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By D. E. Smoot
Phoenix Staff Writer
House Republicans clamoring for a streamlined and more efficient government were chided Thursday before a crowd of more than 50 Muskogee County Democrats.
The party faithful gathered during a regular business meeting at the Muskogee Public Library to hear pitches from state representatives of the Democratic presidential hopefuls. Those pitches, however, temporarily took a back seat to comments about what is expected to be a “contentious legislative session.”
Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner, who attended the meeting to speak on behalf of presidential hopeful John Edwards, scoffed at House Speaker Lance Cargill’s recent claims of fiscal responsibility and government efficiency.
“He’s so cotton-picking efficient he’s had to double his staff and increase the amount of money it takes to run the House,” McPeak said about Cargill to an enthusiastic and receptive audience. “They (House Republicans) spent $1.6 million on new furniture I didn’t want — I would have rather given that money to the children and the schools.”
Hat tips to Okie Campaigns and McCarvilleOn December 18, 2007, A fundraiser was held at the 13-acre Dallas estate of Gene and Roxanne Phillips.
(Phillips figured in the controversial end of Democrat Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher’s term in office. Fisher left office after questions were raised about his acceptance of office furnishings from Phillips and his associates. Phillips was interviewed twice by investigators from the attorney general’s office, the grand jury’s legal adviser, and Phillips’ business associates were subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. One associate appeared before the grand jury twice. Stephen Jones, Phillips’ Enid attorney, was successful in fighting efforts to force Phillips to appear.)
OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 7, 2008) – House Speaker Lance Cargill announced today that Jennifer Mock, formerly a political reporter with The Oklahoman newspaper, will soon take over as the new press secretary for the Office of the Speaker and the Majority Caucus in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Cargill released the following statement today:
“It’s been our goal all along to bring in people with fresh ideas who are driven to excel. Jennifer Mock has made a name for herself as one of the top reporters at the state’s largest newspaper, and that’s no small feat. She brings with her a level of professionalism and respect that is well-known both within and outside of state government and the news community. I look forward to her becoming part of the team we’ve put together here, and I’m thrilled that she’ll be working to help convey to the rest of Oklahoma the changes and reforms we’re making here in the House of Representatives.”
Mock’s credentials include several years at The Oklahoman, including time at the newspaper’s city desk and, most recently, as part of its state Capitol bureau. Before coming to the state, she covered congressional elections across the nation for Congressional Quarterly, based out of Washington, D.C. She will officially take over her duties in the Office of the Speaker on Jan. 15.
By D. E. Smoot
Phoenix Staff Writer
House Republican leaders plan to look at long-range solutions for some of Oklahoma’s biggest problems as they head into the 2008 legislative session. Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, said he hopes to accomplish that by assessing the way state government operates and then developing a business model that eliminates inefficiency and promotes modernization. During a one-hour conference call Thursday with the Phoenix editorial board, Cargill said his vision is neither conservative nor liberal. It is, he said, a plan based upon the ideal of helping taxpayers “get the best bang for their bucks” when it comes to government services and programs.
David Blatt, executive director of anti-poverty organization Community Action Project, praised Cargill’s effort at Tuesday’s meeting of the state House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
“The opposite of being anti-government is not pro-government, it’s being for better government,” said Blatt. Saving money by eliminating duplication, waste and inefficiency makes more money available for critical public services, he said. On the other hand, such savings make less money available for growing government – a concept that appeals to groups on the other side of the political spectrum.
These faith-based programs can make a real difference in a person’s life in a way that no big-government program ever could,” he added.
In his ruling, Attorney General Drew Edmondson noted that the Legislature had required the Department of Corrections “to actively solicit faith-based
and secular providers” for a prisoner re-entry program that would review policies and identify gaps in service.
OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 31, 2007) – In the 2007 legislative session, several key pieces of legislation by Speaker Lance Cargill were passed into law, including measures to benefit working families, place greater fiscal restraints on government, and reduce inmate recidivism rates. Several of those new laws will take effect Thursday.
