In order to stop sex offenders who use social networking sites to prowl for children, state Rep. Ken Luttrell has introduced House Bill 2934, the Electronic Security and Targeting Online Predators Act (E-STOP).

Luttrell’s legislation, which passed out of committee this month, is similar to New York State’s law that resulted in more than 3,500 registered sex offenders being purged from the social networking sites, Facebook and MySpace since being signed into law.

Under HB 2934, sex offenders must register their e-mail addresses, screen names and all Internet identifiers with the state. That information is made available to networking sites so they can purge predators from their online worlds.

“I am creating E-Stop to help put an end to sexual predators who use the Internet as a tool to prey on the innocent,” said Luttrell, D-Ponca City. “Facebook and MySpace have successfully used New York’s legislation to make the Internet safer and all networking sites will be able to share Oklahoma’s database to keep children from being victimized.

“Oklahoma must do everything it can to protect our children from sexual predators. Many of these individuals prowl the Internet to develop ‘cyber-relationships’ with children in order to victimize them. This legislation will help us identify these individuals and restrict their access to websites used by children.”

In a release issued at the time of the New York law’s passage, John Walsh, co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and host of America’s Most Wanted, said, “Social networking websites have become the private hunting grounds for sexual predators and they use the safety and anonymity of the Internet to groom their next victims.”

In the same release, Ted Ullyot, vice president and general counsel at Facebook said, “Nothing is more important to Facebook than the safety of our users. Ensuring online safety requires cooperation between industry, policymakers, parents and teachers. Facebook will continue to look for innovative approaches both internally and in cooperation with law enforcement, to screen, block and help prosecute anyone who would attempt to misuse our service to harm others.”

Luttrell said, “Oklahoma maintains a registry of names and addresses of convicted sex offenders available to the public. Unfortunately, sex offenders remain free to create screen names and access social sites used by children and our laws do not effectively prevent that use. I am fighting for this law because it is imperative that protection keep up with the rapid changes in technology. E-Stop will be a powerful tool with the potential to save lives, and I am excited this Legislature can set an example and help lead the nation with this groundbreaking law.”

Ban kids from lottery commercials

State Rep. Harold Wright said it is “inappropriate” to use children in state lottery commercials and has filed legislation to stop that exploitation.

House Bill 2956, by Wright, would prohibit children from being involved in any manner in the advertisement or promotion of the lottery and lottery games.

“The underlying problem is that we are using children to promote gambling. Children aren’t legally allowed to gamble, so why should they be used to promote it? We wouldn’t use kids to sell alcohol or cigarettes, so why should we use them in gambling commercials?” asked Wright, R-Weatherford. “I think lottery tickets will sell just as much without having to exploit children in ads.”

House Bill 2956 passed the House Government Modernization Committee.

Pilot plan would rate state teachers

Legislation proposing a performance pay pilot program in six school districts across the state passed committee unanimously with bipartisan support.

House Bill 2836, by Rep. Earl Sears, creates a teacher performance-based pay pilot program. Under the legislation, the State Department of Education will create a grant award for a teacher performance pay pilot program and adopt guidelines for districts to follow in developing the program.

Each district will be allowed to craft its own plan based on the input of teachers, parents, administrators and community leaders. No district would be required to participate in the program, but instead will develop a plan and apply to the state Board of Education for grant funds and plan approval.

“This legislation will allow us to reward teachers who are going above and beyond to improve student performance, while also encouraging teachers to think outside the box in their classrooms,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “I am pleased Tulsa Public Schools is moving forward with their own performance pay plan, and I hope other districts will follow their lead either on their own or through this legislation.”

The legislation requires that each plan include:

• Measures of student academic growth and achievement and performance goals and benchmarks for student improvement

• Measures of professional growth

• An evaluation tool to measure progress

Outside of those requirements, the district is free to craft a local plan that fits in with its community’s education goals and needs.

If this bill becomes law, the State Department of Education will evaluate each plan by March 31, 2011, and by April 5, 2011, award up to six grants to school districts, contingent upon availability of funds. Each district receiving a grant will have three years to implement the plan.

