by Diana West

Labels: Brad Henry, Muslims, Rep. Rex Duncan

Posted at 9:46 AM |   

A sample of how "Qurangate" is playing around the country. What a boneheaded mistake by Henry and his advisor's! We never believed a "moderate" Democrat governor would fall on the sword of political correctness so easily.

By Jenn Sierra

One of the first things Gov. Brad Henry (D-OK) did after he took office was to create a Governor’s Ethnic Advisory Council. Yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like - a “diversity” enforcement unit in the state. At the same time, Oklahoma was gearing up for it’s centennial celebration, in 2007. To commemorate the occasion, lawmakers in this Bible-belt state received what they always wanted - a centennial copy of the Quran. Yep…free! Read more...

Related:

The Red Dirt Political Report: Martin among those who refuse Quran

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 7:06 AM |   

"There is no hard evidence of any cost savings at all, so I would certainly call upon the governor not to sign the rule. I know he said he would. I would ask him to reconsider his position on that," said state Rep. Randy Terrill

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 10:30 AM |   

Tulsa World

An Oklahoma Health Care Authority proposal to allow all pregnant women to receive prenatal care sets a "dangerous precedent" and subsidizes illegal activity, said state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore.

The OHCA is expected to consider the proposal to "add pregnancy related benefits to improve health outcomes for children who are citizens at birth" at its regular monthly meeting this week.

The OHCA is the state's Medicaid agency, which administered a budget of $3.2 billion to help Oklahoma's poor during the last fiscal year.

The federal government mandates that states pay for labor and delivery services for undocumented women and allows states to choose whether to provide prenatal care.

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 9:11 AM |   

"Most of these kids have not seen a dentist and have not been taught good oral hygiene," she said. "That can impact their lives well beyond their childhood years."

by Eric Boeckman

Oklahoma - In a recent executive order, Gov. Brad Henry created the Governor's Task Force on Children and Oral Health to study health programs available for children, youth and families as well as to develop a State Oral Health Plan.

The Oklahoma Dental Association requested the task force, said Dana Davis, executive director of the association. Many state programs address health issues related to maternal and child health, but they do not include dental health, Davis said. The task force will study existing state health programs to determine where dental care, dental health education and dental care for the indigent can be infused. The task force will also be able to make recommendations to the governor on how to fill any existing gaps in dental care, she said.

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry, State Oral Health Plan

Posted at 1:52 PM |   

"The trip would have gone forward, had there been no tort reform bill or if he had signed one,” he said. "It's just unrelated to legislative events.” said Terry West, a Shawnee attorney and longtime family friend of Gov. Brad Henry.

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 9:57 AM |   

Message from Chairman Jones

We learned last week that Governor Brad "Blackjack" Henry is on a Brazilian fishing trip with some of Oklahoma's most prominent trial lawyers. On the current trip are a member of the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission and two former members, and three past presidents of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association.

So does Henry's three-hour tour signal a future third tort reform veto?

After promising Oklahoma taxpayers Texas-plus tort reform, Henry proceeded to veto tort reform legislation last session...twice. Seems like Henry's trial lawyer buddies are getting a good return on their investment.

In Henry’s first campaign for governor in 2002, Lawyers accounted for over 27% of Henry’s receipts, far outpacing his second most lucrative source, a category referred to as “Self.” In 2006, trial lawyers came through again, with 20% of his contributions, outpacing the number two category – healthcare – by an almost 4-1 margin.

"For him to be vacationing with the leaders of the Trial Lawyers Association just tends to show that he is way too close to that organization," said State Senator James Williamson, the author of the tort reform bill vetoed by the Governor just five months ago. "He should show impartiality in this issue and there's a standard of trying to avoid even the appearance of impropriety."

With Henry chummy as ever with Oklahoma's most powerful trial lawyers, it looks as if we are set for another tort reform showdown next legislative session. Republican lawmakers shouldn't back down from this fight, but Henry's current schmooze-cruise doesn't make the fight any easier.

Labels: Brad Henry, OKGOP

Posted at 12:15 PM |   

The Campus Life and Safety & Security Task Force is drafting recommendations to go to Gov. Brad Henry and lawmakers in January.
Bird and others said more and better-trained counselors are needed to help troubled students and those with mental health issues.

Some campuses don't have any on-site counselors and others don't have enough to meet the need. Also, the state lacks enough training programs for counselors.

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry, Campus Life and Safety Security Task Force

Posted at 9:23 AM |   

Thanks to the Red Dirt Political Report for this hat tip. Sounds as though something is rotten in Denmark.

OKLAHOMA CITY — A controversial education study — completed in 2005 but never officially released by the Oklahoma Legislature — paints a dismal picture of state education funding and calls for an influx of more than $800 million in new spending, The Transcript has learned.

Commissioned in 2004, and completed at a cost of $150,230 in April of 2005, the two-part study by Colorado-based Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, was prepared for the Legislative Service Bureau — a state office controlled by the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma State Senate.

The first part of the study, which cost $32,930, was released in November of 2004. That report examined the spending of school districts which successfully met state performance standards.

The second report of the study — entitled “Calculating the Cost of an Adequate Education in Oklahoma,” — analyzed the “adequacy of revenues available to elementary and secondary school districts in Oklahoma” for the 2003-2004 fiscal year.

Read More

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature

Posted at 7:12 PM |   

Labels: Brad Henry, Farmers

Posted at 8:01 AM |   

OKPNS has been on top of the developing story regarding the proposed coal-fired power plant near Red Rock. News outlets are reporting that OG&E and PSO power companies are 'shocked' by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's plans to reject the application for the facility.

"They used their opponent's ad agency, they had no advocacy program, they were simply naive' and foolish," says one insider. Chesapeake Energy, who worked hard to get Gov. Brad Henry to place Commissioner Jim Roth on the commission after Denise Bode's resignation, simply outmaneuvered the utilities. "OG&E and PSO are typically ignorant, as are most Oklahoma businesses, about the new modern rules of political engagement. If they're shocked, they're dumber than we think."

Here's the story from today's Journal Record: http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=81629

Labels: Brad Henry, Jim Roth, OGE

Posted at 7:42 AM |   

Gov. Brad Henry on Monday appointed an Edmond attorney to the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University.

Andy Lester was named to the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, which also governs Langston University, Conners State College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

Lester is a member of the Lester, Loving and Davies law firm. He holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a law degree from Georgetown University.

Lester will fill the regent position previously held by Oklahoma City banker Burns Hargis, who resigned in July to evaluate the possibility of serving as OSU's president.

Lester's appointment requires Senate confirmation.

Labels: Andy Lester, Brad Henry

Posted at 5:06 PM |   

By Andrew Spioropoulos

EDMOND — Oklahoma’s lawsuit-reform debate sadly has revealed that honorable and well-meaning public officials like Gov. Brad Henry and Attorney General Drew Edmondson, when push comes to shove, side with the most reactionary elements of the trial bar.

But this year’s debate revealed a problem even more disturbing than opposition to legal reform. Edmondson has imported to Oklahoma a new model of the office of attorney general that is destructive both to the rule of law and to the welfare of the state. Read more...

Labels: AG, Brad Henry, Drew Edmondson, Law Suit Reform

Posted at 12:19 PM |   

Labels: AG, Brad Henry, Gary Jones, Gene Stipe, Jeff McMahan, OKGOP, Sen. Mike Morgan, Steve Phipps

Posted at 11:50 AM |   

"Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency." Gov. Brad Henry - 2007 State of the State Address

"Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor.

Sund says the governor's office will reveal the location when the governor returns..." (AP) March 23, 2007

Because we didn't post yesterday, we missed this story of Governor Henry and the First Lady's pending "church mission" trip to Ghana to distribute mosquito nets. Now it's hard to be cynical -especially when the Lord is involved - but this "church mission"/vacation comes almost three months since their mysterious vacation to Mexico. You remember, the trip the Governor promised to disclose the details of once he returned (84 days and counting)- but never did. Send us a postcard Governor, as the picture above demonstrates, Ghana is beautiful.

