Henry Signs Dozens Of Bills Into Law

Tuesday, June 5th 2007, 5:56 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Gov. Brad Henry signed 46 bills into law on Tuesday, including a measure designed to increase the number of college graduates by providing a permanent funding source for a statewide scholarship program.

Henry also vetoed a bill that would have imposed a felony penalty of up to 20 years in prison for possessing tobacco or a cell phone inside a jail or prison.

``While I support tough restrictions on contraband, a felony and penalty of 5-20 years for possession of tobacco is excessive,'' Henry said in a statement.

Henry praised the Legislature's passage of a bill to provide a permanent funding source for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, also known as Oklahoma's Promise. Under Senate Bill 820, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will estimate how much funding is needed for the program, and then that amount will be subtracted from how much money is certified for the Legislature to spend.

``Producing more college graduates is the key to success in Oklahoma's second century, and Oklahoma's Promise does that by targeting those students who are most deserving and most in need,'' Henry said. ``There is no better investment of state funds than the future of our children.''

The bill also expands eligibility to home-schooled students and requires participants to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average in college during their sophomore year and a 2.5 grade-point average in their junior and senior years.

Under the bill, students also could lose eligibility if they are suspended or expelled for more than one semester during college.

Henry signed another measure to create a searchable database to track how state dollars are spent, despite concerns from a group representing Oklahoma businesses that wanted Henry to veto the bill so that tax credits offered to lure businesses to the state could be kept secret.

In signing the bill, Henry acknowledged concerns that The State Chamber raised about the measure.

``It is critical that the Legislature acts expeditiously to further explore the impact of this legislation on economic development, as well as any unintended consequences of this legislation, and take action to rectify any unintended consequences,'' Henry wrote in an accompanying signing statement.

Henry also issued one line-item veto of $1.2 million that was to be used to construct a new Troop K headquarters for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in Noble County.

A spokesman for Henry said he vetoed the section because of a disagreement between lawmakers over where the new headquarters would be located.

``It's currently in Pawnee, and there was a dispute over whether the new location would be in Perry or Pawnee,'' said spokesman Paul Sund. ``The governor vetoed that portion of the bill so that the legislators would have time to settle that dispute.''

Henry signed a bill to create the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center to coordinate biofuels research at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the Ardmore-based Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

The research will focus on developing feedstocks, collection and transportation of biofuels and conversion technologies and distribution.

``Biofuels are a critical component in reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil, protecting the environment, creating high-paying jobs and diversifying our state's economy,'' Henry said.

Henry also signed a series of bills designed to protect children against child abuse and neglect, including one to make it easier for prosecutors to pursue murder charges in child-neglect deaths and another to impose a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years for anyone convicted of a sex offense against a child younger than 12.