Networking organization gets nod from Senate
In the first day of the Legislative session, the real fireworks were in the House where Democrats and Republicans battled over the rules. Before Gov. Brad Henry gave his state of the address in a joint session of the House and Senate,
Senate members heard Senate Resolution 1 filed by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso.
The resolution declares the first full week of February “International Networking Week.” The resolution honors BNI, which claims on its Website to the “world’s largest referral organization” and was founded by Dr. Ivan Misner. Misner has been dubbed the “Father of Modern of Networking.”
To join the group, the Website says only one person from each profession specialty is allow to join a chapter and attendance is critical. Members can bring referrals or visitors to the meetings. There are two chapters in Oklahoma.
The Website sells a three-disc set that gives listeners “networking secrets,” and buttons that say, “I refuse to participate in a recession.”
Perhaps those buttons could help lawmakers this session as they grapple with a $600 million budget shortfall and an executive budget that curtails travel costs and streamlines agency budgets.
The Senate will reconvene tomorrow afternoon, but committee hearings are already being scheduled for Tuesday morning. Some of the bills that are being considered in committee tomorrow include Senate Bill 315, which would modify the income tax rate. Other bills in committee include Senate Joint Resolution 30 filed by Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, which would add a constitutional amendment that makes English the state’s official language.
Committee meetings are just the first step in a bill’s life cycle. By the end of the session, which a bill could be put into practice, the language could be very different.
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Coffee: The public can make up their mind
Should lawmakers continue to receive gifts, and if so, how should those gifts be reported? Those are the questions the State Ethics Commission and lawmakers are batting around. Since July 1, lobbyists no longer are allowed to spend more than $100 during a calendar year on meals, tickets or gifts for each elected official or state employee. The previous annual limit was $300. New rules also require lobbyists to disclose gifts after spending more than $10 during each six-month period. Lobbyists previously were required to report gifts of $50 or more. During a press conference last week where Republicans talked about their legislative agenda, Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, proposed another idea. Just make it easier to report the gifts and the expenses and do it immediately.
“We need to have clarity in the system. Quite frankly, I don’t know if it will ever happen in this state. But my own personal opinion, is if you had full disclosure for every nickel as close to time to spent as possible, I think that would solve a lot of problems,” Coffee said. “Rather than having all these rules on timing that create complexity, let’s just report every dime right after it’s spent. I think you as members of the media will be able to ferret out and identify situations and the public can make up their own mind.”
While Coffee favors immediate reporting, others are proposing a ban on gifts to lawmakers all together.
John Wood, a member of the board of Common Cause Oklahoma has proposed the amendment, although commissioners have yet to agree to support it.
Commissioners will hold a hearing Jan. 23 on the proposals and then vote on which ones they will recommend to legislators. Lawmakers may only vote down the proposals; the proposals take effect if legislators take no action.
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Give a hoot about the Senate rules
There were few surprises when Republicans released their agenda today that included lawsuit reform and calls for fiscal responsibility. What makes this year’s agenda different is that Republicans might actually have a chance to push some measures through. If Tuesday’s organizational meeting in the Senate is any indication of party cohesiveness, expect to see a lot of 26-22 votes.
While charged with partisan rhetoric, every vote in the Senate Tuesday on amendments to Senate rules fell on party lines. Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, had perfected his intonation as he said, “Move to table,” each time the Democrats emphatically pleaded for an amendment.
To most outside these halls, the Senate rules are reading material to cure insomnia.
As Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, said during his debate against a rule that requires fiscal study of insurance-related bills before they can be heard, “Most people don’t give a hoot about the senate rules, but what we do here flows out and impacts Oklahoma families.”
The 35 pages of rules govern how the Senate will work, how bills will proceed and which Senators will have an opportunity to speak. They also limit how bills that increase insurance coverage for state employees are heard. Under rules passed on Tuesday, lawmakers must get a fiscal study before the bill can be heard. The fear is state agencies will drag their feet and bills won’t be heard.
In all this debate and legalese, is the question: “What happens to Nick’s Law?” The bill was proposed last session and revitalized this session would expand insurance coverage for children with autism.
A day after Gumm’s impassioned pleas, the House of Representatives released an actuary study of what it would cost if coverage was expanded. The study says covering autism could cost at least 7.8 percent more for insured Oklahomans.
Republicans want more people to get health insurance. They say mandates that require coverage increase premium costs and could cause some to drop their insurance coverage. Gumm has his own study that says states that expanded coverage didn’t see major increases in premiums.
Expect to see more of Nick’s Law, it’s an emotional issue and it’s hard one to ignore. But for now, Republicans have the upper hand.
They want small businesses to participate in health insurance programs and they want more Oklahomans to help offset their health care costs, as Coffee explained Wednesday morning.
“Until we make it affordable for small business owners to provide health insurance, we’re going to continue to have that problem (high rate of uninsured)” Coffee said. “Contrary to discussion yesterday, mandates are part of that issue. We want a quality health care system for everybody. But placing mandate after mandate and increasing the cost of the system makes no sense. That’s why we proposed that rule that you at least have to know the cost. If we’re going to get the cost under control in state government and keep the uninsured population from growing, we’ve got to find an answer to those questions.”
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Leaders fued over committee assignments
It’s going to be an interesting legislative session for a few reasons.
There are the obvious reasons: Republicans lead the Senate for the first time in state history with a 26-22 majority. State leaders will have to come up with a budget with less state revenues available.
But judging by the contention over committee assignments, it could be interesting to watch how Republicans and Democrats work together. In dueling news releases issued Thursday, Minority leader Sen. Charlie Laster, D-Shawnee highlighted the experience of key Democrats and proposed committee spots for them.
Senate Pro Tempore Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, had already named five Democrats to vice chair positions in Senate committees.
Later in the day, Coffee issued a release too, disregarding many of the Laster’s suggestions.
And so it begins?
Laster named Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, to the Appropriations Subcommitte on Health and Human Services. Adelson once served as Gov. Brad Henry’s secretary of health and has been credited with helping to get more uninsured children health insurance.
Coffee’s assignment for Adelson: A spot on the Health and Human Resources Committee and a spot on the Business and Labor Committee.
When asked about the value of Adelson’s knowledge and experience on health care funding and issues, Coffee said: “The OSU-Tulsa Medical Center deal has been a mess, because of his leadership, so I disagree with that statement.”
Coffee was referring to the crisis at the Oklahoma State Medical Center in Tulsa. Earlier this month, the hospital was in danger of closing. State leaders put together a plan to work that allows a non-profit hospital to operate the medical center. State funds will be used to update the hospital and offset the cost of caring for people without medical insurance.
Coffee also ignored Laster’s suggestion of Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and the appointment of Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne to the Senate judiciary and energy committees.
Last session, Lerblance was a co-chair of the judiciary committee.
Coffee said Laster’s picks were senators who were more obstructionists than leaders.
The Legislature will meet on Jan. 6 to approve committee assignments and leadership positions.
It’s doubtful that there will be arm wrestling or chest banging. The disagreements will be far more subtle and civilized.
But, don’t look for a quick perfunctory Jan. 6 organizational session, Laster says.
“January 6 could be a real long day,” Laster said. “It just could be a long day.”
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