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 4:26 PM |   

Labels: Brad Henry, Drew Edmondson, Law Suit Reform, OK Legislature

Posted at 12:33 PM |   

"Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency." Gov. Brad Henry - 2007 State of the State Address

"Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor.

Sund says the governor's office will reveal the location when the governor returns..." (AP) March 23, 2007


RELATED: Gov. Henry & Family Vacationing at Trial Lawyer's Vacation Home?

Labels: Brad Henry, Paul Sund

Posted at 7:12 AM |   

Legislative leaders in the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives have submitted a compromise lawsuit reform proposal to Gov. Brad Henry in an effort to reach an agreement before the Legislature adjourns for the year.

The proposal was developed by physicians and business groups, and addresses the governor’s concerns about Senate Bill 507 as outlined in a recent memo from the governor’s chief negotiator, State Treasurer Scott Meacham. Henry has been under fire in Oklahoman and nationally for his veto of Senate Bill 507, a bipartisan lawsuit reform bill passed by the Legislature last month.

“The need for lawsuit reform is one of the most critical issues facing our state, so in the spirit of bipartisan cooperation we have agreed to accept the compromise proposal submitted by the medical and business communities. We encourage the governor to accept this proposal so we can take a major step toward stamping out lawsuit abuse in Oklahoma,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “The ball is now in the governor’s court.”

“Time is growing very short in the session's final days, but we're hopeful the governor will accept this important compromise," said Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. "This bill represents a true compromise, but also achieves reform. Oklahoma desperately needs lawsuit reform if our state is going to move forward.”

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Scott Meacham, Sen. Glenn Coffee, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 3:04 PM |   

Oklahoma City – One day after the enactment of a bipartisan tax relief package, legislative leaders and the governor on Tuesday announced the outlines of a $7.1 billion state budget agreement that speeds up tax cuts for working Oklahomans, boosts teacher pay and includes important funds for critical state services such as public safety and state prisons.

“This budget agreement is the result of hard work and bipartisan cooperation, and I thank legislative leaders of both parties for finding consensus on important issues. It hasn’t always been an easy process, but lawmakers ultimately came together to do significant things for Oklahoma, such as strengthening higher education, establishing a state bioenergy center and increasing teacher pay. This bipartisan budget addresses a number of other priorities, as well as ensuring tax relief. In all, it marks a win-win for Oklahoma,” stated Governor Brad Henry

“We said very early on that the hallmark of this legislative session would be fiscal restraint and restored accountability from government. This is the first time ever in the history of our state that a Legislature cut government spending when there was the opportunity to spend more,” said Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. “We delivered a responsible state budget that makes record investments in core services while putting in place reforms that make clear we expect in return quality performance and results. At the same time, we have achieved real tax relief for Oklahoma’s working families – the very people whose productivity has helped fuel our economic growth. Important reforms include taking a first step toward a merit-based pay system for Oklahoma teachers and motivating our OHLAP scholars to earn better grades while in college. And for the first time, we will take a major step toward fixing our state’s prison problem by conducting a top-to-bottom review of the Department of Corrections.”

“This budget agreement focuses on protecting middle class families and provides a fiscally-responsible framework for Oklahoma’s future by opening the door to educational opportunities for the next generation. It includes important funding to keep tuition increases to a minimum at our colleges and universities and establishes a permanent funding source to ensure the long-term stability of the Oklahoma’s Promise Scholarship Program,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater.

“This fiscally-responsible agreement builds on the bipartisan budget and tax relief plan passed by the Legislature earlier this session, and represents a common sense compromise that Oklahomans can all be proud of – especially the tax cuts for working families and the long-term fix for the Teacher Retirement System,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “The Senate’s power-sharing agreement has resulted in a spirit of cooperation in the Legislature’s upper chamber, and this bipartisanship is evident in today’s agreement. The stage is now set for an orderly and on-time adjournment of the 2007 legislative session.”

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Sen. Glenn Coffee, Sen. Mike Morgan, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 8:23 PM |   

Oklahoma Republicans were beat to the punch once again by Democrat Governor Brad Henry with his selection of Jim Roth to the Corporation Commission.

Republicans scarcely raised an eyebrow at the controversial appointment of the openly gay liberal democrat. Roth was clearly the favorite of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and that fact has several business groups clearly worried.

The "coal" lobby, which will be battling natural gas companies such as Chesapeake in the years to come over who will fuel new power plants, are big losers. But the big loser could be AT&T, who held a strangle hold on the commission for several years. It is believed Roth will side from Day 1 with AT&T-hating commissioner Bob Anthony.

While it was easy to see this one coming, Oklahoma Republicans and some business groups once again were thumped by a group of politicians who will never be confused with expert public relations operatives.

Labels: Bob Anthony, Brad Henry, Chesapeake Energy, Jim Roth

Posted at 7:07 PM |   

Speaker Lance Cargill & Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee issued the following joint statement Monday evening after the governor signed into law Senate Bill 861, a package of tax relief for working families including childcare credits for stay-at-home parents, a back-to-school sales tax holiday, acceleration of income tax cuts and elimination of the franchise tax on most small businesses.

SPEAKER LANCE CARGILL (R-Oklahoma City): “This is a positive step forward in achieving a final budget agreement. Today’s enactment of tax relief is a victory for working families across Oklahoma. Tax relief has been a cornerstone issue for us, and we’re glad we can once again deliver for the people who work for a living in this state.”

SENATE CO-PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE GLENN COFFEE (R-Oklahoma City): “This tax relief package allows families to keep more of their own money. We’ve made significant progress in achieving a final budget agreement, and enactment of this tax relief package goes a long way toward moving Oklahoma forward.”

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Sen. Glenn Coffee, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 10:23 AM |   

From Tailgate Politics:

SoonerSurvey, from the folks at CHS, are reporting that Governor Henery's approval rating is "down" into the 70s, while his strongly approve (the important number for a man spending political capital) is around 36 (thanks to the McCarville Report for this one). The approval rating for President Bush is at 47% in the Sooner State -- a small rebound from the December 2006 number from SurveyUSA. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Polls

Posted at 11:29 AM |   

Gov. Brad Henry has been particularly wieldy with his veto pen this session. First, he vetoed a budget that a bi-partisan Legislature came up with. His main beef was some of his favorite projects weren’t included in the budget, and he wasn’t included in the process. Legislative leaders had left open the door for those projects to be funded, but said they didn’t hold the same priority as the ones they came up with.

Then, the governor vetoed sweeping tort reform legislation that would have put Oklahoma on the map as one of the best states to practice medicine and do business. Now, it appears he may veto an immigration reform bill that is very popular with public at large.

This from a governor who at the beginning of the session said he thought a real sense of bi-partisan progress would occur, particularly with the structure of the half-and-half Senate.

We’re not really sure what the governor is trying to prove by his vetoes of the first two bills. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature

Posted at 10:59 AM |   

The controversy is quietly starting to build as Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth is aggressively, and some say recklessly, launching what can only be described as a campaign designed to convince Gov. Brad Henry to appoint him to the Corporation Commission seat soon to be vacated by Denise Bode.

"It's not just about his open homosexuality," an insider familiar with the process says, "but rather about his qualifications. If he's campaigning to give cover to a governor who appears to be moving rapidly to the left on the political spectrum, he's going to be inviting shots not just at his lifestyle, but rather his competence."

