Maybe some 'Print Media' and so call Blogger should understand how things work...

Maybe some 'Print Media' and so call Blogger should understand how things work at the Oklahoma State Capitol. They probability think Conference Committee have real meeting. LOL

When a bill go to a Conference Committee, only the people on the Conference Committee and Staff can add or take out language on that bill.
And it look like Demo Scott Meacham hand pick boy, Rep. Ken Miller (Who want to be our 'Republican' State Treasurer) is out campaigning for GOP votes.Rep. McDaniel, Trust the House Staff?

Most of the Lobbist, Media, and other insider at the Oklahoma State Capitol think that, unlike the State Senate Staff, the House Staff RUN the House and control the flow of information in the House.

Plan to Use Cameras to Catch Uninsured Drivers Raises Privacy Concerns

Mike McCarville @ http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/ has done a GREAT job putting some light on this...

DPS Doesn't Have A Clue Where Highway Traffic 'Spy' Camera Revenue Estimate Came From

The Department of Public Safety admits in a solicitation for vendors bidding on Governor Henry's new statewide system of highway traffic "spy" cameras that it doesn't have a clue where an estimate of $50 million in new revenue for the state from the system came from.

That revelation is found in reading questions submitted by bidders, and the DPS response to them (Bid #5850000395). The DPS response to the questions is somewhat surprising given that it is the entity that has been in charge of requesting information from bidders.

Two bidders asked for the source of the revenue estimate; in both cases, DPS replied, "Unknown."

Reading the proposals also reveals that initially, the estimate of new revenue was $95 million. The income would flow from fines assessed against those without vehicle insurance. Even at $50 million, the sum listed in Henry's budget, it is estimated that more than 750 motorists without insurance would have to be fined per day to produce that much money for the state given that the vendor would be paid 25 to 30 percent of the fines collected. DPS reports there are 3.9 million vehicles in the state with 3.5 million of them being properly insured.

A DPS source told The McCarville Report Online he believes the first estimate came during one of the initial discussions about the Oklahoma system. He named the person he believes made the estimate, but TMRO was unable to contact that person during the Memorial Day holiday for confirmation.

The system, which would place 220 cameras across the state to photograph the license plates of passing vehicles, is designed to catch insurance scofflaws, those without the mandatory vehicle insurance.

But privacy advocates and civil libertarians see a much more sinister use of the information that would be gathered by the cameras. They note the apparent ease of tracking the movements of motorists, and the ability of the state to harvest unrelated information about the vehicle owner and place it into a computer database. That fear appears to be reinforced by advocates of the "Automated License Plate Recognition" (ALPR) system.

Governor Henry proposed the system as part of an effort to raise new revenue.

Spy Cameras: Is it about Money? Is It Public Safety? Or is it just Political Payback?

Mike McCarville @ http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/ has done a GREAT job putting some light on this...

Former OU and Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer, credited by some as being responsible for Governor Henry's upset victory in the 2002 governor's race, apparently is connected to a company that may benefit from Henry's plan to use highway traffic cameras to identify those without vehicle insurance.

While there's been no announcement that InsureNet will be the company chosen to process information obtained through the highway cameras, it has won contracts in other states as a "sole source provider," meaning it is the only firm able to perform the service.

Former Republican House member Wayne Pettigrew of Edmond is a national officer of the firm.

Switzer was a fundraiser for Henry in 2002 and again in 2006. His endorsement of Henry in the 2002 race, many believe, propelled Henry to victory. Switzer also was responsible for placing a last-minute series of Henry radio commercials with a jingle that became the hallmark of the campaign.

Bulletin ~ The House Transportation Committee heard a presentation last Wednesday on InsureNet, which provides paperless verification of motorists’ insurance status. Former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer, who implemented the program in Oklahoma, was present at our meeting.

Following the thread of disjointed information about InsureNet's efforts to bring the controversial cameras to Oklahoma highways also shines light on the involvement of others, including Republican Rep. Ken Miller of Edmond, the chairman of the powerful House Appropriations and Budget Committee and a candidate for state treasurer.