The grants, which will be a minimum of $1,000 per teacher, will be awarded based on district enrollment. Two grants will go to districts of less than 1,000 average daily membership and two will go to districts with more than 1,000 and less than 8,000 average daily membership. The remaining two grants will go to districts with more than 8,000 average daily membership.

“I see no reason why we shouldn’t have a plan in place to reward teachers who have a proven success record for their dedicated work,” said Rep. Sears, R-Bartlesville and author of the bill. “This plan also may have the added benefit of pushing some teachers to the next level, which will inevitably improve student performance in our state. This bill does not mandate anything and is completely controlled at the local level.”

The legislation calls on the State Department of Education or a contractor to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program and submit a preliminary report by December 1, 2013, and a final report by December 1, 2014.

The hope is this legislation would allow school districts to tap into some federal Race to the Top funds if those are secured later this year.

“We want to be ready to take advantage of these additional dollars as soon as possible if Oklahoma is selected to receive Race to the Top funds,” said Sears. “It will take innovative ideas like this to move our state to the next level.”

The bill passed the House Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee today with a vote of 12-0 and will next proceed to the full budget committee for consideration.

Streamlining contracts saves money

State agencies could potentially save as much as $12 million with recently-completed and ongoing contract negotiations made possible by purchasing reforms put in place in recent years, House committee members were told recently.

Randy Ross, the deputy director at the Department of Central Services testifying before the House Government Modernization committee, said the agency is continuing to negotiate new contracts for commodities utilized by state and local agencies.

Ross said in total the expected savings to the state from new contract negotiations is set to be as much as $12 million, with local entities taking advantage of those contracts set to save as much as an additional $7 million as well.

DCS officials explained that the savings also impact local governments, which will also realize several million dollars of savings by taking advantage of the state’s newly-negotiated contracts.

“Tangible savings are now being realized at state agencies due to the purchasing reforms we passed last year,” said Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie and chairman of the committee. “These savings are coming online just in time to provide state and local government with relief as they downsize to meet decreasing revenues.”

Purchasing reforms put in place over the last three years have given DCS additional tools to negotiate the best products at the lowest price for the state. The department has also been able to streamline purchasing orders and the receiving of bids with the use of modern technology, which has allowed the department to dedicate more time to negotiating contracts.

Ross highlighted six newly-negotiated contracts that led to a savings of 13 percent, or an estimated $4.7 million savings to the state. One food contract mentioned saved $392,000 in the first quarter alone, and is expected to save $1.2 million annually. Also highlighted was a copier contract, which is currently being renegotiated with the hopes of saving as much as $4 million annually.

If school districts, higher education and county and municipal governments started to use many of the renegotiated contracts, the savings would be even greater, Ross said.

In the near term, Ross said the state will save at least $10 million with the new contracts, but as more contracts come up for renewal in the coming years, the additional savings possibilities are significant.

Many of the reforms were first suggested during a 2007 government modernization interim study, which suggested that if the state utilized technology and purchasing best practices, the state could save as much as $75 million annually.

Rep. Ken Miller, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of the 2007 interim study, said efforts to modernize government have been successful and must continue.

“When we first began examining government modernization, we quickly realized that government could be performing better,” said Miller, R-Edmond. “It is encouraging to see that our dialogue and efforts over the past three years are already leading to tangible results for the taxpayers.”

Government modernization remains a top priority for House Republicans this year.

Sen. Ford’s bill targets graduation

Senate Bill 2139, by Sen. John Ford, won unanimous approval by the Senate Education Committee recently. Ford said a new study by the Alliance for Excellent Education shows how important this issue is to Oklahoma’s economy.

“According to this new report, if the 14,500 dropouts from 2008 alone had earned their diplomas, Oklahoma’s economy would have seen an additional $3.8 billion in wages over those students’ lifetimes,” said Ford, chairman of the Education Committee. “In addition, we would have saved millions on remedial education, health care costs and in corrections.”