According to reports, Roth has met privately with several corporations who have a huge stake in proceedings at the commission, and he's even met with Commissioner Bob Anthony. "The guy's gotten real good press thus far for his Oklahoma County gig, but let's face it, who cares about the county stuff. That's basically no press coverage at all. He's trying to go from the Class B ball to the majors, and he's already making mistakes," the insider reports. Already, some of his supporters have been contacting other important players in the business community to attempt damage control. "As the perceived front-runner, people are starting to examine the reality, not the carefully crafted image, of Jim Roth, and that has caused some major discomfort for some. Spin control is already underway. Whoever is handling this guy has miscalculated and put his guy in a very vulnerable position."

Henry has been silent on the issue, but his recent rash of vetoes on issues pushed by conservatives has fueled speculation that the governor is positioning himself for a national appointment should a Democrat win the White House in 2008. "His pro-abortion, pro-plaintiff lawyer vetoes are more in line with the national Democratic party, and appointing an openly gay politician would position him as the type of ultra-liberal that would be very attractive to Hillary Clinton or Barry Obama. If that is Henry's motive, this decision will be about being homosexual, not about what's good for Oklahoma."

Reports about Roth as the favorite for the corporation commission job have some Republicans salivating. "I'll bet that the governor gets a call from Gary Jones urging him to appoint Roth: if Roth is appointed, the Repubs will kill this guy when he runs for re-election. Jones has McMahan and Edmondson busy with their scandals, and this would be icing on the cake. It could set back Democrats for years if this blows up: Roth is no Jackie Robinson, and Henry is no Branch Rickey. So right now, it looks like nothing more than a political nod to the gay community for pure political purposes to me," the insider says.

The Oklahoma Political News Service will continue to investigate.

Labels: Brad Henry, Jim Roth

Posted at 6:47 AM |   

Remember this Henry campaign ad from last fall touting his education achievements?

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The average A-C-T scores made by Oklahoma high school students is falling and remains below the national average.

The Southern Regional Education Board says the average score on the college entrance exam in Oklahoma fell from 20-point-six in 1997 to 20-point-five last year.

The national average was 21 in 2006.

When compared by race the average score for white students in Oklahoma was unchanged at 21-point-two while the average for blacks fell to 17 and the average score by Hispanics fell to 18-point-three.

While the scores fell the number of Oklahoma students taking the test rose from 69 percent to 72 percent.

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 12:47 PM |   

National and state business leaders are calling Governor Henry's furtive weekend veto of a comprehensive lawsuit reform measure a killer for Oklahoma's economic climate.

"This is a mistake on his (Henry's) part that will have serious consequences for the state's business climate," stated the National Association of Manufacturers on its "ShopFloor.org" blog this weekend.

The NAM posted the comments Saturday after Henry vetoed Senate Bill 507, an omnibus lawsuit reform measure that contained nearly all of the provisions the governor himself has repeatedly claimed to favor.

Though it's difficult to assign a specific dollar number, economic experts say the veto is likely to have far-reaching harmful implications for Oklahoma.

"Certainly states that neglect tort reform will fall behind states that enact lawsuit reform," said Rex Pjesky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of economics at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. "Lawsuit reform is important because it sends the message that Oklahoma is open for business. The tort reform bill would have helped everyone know that we want them to come to Oklahoma to create jobs, raise their families, and join us in prosperity."

The governor claimed in his veto message that, "SB 507 did little to help innocent business owners who rack up costs fighting a frivolous complaint that is ultimately thrown out of court."

According to the Pacific Research Institute, a think tank in favor of lawsuit reform, Oklahoma ranks among the 15 worst states overall in terms of a poor lawsuit reform environment. Oklahoma is ranked 38th for problems ranging from lawsuit threats to monetary losses from harmful verdicts.

To make matters worse, surrounding states like Colorado, Kansas and Texas have all passed strong lawsuit reform measures and rank among the top 10 states with the best lawsuit reform laws - while Missouri,Arkansas and Louisiana each rank far ahead of Oklahoma in terms of reform efforts.

One respected Oklahoma legal scholar who has worked on lawsuit reform efforts agrees that the governor's veto is bad news for the state.

In a recent post on the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs' "Under the Dome" blog, Oklahoma City University constitutional scholar and law professor Andrew Spiropoulos noted that, "Our leading lawyers ... ought to prefer the common good to their litigation success. We deserve better, but we won't get it, unless we are willing to demand it from our officials and ourselves."

Labels: Brad Henry, Law Suit Reform, OK Legislature

Posted at 8:58 AM |   

Labels: Abortion, Brad Henry, Sen. Charles Laster, Sen. James Williamson, Sen. Nancy Riley

Posted at 1:43 PM |   

We presented a piece a couple of weeks ago on the political affiliations of the Capitol press corps. We posted a list of several reporters who were registered as Democrats. Now that's not a crime within itself, or, even suggests that these fine reporters aren't capable of writing stories without inflicting their personal biases. But a story yesterday by Tulsa World reporter Barbara Hoberock, makes us seriously question her motives behind her Brad Henry, Drew Edmondson puff piece.

OKPNS fully understands that reporters do not write the headlines for their stories, but the following headline for Hoberock's story gives you a gist of the angle of the piece: "AG Gave Advice on Abortion Bill" with the sub headline: "Henry Was Told About Problems With a Hotly Debated Abortion Measure."

Why does a story of the attorney general performing his duties - dispensing legal advice to the governor and other state agencies - warrant a 15 paragraph story? Many could surmise that this story is meant to deflect from the question of the morality or immorality of abortion, and instead, turn Henry's controversial veto last week into a question of legalities only.

Martin Luther King wrote about obeying "just and unjust laws" in his famous letter from a Birmingham jail.

"One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all"

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust."

We can't imagine aborting a fetus or a baby "squares with the moral law or the law of God."

Labels: AG, Brad Henry, Press Bias, Tulsa World

Posted at 6:24 AM |   

"It was just the right thing to do for women facing tragic decisions."

There are two religious camps within the modern Democratic Party. There is the pantheist, environmentalist doomsayers, with Al Gore as their messiah, who claim human beings are destroying the planet - specifically us Americans.

They indoctrinate our children in learning institutions with the theory of global warning as if it is proven science, needlessly frightening them with thoughts of their mortality, when they should be enjoying the innocence of childhood.

The second camp within the party are the "Progressive Christians" who have a knowledge of a higher being and profess Christianity; but it is a Christianity married with the liberal philosophy of secular progressivism. A case in point is the Dr. Bruce Prescott, Executive Director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, and President of the Oklahoma Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. On his website "Mainstream Baptist" and using the vernacular of the abortionists, Prescott writes: "Henry vetoed a bill that would restrict access to abortion." he says further:

"Under the advice of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, the Oklahoma section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Osteopathic Association and the Oklahoma Nurses' Association, Governor Brad Henry vetoed a bill that did not include exemptions for rape and incest victims or for women with fetuses that have fatal birth defects."

Prescott seems to believe that these medical organizations, who have a financial interest to keep abortion "safe, legal, and rare", gives Henry's veto credibility. Many would say that those who take oaths to protect and preserve life, lose credibility when they advocate the taking of a life, simply because it inconveniences the mother.

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature

Posted at 11:57 AM |   

Speaker Lance Cargill issued the following statement today after Governor Henry indicated he would veto five budget bills passed today that match his own executive budget:

“Oklahomans won’t let the governor’s smoke-and-mirrors press release cloud this simple fact: The governor is getting ready to veto his own budget. The absurdity of this speaks for itself.

He doesn’t like our plan. Now he doesn’t like his own plan. And he still refuses to publicly submit a new plan.”

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 4:04 PM |   

Gov. Brad Henry vetoed yesterday - overwhelmingly bi-partisan legislation - that would have banned the use of public funds for abortions. The so called centrist governor, surrounded by doctors and other medical professionals at a Capitol press conference, chose to side with NARAL, The National Organization for Women, and Moveon.org over life. Henry claims the measure doesn't protect the rights of women who are the victims of rape or incest.