Miller authored House Bill 3326 in the 2008 session which authorized creation of the new license plates, which apparently became the first step in instituting the system and was a member of the committee that designed the plates. Miller, however, says the system would have worked with the state's previous license plates.
And, as with Henry, there's a political connection between Switzer and Miller.

Oklahoma Ethics Commission reports show Switzer donated $2,500 to Miller's 2010 reelection campaign.

In Henry's reelection campaign in 2006, Switzer repeated his 2002 donation generosity to Henry; he donated the maximum, $5,000.

Conservative Policies Helping Oklahoma Weather Downturn

House Republican leaders said today they are optimistic conservative fiscal policies currently in place will help Oklahoma withstand a budget shortfall next fiscal year.

The state Board of Equalization certified today that the Legislature will have $309.6 million less to spend in fiscal year 2010 compared to the current fiscal year, or a 4.4 percent drop.

According to the NCSL, Oklahoma is one of only ten states in the country who are not experiencing revenue shortfalls or significant budget gaps this year.

“There are many states in the country that face financial shortfalls larger than Oklahoma’s entire $7 billion budget; this is no time for panic,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “Much of our good fortune to this point can be attributed to the fact we have followed a concept Oklahomans follow every day—living within our means. It is certainly going to be a difficult budget year, but I am confident that together our state leaders will pass a budget that will continue to move our state forward in a time when many other states are forced into drastic service and employee cuts.”

House Budget Chairman Ken Miller noted that though the individual income tax collections are predicted to drop by $104 million, or 4.8 percent, the static numbers do not tell the whole picture.

First, $54 million for the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program and $190 million for the ROADS Fund came directly out of the personal income tax estimates prior to the certification. Those are two obligations the Legislature has met before session has even started, which makes estimated income tax collections appear lower than they truly are.

Also, the state sales tax is estimated to grow by $84 million, or a 5 percent increase. Rep. Miller said allowing taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned dollars has resulted in Oklahoma families spending the money as they see fit, which has helped sales tax collections and employment.

“Tax cuts are a fiscal stimulus and Washington would do well to follow Oklahoma’s lead during these tough times,” said Miller, R-Edmond. “Just because money isn’t rushing into the state treasury doesn’t mean that money disappears. Those dollars stay with the Oklahomans who earned them for spending on necessities like utilities, tuition, groceries and gas – and that spending creates jobs and income.”

Lean budget years are also a good time to look for additional efficiencies within government, said Rep. Scott Martin, vice-chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

In recent years, government spending has been restrained by using surpluses mostly for one-time expenditures and not ongoing expenses, while state officials have also built a robust savings account in case of a financial emergency.

“Since Republicans have taken over the majority in the House, we have worked to streamline government and make it as efficient as possible for the taxpayers,” said Martin, R-Norman. “In a year where there is less money to spend than the year before, we have to get creative in finding ways to save money while making sure our agencies are resourceful with the funds they do receive.”

Oklahoma House GOP to pick leadership team

After helping to increase his party's political control of the state House to the largest margin ever, Republican House Speaker Chris Benge is expected to remain in the post when House Republicans gather at the state Capitol Friday to select a leadership team for the next two years.

Benge, of Tulsa, was chairman of the powerful House Appropriations and Budget Committee when he was elected speaker in January after Rep. Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, resigned from the post following revelations that he submitted late property tax payments and did not file state personal income tax returns. Cargill did not seek re-election.

Since becoming speaker, Benge has won praise from GOP House members for his methodical governing style and assistance during this fall's round of elections in which he helped raise campaign funds and even made phone calls and campaigned house-to-house for GOP candidates.

"Speaker Benge was extremely active in our campaign cycle. I think the results bear that out," said Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond, who succeeded Benge as House budget chairman. "Speaker Benge did an excellent job of managing our races and equipping them with the funds necessary to be successful."

