Funeral services set for Bellmon
Funeral services for former Gov. Henry Bellmon have been scheduled. Bellmon died Tuesday morning from complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 88.
Bellmon was Oklahoma’s first Republican governor and credited for the rise of the Republican party in Oklahoma.
Bellmon’s body will lie in repose at the state Capitol from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1001 S Rankin in Edmond, and a service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 422 Eight St., Perry.
For more on Bellmon, check out stories, photos and videos on newsok.com.
Longtime Capitol reporter reflects on Bellmon
Former Capitol Bureau reporter John Greiner
John Greiner, former Capitol Reporter for The Oklahoman for 37 years, shares some of his favorite memories of former Gov. Henry Bellmon. Bellmon died Tuesday morning from complications from Parkinson’s disease. Bellmon, Oklahoma’s first Republican governor, was 88.
While at the Capitol, Greiner covered seven governors. Greiner retired last October.
I learned the first time I ever met Henry Bellmon that he never left anything to chance when he was campaigning.
It was early in one morning at a diner outside Altus where men, many of them farmers, had gathered to gulp down a cup of coffee or eat some scrambled eggs before heading toward a day of hard work.
I wandered into the diner with two high school boys who were helping me and The Oklahoman poll southwestern Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate race between Republican Bellmon, the incumbent, and former Democratic Congressman Ed Edmondson of Muskogee.
It was 1974 and nearby Altus was preparing for a big event–the Jackson County Democratic Party rally, which was advertised by banners hanging across the streets in downtown Altus.
Always an early riser, Bellmon went into the diner to shake hands and ask those eating there for their vote.
I was surprised he was spending time in that county when Democrats were out in force that day.
But that was Henry Bellmon.
He never forgot that every vote counted.
Bellmon won that election.
**********
I sometimes would cover a Bellmon appearance in Oklahoma in the following years, but my next vivid memory of Bellmon was after his Senate career when he was appointed by Gov. George Nigh to head the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, also known as the welfare department.
Bellmon came up with a plan to reorganize that department.
In those days the agency’s governing board met in a small room in the agency.
Bellmon would not disclose his plan until he’d presented it to the board, despite the objections of many reporters including me who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder along the walls of that small room.
At a break, I went to Bellmon and continued my argument for having a copy of the report, saying it would make it easier to get things right.
“Do you want to run this agency?” Bellmon barked.
He would not release it until the meeting was over.
When that meeting ended, Bellmon came to me and the others and explained that had he released the report early, Harry Culver of the United Press International and Jim Young of the Oklahoma City Times would have gone back to the press room and filed their stories.
“I would have spent the rest of the afternoon answering phone calls (of other reporters),” a less belligerent Bellmon said, with a twinkle in his eye.
**********
The governor’s race between him and David Walters was a rough campaign all around and close, with Bellmon winning.
During the campaign, he met with supporters and recalled that the Bellmon Belles, a group of women organized by his wife, Shirley, had helped in his 1962 campaign.
He then said Shirley couldn’t get into the Bellmon Belle dress anymore.
The crowd, still friendly, politely booed, but before it could finish, Bellmon said; “The dress had shrunk” in the wash over the years.
One day, I think after he was governor, Bellmon, an aide, and three reporters got into the same elevator and headed to the second floor.
One reporter, who was very animated when he spoke, talked seemingly nonstop to Bellmon about government events from the time we got onto the elevator until it stopped to let the animated reporter off.
When the elevator door closed, Bellmon turned to his aide, and said:
“Who was that citizen?”
**********
When he became governor the second time, Bellmon proposed closing some state veterans’ centers.
That set off a political firestorm that led to hundreds, maybe a few thousand Oklahoma veterans, marching on the capitol. As many as could came into the state House of Representatives Chamber where they were going to talk about this problem with Bellmon.
As they entered the Chamber, they saw Bellmon, standing at the podium and smiling.
Veterans are pretty courteous and they were that day.
They made their speeches and then politely left the capitol.
Bellmon dropped that plan.
***********
I was fortunate to cover state government during seven gubernatorial administrations.
I liked every one of the governors.
But Henry Bellmon was my favorite, and he always will be.
– John Greiner
Former Gov. Bellmon dies
Henry Bellmon at his Senate farewell party with former President Richard Nixon in 1981.
The man who has been sometimes dubbed the “father of Oklahoma’s Republican Party,” has died.
Former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon died this morning in Enid from complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 88, according to a statement released by Bellmon’s former chief of staff Andrew Tevington. Bellmon was a two-term governor who also served 12 years in the U.S. Senate. He’s been credited with many reforms to the state’s education system and revered by politicians on both sides of the aisle. Read the full story on Bellmon and check out video interviews.
Former Gov. George Nigh called Bellmon, “the most decent and honorable public servant I ever knew.”