Speaker Cargill Released this statement:

"It's especially sad that on a day when the U.S. Supreme Court is advancing the cause of life, Oklahoma is moving backwards thanks to the Governor. I don't think the Governor's actions today are in line with the beliefs of most Oklahomans, who value the sanctity of life and are in favor of stronger protections.

But we can take heart in the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision is a victory for efforts to protect the unborn. The idea that taxpayer dollars could be used to perform abortions is terrible. Most Oklahomans oppose it and I am very disappointed that our Governor supports it."

Senator Coburn released this statement last week after the bill's passage in the legislature:

"The reality is that every tax dollar that is spent to perform an abortion is a dollar that has been taken away from providing medically necessary health care for patients," he said.

"More than 18 percent of Oklahoma's population is uninsured, the seventh-highest rate in the country," Coburn added. "How can we justify spending limited public resources on abortion when our fellow Oklahomans cannot even afford basic health care?"

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Sen. Tom Coburn, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 8:47 AM |   

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) House Speaker Lance Cargill sounded off today about the state budget impasse.

He is urging Governor Brad Henry to share his budget ideas with lawmakers.

He criticized Henry's refusal to sign appropriations bills that he said mirror the governor's own executive budget.

Henry has threatened to veto those appropriations bills. He says legislative budget writers have put together a spending plan without properly consulting the governor's office or many state lawmakers.

Labels: Brad Henry, OK House, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 7:58 AM |   

Governor Henry shoring up votes for a Senate run in '08?


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Henry is ordering a task force to study and develop a long-term pay plan for state employees.

The governor named a nine-member task force which will develop a market compensation study recommending a pay plan to attract and keep state employees.

The study is to be complete by January first.

The task force will include representatives of the Office of Personnel Management, the state finance office, the Department of Human Services, the Corrections Department and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.

There will also be four senior-level executives from the private sector

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 7:30 AM |   

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Brad Henry says appropriation bills passed by the Legislature are "dead on arrival" if they're unchanged from appropriations in the general budget bill he vetoed two weeks ago.

Leaders in the state Senate are planning to introduce five appropriation bills they say contain the same amount of money for separate state agencies that was contained the original budget.

The lawmakers would not say which agencies would be included in the bills.

But Henry says he'll veto those bills if they're just "repackaged" from the budget bill and he says legislative leaders should stop wasting time on what he calls an "exercise in futility."

Henry wants leaders in the House and Senate to negotiate with him and House Democrats on what should be included in the budget.

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature

Posted at 6:04 AM |   

Oklahoma House Speaker Lance Cargill issued the following statement yesterday, after Governor Henry threatened to veto five agency budget bills that match his own executive budget:

"The Governor continues to sit on the sidelines and throw rocks at our ideas without submitting any of his own. Our bipartisan plan has been released for weeks, and there are only six weeks left in session, butthe Governor still refuses to submit an alternative budget based on current projections. The Governor is now threatening to veto his own executive budget. The five budget bills that passed today are identical to the numbers in his executive budget. It makes absolutely no sense for him to veto these bills. This is theater of the absurd. The Governor needs to quit worrying about who gets credit and playing obstructionist games. He needs to put in the effort and show us his detailed planinstead of just criticizing ours."

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 3:14 AM |   

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget

Posted at 12:00 PM |   

"Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency." Gov. Brad Henry - 2007 State of the State Address

"Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor.

Sund says the governor's office will reveal the location when the governor returns..." (AP) March 23, 2007


RELATED: Gov. Henry & Family Vacationing at Trial Lawyer's Vacation Home?

Labels: Brad Henry, Paul Sund, Terry West

Posted at 8:37 AM |   

The anonymous Dem4ever - or most likely a Henry staffer - wrote on the Swing State Project blog over the weekend that they have started a "Draft Brad Henry" website to convince Henry to take on conservative Senator Jim Inhofe next year. Dem4ever has proclaimed Inhofe as the "worst Senator around right now" and an "embarrassment" to Oklahoma.

Excuse us, but Gene Stipe, Jeff McMahan, Drew Edmondson, and Carrol Fisher- to name a few- are role models for our kids? We warn you to put your coffee down while you read this so you don't spit it all over your computer. Funny!

"I do not want my state to suffer under another six years of embarrassment. We do have plenty of Democrats that could give Inhofe a run for his money. Our Attorney General, Drew Edmondson, would definitely make for a strong candidate."

"Not only is Henry one of our state's most popular Democratic politicians, he has also been a solid governor. Frank Keating, his wingnut Republican predecessor, ran one of the worst, if not the worst, budget deficits in state history. Put simply, our state was a total mess. Henry amazingly turned this deficit into a surplus without massive cuts to education and health care." (I'm sure $70 a barrel oil helped) Read more

Labels: Brad Henry, Sen. Inhofe

Posted at 6:33 AM |   

Dear Governor Henry,


Thank you for your letter inviting us to discuss the Fiscal Year 2008 budget. Before such a meeting is scheduled, please provide us with a copy of your comprehensive, detailed alternative to the Legislature's bipartisan budget plan. We look forward to meeting with you once we have received your alternative proposal and compared it to the Legislature's bipartisan budget plan. The bipartisan budget in HB 1234 has been open to the public for two weeks. We presume your alternative plan will be similarly open and detailed.

The budget adopted by the Legislature through HB 1234 is a constitutionally-mandated balanced budget based on revised revenue estimates adopted by the Board of Equalization in February. Inasmuch as your Executive Budget was prepared using revenue estimates that are no longer valid, we would like to see your alternative plan reflecting the revised revenue estimates.

Sincerely,


Mike Morgan
Senate President Pro Tempore


Glenn Coffee
Senate Co-President Pro Tempore


Lance Cargill
Speaker of the House

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Scott Meacham, Sen. Glenn Coffee, Sen. Mike Morgan, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 2:38 PM |   

By Andrew Spiropoulos

The problem with the conventional wisdom is that it is generally more conventional than wise. The story everyone is telling at the Capitol these days is that the Governor and the Senate Democrats are deeply at odds; the Senators were just delighted with the now aborted budget deal while the Governor was betrayed by them. He is now lashing out by vetoing their deal. Nice story, but what if it's not true? The last two years we often heard from the Governor and his minions as well as the Democrat Senate leadership and staff how angry they were at the other and how they would much rather deal with us, the Republicans. My suspicion-and operating assumption-was that this kind of talk was a pretense and that they were really working together to maneuver us into an unwinnable position.

I obviously don't know for sure whether they were playing it straight then and I know even less about what is going on now. But I do know this-the veto of the budget deal leaves the House and Senate Republicans in a very tough jam. They are going to be forced to negotiate the deal twice and thus satisfy, out of their hide, the hearty spending appetites of both the Governor and the Senate Democrats. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OCPA, OK Legislature, Scott Meacham

Posted at 8:17 AM |   

Below is a quote from Daily Kos, the most popular and influential left wing blog on the Internet. The site averages over half a million hits a day. Today they gave their assessment of the Democrats chances of picking up additional Senate Seats in '08. Senator Inhofe's re-election is in the "could get interesting" category.

"Races that are or might be interesting by Election Day 2008. The first thing that surprises is that out of 33 races this cycle, a full 20 have the potential of turning into real races. Given that 14 of those are Republicans, it's a great map for Democrats.

If ridiculously popular Gov. Brad Henry runs, this is a race....2010 presents a better chance for him when crazy Tom Coburn faces his first reelection battle. A January Tulsa World poll (essentially a Republican outfit) gave Inhofe ratings of 56/27, and George Bush 47/47."

The Tulsa World a "Republican outfit?" PLEASE!!

RELATED: Tulsa World Endorses Henry. What????

Labels: Brad Henry, Decision '08, Sen. Inhofe, Sen. Tom Coburn, Tulsa World

Posted at 6:08 PM |   

From the Tecumseh Countywide News & Shawnee Sun:

By Wayne Trotter

State Sen. Charlie Laster has been a strong supporter of Gov. Brad Henry but that didn't keep him from sending the governor an unmistakable message last week - don't mess around with the Senate on this budget issue.