In addition to Benge, Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, is seeking the House's top job. Reynolds said that while he has no animosity toward Benge, he believes Benge has been slow to reverse what Reynolds said was a "very dictatorial" leadership style imposed during Cargill's time as speaker.

"While we are selecting new leaders, what we have not discussed is leadership style," Reynolds said. "I think Chris Benge is an honorable guy. But he had a year to change things and he didn't. He has not addressed even now what changes he might implement if he is elected speaker."

Reynolds said he wants House leaders to develop an inclusive approach to governing that encourages all members of both political parties to participate.

"I want everyone at the table, starting from within our caucus," Reynolds said. "I hope he will try to change the direction of our caucus."

Other House Republicans indicated Benge will easily be re-elected speaker.

"I don't anticipate him having any trouble whatsoever. He's got near unanimous support in the caucus," said Jason Nelson of Oklahoma City, a newly elected House member who said Benge helped him in a difficult campaign that he won with less than 51 percent of the vote.

"The speaker was tremendously helpful. Anything I needed him to do he helped with," Nelson said.

Rep. Dennis Johnson, R-Duncan, said Benge was very helpful in winning re-election in a district that was among the seats targeted by House Democrats.

"Speaker Benge was kind enough, at my invitation, to come down and knock on doors with me. I appreciated his help," Johnson said. "I highly respect our speaker. He came in at a very difficult time and has had a steady hand."

House Republicans will also decide whether Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, will remain in his position. Reps. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, and Don Armes, R-Faxon, are also seeking the job.

Reps. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow, and Scott Martin, R-Norman, are seeking the caucus chairman job currently held by Wright.

Friday's caucus vote will be ratified at a Jan. 6 organizational meeting of the full House.

Ethics agency will remain independent

Ethics agency will remain independent

By Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau

Wording in legislation will be deleted that would have taken away the independence of the state's Ethics Commission, the bill's author said Friday.

"The Ethics Commission will be taken out of the bill as soon as I can physically get it out,” said Rep. Ken Miller, an Edmond Republican.

The House of Representatives late Wednesday passed House Joint Resolution 1099, which aims to give the governor authority to appoint the directors of such agencies as the Department of Human Services and the Wildlife and Conservation Commission.

A section also states the governor or his Cabinet secretary would be able to appoint a director of the Ethics Commission. The director's duties would be defined by the Legislature.

Why the change?
In 1990, Oklahoma voters passed a constitutional amendment creating a constitutional Ethics Commission to handle campaign finance reports as well as ethical conduct of state officers and employees. It is to be an independent commission, with the commissioners now in charge of hiring its executive director.

Approval of the measure would put the Ethics Commission under the supervision of the state's executive and legislative branches. Legislators now appropriate money for the commission, but the commission is to be an independent body so it can objectively look into complaints and make rules.

If approved by the Senate, HJR 1099 would be submitted to voters in November.

Gov. Brad Henry has not reviewed the legislation, spokesman Paul Sund said Friday.

"In general, Governor Henry is very protective of the Ethics Commission and opposes any effort to weaken its authority or autonomy,” Sund said.

"This is alarming,” Commissioner John Raley said of the joint resolution.

If the measure would become law as originally written, it would take away the "total and absolute independence of this body,” he said.

Commission Chairman Don Bingham said the proposal is a "direct threat to the day-to-day function of this commission.”

Where did idea originate?
Miller said the idea for the measure came from the "100 Ideas” initiative led by former House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. Idea No. 51 proposes changing the constitution to establish a Cabinet system of government in which the governor appoints the heads of the major departments.

Miller said House staff wrote the legislation, and the measure sailed through a House committee without a negative vote. Rep Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, pointed out the problem with language involving the Ethics Commission when the bill was discussed on the House floor Wednesday night.

Miller said he told Reynolds he would delete the reference to the Ethics Commission.

It was Reynolds who brought the measure to the commission's attention during its monthly meeting Friday at the state Capitol.

"You need to be very vigilant,” Reynolds said to the commission members.

Do you trust the Oklahoma Tax Commission and Rep Ken Miller ?