State Superintendent of Education Sandy Garrett who worked with Bellmon on education reforms said: “I will most remember his courage and passion for improving public schools and for building consensus among Democrats and his fellow Republicans for passage of House Bill 1017, the landmark Education Reform and Funding Act of 1990. I was proud to serve as his Cabinet Secretary of Education and to help usher in the reforms we agreed were sorely needed. These include better pay for teachers, the first written state curriculum and assessments to match, class-size mandates, universal Pre-Kindergarten programs, mandatory Kindergarten for every child, school board member training and much more. … To me, he is the father of education reform in Oklahoma. Henry Bellmon was my mentor, my dear friend and I will miss him very much.”
Many in the Capitol are still learning of Bellmon’s death. Gov. Brad Henry is expected to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. today to announce a new member to his executive team, but no doubt he will have praise for Bellmon, as he has in the past.
Funeral arrangements for Bellmon are pending.
Candidate actually running
State Sen. Kenneth Corn, running for lieutenant governor in 2010, will actually be running tomorrow.
Corn, D-Poteau, is taking part in the Oklahoma Caring Foundation’s 10-kilometer Capitol Challenge. It starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and takes place around the state Capitol.
The event is intended to help raise money to provide free immunizations and health care for eligible Oklahoma children, Corn said.
Corn, 32, is a runner. He works out at least three times a week at the gym and runs as often as his schedule allows, according to his campaign.
He participated in a half marathon earlier this year in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
Corn said he uses his workouts and running to improve his own health and to shed a few pounds.
“A lot of us are so busy with our every-day lives it’s difficult to get out for a few minutes each week to exercise,” he said. “When we don’t make time for ourselves, we put on weight and develop health problems. I struggled with my weight a few years ago. I finally made the healthy choice to exercise on a regular basis. Since then my weight’s dropped and I have more energy.”
Corn, who cannot seek re-election next year because of 12-year legislative term limits, is the only Democrat to announce for the lieutenant governor post. Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, elected in 2006, is not seeking re-election to run for governor.
Republican contenders for the state’s No. 2 executive post are state Rep. John Wright of Broken Arrow and state Sen. Todd Lamb of Edmond.
For more information about tomorrow’s Capitol Challenge, visit www.capitolchallenge.org.
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
Education funding could be tough ballot measure
The 2010 elections may seem far off. But in the state Capitol folks are already lining up their message and jockeying. Which can only mean the next legislative season will interesting. Lawmakers up for re-election will either be overly cautious, not wanting to offend or they’ll be outlandish, hoping to garner attention and get their name out.
Either way, it’s incumbent upon voters to pay attention and try to understand the issues, not just the rhetoric.
Today is the second day of the legislative hearing on State Question 744. The issue will be on the ballot in the 2010 election and seeks to get more money for education. The HOPE school funding Initiative seeks to make it mandatory that the state legislature to allocate a certain amount of money to the state’s common education system. The amount would be based on the average spent per student in surrounding states. The measure is backed by the Oklahoma Education Association and could cost the state up to $850 million each year. Proponents of the measure say education standards continue to increase and the needs of students continue to grow, but the funding for education isn’t meeting the needs. Here’s a fact sheet from the folks supporting SQ 744.
Leading lawmakers, however, say the measure would limit their ability to met the budget requirements of other agencies. If one agency is supposed to get a mandated amount of money, how do lawmakers handle tough budget years like this one? Several agencies will have to be cut so that education can be funded at the mandated levels, ranking Republicans say.
At today’s hearing, agency heads are expected to speak about how their operations would be impacted by deep budget cuts. Here’s a video editorial from The Oklahoman’s editor Ed Kelley, talking about the measure.
Obviously parties on both sides of the issue are passionate. This is when the power of informed voting becomes even more important. Voters should pay attention to these issues now, before the heady days of campaign season begin and it becomes difficult to see the issue through the “message.”
– JULIE BISBEE, Capitol Bureau
State treasurer heads to fair
State Treasurer Scott Meacham will be helping fairgoers today at the Oklahoma State Fair search for unclaimed property that may be held by the state.
The treasurer’s office is holding about $300 million that belongs to approximately 500,000 Oklahomans. His staff is operating a booth in the Cox Pavilion during the fair, which runs through Sunday.
Meacham will be at the treasurer’s booth at 2 this afternoon.
During the first four days of the fair, workers from the treasurer’s unclaimed property division found more than $100,000 for more than 180 people who visited the treasurer’s booth.
This is the ninth consecutive year the office has operated a “Pot of Gold” booth at the Oklahoma State Fair. Since first setting up booths at the state fairs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, more than $3.2 million has been found for more than 8,200 fair patrons.
Last year, more than $400,000 was found for almost 500 people attending the Oklahoma City fair. A similar amount was found last year for attendees of the Tulsa fair.
Since becoming state treasurer four years ago, Meacham has returned almost $62 million to more than 67,000 Oklahomans.
Examples of unclaimed property include bank accounts, security deposits, old paychecks, royalties, rebates, stock and bonds. The contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes are also included.
The cash and property are turned over to the state treasurer’s office when the businesses holding them lose track of the owners. The unclaimed property division operates a searchable database at
www.treasurer.ok.gov.
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
Sprucing up the place…
The recently installed backdrop in the broadcast press room.