“I love Brad and he's my No. 1 guy in state government, I assure you,” Laster told a legislative breakfast in Tecumseh Friday morning.

“But he will not get any sympathy in the Senate for having not been so involved in the budget deal,” said Laster, like Henry a Shawnee Democrat. “He will just have to decide if he wants to line-item veto some of the things in the bill, then sit back and watch and see if there's an override.

“That'll be fun,” Laster said. “I look forward to that.” Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Senate, Scott Meacham, Sen. Laster

Posted at 5:45 PM |   

Gov. Brad Henry has a beef with state legislators over their proposed budget, and his beef appears petty and misdirected.

Henry vetoed Wednesday $6.8 billion of the Legislature’s $6.9 billion general appropriations bill, calling its formation “flawed.” Henry has complained for the last few days that he did not have input into the bill, and that it’s too early in the session to come up with a spending budget.

Did the governor wake up this past week and suddenly discover that the Legislature has been meeting for two months? If the governor wanted to negotiate state spending, why didn’t he have his advisers meeting with legislators? And if they were shut out, why didn’t he say something sooner? Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature

Posted at 5:31 PM |   

Speaker Cargill mentioned at his weekly press conference this afternoon that the governor’s chief spokesman on matters of policy and finance, Scott Meacham, has said that they are in favor of 90 percent of the bipartisan budget that the governor vetoed yesterday. Meacham made his comments yesterday on the News9 Morning Show:


NEWS9 MORNING SHOW REPORTER DOUG WARNER: No one is suggesting this morning that the governor is waking up this morning shoving the budget in a paper shredder or anything, but uh, are there any parts that you guys have looked at that you actually like, and think, hey, this was a good move, this was a good decision?


STATE TREASURER SCOTT MEACHAM: “I think a lot of the budget is – probably 90 percent of it, maybe a little less than that – is okay.”

Insiders are scratching their heads and are asking: Why would the governor veto a budget deal, he's 90% in agreement with?

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Scott Meacham, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 6:30 PM |   

"Divisiveness destroys success, and too much is at stake for us to surrender to the pitfalls of partisanship. There is no glory in gridlock, but the rewards of working together - of joining forces on behalf of our fellow Oklahomans - are truly without limit."

Gov. Brad Henry - 2007 State of the State Address

It seems Governor Henry's Democratic colleagues in the legislature heeded his words until he bribed them Monday with a $100,000 fundraiser. Henry today used his line-item veto to strike down $6.8 billion in new state spending, saying legislative leaders employed a "flawed, closed-door process to craft a flawed budget product that did not represent the best interests of Oklahoma taxpayers."

The governor is employing curious logic to say a bi-partisan budget agreement doesn't "represent the best interests of the people," especially in light of the current political climate where bi-partisanship is as rare as bull with udders! One would think 149 legislators would have some idea of what is in the best interest of the people. The governor's chutzpah continues:

“I do not use my veto authority lightly...I had no other choice but to strike down the spending bill.”

Rep. Trebor Worthen (R-Oklahoma City), asked House Democrats yesterday to sign pledge cards committing their votes to uphold the agreement.

"House Democrats have formed their own gridlock gang to keep this responsible state budget package from becoming law. They need to quit playing games and throwing temper tantrums and commit to uphold this agreement.

The majority of House Democrats voted for this measure when it originally passed the House last week. Then they stood behind the governor today at his press conference, as if to say that they're now against the agreement. The taxpayers of this state expect them to stand up for responsible government and not play partisan games."

On Tuesday, the governor distributed his own pledge cards to House Democrats in an effort to gauge support for his efforts. Worthen said that by voting for HB 1234 originally, only to later threaten to help the governor veto it later, House Democrats are being dishonest and appear to just want to have the limelight thrust their way.

"Instead of offering constructive criticisms and trying to help find solutions to budgetquestions, House Democrats are standing in the way of a responsible state budget, just because they don't feel like they had enough say in the process.

The worst part of it is, they are preventing state government from meeting the April 1 Fund Education First deadline. When we passed this budget bill last week, we met the deadline, but by vetoing this measure now, the governor and his gridlock gang of House Democrats are holding up funding for teachers and education."

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Rep. Trebor Worthen

Posted at 8:38 AM |   

"Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency." Gov. Brad Henry - 2007 State of the State Address

"Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor.

Sund says the governor's office will reveal the location when the governor returns..." (AP) March 23, 2007

Labels: Brad Henry, Paul Sund, Terry West

Posted at 8:16 AM |   

Labels: Brad Henry, Kim Holland, Oklahoma Black Caucus, Sandy Garrett, Scott Meacham, Sen. Mike Morgan

Posted at 8:47 AM |   

Governor Henry made a rare visit to the Democrats' caucus meeting Monday. One veteran lawmaker remarked that in their recollection, this was the first time Henry had ever attended a caucus meeting since being elected in '02.

Why now the sudden urge to bond with his Democratic compatriots? Did he simply want to hand out souvenirs and show photos from his recent Mexican vacation?

Sources tell OKPNS that Henry promised at the meeting to raise 100k if they would help sustain his line item veto for funding an independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections.

There is a familiar pattern here. Last week in Washington, House Democratic leaders had to resort to bribing their own members with pork projects in order to pass a war supplemental bill mandating troop withdrawal timetables. Now, here comes Governor Henry bribing his own Democrats' to sustain his veto. OKPNS will continue to investigate.

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget

Posted at 7:11 AM |   

Gov. Brad Henry announced his first line-item veto of budget funding today, saying he will use his veto pen to strike down $1 million in supplemental funds earmarked for the Legislature’s Legislative Services Bureau. The governor said the appropriation duplicates the work of existing state authorities and contains no accountability measures to ensure it will be spent responsibly.

Henry said it is critical for the state to conduct regular performance reviews of state agencies such as DOC, but state law assigns that duty to the State Auditor and Inspector, the Oklahoma Legislature and the Office of State Finance. Paying a private consultant an additional $1 million to do the same work assigned to other state authorities would be duplicative and a waste of taxpayer money, according to the governor.

“We must hold agencies accountable for every dollar they spend so we can get the best bang for taxpayers’ bucks,” said Gov. Henry. “That’s why we fund a state auditor, a state finance office and legislative committees and staffs. That’s why we passed a zero-based budgeting law that charges the Legislature with doing an in-house, top-to-bottom financial review of every state agency on a regular basis.

“If they’ve complied with the zero-based budgeting statute and done their regular oversight duties, legislative leaders should already have the information and data they need to determine an appropriate course of action for corrections and any other agency.”

Gov. Henry noted that after he signed Oklahoma’s zero-based budgeting law in 2003, one of the first agencies audited by the Legislature’s zero-based budgeting committee was the Department of Corrections.

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature

Posted at 4:46 PM |   

Republican leaders questioned today Gov. Brad Henry’s line-item veto of funding for an independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections – which the governor described as his “first” line-item veto of HB 1234, the bipartisan general appropriations bill overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature last week.

“What is the governor trying to hide with this veto? Is Gov. Henry afraid that an independent performance audit might uncover his mismanagement of a critical public safety agency? Independent performance audits at public school districts have proven very effective at improving efficiency and saving taxpayers’ money. We believe independent performance audits can have the same positive impact on the Department of Corrections and other state agencies,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“Perhaps the governor is worried that a more efficient Department of Corrections would interfere with his plans to implement the early release program that he outlined in his State of the State Address?” queried Coffee.