Ford, who represents Craig, Nowata and Washington counties, explained SB 2139 would create a formula for schools to set new graduation targets.

Those schools would be given two years to meet those goals. Schools unable to meet their graduation goal would receive assistance from the State Department of Education to develop and implement a plan to improve graduation rates.

“Right now we’re losing on the average a fourth of all students who begin high school - the numbers are even higher in some districts,” Ford said. “Ensuring more students graduate will create a better future for them, and a better economy for our entire state.

Ritze/Reynolds’ bill lets Oklahomans choose health care

Legislation that would allow Oklahoma voters to preserve their existing health care system has been approved by the House Rules Committee by all but one vote.

“It’s clear that there is bipartisan support in Oklahoma for preserving our current access to health care,” said state Rep. Mike Ritze, a Broken Arrow Republican who is also a physician and surgeon. “An overwhelming majority of Oklahomans want the current doctor-patient relationship preserved instead of having Washington bureaucrats dictate medical decisions and I am pleased to see my fellow lawmakers back this legislation.”

House Joint Resolution 1054, by Ritze and state Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, would allow the voters to changes the Oklahoma Constitution to include a “Freedom of Healthcare Choice Act.”

The legislation has been endorsed by officials with the Oklahoma Constitutional Alliance, a conglomeration of several organizations including Sooner Tea Party, OKforTea.com, the 912 Project, the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, Tulsa Town Hall, Tulsa 912 Project, Oklahoma City 912 Project, ROPE (Restore Oklahoma Public Education), Oklahoma Tenth Amendment Center, Remember The Bailout, and others.

Modeled on an Arizona proposal and seeded in 35 other states by the American Legislative Exchange Council, Ritze’s and Reynolds’ legislation would place language on the ballot to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to declare what types of health care systems could lawfully exist in the state.

The proposed constitutional amendment would:

• Prohibit any law or rule from directly or indirectly compelling any person or employer to participate in any health care system;

• Allow any person or employer to pay directly for lawful health care services without paying any penalties or fines;

• Permit a health care provider to provide directly purchased lawful health services without paying any penalties or fines; and

• Stipulate that subject to reasonable and necessary rules that do not substantially limit a person’s options, the purchase or sale of private health insurance will not be prohibited.

The amendment would not change what health care services a provider is required to perform or what health care services are permitted by law.

The bill passed the House Rules Committee by a 11-1 margin with both Democrats and Republicans supporting it.

Virtual schools’

bill advances

The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 2129 by Senator Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa which would create the Statewide Virtual School Task Force.

The purpose of the task force is to explore the establishment of a statewide virtual school in Oklahoma. Certain aspects of the virtual school set to be researched by the task force include the enrollment process, types of courses to be taught, services to be provided, location of operations and funding.

Stanislawski said many states throughout the nation who have virtual schools have seen great improvement among their students and in education test scores.

“Students learn in different ways and in different classroom environments,” said Stanislawski. “Through advanced education opportunities like virtual school, students are able to focus and learn better with the elimination of distractions. We want our students to not just pass the material, but master it.”

Stanislawski added that taking this step is key in advancing Oklahoma’s education system and preparing our students to compete globally.

“Virtual schools provide a unique concept of education with rigorous material that I am confident will help raise our academic standards. I look forward to thoroughly researching this issue, so we can bring an effective, advanced learning tool to Oklahoma’s education system.”

Bill would okay home-brewed beer

Oklahoma state law currently allows residents to make their own wine at home, but prohibits the home-brewing of beer. That will change if a bill co-authored by State Rep. Cory Williams, D-Stillwater, becomes law.

“This just seems like a matter of common sense and fairness,” said Rep. Williams. “Since Oklahomans are permitted to make their own wine and hard cider at home, it doesn’t make any sense to prohibit them from brewing beer for their own use. It’s an issue of parity.”

Existing law imposes a fine of up to $5,000 for those caught brewing beer at home, though Rep. Williams said the state does not make any serious effort to enforce it. He noted that state liquor agents barely have enough manpower to do the job of regulating businesses that serve alcohol, let alone attempt to enforce the home-brewing prohibition. It has been estimated that as many as 8,000 Oklahomans are already brewing their own.