The Oklahoma House is perhaps taking a cue from Oklahoma State University’s clever, “Hire OSUgrads” media back drop with it’s latest purchase. The division purchased a navy blue backdrop with the state seal on it. The new backdrop was installed Friday in the broadcast press room.
Total cost: $1,800.
The backdrop was ordered last legislative session, said Jennifer Monies, spokeswoman for the Speaker of the House. That was before the state had to start freezing travel and talking furloughs.
The backdrop will only be used by state officials. House staff say they plan to install some kind of lock to keep random groups from using the state seal background so their message is not confused with the “official message” of the state’s elected leaders. Monies said the House media staff is starting to shoot more of its own video and bright blue walls of the broadcast room didn’t make for a good shot. House media staff consulted with OETA, who helped set up the room and the House videographer before making the purchase, Monies said.
Handling the backdrop could be tricky. Random groups often take advantage of the room’s technology and captive media audience to promote their cause or publicly air their worry with state government.
Broadcast reporters who cover the Capitol also work out of this room during the legislative session. Print reporters are just across the hall.
If you have an issue to promote it’s really easy to get a few warm bodies to cover your press conference if you show up at their office. Yes, sometimes we like the low hanging fruit handed to us. Whether we write about it or not is a different story.
– JULIE BISBEE, Capitol Bureau
If only it were snow…
How many days of rain have we had this week?
It wouldn’t surprise me if some state officials were quietly thinking, “If only it were snow.”
Yes, snow and a cold winter. That would mean we’d all be running our heaters, mostly powered by natural gas. Folks on the East Coast would looking for oil for their heaters and we’d all be topping off our gas tanks.
Yes…a good long cold winter would help state government clear a revenue hurdle and hopefully have enough money to avoid dipping into reserve funds for normal operations.
In the last revenue reports issued on Tuesday, gross production tax collected on natural gas brought in only $20.8 million. Last year, during the same one-month period last year, natural gas brought in $96.6 million.
That’s quite a difference and we’re feeling it. Apparently the supply of natural gas is plenty and its not as lucrative..so why put a million dollar rig in the ground for a commodity that’s selling low.
In Oklahoma we live and die by the volatile energy market. Not just the state’s bottom line but livelihood of people who work on those rigs, or profit from the increased business on the rigs. It’s a chain, and eventually the taxpayer sees the end result.
Farmers have been telling us for years to eat beef to help out the state’s economy. In the same vein, I guess we also need to be wishing rain was snow and hoping for a long, cold winter.
– JULIE BISBEE, Capitol Bureau
Gumm kickoffs re-election campaign
Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant was expected to kick off his re-election campaign this evening at a Durant restaurant.
Gumm is seeking his third term in office and final four-year term in Oklahoma Senate District 6, which includes Bryan, Johnston and Marshall counties and portions of Coal and Atoka counties. The Oklahoma Constitution limits members of the Legislature to 12 years of service. Upon re-election in 2010, the senator would reach the 12-year limit at the expiration of that term in November 2014.
Lt. Gov. Jari Askins was also expected to speak at the event. Askins, a democrat, is running for governor.
Updated Tuesday 10:15 a.m.
Apparently the Gumm re-election kickoff was well attended.
Rainy rallies in Oklahoma
With the president wanting Congress to approve his health care reform proposals by the end of the year, thousands of Oklahomans rallied on both sides of the issue in a steady rain Sunday outside the state Capitol.
Opponents, who attended a so-called tea party made up of people also opposed to higher taxes and what they say is out-of-control government spending, clearly outnumbered supporters in two separate rallies.
A crowd estimated at 5,500 gathered Sunday afternoon on the north steps of the Capitol for an event sponsored by the Oklahoma City Tea Party. About 300 gathered about four hours earlier on the Capitol’s south steps organized by Change Oklahoma, a group made up of many who supported the president’s campaign.
Both sides wanted to show their congressional delegation how they felt on the health care reforms that are of President Barack Obama’s key campaign promises to provide health care to an estimated 47 million Americans who have no medical coverage.
Amber Harrington of Oklahoma City attended the tea party rally and carried a sign reading, “Obama’s real achievements – deceiving the people, mocking the Lord’s word, disgracing our veterans, washing tax dollars.”
She said she’s also unhappy with plans by Obama and mostly Democrats in Congress to change the health care system.
“They are now trying to control what kind of treatment we get,” Harrington said.
Harrington said she doesn’t have health care insurance, but can get treated at a nearby clinic often for $25.
“I want to have the freedom of being able to choose what’s right for me,” she said.
David Perry of Norman was at the rally supporting health care reforms, including a public option.
An owner of a computer business, Perry said he can’t afford health insurance.
“I’ve tried to buy it for two years, I finally threw my hands in and said, ‘Too expensive,’” he said.
Even if he could afford insurance, he said several self-employed friends have told him it’s difficult to get insurance companies to pay claims.
“When it comes time to need the coverage, it’s not there,” Perry said. “We need some sort of public option to keep them (insurance companies) honest.”
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
