|
With new revenue estimates coming in slightly better than previously expected, the governor has removed one tax credit program originally proposed for suspension.
When Gov. Brad Henry submitted his Fiscal Year 2011 budget to the Legislature on the first day of session, it included several tax credits slated for elimination, capping or suspension. The first list given to Oklahoma Gazette had 34 credits on it. A revised list had whittled the list down to 18.
Now the governor’s office confirmed one more tax credit has been taken off the list: the volunteer firefighter credit. Oklahomans who volunteered as a firefighter could earn an income tax credit.
According to figures from the Oklahoma Tax Commission, previously reported by the Gazette, more than $400,000 from the credit was doled out for 2008. After the Gazette first reported the governor’s list of proposed suspensions, Republican lawmakers came out and blasted the firefighter credit suspension.
The fight continued when Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, pushed through a bill which would expand the credit. House Democrats accused Republicans of grandstanding on the issue, using the governor’s proposed list. Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman, said in a press release the governor has eliminated the firefighter credit from his list.
When contacted bythe Gazette, Henry’s communications director, Paul Sund, confirmed the tax credit had been taken off the list.
“The new revenue estimate certified last week freed up some additional funds and gave us a little more wiggle room on our executive budget proposal, so we have decided not to pursue a moratorium on the firefighter tax credit,” Sund said.
All this and negotiations for the 2011 budget haven’t even started yet.
|
As the legislative session is now in full force, I will try to keep track of any bills dealing with tax credits and exemptions on an occasional basis. “Squeezed out,” our story on the total amount of credits and exemptions, $5.5 billion, has generated great interest in this topic.
For instance, this morning, the state Senate approved a measure that would grant a sales tax exemption for specific children’s hospitals. Senate Bill 1373 was sponsored by Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore. At the moment, the only hospital in the state the bill targets is in Bethany.
According to information from Burrage’s office, the exemption has a state revenue impact of $128,000 decrease in sales tax collections for FY2011 and $219,000 decrease in sales tax revenue for FY2012.
It passed in the Senate by a vote of 42-2.
|
It didn’t take long once the Gazette reported what specific tax credit programs Gov. Brad Henry wants to suspend for one of the 149 legislative land mines to go off.
Last week, my story “Squeezed out” was the first to list the 18 tax credit programs the governor wants to eliminate, restrict or suspend for one year. The projected savings was more than $100 million, as lawmakers try to figure out how to cut nearly $1 billion from next year’s budget.
Today, Rep. Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, sent out a press release denouncing the governor’s proposal on two of the tax credits: volunteer firefighters and the Rural Economic Action Plan.
“Rural lawmakers aren’t going to take this sitting down,” Sanders said in his press release.
He also said eliminating some tax credits is necessary and appropriate, but not when it affects public safety, as with volunteer firefighters who help fight grass fires across the state.
Expect to see that language more often as other interests groups and their legislative champions come out against some of the other tax credit programs the governor wants to pull back.
The release:
Sanders Denounces Proposed Elimination of Rural Firefighter Tax Credit
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Mike Sanders said today he will fight Gov. Brad Henry’s plan to eliminate a tax credit for rural firefighters.
“This is unacceptable; we had one of the worst fire seasons last year and these brave men and women put themselves in harms way to protect the general public,” Sanders, R-Kingfisher, said. “The majority of towns and cities in Oklahoma are small rural communities that rely on rural fire departments. Eliminating some tax credits is necessary and appropriate, but not when it affects public safety. I can’t fathom why the governor would consider slashing the budget of our rural fire departments when they are so vital to public safety.”
Sanders said Governor Henry has also proposed zeroing out the Rural Economic Action Plan.
“The proposal to eliminate the tax credit is just another kick in the teeth of rural communities and their way of life,” Sanders said. “Governor Brad Henry has already proposed eliminating the REAP program. What else does he want to cut that benefits rural Oklahomans? ”
Last year, Sanders and other rural lawmakers successfully fought to include REAP in the budget. It received the same 7 percent cut given to most state agencies, including the Legislature and Governor’s office. Funding for the program was generated through an increase in the fine for delinquent tag renewal, which increased from 25 cents to $1 a day. Of the 75 cents increase, 50 cents went to REAP while the other 25 cents would stay with the tag agent.
“Rural lawmakers aren’t going to take this sitting down,” Sanders said. “We were successful in fighting for REAP funding last year and we will find success again in this year’s fight to ensure rural Oklahoma is not forgotten in the budget process.”
|
The love-fest was on at a Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The guest speakers addressing a chamber-type crowd were Devon Energy founder and CEO Larry Nichols, SandRidge founder and CEO Tom Ward and Oklahoma City finance director Cathy O’Connor.
Each was to give a presentation on what their entities are doing to improve the city. All three are embarking on city improvements, with Devon and SandRidge constructing new buildings while the city has launched Project 180 to turn certain areas of the town around 180 degrees.
But each heaped praise on each other.
“No one is excited more than I am about what SandRidge is doing to an old tired block,” Nichols said, the first of the three speakers.
Ward did a back at you for Nichols, and praised Devon for not leaving the city years ago when several energy companies fled the metro for places like Houston.
O’Connor then came in for the group hug.
“Having companies like Devon and SandRidge, you don’t get luckier than that.”
Cue the B-52s.
|
Speaking at a business luncheon, state Treasurer Scott Meacham told the crowd he loves to see horrible weather forecasts for the northeast part of the country.
“I loved it when Washington, D.C., got pounded,” Meacham said at the Business Connect monthly luncheon held at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. “New York City getting hit, that’s great.”
The reason our state treasurer perks up when a winter storm blankets the eastern seaboard is because that will cause revenues in Oklahoma to go up. With our state such a large producer of natural gas that is shipped to the east, the increase usage causes prices to go up and Oklahoma state coffers to fill up, which for the past year have seen a dramatic downturn.
“I pray for cold weather in the northeast.”
His prayers have been answered.
|
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission has sent a request to the state Legislature lobbyists are not going to like. At its Feb. 1 meeting, the commission voted to request an increase in lobbyist registration fees.
The current fee is $100 per year for each lobbyist. The request would keep that fee intact, but add an extra $50 for each lobbyist's additional client. For example, a lobbyist who has five clients right now pays $100 to represent all five. Under the proposal, the $100 would be applied for the first client, with $50 for each of the other four , bringing the lobbyist’s total registration fee to $300.
The staff at the Ethics Commission estimates this new fee would generate $50,000 per year.
Commission General Counsel Rebecca Adams said the fee increase was not recommended just to raise additional funds, but rather to meet the increased work demands. She said because the number of lobbyists and their clients have gone up so much over the past several years, it is increasing the workload for the staff.
Riding up in the elevator a couple of days after the meeting, one lobbyist was asked about the possible increase, but he just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Doesn’t matter to me. I will just pass the cost on to my clients."
|
It really says something about the current state of affairs when a sweeping abortion platform is unveiled at a Legislative press conference and it receives less than two minutes of attention from everyone in the room.
The state House Republican caucus unveiled its agenda for the upcoming 2010 Legislative session, which begins in less than two weeks. Among items of importance were:
• growing the economy;
• protecting vital government services; and
• modernizing government.
Speaker of the House Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, said at the end of his remarks there was no mention of the current state budget crisis because he anticipated a lot of questions from reporters, so fire away. And so they did. Everything from more tax cuts to funding prisons was put on the question table by reporters.
But there was nothing for Rep. Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa, to respond to. After her presentation on the six abortion bills which will be introduced during the session, she quietly moved to the back of the crowd and waited for any questions. None came.
That may have to do with the fact that it is a foregone conclusion all six of those pro-life sponsored bills will easily pass in the House. But it also speaks to what is on practically every Oklahoman’s mind: jobs and the economy. With the state facing a billion-dollar budget hole, which state employees, services and programs will get the ax takes precedence over social issues like abortion.
Expect the abortion debate to be light in the coming months.
|
|
It has been a quiet little secret for a few months, but today it came out in the open. Should Republican Sen. Harry Coates muster at least quarter of his caucus members to support his bid to be the next Senate President Pro Tempore, the Senate Democrats will push him over the top.
At a news conference to introduce Democratic candidates for open Senate districts, Democratic leader Sen. Charlie Laster said if his party is still in the minority after the 2010 elections, he would not be surprised if Coates gets 100 percent of the Senate Democrats to support his pro tempore bid.
“We want better decorum in the Senate and we believe Sen. Coates is the one to do that,” Laster said.
Coates is not a favorite among some of his Republican brethren. Considered to be a more moderate GOPer, Coates has gone against his party at times over lawsuit reform and immigration.
The Democrats will have a tough fight to maintain the 22 seats they currently hold in the state Senate. With four Democrats term limited, their numbers could drop to 18 when looking at Oklahoma’s political climate.
But still, that would mean Coats has to only come up with six fellow Republicans to win the top spot; a task not that difficult with between 26 and 30 senators to pick from.
|
|
A survey which made national news by claiming only one in four Oklahoma high-school students could name the first president of the United States is being re-examined by the survey’s sponsor, Oklahoma Gazette has confirmed.
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs commissioned national research firm Strategic Vision to conduct the survey of 1,000 Oklahoma high school students on their knowledge of basic American civics. The survey, coinciding with national Constitution Day back in September, used questions from the U.S. citizenship test for immigrants. It was conducted via telephone interviews and concluded less than 3 percent of Oklahoma high school students would pass the test.
But questions have surfaced throughout the internet about the methods used by Strategic Vision on various polling studies including the Oklahoma survey.
“Strategic Vision has been taking a beating lately, so we thought it would be wise to take a closer look at the raw data and the methodology,” said OCPA Vice President for Policy Brandon Dutcher.
OCPA is a conservative think tank located in Oklahoma City. For several years, OCPA has been critical of public education methods and funding.
So far, OCPA is standing behind the survey.
“Nothing I’ve seen would cause me to toss out the results,” Dutcher said.
One organization which has put Strategic Vision under the microscope is fivethirtyeight.com, a Web site devoted to examining the accuracy of polling data. The organization has questioned SV for its practice of not releasing detailed data and its polling methodology when it publishes surveys.
“One of the questions, in light of Strategic Vision LLC's repeated failure to disclose even basic details about its polling methodology, is whether the firm is in fact conducting polling at all, or rather, is creating fake but plausible-looking results in order to increase traffic and attention to its core business as a (public relations) and literary firm,” said the organization’s founder Nate Silver in a blog posted Sept. 25.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education has also criticized the survey.
“This telephone survey was done in Arizona, too, with virtually identical results,” department spokeswoman Shelly Hickman said. “We question whether youth participants took the phone calls seriously and whether the poll truly constituted a scientific sample of all Oklahoma high school students. These are just two reasons out of many why telephone polls are not regarded as a credible way of measuring students' knowledge of any subject.”
Gazette has asked SV CEO and co-founder David Johnson for a response to the criticism. His response will posted as soon as it is received.
|
|
What can the state do to prevent handing out millions of dollars in tax credits to risky companies who don’t follow through on their promises? That is one of the objectives of a Legislative task force which met for the first time today.
The joint House and Senate task force to study transferable tax credits kicked off what will be a series of meetings looking at the state laws which have created several tax credits to businesses, some of which lawmakers are not too happy about. The task force was recommended by Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, who had a slew of questions concerning some of the information presented at the first meeting. Dank’s biggest concerns dealt with how laws can be better written to be more selective when handing out transferable tax credits, and what can be done to make sure the credits are accounted for and wisely spent.
Dank’s insistence on the study stems from questionable awarding of certain tax credits, mainly the $18 million given to Rocketplane back in 2003. The company was supposed to build a spaceship capable of carrying tourists into the Earth’s atmosphere for a few minutes and then back down to Oklahoma. But six years after receiving the credit, Rocketplane has left the state with their ship still on the drawing board.
Officials with the Oklahoma Tax Commission presented information which showed the state has paid out transferable tax credits to nine different industries. In 2007, the commission handed out more than $42 million in transferable tax credits, which are specialized credits a business can sell and obtain cash instead of reducing their income tax rate.
What seem to be concerning for some of the task force members was that a large chunk of the money used for these tax credits are coming from the state’s retirement fund for employees like teachers and state troopers.
It’s uncertain what the task force will come up with before the next Legislative session, but deals like the one given to Rocketplane will be avoided from now on.
|
|
Last week I attended a session on gaming at the Sovereignty Symposium. When I walked into the room shortly before the session started, I looked around for a place to sit. I usually like to sit in an open row so that I have plenty of elbow room to take notes.
After a glance around the room at the Skirvin Hotel, I spotted former long-time state senator and Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson sitting by himself in a fairly empty row. I strolled up to Hobson, introduced myself, for which he remembered me, and sat down next to him.
I asked Hobson how he was doing, spending the past legislative session as an outsider for the first time in more than two decades. He had one word - vindicated.
When I asked Hobson to explain, he gleefully reminded me of the battles he had in the Legislature convincing his fellow lawmakers what an economic tool gaming would be to the state. The new figures released during the symposium from the National Indian Gaming Association back up Hobson’s argument. The casinos which have sprouted in Oklahoma during the past few years have been an economic boom for the state. Revenue to the state has continued to increase and set new records. By the end of this month, the state’s take on Indian casinos through the compacts should top $100 million for the past year.
And this has come during one of the worst recessions America has experienced.
So Hobson sat through the session with a grin on his face, knowing the fights he put up to help bring gaming and casinos to Oklahoma were all worth it.
|
|
State Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City, has no regrets about missing a day of Legislative session and failing to vote on a bill his leadership held over and therefore extending the current session. The Senate was set to adjourn for the year on Friday when House Bill 1170 came up for a final vote. The measure would create a new central intelligence officer to oversee most of the state’s technology needs. But the bill was short of passage by one vote, leading the Republican-controlled Senate to hold the vote open for four hours trying to get that last vote. When it became apparent the bill was going to fail, Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee introduced a resolution to extend the session one more day, costing taxpayers nearly $12,000.
There were a few reasons the bill failed to get enough votes – 21 Democrats voted no, Republican Sen. Harry Coates also voted nay and Sen. Russell was out of town.
While the Senate was held in suspended animation for four hours, rumors went amuck on Russell. He was out of the country; no he was just out of state. He was being flown in on a private jet and whisked to the Capitol to cast the winning aye vote. No to that one as well.
On Tuesday when the Senate took up the measure again, Russell, in attendance this time, rose to spoke during debate. He explained, in a somewhat stern tone, he missed the vote because he was giving a speech at the Air Force Academy in Colorado honoring fallen soldiers for Memorial Day ceremonies.
After the Senate adjourned sine die, Russell sat in his office and explained why he spoke on the matter.
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioned my commitment to elective office. I was speaking at the Air Force Academy and was honored to do so.”
The freshman lawmaker is a decorated war veteran and aided in the capture of Saddam Hussein during America’s invasion of Iraq.
Russell told Oklahoma Gazette he was invited to speak after famous actor Chuck Norris was unavailable. Russell was contracted for the speech back in February. It was the second time he has missed a day of session due to a speaking engagement. Russell said now that he is retired from the Army, with a family to raise including children who are in their teens, this is the expensive part of his life.
The senator defended his actions of last week and reiterated his commitment to the voters of Senate District 45 as his No. 1 priority.
“It is, except Memorial Day weekend. Then it’s to the fallen soldiers.
“I make no apologies.”
|
|
According to a new poll, most of the Republican-sponsored ballot measures for 2010 get heavy statewide support.
A survey done by SoonerPoll.com shows massive support for state official term limits, making English the state’s official language and implementing voter identification on election day. All three issues earned more than 80 percent favorable support in the survey. All three will be on the ballot come November of 2010.
The survey also found lukewarm support for the state lottery and school consolidation. Results of the lottery question found the respondents split, 45 percent to 45 percent. A majority favors school consolidation, 47 percent to 32 percent, but nearly 20 percent left the question unanswered.
|
|
While Barack Obama gets high praise on a national scale for the job he has been doing as president, a majority of Oklahomans still have problems with the new president.
In a poll out today by SoonerPoll.com, a slight majority of Oklahomans disapprove of the way Obama is doing his job, 48 percent to 47 percent. That is 20 points below the latest national poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal which has Obama’s approval rating at 68 percent. The numbers are the same when asked how Obama is handling the economy.
On most of the poll’s questions concerning the president, a majority of Oklahomans give unfavorable remarks on issues from cutting the deficit to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. The one area a majority of the state does agree Obama has improved is the country’s image around the world. A majority of 54 percent said Obama will likely improve the image while 43 said he will likely will not.
Gov. Brad Henry continues to get high marks from Oklahomans with 66 percent approving of Henry while 28 percent disapprove. Both of Oklahoma’s United States senators also received favorable marks with Jim Inhofe getting a 62 percent approval and Tom Coburn earning a 60 percent.
A majority in the poll said Oklahoma’s financial institutions should not receive federal bailout money, 50 percent to 35 percent.
Sixty-five percent of those polled considered themselves evangelical Christians.
|
|
Over the weekend, The Oklahoman published a story aimed at exposing the group behind an attack ad against the Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee. However, the story failed to mention one very important disclosure: its own.
The attack ad goes after Coffee’s recent admittance of falling behind on paying his personal income taxes, which totaled about $28,000. Coffee paid the taxes last November after the IRS placed a lien on his house. Coffee took out a loan to pay the taxes. The ad encourages the public to contact their state senator and ask Coffee to do the right thing, implying Coffee should step down.
The Oklahoman story delved into the group which was funding the ad and reported it’s a group with ties to Democratic lawmakers. The story goes on to say the recent fight over lawsuit reform, also known as tort reform, of which Coffee is the Senate’s major sponsor, may also have something to do with the ads.
But what the story left out was its own ties to the tort reform effort. David Thompson is publisher of The Oklahoman and president of OPUBCO Communications, which operates the newspaper’s Newsok.com Web site. Thompson also happens to be president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, which is a major backer of lawsuit reform.
This is not to suggest Thompson orchestrated the story. But Thompson's ties to the newspaper and the lawsuit reform effect could have been disclosed.
Here is an excerpt from an Oklahoman story on Dec. 12, 2008 when Thompson took over as chamber president:
“Thompson outlined several areas that he plans to focus on during 2009. But, even during an economic recession, the chambers priority will remain ‘economic development, economic development and economic development,’ he said.
First among his points of emphasis was continued development of the chambers planned $18 million headquarters at NW 4 and Broadway. Thompson also called for projects to position Oklahoma City as a competitive visitor destination, and development of a long-range plan for mass transit.
Thompson said efforts to create a business-friendly legislative and regulatory environment are top priority.
‘And, yes, I mean lawsuit reform and, yes, I mean workers comp reform,’ Thompson said in a line that drew applause.”
|
|
You can tell from the look on Glenn Coffee’s face his political future was over. From his tone when speaking to reporters and from his demeanor inside the Senate chamber, Coffee gave the impression of man who was told his paycheck had not arrived yet.
It’s amazing how political careers can end in just a few days. Last week, during an impromptu press conference on tort reform, Coffee was sprite and vigorous; a man of confidence with things going his way. But by the end of the week, after an Associated Press story about failing to pay his taxes on time and receiving a lien from the IRS, Coffee’s sprite had fizzed out.
Sitting at his desk on the Senate floor, Coffee looked around as though he was the only person in the chamber while other senators explained resolutions. Some colleagues walked over and shook Coffee’s hand as though it was his last day at work.
Monday was not Coffee’s last day as president of the Senate, but his immediate political life is on a ventilator. At a caucus meeting with his fellow Republicans, a humbled Coffee apologized for his tax mistake and took full blame for the mess. Rumors sifted through the Capitol that an effort was underway to remove Coffee as senate president. But Coffee emerged from the meeting still head of the Senate, however his future as an Oklahoma leader is practically flushed.
Coffee had been considered a candidate for higher office including state attorney general, lieutenant governor or even the Congressional seat Rep. Mary Fallin is giving up to run for governor. Not anymore. As former Speaker of the House Lance Cargill found out last year, people can forgive mistakes, but not when it comes to failing to pay taxes. Coffee might as well campaign on raising taxes as opposed to defending why someone who didn’t pay taxes should be awarded with a statewide office.
|
|
The state Senate honored one of the greats of government and political reporting. Former Oklahoman reporter John Greiner was bestowed the full appreciation of the Oklahoma Senate as well as the press gallery Monday afternoon.
Senate Resolution 9 commends Greiner for his nearly four decades of covering the state capitol. The resolution was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Glen Coffee.
"John was somebody who was a champion for news, free speech and transparency," Coffee said on the Senate floor with Greiner standing beside.
A 1964 graduate of OU, Griener served in the Army and retired at the rank of colonel. He covered seven governors at The Oklahoman’s capitol bureau and was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1993. His last day at the capitol was back in October.
"I am truly humbled by this," Griener told the Senate. "Covering the Legislature and politics is fun and exciting."
He received more than one round of applause from the Senate, as well as the pool of reporters sitting up in the press gallery. Afterwards, every senator came up and shook Griener’s hand.
John’s departure is a great loss, not just for the newspaper industry but for the public as well. Oklahoma citizens need government watchdogs like John Griener.
|
|
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is sitting on the edge of being a great crusader or poultry terrorist. And it’s uncertain which way the egg is going to crack.
Since he was first elected in 1994, amid a Republican tidal wave that year, Democrat Edmondson has been one of the state’s most popular elected officials. He routinely wins re-election by double digits, including 2002 when he trounced well-known and well-financed GOP challenger Denise Bode who hit Edmondson hard over the gays and boy scouts issue.
Edmondson has earned his reputation through his lineage, experience and toughness. It’s hard to pin the liberal label on Edmondson since he is a staunch supporter of the death penalty and has spearheaded efforts for more and faster executions.
Edmondson also gained recognition for his efforts in the fight against big tobacco and the millions of dollars the settlement has brought to the state. His office threw away partisan stickers after the prosecution and conviction of former Democrat state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.
But Edmondson’s latest crusade might be his toughest and could cost him an election and legacy if the case goes against him. The state AG is suing poultry companies to get them to stop dumping chicken litter in Oklahoma streams, lakes and rivers. The battle has brewed for a few years now with a trial set later this year. If everything goes Edmondson’s way, his plan to run for governor next year will be set in motion.
The poultry companies are not sitting on their eggs and have put up a stern fight. However, the latest episode finds Edmondson skating out in the middle of the ice pond.
An E. coli outbreak in the Oklahoma northeastern town of Locust Grove is not only pitting Edmondson against the chicken companies, but the state Health Department and the federal government. Edmondson claims the water in the area was “very likely” contaminated by the chicken farms litter runoff into the Illinois River and caused the illness which has led to one death. The state Health Department said they couldn’t find any evidence of Edmondson’s claims, which caused the AG to fire back the Health Department “botched” their testing. Findings from the Centers for Disease Control also fail to back up Edmondson’s chicken litter claim.
This is a dicey role for Edmondson to throw. If he wins, he may go down as Oklahoma’s best AG. But if he loses, a legacy and governor’s office probably fades away.
|
|
The 2008 election is only a few months old, but already a poll is out showing the top contenders for the 2010 governor’s race.
Conducted by SoonerPoll, the survey asked Oklahoma voters their choices for the gov spot.
On the Republican side, several names have been mentioned as possible candidates including Congress members Mary Fallin and Tom Cole along with state Sen. Randy Brogdon and former Congressman J.C. Watts. In the SoonerPoll, Fallin has a comfortable lead over Cole 53 percent to 31 percent. Brogdon comes in with barely 1 percent.
On the Democrat side, two names have emerged - Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and attorney general Drew Edmondson. In a head-to-head matchup, Edmondson has a sizeable lead over Askins, 42 percent to 28 percent.
This stuff is already getting good.
|
|
Rep. Randy McDaniel, R- Edmond, has only been in the legislature a few years therefore his major legislative accomplishments can be listed on a post-it note. But he loves Ronald Reagan.
Every year McDaniel has trekked up to the state Capitol to represent the people of District 83, he brings with him a resolution honoring the legacy of the 40th president of the United States.
For some reason, he believes this is of utmost importance to spend lawmakers’ time away from the budget, health care, education and other meaty issues and instead focus on a dead president.
The first year was fine, but this is getting beyond tiresome.
Well, today when McDaniel took to the podium re-fantasize about his childhood days of looking up to Reagan, some members of the House decided they wanted to remember the former president as well. Rep. Richard Morrisette, D-Oklahoma City, brought forth amendments which pointed out Reagan’s ability to drive up the deficit to historical proportions and try to get ketchup designated a vegetable among other things.
But after points of order, rulings of the chair and other mayhem, the amendments were pushed aside and McDaniel got his Reagan Day resolution through. This all took half an hour -- tax dollars at work once again.
Oh, but McDaniel did treat everyone to cake and punch afterwards. A great way to remember Reagan.
|
|
Did anyone else see our own ultra-conservative senator Tom Coburn give a big man hug to Pres. Barack Obama after the state of the union speech? Holy cow! Tommy C giving the big ups to the prez who he will probably oppose on most issues. Talk about bipartisanship.
Of course, the two did work closely together while both were in the Senate on transparent government. And Coburn has talked in friendly terms about Obama while the Democrat was running for president.
But still, to give the big H on national television, knowing his state voted against Obama more than any other state. Wow! That’s courage.
|
|
Angela Monson has only been on the job for a week and is learning that running a school district is a far cry from being a state senator.
Monson defeated Kirk Humphreys for the right to sit in the Oklahoma City school board chair's seat Feb. 10. She previously served as a state senator before term limits forced her from office.
Monson told me before speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Capitol Chamber of Commerce she is trying to get up to speed on the pressing issues of the district, meeting with staff and talking to parents.
One of the first issues being pressed upon is what to do with the 2007 bond issue. District patrons approved a $217 million bond package for new construction, technology and new buses among a host of items. But Superintendent Karl Springer says a mathematical error will cause the bond issue to fall short of providing the voter-approved funds or it will cause the delay of construction projects for several years.
Monson said the bond issue was important to the district and its patrons, and that it’s a matter of selling the bonds at the appropriate time to meet the statutory requirement of fulfilling the voter mandate. She has yet to sit down and discuss the situation with Springer but she believes the situation will be resolved.
“We can do this,” Monson said. “We can fulfill the obligation made to the voters. We just have to be prudent.”
Monson said she is aware that some people involved with the bond issues even question whether a problem exists.
“If it’s a timing issue, then that’s all it is we can time it just right. If it’s more than that, we’ll continue to address that.
Monson said she and Springer will sit down and discuss the matter next week.
|
|
If the Legislature wants to find ways to shore up the massive budget shortfall the state faces this session, eliminating electricity use for debates on meaningless bills might be one to consider.
Take Thursday for example. Rep. T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton, brought up a resolution to express the Legislature’s desire not to have Guantanamo Bay detainees sent to Oklahoma prisons should President Obama follow through on his plan to close the Cuban prison. (A brief lesson, Shannon’s bill was a non-binding resolution which means it has absolutely no power, authority, enforcement…nothing. It’s just a piece of paper that says the state likes or doesn’t like something.)
And how long did the 101 duly elected members of the House of Representatives spend debating a resolution which will do nothing? A whole hour.
Yes, while the town of Lone Grove recovers from a devastating tornado which killed nine people; while the state’s revenue now falls $900 million behind what it needs to function, the honorable gentlemen and ladies from all corners of Oklahoma spent one hour of electricity arguing over who is a detainee, who is a terrorist and whether anyone would like to see video tapes of people falling out the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
There were moments of a lack of etiquette evident in the chamber. After berating his fellow lawmakers for opposing the resolution, Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, turned his back to Rep. Ed Cannady, D-Whitefield, who was speaking against the resolution. The House has a strict decorum about showing respect to each member, even in times of heated debate. As soon as Cannady finished and Shannon spoke to close debate, Duncan spun his chair around and gave Shannon honorable attention.
After the session ended, one legislator mumbled in the hallway, “Exercise in futility.”
|
|
