Fri, Jul 04 2008
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Published May 13, 2008 12:00 am - The pace of state legislation should pick up this week. Lawmakers are expecting a load of bills to come back... State workers planning spirited, peaceful rally The Norman Transcript The pace of state legislation should pick up this week. Lawmakers are expecting a load of bills to come back from conference committees. A countdown to the session's end will begin.
But before all that can happen, state workers are planning one last stand in an effort to draw legislative attention to their plight. A morning rally is planned on the south steps of the state Capitol. "Leave us out -- we'll vote you out," is the theme of the "spirited but peaceful" protest rally, according to a media alert from the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. The association's executive director said state employees are leaving in record numbers, creating a crisis in agencies and services. "Clearly, waiting another year for an across-the-board pay raise is not an option," he said. "Our legislators must act now; we will not take 'no' for an answer." The Department of Corrections may be the agency poster child for the public employees association. They have more than 600 vacant positions. Turnover in that department is among the highest in the state. First year officers leave at a rate of 32 percent while overall the rate is 27 percent. The governor had proposed a pay raise for employees, payable in 2009, but workers shouldn't have to wait another year to see it. There's no guarantee it would happen either as legislators can't commit future budget dollars. 
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