health services in the State of Oklahoma.
Silver Service to host a fundraiser
Silver Service, a new organization dedicated to community service, will host its first fundraiser at 10:30 a.m. May 30 at the Oaks Country Club.
Tickets for the brunch and entertainment are $25 (a portion, $10, is a donation). An auction is planned with donations from members, including a copy of My First Five Husbands… and Those Who Got Away from native Tulsan Rue McClanahan (donated by Mary Helen Stanley). For information and tickets, call 742-6689.