Open Door Policy Weekly Column

March 8, 2010

            There has been quite a bit of activity around the State Capitol over the past week.  As the deadline finished for committee work, the legislature has dedicated this week and the last working on bills before the entire House of Representatives.  I have seen several of my bills reach the floor of the House and be passed on to the Senate.  I still have three bills left on the calendar for consideration before the House this week and hope that one more, my legislation restructuring the volunteer firefighter tax credit, will make it on before the deadline of this Thursday.  We are awaiting letters of support from the Office of Homeland Security and Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training, to join the letters I have currently from the various career technology centers and fire service organizations who serve Oklahoma .  One other bill, my legislation to require assisted living facilities to have generators in case of power outages, will not be heard this year due to a decision by the House Leadership.  There is another bill to require a study of this issue, so I will do my best to get this legislation passed this session.

            I have also co-authored many good pieces of legislation by colleagues.  Rep. Danny Morgan has authored a bill to allow pregnant women with medical conditions to be allowed usage of a temporary disability sticker for parking.  HB 2998, by Rep. Kris Steele, authorizes a pilot recidivism reduction program for incarcerated females.  Two other bills create income tax check-off programs for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and the Oklahoma Honor Flight program, a fund which assists World War II Veterans a chance to travel to Washington, DC to view the monument dedicated to the military who served in that war.  Both programs do not receive government funding from the state and these donation opportunities on income tax returns allow for private citizens to donate a portion of their returns for these and other worthy programs allowed by the legislature and the governor to be on the tax form.

            The clean-up is still continuing around the area with limbs left over from the ice storm.  Many of the communities and counties have developed plans to account for the costs related to the disaster as the White House and FEMA approved the reimbursement for cities, counties and non-profit groups, such as the electric cooperatives for covering damages.  The federal government will pay the estimate of 75% of this amount, with the state required to pay 12.5% and the locally-affected entity paying the remaining 12.5%.  We did receive the bad news that individual assistance will not be paid out for costs associated with the ice storms.  One of the minimum requirements is that a city or county suffer the total destruction of at least 100 homes or businesses from the disaster, and this did not occur with these ice storms.  I will be working on legislation for the future to provide assistance to individuals with medical conditions to cover a part of the cost for generators if a doctor signs off that this is to assist with a medical condition.  If you have questions about local clean-up efforts, please contact your local city hall or county commissioner.

            We had several visitors to the Capitol this past week.  I was pleased to have the minister of the week from our area.  Sharla Reynolds, the pastor for Sterling United Methodist and Rush Springs First United Methodist Church , delivered our daily prayer prior to session and also gave us an inspirational message on Thursday.  We also saw the Washita Valley Leadership Program, which includes several of my constituents from Caddo County , visit the Capitol for a two day leadership seminar about state government.  I was happy to visit with them at the Capitol and also have dinner with them one evening and address questions about policy and procedure.  We need more opportunities like this for citizens to learn about the system and contribute back with their ideas.  Thanks to this group and all such programs and individuals who seek to better our state by providing leadership.  The Conservation Districts of Oklahoma also were at the Capitol and I was pleased to help honor the Grady County Conservation District as the District of the Year.

            It is an honor to represent your views at the State Capitol. If you wish to contact me and discuss one of these or another issue, I can be reached at my office in Oklahoma City toll-free at 1-800-522-8502, or directly at 1-405-557-7305. My e-mail address is joedorman@okhouse.gov at work. My mailing address is PO Box 559 , Rush Springs, OK 73082 and my website is www.joedorman.com on the Internet. Thank you for taking time to read this column and I look forward to seeing you soon


Pastor Sharla Reynolds, with Rep. Joe Dorman, at the Oklahoma House of Representatives


Senator Ron Justice and Reps. Phil Richardson, Harold Wright and Joe Dorman, with the 2010 Washita Valley Leadership Program at the State Capitol

Open Door Policy Archives

March 8, 2010
March 1, 2010
February 22, 2010
February 15, 2010
February 8, 2010
February 2, 2010
January 25, 2010
January 17, 2010
January 11, 2010
January 4, 2010
December 28, 2009
December 21, 2009
December 14, 2009
December 7, 2009
December 1, 2009
November 23, 2009
November 16, 2009
November 12, 2009
November 2, 2009
October 25, 2009
October 18, 2009
October 12, 2009
October 5, 2009
September 28, 2009
September 22, 2009
September 14, 2009
September 8, 2009

September 1, 2009
August 18, 2009
August 10, 2009
August 3, 2009
July 28, 2009
July 21, 2009
July 13, 2009
July 6, 2009

June 30, 2009
June 23, 2009
June 16, 2009
June 9, 2009
June 2, 2009
May 26, 2009
May 19, 2009
May 12, 2009
May 5, 2009

April 28, 2009
April 21, 2009
April 14, 2009
April 7, 2009
March 31, 2009
March 24, 2009
March 17, 2009
March 9, 2009
March 3, 2009
February 24, 2009
February 17, 2009
February 2, 2009
January 26, 2009
January 19, 2009
January 13, 2009
December 30, 2008
December 22, 2008
December 16, 2008
December 8, 2008
November 24, 2008
November 18, 2008
November 11, 2008
November 4, 2008
October 27, 2008

October 6, 2008
September 30, 2008
September 23, 2008
September 16, 2008
September 9, 2008
September 2, 2008
August 26, 2008
August 19, 2008
August 4, 2008
July 28, 2008
July 21, 2008
July 14, 2008
July 7, 2008
June 30, 2008
June 17, 2008
June 9, 2008
June 3, 2008
May 26, 2008
May 19, 2008
May 12, 2008
May 5, 2008
April 21, 2008
April 15, 2008
April 8, 2008
April 1, 2008
March 25, 2008
March 17, 2008
March 11, 2008
March 3, 2008
February 26, 2008
February 18, 2008
February 3, 2008
January 29, 2008
January 22, 2008
January 7, 2008
December 28, 2007
December 18, 2007
December 11, 2007
December 4, 2007
November 27, 2007
November 19, 2007
November 13, 2007
November 6, 2007
October 30, 2007
October 23, 2007
October 15, 2007
October 11, 2007
September 24, 2007
September 17, 2007
September 10, 2007

August 28, 2007
August 14, 2007
August 6, 2007
July 31, 2007
July 24, 2007
July 17, 2007
July 8, 2007
July 2, 2007
June 25, 2007
June 11, 2007

June 5, 2007
May 29, 2007

May 15, 2007
May 1, 2007
April 23, 2007
April 16, 2007
April 10, 2007
April 3, 2007
March 27, 2007
March 12, 2007
March 6, 2007
February 20, 2007
February 13, 2007
January 29, 2007
January 15, 2007

January 3, 2007
December 19, 2006
December 12, 2006
December 5, 2006

November 20, 2006
November 14, 2006
October 30, 2006
October 23, 2006

October 9, 2006
October 2, 2006
September 25, 2006
September 18, 2006
September 4, 2006
August 14, 2006
August 8, 2006
June 20, 2006
June 13, 2006
May 30, 2006
May 23, 2006
May 9, 2006
May 3, 2006
April 24, 2006
April 18, 2006


 

Home