“Today Gov. Henry has taken a stand against fiscal responsibility. We hope that he does not decide to take a stand against bipartisanship, too, with additional line-item vetoes the bipartisan general appropriations bill. If additional vetoes occur, the governor will poison the bipartisan atmosphere at the Legislature and will set the stage for a possible government shutdown,” stated Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, the co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Rex Duncan, the House leader on public safety, expressed his frustration and disappointment after Governor Henry tried to kill a plan to conduct a top-to-bottom audit and outside review to fix problems in Oklahoma's state prisons.

"After four years of failed policies to address our state prisons crisis, Governor Henry has shown the worst kind of arrogance today by killing attempts at reform. Governor Henry is apparently not interested in accountability to the taxpayers. The governor is now playing partisan gridlock games. What is the governor trying to hide by vetoing this plan?"

Duncan said the root of the state's prison crisis stems from the failure of the governor and his financial adviser Scott Meacham to budget appropriately for costs at the Department of Corrections over the past several years, consistently low-balling estimates for the DOC by millions of dollars each year. In each case, the Legislature appropriated millions more for state prisons than recommended by the executive branch, and then had to make supplemental appropriations on top of that year after year.

The independent outside audit was part of a historic bipartisan budget agreement passed by an overwhelming margin last week in the State Legislature. The DOC audit has been supported by legislative leaders in both parties, and would cost $1 million -- a mere fraction of the DOC's massive half-a-billion-dollar budget.

"This audit has the strong support of leaders in both parties. It's a solid effort to reform a broken system," said Duncan. "If this is the governor's first 'symbolic' line-item veto, he is sending a terrible message about business as usual at the State Capitol. The governor makes disingenuous claims that the state auditor or his finance office could perform this audit, but that undercuts his entire argument. His administration has failed to solve the problems in our prisons. Clearly we need some outside expertise, people who don't have a political agenda
like the governor does."

Duncan said he found it ironic the governor and Meacham apparently are working on hiring an outside consultant for the EDGE initiative, yet they don't see the value in hiring outside expertise to help resolve the state's prison crisis.

"We have a real problem in our state's prisons right now, and it's only been made worse by the failed policies of the governor. It's time to stop the harmful cycle of band-aid supplemental spending on our state's prisons, but apparently the governor is comfortable continuing to write blank checks into a broken system."

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Rep. Rex Duncan, Scott Meacham

Posted at 3:26 PM |   

From the Saxum Perspective:

"Taking control of the message is all-important when communicating (especially in a crisis)...

Governor Brad Henry (Democrat) feels slighted by Senate and House Democrats and Republicans leaving his office out of the budgeting process. This is an apparent cut at the Governor for negotiating with former Speaker Hiett (Republican) on last year’s budget while leaving others out of the process.

Perception: Governor Henry has sour grapes for being left out of this crucial budgeting situation. Message Control: Governor Henry should ‘thank’ legislators publicly and rip them privately. People love him and there is no reason to expend political capital publicly."

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Paull Sund

Posted at 11:10 AM |   

March 23, 2007 (AP)

Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor.

Sund says the governor's office will reveal the location when the governor returns...

Today is March 27th, Governor Henry has been back in Oklahoma three days now, and still no word yet on where - or with whom - the governor and his family spent their spring break vacation. The Oklahoma Political News Service reported exclusively last week that Henry and his family were in Cabo San Lucas vacationing at the vacation home of trial attorney Terry West.

This whole episode leaves one scratching their head. What are you trying to hide governor? From Richard Nixon's "Watergate" to Bill Clinton's "Monicagate" to the current U.S. Attorney scandal involving Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, their missteps have proven that you make a relatively benign situation far worse when you obfuscate and try to cover it up.

RELATED: Records Show Taxpayers Paid For Six Henry Trips

Labels: Brad Henry, Paul Sund, Terry West

Posted at 11:06 AM |   

House Speaker Pro Tempore Gus Blackwell vowed today to oppose a plan that would slash the amount of lottery funds going to state schools.

"Whether you voted to create the lottery or opposed it, everyone should agree that lottery funds are earmarked for education," said Blackwell, R-Goodwell. "Because a majority of people voted this into law, I am sworn to uphold that law and oppose any effort to divert that money. And Governor Henry, as the state's biggest lottery booster, must ensure its operations start living up to the promises he made to children, families and teachers."

Oklahoma law requires that education programs receive 35 percent of lottery proceeds beginning in the third year of operation. However, Oklahoma Lottery Commission Executive Director Jim Scroggins recently said lawmakers should divert a significant portion of that money and use it to increase the size of lottery prizes.

The law already requires that at least 45 percent of lottery revenue be used for prizes with another 20 percent designated for administrative costs. If Scroggins' plan goes into effect, millions of dollars will becut from school budgets to prop up the floundering lottery.

Because state law requires lottery money to be divided among numerous education programs, Oklahoma's K-12 schools get just under 16 percent of gross lottery revenues.

"Think about it: Our K-12 public schools get less than 16 cents out of every $1 spent on a lottery ticket, and Director Scroggins thinks that's too much," Blackwell said.

Most of the lottery states that border Oklahoma provide just 24 percent to 29 percent of gross revenue for state programs, including education. Scroggins has suggested those states should be a model for Oklahoma.

"Oklahoma is one of the only states in the region that has committed a serious share of lottery funds to education," Blackwell said. "I don't think we should abandon that commitment just to help bureaucrats mask their failures."

Due to declining performance critics believe is caused by poor management, lottery officials recently announced that that this year's sales will total just $244 million instead of $413 million as originally promised. That means the state's share for education programs fell from $124 million to just $83 million. The lost revenue has created budget problems for schools across the state and threatened teacher pay increases.

"Lottery sales have plummeted, which is exactly what opponents of the lottery predicted. This loss now hurts our school budgets and Director Scroggins wants to further cut their share of that declining dollar," Blackwell said. "Our schools deserve better treatment."

Labels: Brad Henry, Lottery, Rep. Blackwell

Posted at 9:10 AM |   

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) State House Democrats, nearly invisible on Oklahoma's political landscape the past two years, are finding a reason to exist as Gov. Brad Henry gets ready for a budget showdown with legislative leaders over a state budget they wrote without Henry's input.

Democrats ruled the 101-member Oklahoma House for 80 years before they were toppled in elections in 2004 that brought Republicans to power. House Democrats have wallowed in political mediocrity ever since, excluded from budget talks they used to command and failing to find ways to make a difference as the chamber's minority party.

The Democratic governor's differences with the state budget and suggestions that he will veto much of it give House Democrats a chance to make themselves relevant again.

``We are excited that our voice may finally get to be heard,'' said House Democratic leader Danny Morgan of Prague. ``If the caucus works carefully with the governor on those issues that are important to our constituents, we can make a positive impact for Oklahoma.''

Henry has threatened to line-item veto parts of the $6.9 billion state budget that was passed unanimously in the Senate and by a wide margin in the House last week.

State Treasurer Scott Meacham, a personal friend and close political adviser to the governor, told The Associated Press there is a good chance Henry will veto all funding for the 2008 fiscal year that begins July 1, while authorizing supplemental spending for public schools and state prisons for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

Henry has until Wednesday to decide what to do. For his vetoes to be meaningful, they have to survive an override attempt. That's where House Democrats come in. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Rep. Danny Morgan, Scott Meacham, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 7:02 AM |   

From The Dude Abides:

I would like to go ahead and thank Gov. Brad Henry. What am I thanking him for?? NOTHING!!

See Brad somehow limped into office thanks to a terribly ran campaign by Steve Largent. Brad was brilliant in a sense though. He knew that he could convince an under-educated population that a quick fix method to education was the only way to go. In a way Brad used a form of peer pressure. Remember the old line, "everyone else is doing it"??? Brad used that on Oklahomans like we were kids smoking cigs out behind the high school. Everyone else had the lotto, so why not here?