Number 2 Porker of the Month !

RFID-enabled license plates
to identify UK vehicle
Thursday, June 10 2004

The UK-based vehicle licence plate manufacturer, Hills Numberplates Ltd, has chosen long-range RFID tags and readers from Identec Solutions to be embedded in licence plates that will automatically and reliably identify vehicles in the UK.

The new e-Plates project uses active (battery powered) RFID tags embedded in the plates to identify vehicles in real time. The result is the ability to reliably identify any vehicle, anywhere, whether stationary or mobile, and - most importantly - in all weather conditions. (Previous visually-based licence plate identification techniques have been hampered by factors such as heavy rain, mist, fog, and even mud or dirt on the plates.)

The e-Plates project has been under development for the past three years at a cost of more than £1 million, and is currently under consideration by a number of administrations. It is hoped that e-Plate will be one of the systems trialled by the UK Government in its forthcoming study of micro-chipped licence plates.

Chipped plates
The plates are the same shape and size as conventional plates, and are permanently fitted to the vehicle in the same way. But each e-Plate contains an embedded tag with a unique, encrypted identification number that is transmitted by the tag for detection by RFID readers. Multiple tags can be read simultaneously by a single reader at speeds of up to 320km per hour (200mph), up to 100 metres (300 feet) away.

The reader network, which includes fixed location readers (for use on the roadside) and portable readers (for use in surveillance vehicles and handheld devices), sends the unique identifier in real time to a central system where it is matched with the corresponding vehicle data such as registration number, owner details, make, model, colour, and tax/insurance renewal dates.

Identities secured
A key benefit of the e-Plate is that the tag provides an encrypted and secure ID code which is registered in the UK Ministry of Transport's vehicle database. This code prevents tampering, cloning, or other forms of fraud that can currently happen with camera-based systems.

Additionally, the e-Plate is designed to shatter if anyone tries to remove or otherwise tamper with it, and the tag can be programmed to transmit a warning if any attempt is made to dislodge the plate.

Surveillance applications
The system is expected to be used to identify vehicles for applications such as security, access control, electronic payment, tracking and processing, traffic management, and customer service. Commercial applications could include car dealerships, rental companies, insurance companies, fleet operators, and parking garages. In the public sector, the main applications would include enforcement (compliance with road tax, insurance, and mechanical checks), access control to restricted areas, combating vehicle theft and associated crime, and traffic flow counting and modelling.

According to Richard Taffinder, operations director for Hills Numberplates, the e-Plates were developed to provide companies and public authorities with a more reliable way to positively identify and capture information on a vehicle.

Number 2 Porker of the Month !

All Oklahoma Drivers Could Soon Receive New License Plates

As our state drives forward into its second century, Oklahomans will be driving with a newly designed license plate if House Bill 3326 becomes law.

House Bill 3326, by state Rep. Ken Miller, passed out
of the House Appropriations and Budget committee
today. It creates a new license plate to be issued to all
Oklahoma cars in 2009 and would be the first new tag
design in almost 16 years.

Under the legislation, drivers will not have to pay any new charge to receive the updated license plate and it will be a convenient and seamless process. They will receive the new plate when they renew their tag on their regular registration date.

"What a better time to reissue our license plates with a new design than the start of Oklahoma's second century and build on the momentum of our centennial? Creating a new attractive plate will boost the state's image for residents, visitors and individuals who see these plates on the road, and it will be a great way to demonstrate that Oklahoma is moving into a new centennial with excitement, drive and momentum," said Miller, R-Edmond.

"Reissuing license plates to all Oklahoma drivers will
provide safety benefits that have been lost because of
diminished reflectivity. This will also help law
enforcement identify those who are breaking the laws," added Miller.

Oklahoma has never done a statewide reissue of all plates and is one of only 16 states that have not done a reissue.

According to the Insurance Research Council, 15 percent of Oklahomans were without car insurance in 2006. By providing new plates to insured drivers in a single calendar year, Miller said non-compliant drivers will become very visible to law enforcement.