House web site can be confusing
This week a lawmaker was arrested for driving under the influence. It made me refresh my court and cop reporting skills (with the help of a fellow reporter) to remind me how to obtain police reports and who to call about court proceedings. Funny how being bogged down in politics can make you forget some of the basics of journalism 101.
But that arrest began to call other parts of the lawmaker’s service into question as well. All of us in the Capitol newsroom have noticed that Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow, has been absent for a few days this session. It seems like there is one every session that skips more days than others.
With the arrest, I decided to take a look at exactly how many days Trebilcock had been gone. The answer: seven out of 36 days as of Wednesday, including an organizational day in January. So he has been gone about 20 percent of the time since session began two months ago to the day. And lawmakers only work four days a week as it is, maintaining its citizen legislator mantra.
Figuring out what days Trebilcock was gone was easy enough. I had to open each day’s House Journal, which records all of the proceedings for that day in the House, including who is present and absent. An attendance card for lawmakers. So I opened all 36 journals on the House of Representatives Web site, and the attendance is right at the top.
But, to figure out how many votes Rep. Trebilcock missed is a different story. On the House’s Web site, I can get a list of all of the votes made so far this year. 792 to be exact. But to see each lawmaker’s individual vote, I either have to know the bill number, and can go to each vote individually that way, or I would have to go through each day’s House Journal and tally them all up. That task would take hours.
Each lawmaker has their own Web site, but a list of their individual votes is not included in the provided information. So, if a member of the public wants to know how their lawmaker is voting on bills in general, there is no easy way to get that information.
Another issue is the new House daily agenda. Last year, the daily agenda was posted online the day before, giving the public easy access to bills set to be heard the next day. It wasn’t a guarantee that a bill would be heard, and they certainly didn’t follow the order at times, but it was a good gauge of what may come up that day. This year, under new Republican leadership, the agenda setting has changed.
Members of the public will now find a long list of all of the bills posted to the agenda as they are moved out of committee. Bills on the daily agenda are those that were published 24-48 hours prior to their placement on the agenda, depending on if there are amendments to the bill. A fact most constituents do not know.
For example, bills that can be heard next Monday are the ones that were posted to the calendar Monday, April 2. That gives lawmakers two days to amend the bills (Tuesday and Wednesday, since they are taking off today and Friday for Easter). So, to get the daily schedule, you sort by publish date, and just have to know that the bills published April 2 are the ones that can be heard next Monday. I would guess there are a very limited number of people who know how to work that system.
But, it does beg the question how user-friendly does the system need to be? Is a mother of four taking time out to search to see how her House lawmaker is voting, or what bills were heard that day in the Legislature? Many people depend on us, the journalists, to tell them what is happening here at the Capitol, or at least I hope they do in part. And all the information is there for those determined enough to follow the day-to-day happenings at the Capitol. It just isn’t easy to find at times. I use the site daily, and was stumped this week in finding out the number of votes Rep. Trebilcock has missed this year.
Have any of you tried to use the House Web site? What are your comments on how user-friendly it is?
Jennifer Mock
Capitol Bureau
Perception or reality?
A Democratic senator says hurt feelings may not have been the main reason Senate Democratic leaders threw their chips in with Republicans on striking a budget deal without the governor’s input, but admits that’s the perception.
Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, has denied he signed onto the budget deal that Gov. Brad Henry since has vetoed because the governor last year showed a budget compromise to Senate Democrats only after House Republican leaders agreed to it.
Morgan, without input from the Democratic governor or House Democrats, worked out a deal with House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, and Senate co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. He said earlier it “came together much more quickly than any of us anticipated” and was not retaliation for Henry’s actions a year ago.
Sen. Charlie Laster, a Democrat from Henry’s hometown of Shawnee, said some in the upper chamber may feel otherwise.
Laster a couple weeks ago told a group in Tecumseh that Senate Democrats don’t feel sorry for the governor being left out of budget talks. Senate Democrats felt left out of the process last year after Henry came up with a compromise proposal that he first allowed then-House Speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, to view, Laster said.
“Perception is reality, often, and the perception was that he went behind the Senate Democrats’ back and made a deal with Todd Hiett,” Laster told The Oklahoman. “Everyone in the state of Oklahoma got to listen to Mr. Hiett trumpet the Henry-Hiett budget proposal all during his (unsuccessful lieutenant governor) campaign and so the perception is fairly entrenched that that’s what happened.”