I'll tell you why not here. There are a couple of reasons. One, we are a poor state. For the most part people here don't have a lot of extra money to spend, which would help explain our current lottery shortfall. Two, all along Brad promised that lottery money would go to educaton in addition to money already allocated. He threw around numbers such as $300 million, but now we are looking at just over $80 million. Lottery critics cited numerous other states who had been told the same things and quoted the same numbers only to have the education fund raided. Guess what?? The critics were right. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Lottery

Posted at 6:33 AM |   

So where has the "bipartisan governor" been while his crony and "financial guru" Scott Meacham spent the past week bashing bipartisanship and making wild statements about using the veto pen?

GOP Chairman Tom Daxon issued a press release this afternoon asking the same question. He is asking the governor's office to disclose specific and detailed information about the chief executive's Spring Break vacation, where he traveled and stayed, how much the trip cost, and who covered the costs of his trip.

"This week has been an important time for the people's business," said Daxon. "And while the governor has been out of pocket, his financial guru Scott Meacham has been making threats about using the veto pen to shoot down the bipartisan budget. I'm hoping the governor will return next week and that cooler heads will prevail. He should also address questions about where he has been."

Paul Sund, the governor's communications director, has tried to avoid questions from reporters about the governor's whereabouts -- only willing to say that remarks about the governor's Spring Break vacation were "cheap shots."

Well, now we know why the notoriously prickly Sund was so defensive about the governor's trip.

Turns out that while leaders in the House and Senate were hammering out the details of a historic bipartisan budget agreement -- the earliest in decades, it seems -- Governor Henry was lounging on the beach and soaking up the rays in Cabo San Lucas at the posh vacation digs of trial lawyer Terry West.

The governor has publicly pledged to be in favor of lawsuit reform, but the reality is he's in the hip pocket of the ambulance chasers.

More interestingly, while he's been enjoying the rich dividends of jackpot jury verdicts, he's allowed his underlings this week to attempt to sabotage a bipartisan deal that would mark a real turning point in taking care of matters at the State Capitol in a businesslike way.

Of course, we won't expect to read any of this information in the mainstream Oklahoma media. The Capitol press corps typically provides the "bipartisan governor" plenty of cover for his trips. All the media has been willing to say is that the governor is "out of state."

Labels: Brad Henry, Paull Sund, Press Bias, Scott Meacham, Tom Daxon

Posted at 7:31 PM |   

"This budget agreement is a sincere attempt by both chambers to put the business of the state first. Both sides had to make compromises, but in the end, we all feel we have a strong framework in place for the operation of essential government services.

"The budget process is in no way complete - allocating nearly $7 billion in funding is a huge task - but with agreements in place on the largest expenditures and most pressing needs of the state, we now are in a good position to negotiate the remainder of the budget and also determine how agencies should use their funds.

"I am proud of the working relationships that House and Senate leaders have developed this year in light of the delicate power sharing situation that exits. A veto threatens the common ground that we have found and will put us all in the position where the session will be dominated by our budget differences. It is in everyone's best interests to avoid a giant confrontation over the budget, as developed last session.

"We can have a much more productive session with a broad budget agreement in place, from which we can make adjustments. We know that the Governor has not had an opportunity to examine the details of the bipartisan budget agreement. We are absolutely committed to working with the Governor once he has reviewed our proposal, and in discussing any issues or concerns.

"I would personally hope that he accepts this offer and approves the agreement so we can continue to move forward on the budget and not return to square one."

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 5:17 PM |   

Time Magazine had in its cover this week, a picture of Ronald Reagan with a tear streaming down his cheek. The message: The apparent end of the conservative movement. That is why it is truly historic to have a budget agreement so early in the legislative session. This is also a watershed moment in terms of conservative goals.

The budget agreement accomplishes three major conservative goals; the acceleration of tax relief to get the income tax rate down; the practical elimination of the franchise tax on small businesses (a nuisance tax that Governor Keating fought to remove his entire eight years in office) and the passage of a childcare tax credit for stay at home parents (something House Republicans have fought to pass the past two years only to see it die in the Senate previously).

The budget deal also includes a top-to-bottom outside audit of the Department of Corrections (again something the House GOP tried to pass the past two years; Henry vetoed it previously).

The budget deal will also expand the Academic Achievement Award performance pay plan for the best performing teachers. The AAA program was first passed by the House GOP in 2005; $2 million will be added to this cash bonus plan.

The overall budget is truly fiscally-restrained with no new employees, programs or debt: more than half the state agencies included in the general appropriations portion of the agreement will receive a less than one percent increase, and other agencies will receive less than two percent increases. Only vital state services – such as education, public safety and transportation – will receive a more than two percent increase.

It certainly is a conservative budget in stark contrast to the $1 billion in new spending and debt that the governor proposed in his executive budget at the beginning of the legislative session.

Not surprisingly the governor’s office has lashed out against the budget deal – because it is a conservative budget. Inexplicably, they’ve even attacked the idea of having an outside audit of the Department of Corrections.

The mechanics of this are now clear: the governor seems to have backed himself into a corner with veto threats (reminiscent of Clinton insisting he was “relevant” after the ’94 elections). But 90 percent of the Legislature has now passed the budget deal – with a clear majority in the House and a unanimous vote in the Senate (both suggesting likely veto proof majorities).

The question is: Did we see in just one week, Governor Henry melt into lame duck status, only two months into his second term of office? Most capitol observers say they can’t imagine how Henry could have handled this worse, and the scuttlebutt is that Meacham really got Henry into a box on this.

It was also astounding to see 16 House Democrats vote against the package which included the very education funding they’d been railing about for three weeks! The worst example of this hypocrisy was probably Rep. Jerry McPeak who spent weeks spouting theatrical red-faced speeches and holding staged press conferences on education funding. Then he turned around and voted against that funding yesterday – which included more in supplemental funding than he’d been saying the schools needed!

Labels: Brad Henry, OK Legislature

Posted at 10:20 AM |   

From Bounded Rationality:


It's not like the Republicans, at least on the national level, have clean hands on campaign fund shenanigans. But in Oklahoma, the Democrats have the corner on the notoriously corrupt market. Case in point: Gene Stipe. Apparently he likes to set up all his most powerful colleagues with illegal campaign contributions, in such a way that everyone can say they didn't know about the contributions. Pretty slick. The candidates can use the money during the campaign, and then just give it away to charity after the campaign.

This is easy easy. Have the guy that's already in big trouble do all the dirty work. That way, the candidate can quickly distance themselves from the malfeasor.

Somehow, if a candidate gives the illegal money to charity, and say they didn't know about the contributions, that absolves them of any responsibility. That's weak logic.

Here is an opinion from the Techumseh Countywide News and Shawnee Sun Online News


The Democrats who are getting dragged through at least a little mud as a result of the latest contribution talk are in order of descending rank: Gov. Brad Henry of Shawnee, U.S. Rep. Dan Boren who used to be from Seminole, Atty. Gen. Drew Edmondson of Muskogee and State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan of Tecumseh. Three of the four, you may notice, are either hometown boys or the next thing to it. Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Cong. Dan Boren, Drew Edmondson, Jeff McMahan

Posted at 6:09 AM |   

A new study ranks the power of all 50 governors, looking at "tenure, budget authority, appointment and veto powers and whether the governor’s party controls the legislature in figuring out which governors have the most clout."

Most powerful:

Massachusetts
Alaska
Maryland
New York
West Virginia

Least powerful:

Alabama
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
Vermont

Labels: Brad Henry

Posted at 1:31 PM |   

Kent Bush
The Express-Star

CHICKASHA —

I heard Gov. Brad Henry speak recently and during questions afterwards he was addressed as the “lottery governor.”


Henry answered the question but pointed out that he would much prefer to be known as the “education governor.” Read more...

