OKLAHOMA CITY -- The last two weeks of the 2004 legislative session began Monday, and lawmakers were working long hours to resolve some urgent issues, according to Eyewitness News 5's Terri Watkins.

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Legislature Heats Up During Final Stretch

Among the major issues remaining is lawsuit reform, which legislators began addressing in a joint conference committee Monday.

Gov. Brad Henry's plan was approved Monday as a starting point for discussion on the measure. However, Republicans and Democrats still have significant differences in opinion on the way the bill should be written.

The Republican plan, which was proposed by Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, would have set a cap on non-economic damages and would have limited the number of defendants who could be sued in a particular case. The plan was defeated in a committee vote.

Republicans attacked the Democrat-controlled committee Monday, saying Henry's plan does not go far enough to reform the state's civil justice system.

Meanwhile, lawmakers also face another major proposal that would increase in the state's cigarette tax. The measure is one of Henry's major policy priorities during the current session.

The tobacco tax measure, which would require a vote of the public to take effect, would increase the state's per-pack cigarette tax by 55 cents. According to the measure's sponsors, the funding from the tax increase would be used to provide more money to the state's only level-one trauma care facility at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. The money would also fund a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in the state.

Despite the setbacks on the tort reform and tobacco tax issues, lawmakers have already passed a number of significant measures. Teachers and state employees will see pay raises thanks to legislation that was passed earlier in the session. Lawmakers also voted to allow the public to vote on the expansion of gambling in Oklahoma.

Officials told Eyewitness News 5's Terri Watkins that the tobacco tax proposal will likely be taken up Wednesday. Gov. Brad Henry must have the proposal on his desk by Friday to ensure that the proposal ends up on the November general election ballot.

According to lawmakers, the tort reform measure will probably be addressed next week after a plan is hammered out in committee.