State GOP leader comments on MLK Day, inauguration
As America today celebrates civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and anticipates tomorrow the inauguration of the country’s first black president, it’s time to recall the slain leader’s call for unity and his disdain for hate, the state’s Republican Party chairman says.
“We will begin a new chapter in America’s political history tomorrow when Barack Obama is sworn in as the next president of the United States,” Gary Jones writes in an e-mail to GOP supporters. “While I’m sure Republican and Democrats will have many classic battles over the next four years, we must be careful to not cross the line into hateful speech and debate.
“Articulating the differences between Republicans and Democrats is a must, but it should be done in the right way.”
Jones included in his message a quote from King, who was killed by an assassin’s bullet in 1968:
“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.”
Jones said King’s words are invaluable “as we enter a new year and a new chapter in American politics.”
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
Coburn as ‘Rocketman’
Well, Okies will never back down from a challenge or the opportunity to show unwavering confidence in their favorite college football team.
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee apparently couldn’t resist the urge to boast on the Sooners last week. Too bad they lost.
Now Coburn, known to many in the U.S. Senate as Dr. No, has been immortalized singing an Elton John song. Good thing the cameras were rolling and Coburn apparently has a sense of humor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDkXON9JhE
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Oklahoma Santas help state economy
Oklahoma shoppers apparently didn’t let the nation’s economic woes cut into their Christmas shopping as the state’s sales tax collections helped top monthly receipts over the prior year, records show.
While the national economy is experiencing the worst economic slowdown since the Great Depression, preliminary reports show general revenue fund collections for December totaled $567.4 million, which 7.1 percent more than the same month a year ago.
“We should count our blessings,” state Treasurer Scott Meacham said. “We are building a comfortable cushion as we head into the new year, while most of the rest of the nation is being forced to make drastic cutbacks in essential governmental services as their economies suffer the effects of the global recession.”
Meacham said the strong collection numbers reflect the important role the oil and natural gas industries play in Oklahoma’s economy.
Gross production taxes on oil and natural gas are about 75 percent higher than December of last year and are close to double what was estimated to be collected, he said. “Without the exceptionally high gross production tax collections, overall collections for the state would be below the estimate for the fiscal year.”
Meacham said sales tax collections for the month – reflecting Christmas sales through mid-December – show an increase from the previous year.
“I am very much surprised,” he said. “If you look at how Oklahoma’s holiday season was compared with the rest of the nation … we hit the ball out of the park. I’m just proud of Oklahoma consumers for not pulling their horns in and staying home.”
- Michael McNutt, 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
Democrats name floor leadership
State House Democrats have filled their floor leadership positions for the upcoming 52nd Oklahoma Legislature.
Democratic Floor Leader Mike Brown of Tahlequah said Tuesday that Rep. Ben Sherrer of Chouteau will be the Democratic whip.
Reps. Wes Hilliard of Sulphur and Jerry McPeak of Warner will be deputy Democratic floor leaders.
Reps. Wallace Collins, Wade Rousselot, Jabar Shumate, Jeannie McDaniel and Larry Glenn were named assistant floor leaders.
Pay raise for higher ed leader criticized
The new chairman of the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee said today he isn’t happy with the 5 percent pay raise given to the state’s higher education chancellor.
“This type of action in an environment where higher education officials have already requested $80 million in additional funding next year makes me truly question what other unnecessary or wasteful spending is going on within our higher education system,” said Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada.
State Regents for Higher Education on Thursday approved a 5 percent pay increase for Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson. His annual salary will increase from $286,650 to about $301,000.
They also gave him a one-time bonus of $10,000. The item was approved without discussion as part of the regents’ consent docket.
“From a perception standpoint, I don’t think now is the time to be giving higher education’s top official a raise and hefty bonus,” Thomsen said, referring to confirmation this week that the country is in a recession. “Two words come to mind: excessive and unnecessary.”
Johnson said the pay is comparable with others in his position. It is less than the base salaries of the presidents of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. Johnson was appointed chancellor of the state’s higher education system in December 2006. He previously was president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. As chancellor, he oversees the state system of 25 colleges and universities, and lobbies for their legislative funding.
What do you think?
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
Republican-led Senate committee chairs
Committee chairs might not sound like an important job, but these members are the gatekeepers of the bills that get heard.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, made the committee chair announcements last week.
Under Coffee’s leadership, the number of committees and subcommittees shrunk by two to 20 from 22. The criminal jurisprudence committee will be eliminated and the Health and Social Services and Human Services will be combined into a single appropriations subcommittee on health and human services.
Nineteen Republican senators who served as a committee co-chair the past two years will serve as chairmen in the GOP-controlled Senate. One new senator – former OSU president Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater – will be the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.
“This is one of the most intelligent and talented groups of committee chairs I have seen during my tenure in the Senate. They’ll play a critical role in advancing the Senate Republicans’ agenda of fiscal responsibility, job creation, government reform, and traditional values,” Coffee said.