Labels: Brad Henry, Lottery

Posted at 12:01 PM |   

Dear Governor Henry,

In light of your public frustrations over losing a bill that was part of your agenda, I wanted to take the time to send you a copy of a recent article I wrote. I hope it will be a framework for constructive dialog and a productive, successful session. You see, I don’t define “bipartisanship” as just agreeing to see everything your way and voting for a measure because you think it is the right thing to do. I don’t believe bipartisanship is compromise, as some people would suggest, especially if it means compromising my own principles just to get agreement. I do believe bipartisanship means to collaborate (to work jointly with others in an intellectual endeavor). I feel like you and I began such an effort when you invited me to your office to get my assistance on this measure and two others that had been sent to the Rules Committee. In an effort to work in good faith, I agreed to reassign one of those bills to another committee. Senator Morgan reassigned the other two. Two of the three measures made it out of committee with bipartisan support and are headed to the floor for consideration by the full Senate.

I certainly understand your frustration. When you served as a member of the majority in the Senate, those of us in the minority watched most of Governor Keating’s agenda items die in committee. In fact, every one of us in the minority had to live with our own bills being killed in your committee and others. I learned as a member of the minority that you have to let those things go. It taught me to not take it personally, but rather to work to get the issue done in other ways – often in a Democrat authored bill. As a regular victim of your veto pen, I have had to relearn this lesson many times. This taught me not to worry about getting the credit, but rather to focus on the policy over politics.

I didn’t see Governor Keating complain when you and members of your party killed his agenda items. Instead, he worked hard to find common ground, as he would walk up to the fourth floor to meet with legislators to reach a solution together. As I pledged to you when we met recently in your office, I am committed to just such a process.

Senator Morgan and I have worked hard to keep an atmosphere of civility in these first three weeks as we deal with a most unusual and delicate situation in the Senate. So far it has worked very well. We have encouraged our members to avoid unnecessary partisan rhetoric and to try to make our power-sharing agreement work. The Senate works differently under these circumstances. You have repeatedly and publicly criticized some of the new procedures we have implemented, such as placing bills that can’t get bipartisan agreement in the Rules Committee and the calling of committee caucuses to avoid rash decisions that could lead to conflict if members have questions about the new procedures. I hope you will begin to understand that even though you haven’t heard of these measures being done in the past, they were developed in a bipartisan manner to get the work of the people done. Senator Morgan and I both recognized the difficulty of this task and that it would likely result in fewer bills becoming law. That is why we are trying to focus on the things we can agree on and not the issues that will divide us. I hope you will join us in this process.



Sincerely,



Glenn Coffee, Co-President Pro Tempore

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Legislature, Sen. Glenn Coffee

Posted at 2:55 PM |   

Gov. Brad Henry’s controversial plan to create a state-funded pre-kindergarten program for three-year-olds is dead for the next two years following a tie vote in the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee.

The bill, SB 518, died on an 8 to 8 vote Wednesday. Under the Senate’s new power-sharing agreement, a bill receiving a tie vote on “final action” in a committee is dead for the next two years.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee said the bill’s defeat does not signal the end of bipartisanship in the evenly divided Senate. It is just an example of a policy difference between the two parties on a specific proposal.

“I am proud of the eight members of the Appropriations Committee who took this brave stand and said our state should not commit to this expansion of government at a time when we are facing a tight budget,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “But Senate Republicans continue to look forward to working with Gov. Henry on areas where we can find common ground, like fixing the Teacher Retirement System.”

Coffee said there is also significant division among early childhood education advocates about whether Henry’s plan is an effective one.

Democrats obviously had different views on the defeat of the bill.

Governor Henry said The vote amounted to "pure politics". "Republicans caucused right before this bill, whipped everybody into shape and came back and voted lockstep against the bill.”

Treasurer Scott Meacham said that scientific research on the benefits of enhancing brain development during the early childhood years is unanimous. "Most development occurs before age 3, then slows by age 5, Meacham said. "Making an investment during the formative years can pay big dividends on down the road, when students are learning academic skills," he said.

"I would urge you to put aside your partisan rhetoric,” said Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, the bill's author.

ODP Chair Lisa Pryor wrote in her morning rant" this morning:

"Yesterday all eight GOP members of the Senate Appropriations Committee voted against Oklahoma's families and three-year olds."

We love bi-partisanship.

RELATED:

OKLAHOMA City (AP) A bill to expand the number of Oklahoma children that qualify for Medicaid benefits passes the Senate Rules Committee today.

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, OK Bluenotes, Sen. Glenn Coffee

Posted at 7:40 AM |   

Henry Spending like a Drunken Sailor?

After further examination of the governor's executive budget, House appropriations chairman Rep. Chris Benge said Tuesday that the fine print reveals worrying details that could leave taxpayers on the hook for a billion dollars in new spending and debt.

Benge said the governor is pushing to expand state government using surplus money instead of paying for existing needs.

It's our job to ask tough questions, and this does not seem to be a realistic budget, said Benge (R-Tulsa). I'm troubled by the governor's push for new spending while racking up unnecessary long-term debt as a fix for spending commitments."

Benge said that in December, the governor publicly cautioned lawmakers to be careful about overextending the state with new spending and new programs.

"We would respectfully ask the governor to follow his own advice, Benge said. However, it appears the governor is attempting to point us in a direction that will lead to financial hardship." After looking through the governor's executive budget, Benge said he found that while the governor proposes more than half a billion dollars in new spending and $663 million in bonds, he offers no additional tax relief for the state's citizens.

Notably, Benge said the governor appears to be trying to make up for the lottery's $40 million shortfall by proposing long-term bond issues. For example, the governor's proposed $18.8 million in bonds for common education ad valorem reimbursement creates 20 to 30 years of debt for one year of school operational costs.

Benge has questioned some state revenue growth estimates for the 2008 fiscal year. For example, gross production collections are currently $74 million below estimates for the 2007 fiscal year, yet increases have been projected for FY 2008. There has also been a projected increase of 134 percent for corporate income taxes for FY 2008, which Benge said goes against a number of established trends.

The governor also proposes a 34.1 percent increase in funding for the lieutenant governor, though he told journalists this weekend he felt the office was a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Labels: Brad Henry, Budget, Rep. Chris Benge

Posted at 7:30 AM |   

From The Outside Report:

VP Contenders II: Obama Should Go With An Average Joe

"Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry: Despite having an 82% approval rating and winning re-election by 67% of the vote, I don't think Brad Henry could carry Oklahoma for Obama. So why add him you ask? Because he's young and he's a reformer. In the same way that Hillary adding a woman "reinforces" the "change" element in her politics, adding Henry to the ticket would reinforce Obama's theme of "moving beyond the Vietnam era leaders and the politics of smallness." Henry (like Obama prior to 2004) is someone who is nowhere near the national scene.

Having these two relatively young guys on the top of the ticket preaching on the need for a "new generation" will inspire those of us who aren't Baby Boomers but are sick and tired of their generation ruining America (that's not how I feel but that is essentially Obama's theme). Plus Henry is conservative and will show Southerners and conservative Democrats in places such as West Virginia (and more importantly) neighboring Arkansas that Obama isn't going to ignore the South or West."

From The Chessboard:

"Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry: Henry’s name hasn’t been speculated on nearly as much as other VP possibilities, or even at all, but if Obama is looking to create some buzz rather than go with a safe bet, much like Kerry did in 2004, then he need look no further than a few states away in Oklahoma. After narrowly winning election as governor in 2002 in a three-way race, Henry went on to garner 66.5% of the vote in his re-election bid last year. He’s currently one of the most popular governors in the nation in a state that hasn’t voted for a Democrat since, once again, the 1964 Johnson landslide. It’s not inconceivable that the state would go Democratic if the campaign focused on his successes there, and had even a skeletal campaign staff.

Henry’s placement on the ticket would at least put the state in play, forcing Republicans to spend campaign resources there. Broadening the list of competitive states has to be a priority for both political parties as they head into the 2008 election, at a time when the regional strengths of each party only solidified during the past 2 elections."

Labels: Brad Henry, Decision '08

Posted at 8:18 AM |