Former legislator eyes AG post
Former state Sen. Scott Pruitt says he hopes to make a decision “in the near future” about running for state attorney general in the 2010 election.
Pruitt, a Republican from Broken Arrow, served two terms in the Senate before opting to skip seeking a third four-year term in 2006 to run for lieutenant governor. He narrowly lost the GOP nomination in a runoff to then-House Speaker Todd Hiett.
Pruitt, 41, is an attorney and managing partner of the Oklahoma City …
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Watermelon feed at state Capitol
Visitors to the state Capitol tomorrow will be able to get a free sample of the state vegetable.
All state employees and visitors to the Capitol will be given a slice of watermelon, declared the state vegetable two years ago.
Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, the Rush Springs Lions Club and watermelon growers in Rush Springs are hosting the event to promote the annual watermelon festival in Rush Springs.
The 2009 watermelon queen, Stacy Funk, also will be at the …
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Dean of the Capitol press corps to retire
Today is the last day for Ron Jenkins, The Associated Press’ capitol correspondent.
Jenkins’ career has spanned nearly 30 years, countless election cycles and governors. He asks hard questions and is the encyclopedia of state government history in the press room. He is one of the few people in the capitol press corps with the ability to call out a grandstanding politician and still remain cordial with lawmakers at the end of the day.
I’ve learned a lot just by …
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Representative calls for freeze on out of state travel
This release came from Rep. Richard Morrissette’s office this afternoon. If the state is having budget troubles, should lawmakers and staff be making out-of-state trips?
State of Oklahoma
House of Representatives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2009
Representative Richard Morrissette
State Capitol Building Rm. 321
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
405-557-7404
Lawmaker Calls for Greater Fiscal Responsibility
Seeks freeze on out-of-state travel
OKLAHOMA CITY (July 22, 2009) State Capitol. Today Representative Morrissette called on legislators and state …
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Physician-lawmaker offers health care reform suggestions
Rep. Doug Cox, an emergency room physician, has come up with his a top-10 list that Congres should consider as they prepare to tackle health care reform. Cox, R-Grove, in preparing his list, today urged federal lawmakers to rethink health care reform and shift their focus to improving price and care instead of simply subsidizing coverage.
“There is no doubt that our health care system is broken,” Cox said in a news release. “And while I applaud President Obama for …
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Email highlights party fissures
Not all members of a political party have to agree with each other. In fact some may not even like what their fellow party members have to say, especially when lightning rod Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City comes into the picture.
That seems to be the case in the Oklahoma Republican Party right now. The Journal Record was apparently copied in on an email between a top OKC public relations firm and the head of the state party. In the email, …
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Is it raining yet?
The halls of the Capitol are quiet on this Monday morning, and the parking lot is looking a little sparse as well.
After last week’s dismal revenue figures, many state agencies are looking for ways to cut their budget even further. In a story published today by Michael McNutt, state Treasurer Scott Meacham says the state could tap into its Rainy Day Fund if revenues continue to fall below projections in the upcoming months.
Some state agencies are already dealing …
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Coburn Fifth Most Wordy at Sotomayor Hearings
According to a story in Politico today, Sen. Tom Coburn was among the wordiest of senators in the Judiciary Committee this week.…
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Four in the running for House seat
It appears primaries will be necessary to narrow down the nominees for a vacant western Oklahoma House seat.
Larry Peck of Sentinel is the second Democrat to announce his intentions to seek the House District 55 seat being vacated by Ryan McMullen. A Democrat and two Republicans earlier have announced plans to run for the seat.
Peck recently retired as an agriculture education instructor and FFA adviser at Sentinel High School. He farms, ranches and operates a family-owned business in …
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As turnpike fares go up, state eyes high speed rail funding
Getting to Tulsa is going to cost a little more once toll prices increase Aug. 4. So how much would you pay to take a high speed train from downtown Oklahoma City to downtown Tulsa?
That’s an option that’s on the table as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation vies for a piece of an $8 billion pie that would allow the state to upgrade it’s rails for high speed usage. Under plans from the Federal Railroad Administration, Oklahoma would …
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