The bill that would change the law to permit home-brewing, HB 2348, was approved last week with bipartisan support in a 12-1 vote by the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee. It now awaits a vote of the full House membership.

If signed into law, home brewers will have to obtain a license from the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, as is required of wine and cider makers.

Provisions of the bill allow residents to make the same amount currently permitted for wine and cider, 200 gallons a year, or roughly 355 six-packs. The alcoholic content of the average home-brewed beer tends to be less than that of homemade wine and cider, according to the American Home Brewers Association.

Weather delays given to schools

State Superintendent Sandy Garrett notified school superintendents last week that the window for state student testing would be expanded because of winter storms in recent months and the length and magnitude of school closings resulting from those storms.

Garrett coordinated the expansion with the national testing companies with which Oklahoma has contracts to make certain there would be no significant delay in the return of scores.

The state writing exam scheduled for Feb. 24 for Grades 5 and 8 is also being offered on March 3.

“We need to provide time for educators and students to get caught up in their lesson plans before having major tests,” Garrett said.

U.S. Census is looking for help

With National Census Day less than two months away, U.S. Census Bureau officials are stepping up efforts to recruit local residents as official census takers to work on the 2010 Census.

They will hire approximately 5,000 temporary workers in the State of Oklahoma. The pay for these positions ranges from $10 per hour to $14.25 per hour for census takers depending upon location.

The 2010 Census is a huge undertaking that provides temporary employment opportunities for Oklahomans interested in working on the census. Census jobs offer flexible hours and paid training. All census takers must be able to speak English but there is a need for bilingual speakers too

All census employees must take a basic skills test and pass a background check. Those eligible need to be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and also pass the skills test and the background check. Interested persons should call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-866-861-2010 to begin the application process.

The first census was performed in 1790 and counted 3.2 million people. More than 130 million addresses throughout the nation will receive a census form in March 2010, either by mail, in person or from an official census worker. Upon receipt, households should immediately complete and return their forms and include everyone who lives in the home.

Proctor proposal guards tax cuts

Most Oklahomans don’t like it when a company takes money from the state in exchange for creating jobs, then shuts down its operations and sends our jobs out of the country once the free ride is over. Tulsa legislator Rep. Eric Proctor is trying to stop it from happening with HB 2617, the Oklahoma Jobs Protection Act.

Under its provisions, companies which accept tax incentives or any other state funds tied to job creation would have to pay that money back if they later eliminate Oklahoma jobs while creating new jobs in other countries. Proctor believes it is an issue of accountability.

“We have a moral obligation as legislators to protect Oklahoma families and jobs, and to make sure their tax dollars are not just given away,” said Proctor.

Businesses or corporations that violate the terms of the proposed law would be required to return all funds received from or through the state, along with 4.5 percent interest from the time it was received.

“This recession has triggered the worst financial crisis Oklahoma has faced since the Great Depression, and it is a time when we have to make sure we are getting the most possible bang for our buck,” added Proctor. “We should not reward companies who ship jobs to China, India or Mexico, for example.”

The bill has been sent to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.

“This is a fiscally responsible piece of legislation that should find support on both sides of the aisle,” Proctor noted. “I hope my colleagues in the GOP, as well as my fellow Democrats, will get behind this effort to protect Oklahoma jobs and taxpayers.”

Repeat offender could face death

Legislation allowing repeat sex offenders to face the death penalty is headed to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

House Bill 2965, by state Rep. Rex Duncan, would expand the penalties for child molesters, allowing repeat offenders to face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

“The death penalty is rightfully reserved for the most heinous crimes,” said Duncan, a Sand Springs Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. “There is no doubt that men who violently rape children fit that category. There is strong bipartisan support for this proposal.”

House Bill 2965 gained approval in the House Judiciary Committee this week on a bipartisan 9-1 vote. It now proceeds to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Under current law, a child molester can face a sentence of 25 years to life for a first offense. Duncan’s legislation will increase the penalty to include a maximum sentence of life without parole.

