Ritze to introduce ban on light sentences for sex offenders
State Rep. Mike Ritze announced that if a special session of the Legislature is called, he plans to introduce legislation that would prevent sex offenders from receiving ludicrously light sentences, such as in the David Earls case in Pittsburg County.
“David Earls, a child rapist, should not have, under any circumstances, received a one-year sentence for such a heinous crime,” Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, said. “I are going to ensure that such a case cannot again occur in Oklahoma by filing legislation to mandate legislative overview in such a case.”
David Earls was convicted of raping a 4-year-old child but ,through an agreement with the district attorney, received only a one-year sentence.
“This case made national news and certainly got my attention,” Ritze said. “We would be remiss not to take steps to prevent such a further occurrence of injustice.”
More movies filmed in Oklahoma
Oklahoma film incentives have generated significant returns for the state economy, lawmakers were told in a recent report.
“This incentive certainly seems to provide a fairly large return for the state’s minimal investments,” said state Rep. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow.
Wright requested the legislative study that reviewed the incentive program today in the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee.
Oklahoma’s film incentive program was first enacted in 2001 and modified in 2005, providing tax breaks to film productions shot in Oklahoma using local facilities and talent.
Since 2005, officials estimate film productions in Oklahoma have provided a combined economic impact of more than $135 million, with $43 million projected for fiscal year 2010 alone.
“Apparently, the incentives are really beginning to bear fruit in our local economy,” Wright said. “The true test of any incentive program is the return on investment. It appears the film incentive program has been money well spent.”
When The Killer Inside Me was filmed in Oklahoma last summer, the production provided an economic impact of more than $5.1 million in return for a net rebate payout of approximately $71,000, according to the Oklahoma Film and Music Office.
Officials also noted many of the locations used by film productions are in rural Oklahoma, areas where growth has been limited and movie dollars provide a huge boost to the local economy.
The incentive program is currently capped at $5 million per year. However, state officials noted the program has been so successful that the cap has been reached and one potential production that would spend an estimated $13 million in Oklahoma may instead shoot in another state due to the incentive cap.
Nearly all states now provide similar incentive packages, increasing the competition for film productions.
“The film incentive program has proven an effective investment tool that could be improved to provide even greater results,” Wright said. “Because of the current budget climate, we must carefully review all existing tax incentive programs to ensure working families’ tax dollars are not needlessly wasted.”
Dave Ramsey aid tops one million
Financial Peace University (FPU), the 13-week program taught on DVD by author Dave Ramsey, has now helped more than one million families gain hope for their financial future.
This life-changing program teaches families and individuals about personal finance through common-sense principles and small group accountability. Ramsey began teaching FPU classes in 1994 every night around Nashville. In 1997, FPU was made available on video and began spreading across the country.
“This is an amazing landmark for our company. When I started teaching FPU fifteen years ago, I never imagined it would grow to reach over a million families across the country. We hear from people everyday who have changed the way they think about money because of FPU,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey’s weekly column is featured in the Tulsa Beacon. His national radio show is broadcast on KCFO AM970 (Christian talk radio) weekdays from 1-4 p.m.
FPU is available for churches, companies, military bases, financial literacy programs, Spanish-speaking organizations, community groups, and online. Through these multiple outlets, FPU has positively changed marriages, helped military families communicate overseas, and transformed the lives of families and individuals across the country.
The Financial Peace Workplace Edition (FPW) is held in companies of all sizes, from corporate environments to small businesses.
Beth and Hank Jones decided to attend FPW when her company offered the class in February of this year. “FPW eased frustration in our marriage from lack of communication. The class opened our eyes to our financial situation and made us aware of where our money was going. Because of FPW we have changed our spending habits and attitudes towards our finances,” Beth Jones said.
Financial Literacy programs in nonprofit organizations and prisons use FPU to provide their clients with direct, common-sense lessons about money that create self-sufficiency. Diane Gohl with the African Resource Center in Los Angeles has taught the class to residents in their shelter. “I feel strongly that it is not enough to teach those that are low income or underserved in our society just the basics of financial literacy. FPU allowed me to teach residents in our shelter how to make financial plans and goals so they are able to avoid debt and succeed financially,” said Gohl.
FPUChurch combines informative financial advice with biblical messages so that members are able to eliminate debt and give like never before. Central Christian Church in Las Vegas has put hundreds of families through FPU since the beginning of 2009, including Stephanie and Rick Kinney. They began with over $190,000 in debt and have been able to eliminate over $30,000 since February 2009. “FPU was a ground shaking experience for our family. It has given us a plan for our finances and a plan to build the wealth that before we thought would arrive on its own,” said Stephanie Kinney.
As they work through the program, the average family pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 91 days after beginning FPU and is completely out of debt, except for the mortgage, in 18 to 24 months.
Visit www.daveramsey.com for more information.
Ramsey is a personal money management expert, an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover and host of The Dave Ramsey Show on the Fox Business Network. In his latest book, a follow-up of his enormously successful New York Times best-sellers Financial Peace and More Than Enough, Ramsey exemplifies his life’s work of teaching others how to be financially responsible, so they can acquire enough wealth to take care of loved ones, live prosperously into old age, and give generously to others.
Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life – living a true riches to rags to riches story. By age twenty-six he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself full-time to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right – financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Plenty of swine flu vaccine ready
State health officials announced that all Oklahomans who want to reduce their risk of swine flu infection are now eligible to receive H1N1 influenza vaccine. While vaccine supplies remain limited, demand from priority groups has dipped to a point where all Oklahomans can begin to receive vaccine.
“While we continue to emphasize the importance of vaccination for the priority groups, especially children and pregnant women, we are going to begin to vaccinate the general population today,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley said Nov. 17. “Vaccination continues to be the best way to protect yourself from the H1N1 flu and slow the spread of this pandemic. H1N1 influenza activity has been widespread in Oklahoma since early September and even though statewide monitoring has recently shown a decline in influenza-linked hospitalizations, this virus is expected to circulate throughout the winter months. The possibility also exists that another surge of H1N1 flu may follow the current one.”
Since September 1, more than 890 Oklahomans have been hospitalized due to complications from influenza and at least 27 persons have died.
Ninety percent of the swine flu-related deaths have been persons less than 65 years old. This finding contrasts significantly with seasonal flu which tends to cause the greatest proportion of deaths among persons older than 65 years. The best protection against getting the flu is to receive both the vaccine for swine flu and seasonal flu.
Oklahomans seeking the H1N1 vaccine are encouraged to check with their physician’s office or county health department. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) expects an additional 90,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine to be delivered to the state this week.
The doses include both nasal spray and injectable vaccines. Supplies remain limited and the state expects to continue to receive vaccine through January.
For more information about the availability of swine influenza vaccine in your area, call a local county health department or visit www.health.ok.gov.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health toll-free H1N1 hotline is 1-866-278-7134.
Sen. Laughlin will speak to GOP
Former State Sen. Owen Laughlin will speak to the Tulsa County Republican Men’s Club December 9 in the private dining room of the Hong Kong Restaurant, 7315 S. Memorial Drive.
The Tulsa County Republican Mens Club, reactivated in 2008, holds a monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of each month.
The public is invited.
The lunch meeting is from noon to 1 p.m.
Laughlin represented a district in far Northwest Oklahoma, including the three panhandle counties. Senator Laughlin is an announced candidate for State Treasurer in 2010. He believes that his experience as a Senator has given him knowledge and insight into and about much of the believed waste in the state government, and how to reduce it substantially.
For more information, contact Bob McDowell at 481-1051.