Money for roads, bridges being upstaged by snowstorm
Once the snow melts, Oklahomans should be seeing more crews working on state highways and bridges.
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission will begin awarding contracts on about $340 million projects Monday. The money for the work comes from the federal economic stimulus package.
Gov. Brad Henry and state transportation officials are holding a news conference this afternoon at the Capitol to show where federal stimulus funds will be spent.
The $340 million in federal stimulus dollars will pay for a number of highway improvement projects across the state, including interstate repairs, major bridge rehabilitations and safety initiatives such as cable barriers.
This would have been one of the bigger stories of the day, but the blizzard that’s hitting northwest Oklahoma and the Panhandle as well as the increasing possibility of significant snowfall in some parts of the Oklahoma City area are shoving it out of the spotlight.
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
Abortion bill goes to full Senate
When you’re in the minority party, it’s pretty hard to push your weight around. Democrats were reminded of that Thursday when the Senate Health and Human Services committee passed House Bill 1595 that bans abortions based on the sex of a child, and carries a requirement that doctors take information from women chosing to end a pregnancy and submit it to the Department of Health.
Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, summed up the Democratic opposition of this bill simply saying: We’re not against the first five pages of this bill, it’s the remaining 35 that I have a problem with.”
The remaining 35 pages of the bill include a list of questions doctors must ask, including, race, martial status, and the reason a woman wants to end her pregnancy.
Democrats attempted to substitute language of HB 1595 by taking out a requirement that doctors gather information about patients. Then came a string of amendments from Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah and Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City.
Johnson proposed an amendment that would increase the availability of contraception for women. The amendment was successfully tabled with Republican member voting against it. Committee Chairman Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond said the amendment couldn’t be considered because it could impose requirements on insurance companies. Under Senate rules, such bills need a cost study analysis.
Johnson said her amendment would have, “evened the playing field, there are men involved in this situation and this is only being directed at the women.”
After several questions about the need for the information required by the bill, Wilson suggested an amendment to make abortion in Oklahoma illegal all together.
“Instead of fooling around with this every year, let’s pass it along to somebody who cares,” he said.
Wilson’s amendment may have seemed out of character for the senator who in the past has voted against measures to add restrictions to abortions. However, the move gave Republicans, many who have said they are anti-abortion, the opportunity to outlaw abortion in Oklahoma.
Republicans voted to table the amendment, 6-3, with Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore voting with Republican members of the committee.
Wilson’s final amendment was an attempt to create an electronic medical record system in the state. Republican members also successfully tabled this amendment.
After emotional debate, the bill passed the committee with a 6-3 vote. Senators voting in favor of the bill: Jolley; Burrage; Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa; Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater; Sen. Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa and Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond.
Senators Wilson, Adelson and Johnson opposed the measure. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration. A few weeks ago HB 1595 passed the House, 93-4.
– Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