His legislation will also allow the death penalty to be considered for those convicted of a second or subsequent offense. That provision will be crafted to comply with recent court rulings.

The legislation will also eliminate the “homeless defense” as an excuse for not registering as a sex offender and allow those convicted of failure to register to receive a 20-year prison sentence.

Sen.Garrison: cut session short

Senator Earl Garrison has called for leaders in the Oklahoma Legislature to cut the legislative session short in order to be accountable to the people of Oklahoma and save hard working taxpayer dollars. Garrison said in a year when the state is facing more than a billion-dollar budget hole, legislators should focus solely on budget related bills and agree to end the annual legislative session early.

“I’ve talked with the people in my district and they want to know what we are doing to share in their pain,” Garrison said. “For months, legislative leaders have said we need to tighten our belts, just like Oklahoma families, and I couldn’t agree more, and one way to do that is by cutting session short.”

Garrison said bills unrelated to the budget are often ripe with special-interest giveaways that offer little in the way of transparency and oversight.

Apologetics course is at Southwood

Equipping Believers to Engage the Culture, an inaugural Oklahoma Conference on Christian Apologetics, will be February 19 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. and February 20 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Southwood Baptist, 10110 E. 41st St.

Speakers for the event include Dr. J.P. Moreland, Dr. Everett Piper of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Dr. John Strappazon and Dr. Jim Burkett. The two-day conference seeks to equip individuals with intellectual and Biblical answers for 21st Century questions.

For groups of 10 or more the cost is $40 per person. For more information, call 665-3744.

Bill bans storing of infant DNA

The Senate Judiciary Committee has given its approval to a bill that would prohibit any medical facility from storing or using infant DNA for research without the parents’ permission. Sen. Jonathan Nichols is the author of Senate Bill 1250 which was approved unanimously by the committee on Tuesday.

“When a child is born, the hospital takes a small blood sample to screen for certain diseases, and that’s a practice that is obviously beneficial to the infant. The problem we’ve seen in other states is that some medical facilities have been keeping those samples and using them for unauthorized research,” explained Nichols, R-Norman. “We don’t want that to happen in Oklahoma.”

The unauthorized collection of DNA samples has sparked lawsuits in other states, including Texas. The Texas Department of Health Services and Texas A&M were sued by parents for storing and doing research on infant DNA collected during these blood screenings. A settlement in that case requires the destruction of 4.5 million samples that were stored without the parents’ knowledge or consent.

“There are serious privacy and ethics concerns that have been breached around the country with the unauthorized databasing of infant DNA,” Nichols said. “My initial inquiries indicate this has not occurred in Oklahoma, but requiring consent by law will help ensure that it never does.”

Don’t sit on panel, Sen. Brogdon says

State Sen. Randy Brogdon said that President Barack Obama’s executive order creating the Presidential Council of Governors is just one more example of the federal government’s ongoing erosion of states’ rights.

Brogdon offered a Senate Concurrent Resolution to fellow members denouncing the panel and asking Gov. Brad Henry to decline his appointment to the Council.

Brogdon said one of the duties of the new council is the coordination and integration of military operations within the nation between the federal government and various states - a move Brogdon said is a threat to all 50 states, and one that he would oppose.

“This just further blurs the lines between civil and military authority given to the federal government. I believe this violates the 10th Amendment and further damages state sovereignty,” said Brogdon, R-Owasso.

“Oklahoma has the National Guard, police, highway patrol and many first responders to protect our citizens. The U.S. Army is there to protect our nation’s borders. I strongly oppose any action that would allow federal military to come into our state and have authority over our police and our communities.”

The resolution condemns both Congress and the President for requiring and spearheading the council’s creation, something Brogdon called a subversion of the Constitution.

“Citizens need to pay careful attention to what is happening in Washington, because it is having a negative impact on Oklahoma” Brogdon said.

“We need to speak up for our freedoms and our sovereignty before they are taken from us.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 and is filed under News Briefs.