“Our overarching goal this year was to pass laws that ease the burden on families, that decrease the size of the state government bureaucracy, and that apply more common sense to our state’s laws,” said Cargill, R-Harrah. “We did that through a variety of measures, some that I authored, and many more that were authored and introduced by other fiscally prudent lawmakers.”
Laws authored by Cargill in 2007 that take effect Thursday include House Bill 2101, the Transformational Justice Act, which encourages state prisons to partner with faith-based, community and voluntary organizations to help inmates rejoin society and reduce the rate of repeat offenders.
“In Oklahoma, we’re fortunate to have voluntary, faith-based groups that understand how to help inmates become constructive members of society,” Cargill said. “Many times, prison is a place where inmates learn to become better criminals. But faith has a transformative power in people’s lives, including those who need the most help. These faith-based groups provide a service that no government program can, by helping inmates find the connections and develop the life skills they need.”
Also taking effect Thursday is House Bill 2103, which provides full-time enrolling freshmen the option of “locking in” one fixed rate of tuition at state colleges and universities through completion of their degree program. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, HB 2103 will require all public higher education institutions in Oklahoma to offer in-state students an option to participate in a guaranteed tuition rate plan.
HB 2103 also includes key provisions to help keep the growing cost of textbooks down. The measure cracks down on practices such as “edition churn” or textbook “bundles” that hike the cost of materials.
House Bill 2111 eliminates a number of smaller states agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs), 18 in all, that have been inactive for years or duplicate other state entities.
House Bill 2104 requires the Oklahoma Historical Society to designate one day per week as a free admission day for all children age 17 or younger to state museums and historical sites.
All four measures – House Bills 2101, 2103, 2111 and 2104 – passed the Legislature earlier this year with broad support from both sides of the aisle.
By Robert Barron Staff Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (October 16, 2007) – Oklahoma House Republican caucus members Tuesday elected Lance Cargill as Speaker-designate for the 2009-10 session, giving Cargill a second term in the House’s top post.
“I’m grateful to my fellow caucus members for their support, and I thank them for this vote of confidence as we move forward with important conservative reforms,” said Cargill, R-Harrah, who currently serves as Speaker. “I also want to say how much I respect Representative John Wright. He’s a valuable member, and as a unified caucus we’re poised for real progress this coming year. I see tremendous opportunities in the areas of state fiscal accountability, state government modernization, and performance pay for teachers.”
Rep. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow, joined Cargill as a candidate in seeking the Speaker-designate position.
“I congratulate Speaker Cargill on his election by the caucus to continue to serve the House of Representatives as Speaker, and I dedicate to working with him to continue to advance good policies for the state of Oklahoma,” said Wright, who serves as chairman of the caucus.
Cargill’s first term as Speaker will end after the upcoming 2008 session. The Harrah native has served in the House since 2000, representing large portions of eastern Oklahoma County. Provided Republicans retain their majority in the House in the 2008 election cycle, Tuesday’s caucus vote means that Cargill will serve as Speaker for another two years in 2009 and 2010.
“Today’s vote is a victory for the entire caucus, and puts us in a strong, unified position,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell. “By maintaining our current Speaker, we’re giving the House Republican majority the ability to press for needed conservative reforms in the upcoming session and beyond.”
House Majority Leader Greg Piatt, R-Ardmore, also praised Tuesday’s vote saying, “By designating Lance Cargill for a second term as Speaker, the House Republican majority is well-prepared for the upcoming legislative session, and we have real momentum.”
As House GOP members meet in Ardmore today in the midst of a campaign finance scandal, only two reporters are covering the event. Embattled House Speaker Lance Cargill is seeking to add two more years to his current term, but only News9’s Stacey Cameron and the Gazette’s Scott Cooper are actually in Ardmore to report on the top political news story of the year.
As always, while the vast majority of the press ignores this monumental story, we will do all we are able to bring you updates as we receive them.
UPDATE: Channel 9 Story Disappears from their website minutes after we posted it this morning.
UPDATE(x2) Video Back Up!