Republicans have a majority in the Senate for the first time in history. The Senate is made up of 26 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
The State Senate’s committees and committee chairs for the 2009 session are:
Appropriations Committee: Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education: Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater
Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services: Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa.
Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services: Sen. David Myers, R-Ponca City.
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation: Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso.
Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary: Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore.
Finance Committee: Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa.
Education Committee: Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville.
Judiciary Committee: Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid.
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee: Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha
Business and Labor Committee: Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole
Energy and Environment Committee: Sen. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa.
General Government Committee: Sen. Cliff Aldridge, R-Choctaw.
Health and Human Resources Committee: Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.
Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee: Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton
Retirement and Insurance Committee: Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow.
Rules Committee: Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman.
Tourism and Wildlife Committee: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus.
Transportation Committee: Sen. Cliff Branan, R-Oklahoma City.
Veterans and Military Affairs Committee: Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Reynolds now waits for judge’s decision
Sen. Jim Reynolds remained the top vote getter in the recount for Senate District 43, which includes Oklahoma and Cleveland counties.
But it’s not smooth sailing from here. Now, a judge will decide whether there is any validity to voter irregularitiy claims made by Democrat challenger David Boren. That hearing is set for Monday afternoon in an Oklahoma County District Court. Things could get really interesting if Boren or his attorney ask for continuance. Newly elected lawmakers are supposed to be sworn in Tuesday afternoon.
Until the irregularities accusations are cleared up, the state election board can’t certify the results in Senate District 43. Without certified results, the winner can’t be sworn in.
Boren, a nurse who is not related to former Oklahoma governor David Boren, was the top vote getter in Oklahoma County. Reynolds, with eight years in the Senate under his belt, was the top vote getter in Cleveland County and beat Boren by 159 votes, according to recount totals.
When reached by phone after the recount results, Reynolds was careful with his words. While he was glad to remain the winner, the recount is just one step in clearing up the results of the election.
If anything, this election may have reminded lawmakers that voters and politics are fickle.
Oklahoma Senate Democrats executive director Ward Curtin had this to say about the race: “I think it sent a message. I don’t think we’ll have incumbents just sitting on their hands next time.”
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
Reynolds, Boren recount
The race between Jim Reynolds and David Boren in Senate District 43 never stops being interesting.
Democrat newcomer David Boren (no, not that David Boren) gave Reynolds a scare in the Nov. 4 election when he picked up 49 percent of the vote in a district that includes parts of Oklahoma and Cleveland counties. Reynolds won with 50.3 percent of the vote in unofficial vote totals.
Reynolds, a Republican from Oklahoma City, has been in the Senate eight years. He’s championed conservative causes and pro-family legislation. The results of the election might have shook him up a little.
Boren, a nurse who works nights and campaigned during the day, got a last minute cash infusion to his campaign that seemed to be gathering speed. Either it was the name confusion factor that helped him or the 7,000 doors he claims to have knocked before the election but he picked up a significant portion of the votes.
Now the men await the results of a recount in two counties. Cleveland County finished up their totals Wednesday. Oklahoma County will resume Thursday morning.
Among other things, this race is a display of contrasts. Boren petitioned the court for a recount in what appeared to a petition he typed up himself.
In court on Wednesday, Reynolds was flanked by his brother, Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, and Republican State Party Chairman Gary Jones.
Boren arrived to court nearly an hour late after attending a similar hearing in Cleveland County. He represented himself before Oklahoma County District Judge Daniel Owens and even managed to successfully convince the State Supreme Court to assign a new judge to the case.
Republicans often bemoan the fact that attorneys are the primary donors to Democratic campaigns. But it seems on Wednesday, that the party that benefits from attorney donations couldn’t find an attorney among its members to represent Boren.
Maybe Boren didn’t want the help or couldn’t afford it. Or maybe it was a case that an attorney didn’t think was winnable or had much merit. Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes says Boren and his camp didn’t ask for help in the recount crusade.
Boren has a hearing on Monday on allegations he made of voting irregularities, perhaps he’s asked for help in his legal represenation in that case. Otherwise, it could be another ironic contrast.
Oklahoma Magazine names top political blogs
The November issue of Oklahoma Magazine has highlighted the top political blogs for Oklahoma politics this year. While might be taking a breather after the elections, these will be good spots to check again at the Legislative session gets underway in February.
Sadly, this blog didn’t make the list. Sniff, sniff.
But a bunch of blogs did, including a blog that’s often talked about in the Capitol, The McCarvile Report Online. Other blogs on the list include Batesline and the Oklahoma Women’s Network Blog.
Go to the Oklahoma Magazine’s web site and check out their list and see all the blogging that’s going on in the state. And then when you’ve decided to paste your favorites in your browser, don’t forget us.
This blog will be a way for readers to get an in-depth at how lawmakers are doing the people’s business…and all that other interesting stuff that goes on during the session.
Julie Bisbee
Capitol Bureau