Laster, who was not part of the earlier budget talks, said he doesn’t think the proposal came about as a result of any ill feeling from last year. Instead, the budget deal “fell together very quickly,” he said.
Laster who along with the other 23 Democrats in the Senate voted for the budget proposal, said he is a strong supporter of Henry.
“He’s a great governor and a great friend to me,” Laster said. “He’s still my No. 1 guy.”
Henry and Morgan had no comment on Laster’s remarks, spokesmen for both men said. Morgan is not answering any questions about the budget, his spokesman said.
Henry said he vetoed the budget for the 2008 fiscal year, which begins July 1, because it was prepared in a “flawed process” by excluding his office and House Democrats.
Henry said he didn’t think education and state prisons were adequately funded and he was concerned no money was included to shore up the underfinanced state teacher retirement system.
In vetoing the budget proposal, Henry called for new money talks to begin as soon as possible.
Morgan, Cargill and Coffee responded this week to Henry’s veto by asking him in a letter to come up with a “comprehensive, detailed alternative” before any talks on a new proposal can begin.
Henry sent a letter back stating his priorities have not changed since he submitted his executive budget at the start of this year’s session and repeated his call for budget talks.
Lawmakers are not in session today or Friday. No movement on the budget stalemate is expected until next week at the earliest.
Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau
More health care sought for kids, moms
Legislators are being asked to increase Medicaid funding to provide health care to more children and to find new ways to provide prenatal care and education to poor mothers, including illegal immigrants.
Two groups were out Tuesday at the Capitol giving information to lawmakers.
Members of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy said that by increasing Medicaid eligibility for children from 185 percent of the poverty level to 300 percent — the maximum allowed by federal restrictions — the state’s Medicaid program would be able to provide coverage for as many as 40,000 more children.
The proposal is contained in Senate Bill 424. It passed the Senate and is awaiting action by a committee in the House of Representatives.
In Oklahoma, about 130,000 children, or 15 percent, have no health insurance, said Anne Roberts, executive director of the child advocacy institute.
Passage of the bill would allow affordable coverage to “gap families,” or those who make too much to be eligible for Medicaid but who may be not be offered or be able to afford family coverage through their employer, said Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, a co-author of the measure.
In 2006, 185 percent of the poverty line for a family of four was about $37,000. Raising the cap to 300 percent would make that same family eligible with a household income of $60,000, supporters said.
Increasing the eligibility would cost the state about $8.5 million annually with the federal government providing an additional $30 million. Plans are to use money that has been earmarked for smoking cessation programs or a program that helps small businesses provide health insurance for workers.
Another group, the Coalition for Healthy Babies, praised legislators for passing a resolution recognizing the need for proper prenatal care, but said it is vital Oklahoma provide prenatal care to babies whose mothers are immigrants.
The infants are born as American citizens, said Dr. Robert Mannel, the coalition’s chairman, but because Oklahoma does not provide theses babies’ mothers the prenatal care they need, babies are at risk of greater health problems that can cost taxpayers more money.
Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau
Governor stumped – but not by budget
Sometimes it can be humbling to be governor.
Gov. Brad Henry, after posing for pictures today with the top three winners in last week’s Oklahoma Geographic Bee, was put on the spot: Would he answer the question that 8th-grader Tyler Bowen of Lakeview Middle School in Yukon knew to win the state championship?
Sure, the governor told Tyler and the other top finishers, 5th-grader Nathan Thompson of Washington Elementary School in Norman, who finished second, and 8th-grader Nathan Jackson of Central Junior High School in Moore, who finished third among 100 competitors.
The question: The largest city and commercial center of Qatar (pronounced cutter) has a deep-water port. Name this capital city.
Henry looked at his inquisitors and jokingly asked if he could call a friend.
Perhaps knowing he likely would call his wife, Kim, a former schoolteacher, the boys quickly said no. But they gave him a hint: It’s a four-letter word.
Henry couldn’t come up with the answer.
He shouldn’t feel badly, says William Amburn of Bartlesville, a 7th-grade geography teacher at Central Middle School in Bartlesville and the state coordinator for the geographic bee, sponsored by National Geographic. State schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett also muffed it.
Tyler, by claiming the state competition, wins an expenses-paid trip to the national competition May 22-23 in Washington. The winner gets a $25,000 scholarship.
Had enough time to think of the answer? It’s Doha.
Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau
