logocapitol dome inside
Capitol News Update     

 

January 20, 2014


 

                  U.S. Senator Tom Coburn's announcement that he'll retire at the end of the year could cause quite a bit of political movement, even reaching into the state capitol.  Coburn's term doesn't end until 2016.  Ordinarily candidates to succeed him would begin maneuvering for support a couple years out,   and the field would narrow as potential candidates evaluate their chances.  But with the shortened time frame the race may draw more than the usual number of candidates.  Because of the power of incumbency opportunities to become a U.S. Senator are rare.    

 

                  Rumored to be interested in making the race are four of the state's five congressmen, Attorney General Scott Pruitt and Speaker T.W. Shannon.  Relative Washington newcomers Jim Bridenstine and James Lankford are said to be eyeing the race.  Since I live in Tulsa I hear more about Bridenstine, and word around here is he's very serious.  Bridenstine made a name for himself almost immediately on his arrival in Congress by voting against his party's leader John Boehner for re-election as Speaker.  He's a "movement" conservative who could look for national financial support among that wing of the party.  

 

                  Lankford is also conservative, but he chose to work within the system and has reached a leadership position as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.  Lankford would draw statewide support from members of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, his former employer.  His church contacts were a major source of support when he won his seat in Congress as a political newcomer.  

 

                  Frank Lucas, Oklahoma's senior member in the House was elected in 1994 and serves as chairman of the Agriculture Committee.  At age 54 with 20 years' service in the House he would be a natural to move to the Senate and in other times might expect some deference from his colleagues.  He may also be a bit frustrated by failure to get an agriculture bill passed in a polarized Congress.  I haven't followed Lucas' career closely, but one would assume after 20 years in Washington he could find the money for a credible race. 

 

                  Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Tribe, was elected to Congress in 2002 after serving in the State Senate and as Secretary of State under Governor Frank Keating.  Cole is a Deputy Whip on Boehner's leadership team and formerly was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.  Cole is the best known and most respected member of the delegation nationally.  I served in the legislature with Cole, and it's a measure of how our politics have changed that Cole would be considered a moderate in the race. 

 

                  Scott Pruitt is also a "movement" and religious conservative.  Pruitt served in the State Senate and ran unsuccessful races for Congress and Lieutenant Governor before being elected Attorney General.  His state's rights philosophy as Attorney General has found expression in litigating against the federal government, most notably against the Affordable Care Act.  Pruitt has run and won a statewide race and should be well positioned, especially in a shortened campaign season.

 

                  Speaker TW Shannon, also a Chickasaw, is the conservative leader of a conservative caucus in the Oklahoma House.  Shannon surprised many by moving quickly to the Speakership and is thought by most people to be looking at higher office.  If Cole were to run for the Senate, Shannon would likely run for his congressional seat.  It would be a stretch to run for the U.S. Senate in this field, but Shannon is a talented and attractive candidate who is clearly positioning himself for a big race at some time.  Whoever gets in, there will be a secondary ripple effect which should make the 2014 elections very interesting.         

Governor, speaker differ on state budget ideas

By Sean Murphy

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY - Gov. Mary Fallin and House Speaker T.W. Shannon differ on how to tackle several major budget issues, including the use of bonds to pay for infrastructure improvements and a tax incentive for horizontal oil and gas drilling, the governor's chief budget negotiator said Thursday.

Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger said during a summit on the state budget that Fallin prefers a bond issue to pay for infrastructure improvements instead of the "pay-as-you-go" approach supported by Shannon and some House conservatives. The summit was hosted by the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a Tulsa-based think-tank that supports additional funding for state programs.

Fallin last year signed a signature proposal by Shannon to develop a long-term plan to address improvements to some of the state's dilapidated facilities in part through the sale of state property, but Doerflinger said the governor has concerns about that approach given some of the state's more pressing needs.

"Sometimes it's OK to say maybe that wasn't the wisest move," Doerflinger said. "When we look at the pay-as-you-go model, that causes us to use current revenues on things that could otherwise be used on program areas."

Doerflinger said Fallin also doesn't support Shannon's proposal to make permanent a 6-percent reduction in the gross production tax for horizontal oil and gas drilling. Put in place in the late 1990s when horizontal drilling was costly and experimental, the incentive that reduces the tax rate from 7 percent to 1 percent is now costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars each year since most new wells are drilled this way.

Shannon has said he wants the incentive, which is set to expire in 2015, permanently placed at 1 percent.

"That's his prerogative to do so," Doerflinger said, "but I don't think at the end of the day anybody believes it's going to remain at 1 percent and be made permanent."

Shannon has consistently rejected the idea of a bond issue, and wants to push ahead with a cut to the state's income tax as well as making the horizontal drilling tax incentive permanent.

"While we share common ground on many issues, I cannot agree to raise taxes on Oklahoma's top industry or on Oklahoma families and businesses," Shannon said in a statement. "Oklahoma can address its financial needs and infrastructure issues in a conservative, fiscally responsible manner without taking on more debt or increasing the tax burden on our citizens."

Fallin has pushed for a reduction in the state's top personal income tax rate for the last two years, including a proposal she signed last year that would have reduced the rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent beginning next year. But the Supreme Court ruled last summer that bill violated the state constitution's single-subject rule because it also included a funding mechanism to pay for Capitol repairs.

Since then, Fallin has tempered her enthusiasm for a tax cut after state leaders learned they're projected to have about $170 million less to spend on state programs during the fiscal year that begins July 1.

"As far as the income tax reduction question, I'm going to tell you the governor is always going to be a proponent of reducing the income tax," Doerflinger said. "What form that takes on, we haven't had those conversations yet for this upcoming year."

The 2014 legislative session begins Feb. 3.

Despite revenue dip, Okla. speaker pushes tax cuts

By Sean Murphy

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY - Despite a projected $170 million decline in revenue available for the Legislature to spend on schools, child welfare and other state programs, House Speaker T.W. Shannon wants an income tax cut and a permanent and generous oil and gas drilling tax incentive that is costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

The 2014 legislative session is still several weeks away, but the Republican speaker, preparing for his second session leading the increasingly conservative House, already has staked out firm positions despite his own caucus seeking increased spending for education and public safety.

Shannon also has said the House will not support a bond issue to pay for any capital improvements, including repairs to the crumbling state Capitol building, saying instead he supports a "pay-as-you-go" approach.

"We don't need more government. We just don't. We can live within our means," Shannon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "Any areas of (spending) growth, we should offset in some other area. It's all about priorities."

Discussions are ongoing among officials from the Senate, House and governor's office with the oil and gas industry over the tax incentive for horizontal drilling that reduces the amount of tax from 7 percent to 1 percent for the first 48 months of production. The incentive, originally put in place in the late 1990s when horizontal drilling was experimental and extremely costly, now applies to most new wells that are drilled because horizontal wells are now the norm.

Projections released last week from the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a Tulsa-based think tank, show that the incentives are expected to cost the state close to $300 million annually over the next two fiscal years.

State finance officials don't dispute the projections. Those estimates don't include an additional $300 million the state is paying back over three years to the industry for the incentives that were suspended at the height of the state's fiscal crisis in 2010.

The tax incentive is set to expire in 2015 and if no action is taken by the Legislature, the rate will go back up to 7 percent. Gov. Mary Fallin has signaled she thinks the rate should be set somewhere between 1 percent and 7 percent, said Preston Doerflinger, Fallin's secretary of finance and lead negotiator with the Legislature on the budget.

Shannon's suggestion of making the 1-percent rate permanent is a "non-starter" for the governor, Doerflinger said.

"I would say she's not interested in seeing it move back to 7 percent, either," he added.

Doerflinger said oil and gas industry leaders also have signaled a willingness to negotiate a tax rate above 1 percent, and that discussions were taking place with industry leaders and himself, House Chief of Staff Rick Rose and Jonathan Nichols, the Senate's chief adviser and legal counsel. Because those discussions were ongoing, Doerflinger said he and the governor were surprised when Shannon came out publicly and said he wanted to make the 1-percent rate permanent.

"I didn't like the tone of the discussion," Shannon said bluntly. "That's why I weighed in on it. I didn't like the idea that we have bureaucrats out there trying to find more ways to raise taxes on businesses in Oklahoma so that we can fund more government services."

Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman said the Legislature has and will continue to be a supporter of the energy industry.

"At the same time, we do have responsibilities to educate our kids and make sure they're prepared for the workforce and the demands that the oil and gas industry expects from people getting out of college," said Bingman, an oil and gas company executive. "Our roads, our infrastructure, our capital needs are great.

"All that needs to be discussed, and we'll see what happens."

Oil and gas industry leaders were quick to endorse Shannon's proposal.

"With increased drilling across the country, it is imperative Oklahoma remains competitive for investment dollars," Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association President Mike Terry said in a statement.

Blu Hulsey, vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs for Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources, said that while the company supports the speaker's proposal, they also expect to continue negotiations with the governor and legislative leaders over the tax rate.

"We understand the process. We understand we're just at the beginning," Hulsey said. "We will always be willing to talk to the governor and legislative leaders ... and we understand that they're all supportive of our industry."

When the various tax incentives offered by the state are factored into the equation, Oklahoma's effective tax rate on unconventional oil wells, like those that are drilled horizontally, is about 3.3 percent, according to an August study by Headwaters Economics, a Montana-based nonprofit research group. The study showed that Oklahoma's rate was the lowest of seven peers, including Wyoming (11.7 percent), North Dakota (11.5 percent), Montana (7.5 percent), New Mexico (6.8 percent), Texas (6.7 percent), and Colorado (5.7 percent).

Shannon's decision to stake out a position of making the 1-percent rate permanent clearly has rankled some legislators, who suggest that Shannon seems to be putting politics ahead of good public policy.

"Whether it's for a bigger, higher office or just the next election, most of the decisions made in the last couple of years have been made with politics in mind," said House Democratic Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City. "If Republican leadership thinks that improving public schools and ensuring public safety is growing government, then I think they need to take a better look at what the role of state government is."

Lawmaker: Income tax issue to be revived

By M. Scott Carter

The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY - With the opening of the 2014 legislative session just about two weeks away, members of the House and Senate rushed to get their bills and resolutions filed by Thursday's 4 p.m. deadline.

Taxes, the budget, social policy and changes to the state's judicial system are expected to headline the 2014 session. In a media statement, Senate Communications Director Malia Bennett said legislative leaders anticipated about 1,000 new bills and resolutions to be filed for the session. In addition, 915 bills and 31 resolutions would carry over from the 2013 session.

This week, during a legislative breakfast sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, legislative leaders also said they might be forced to tweak a rewrite of the workers' compensation system, following a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

State Rep. Mike Jackson, R-Enid, said the Legislature might make another attempt to lower the income tax rate after a bill that would have done so while also providing $60 million to fund repairs at the state Capitol was declared unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

"I think there will be a lot of discussion and I believe we will try to enact what we actually passed last year," Jackson said.

He said Oklahoma's income tax rate has been reduced by more than 2 percent over the past decade but, at the same time, state revenue has grown.

"We have to continue to move that down the road," he said. "Other states are moving the ball as well and we have to be competitive."

Taxes and the judicial system won't be the only items for lawmakers to consider.

Under House Bill 2575 by state Rep. Chuck Hoskin, D-Vinita, Gov. Mary Fallin's Native American liaison would become cabinet secretary for Native American affairs. The position includes an annual salary of $65,000.

"One cabinet area shall consist of all the functions of all executive agencies, boards, commissions and institutions related to Native American issues and state and tribal relations," according to the bill.

After the Indian Affairs Commission was dissolved, the office of Native American liaison was created by the Legislature in 2011. In July 2012 Fallin appointed Jacque Hensley, a member of the Kaw Nation, as her tribal liaison. On Jan. 7, Hensley said the governor's office has had three face-to-face meetings with tribal leaders since 2012 and continues to work to strengthen relationships with the leaders of each tribe.

Legislators will also have several measures addressing firearms to consider, including House Bill 2614 by state Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville. The bill would allow working and retired district attorneys and federal prosecutors to carry handguns, provided they complete a handgun qualification course administered by the Council on Law Enforcement Education.

Senate Bill 1578 by state Sen. Larry Boggs, R-Wilburton, would change who could vote in primary and runoff elections.

Boggs' bill would allow all registered voters of either political party to vote in a primary and runoff election if a recognized political party has two or more nominees for an office, or if no other recognized political party has a nominee for the office and no person registered as an independent is a candidate for office.

"All registered voters eligible to vote for that office, regardless of whether the voters are registered as members of the recognized political party having candidates for the office, are registered members of another political party, or are registered as independents, shall be allowed to vote in the primary and, if a runoff primary election is necessary, in the runoff primary election," according to the bill.

The measure would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015.

New OBA leader spreading the word about judicial system

By M. Scott Carter

The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY - Consider Ren�e DeMoss a believer.

DeMoss, the 2014 president of the Oklahoma Bar Association, believes in justice, a fair and impartial judiciary and Oklahoma's Judicial Nominating Commission.

DeMoss, 55, is willing to put those beliefs - that faith, if you will - to the test.

The daughter of a Methodist minister, DeMoss said she's lived all over Oklahoma - from Durant to Vinita. That experience comes in handy when you plan to spend a lot of time traveling across the state, working to inspire others to think about their belief in government.

"Our profession is changing rapidly," she said. "We have all kinds of changes going on. I think that one thing that we cannot allow to change in the field of law is our democracy, our third branch of government, our judicial system."

Lawyers, DeMoss said, are the guardians of justice.

A staunch advocate for a fair and impartial judiciary, DeMoss said she would use her one-year term as OBA president to help educate Oklahomans about the need for the judiciary, its function and how judges and justices were chosen.

Her effort comes during a time when the state's appellate judiciary has been harshly criticized by leaders in the Republican-controlled Legislature and business groups such as the State Chamber of Oklahoma.

This year, lawmakers will consider several bills designed to change the judiciary, including measures that would limit the terms of judges and justices and eliminate the JNC, the group that helps vet candidates for the appellate judiciary.

Oklahomans can be proud of their court system and its work, she said.

"It's a system that works very well," DeMoss said. "There is no reason to change it."

Still, the criticism of the JNC doesn't bother her - she said it is all part of the system - but she does want every Oklahoman to think about the importance of Oklahoma's judicial system and what it means to state government.

"That is part of the mission of the bar association," she said, "to explain the role of the courts and their unique position and how we must have fair and qualified judges. If people will sit down and think about it, what they will realize when they go to court is that they want a fair and impartial judge."

To get that understanding, DeMoss - a shareholder with the GableGotwals law firm - said she wants members of the OBA to speak about the judiciary and its role in government.

She said the organization would establish a speakers bureau and hold town-hall-type meetings in public courthouses across the state to discuss Oklahoma's judicial system. DeMoss said she would also ask the OBA's law-related education committee to emphasize civics education for school students.

"This lack of knowledge and interest that the public has in our democracy, coupled with the periodic unhappiness that some have with individual court decisions, can be a danger to our system of justice in Oklahoma," she told the Oklahoma Bar Journal magazine.

Of course, she has other plans, too. In addition to statewide civics effort, DeMoss said she hoped to work with others to expand recruitment for the Oklahoma Promise scholarship.

"Education is your ticket to a good life," she said. "It's your ticket to a healthy, happy life. That doesn't stop if you graduate from high school - and we have too many kids that aren't doing that."

The Oklahoma Promise program, she said, works, but has a hard time reaching a more diverse set of students.

"What we would love to do is to find some way to help," she said. "In a lot of cases it's harder to get the documentation to prove income, so some children need help in just getting documentation."

Just talking about the program, she said, would increase awareness.

"We're looking at what we can do," DeMoss said.

Call it education, understanding or even simple faith, but for DeMoss it all comes down to a core belief in a system of government and the importance of that third branch of government - a branch that she is more than happy to defend.

"There will not be justice if you don't have fair or impartial courts," she said. "I don't think that's political. It's just our way of life in America."

Legislators Seek to make Native American museum a priority

By M. Scott Carter

The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Legislature's Republican and Democratic leaders made a pitch for the completion of the beleaguered American Indian Cultural Center and Museum and suggested that lawmakers may need to tweak a big rewrite of the workers' compensation system during a legislative forum Monday.

Speaking at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber's Legislative Breakfast, House Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Jackson, R-Enid, said the debate over the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum needs to be resolved.

"At this point, keeping it up in the air and continuing to kick the can down the road is probably a mistake," Jackson said. "If you look at the cost to repair (the museum) and those kinds of things, our caucus would look at some type of resolution to the issue."

For more than two years, the project has sat unfinished because of a lack of funds. Private donors have pledged $40 million to complete the structure, but those pledges are contingent on state funding. Last year, lawmakers shot down a proposal that would have completed the museum with the use of bond funds. Tax revenue for fiscal year 2015 is expected to be about $170 million less than last year.

On Monday, Jackson said it would be difficult to sell a bond package for the museum to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

"If they are asking for an additional bond, I think they're going to have a difficult time getting that through the Legislature, but, at the same time, I do think the Native American cultural center is something we will take into account."

House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, said he was embarrassed by the lack of legislative action on the museum.

"It has to be done," Inman said. "We have to get it completed."

Inman said all 29 members of the House's Democratic caucus supported funding the completion of the museum. He said House Democrats didn't support a bond issue for the museum in 2013 because the Republican caucus wanted another cut in the income tax level.

"Last year our team said we wanted to take a second look at a bond issue for one reason, that was a big talk of a tax cut," Inman said. "My team didn't believe that it made sense to say to the people of Oklahoma that we have an obligation we need to meet so we're going to cut taxes and take out bonds. If we've got enough money to be able to cut taxes, then let's just pay as we go."

Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman said he hoped the museum would be finished someday.

"We just don't know when," he said.

He said some members of the Senate worry about the ongoing operation of the center.

"There are still concerns about the center; how well can the state operate the thing and how much is the ongoing obligation going to be to the state?" he said. "I think the numbers we saw last year were a lot better than we saw in the past. Again, we need to be a little innovative; shame on the Legislature for first approving the thing without a way to end the thing."

Senate Minority Leader Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, said he supported completing the center.

"Yes, we need to finish the project," Burrage said. "Twenty years from now we'll be talking about workers' comp. Let's not talk about this project anymore. Let's fund it and stop kicking it on down the road."

In addition, lawmakers may need to revisit last year's rewrite of the workers' compensation system. Though the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld the law, a minority opinion by Justice Noma Gurich warned legislators about deficiencies in the law that could lead to litigation.

Bingman hinted that the Senate would take a wait-and-see approach to the issue and only make changes to the law after a challenge was filed.

Burrage said the high court's opinion was correct, but added that he agreed with Bingman that lawmakers should wait until a legal action is taken before they make changes to the law.

"I agree with Sen. Bingman," he said. "Let those cases be filed and come along and deal with those at that time."

The court, Burrage said, followed the state constitution in making its ruling.

Jackson said the workers' comp rewrite was a big victory for the state.

"We've already seen a significant decrease in workers' compensation rates," he said. "And as we continue to move forward I think we will see more decreases in those rates."

However, the workers' comp law, Jackson said, may need some fine-tuning.

"Anytime you enact a piece of legislation that broad-sweeping, there is chance you're going to have to come back and make tweaks," he said. "There are small changes that need to occur. I think as we move forward we will look at those as they come before us. As we get into the running the system we'll see where we need to make changes."

The second session of the 54th Oklahoma Legislature begins Feb. 3.

Dorman delivers fundraising challenge

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Democratic state legislator hoping to unseat Gov. Mary Fallin is challenging the governor to abide by the same fundraising rules he must follow and not accept campaign contributions from lobbyists during the upcoming legislative session.

State Rep. Joe Dorman said Thursday he wants to avoid any appearance of impropriety or the perception of pay-to-play politics.

Because Dorman is a legislator, ethics rules prohibit him from accepting campaign contributions from lobbyists or the companies they represent during the legislative session that begins Feb. 3. As a statewide officeholder, Fallin is not bound by the same restriction.

Dorman said he raised more than $100,000 in the first nine business days after filing with the Ethics Commission on Dec. 17.

Fallin's last finance report shows she has $1.2 million in cash on hand.

Lawsuit Filed over Ten Commandments monument

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Another lawsuit has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court by a New Jersey-based nonprofit group, Americans Atheists Inc., and two of its members, Aimee Breeze of Oklahoma City and William Poire of Wagoner County. The lawsuit is the latest challenge filed over the monument, which was installed on the Capitol grounds in 2012 after lawmakers approved it in 2009. The monument was donated by state Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow.

The lawsuit claims that the monument is a state-sponsored endorsement of religion and therefore unconstitutional. The lawsuit contends that Breeze is involved in advocacy events and regularly travels to the Capitol for legislative sessions.

"While at the state Capitol, (Breeze) is confronted by the Ten Commandments display, which she views as hurtful and exclusive and therefore avoids the area of the display while at the Capitol," the complaint says.

The state attorney general's office, which is defending the commission in a similar lawsuit filed in state court by the American Civil Liberties Union, had not received a copy of the lawsuit and declined to comment.

The New York-based Satanic Temple has formally submitted plans to place a statue of Satan on the Capitol grounds, arguing that the state's decision to allow the Ten Commandments monument opened the door for their display.

A moratorium on the placement of any other monuments on Capitol grounds was issued in December until the ACLU lawsuit is resolved.

If monuments are permitted by the state, American Atheists Inc. said it also wishes to erect one at the Capitol with its guiding principles written upon it. Similar requests for monuments have been made by a Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group and the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

U.S. Sen. Coburn to retire after current session

By Sean Murphy

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY - U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn will finish out the current congressional session and then resign from his seat nearly two years before his term is scheduled to end, he said in a statement released late Thursday.

The 65-year-old Republican said he would leave the Senate at the end of the current session in January 2015. His term was scheduled to end in 2016, and Coburn already had vowed not to seek a third.

A physician from Muskogee, Coburn recently was diagnosed with a recurrence of prostate cancer, but said this move wasn't because of the cancer.

"Carolyn and I have been touched by the encouragement we've received from people across the state regarding my latest battle against cancer," Coburn said, referring to his wife. "But this decision isn't about my health, my prognosis or even my hopes and desires.

"As a citizen, I am now convinced that I can best serve my own children and grandchildren by shifting my focus elsewhere. In the meantime, I look forward to finishing this year strong."

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement Thursday describing Coburn as "one of the most intelligent, principled and decent men in modern Senate history."

"When it comes to the transcendent debate over the size and cost of government, Tom Coburn is simply without peer," McConnell, R-Ky., said. "No one has done more to awaken Americans to the threat posed by a government that chronically spends more than it takes in, and no one has worked harder at finding a solution."

Known as a conservative maverick during his three terms in the U.S. House in the 1990s, Coburn continued that role after being elected to the Senate in 2004. A fierce critic of what he described as excessive government spending, Coburn was most vocal about opposing the earmarking of special projects.

His office routinely produced reports on wasteful spending, like a 37-page report in 2011 dubbed "Subsidies of the Rich and Famous" that detailed nearly $30 billion spent annually on government tax breaks and federal grant programs for millionaires.

Late last year, Coburn was among a group of senators who released the findings of a two-year probe into alleged abuses in how Social Security disability benefits were approved at a federal Office of Disability Adjudication and Review in West Virginia. The study detailed inappropriate conduct between Social Security law judges, a law firm, and doctors in approving benefits, and an apparent lack of oversight from the agency.

Nicknamed "Dr. No" for his voting record in the Senate, Coburn's thwarting of legislation that Democrats consider worthy has often frustrated Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"You cannot negotiate with Coburn," Reid declared in 2008. "It's just something you learn over the years is a waste of time."

Coburn's resignation is certain to draw the interest of a deep bench of ambitious Republicans in Oklahoma, and the GOP will be heavily favored to retain control of the seat. Among the Republicans mentioned as possible contenders are U.S. Reps. Tom Cole, Frank Lucas, Jim Bridenstine and James Lankford, along with Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

State law requires the governor to call a special election in the case of a vacancy.

Coburn was treated for prostate cancer in 2011 and has battled numerous health issues in past years.

He revealed in 2003 he'd been diagnosed with colon cancer and had undergone surgery and chemotherapy. He told a reporter at the time, "you should be writing about Medicaid and Medicare instead of my health."

Coburn also was treated for malignant melanoma in 1975 and had a benign tumor removed from his pituitary gland in 2007. He also was tested for an irregular heartbeat in 2008.

Have a good week.  Give me a call at 918.671.6860 if I can be of help in any way

                  Steve Lewis


 
 
This Week's Meetings


 

 

 
This Week's News
Governor, Speaker Differ
Despite Revenue Dip
Lawmaker: Income Tax Issue
New OBA Leader Spreading the Word
Legislators Seek to Make Native American Museum a Priority
Dorman Delivers Fundraising Challenge
Lawsuit Filed Over Monument
Coburn to Retire
 

INTERIM STUDIES