Adults, Girl Scouts, Hand Rep. Lucas Tea Bags

At left, Rep. Frank Lucas, holds a tea bag handed to him by a Girl Scout, as he speaks to a large crowd at the PTCI Building in Boise City Monday afternoon. Below, nearly 40 people turned out to express their frustration in what is happening in the nation.

by C.F.David

On Monday afternoon, Rep. Frank Lucas found himself the proud owner of several tea bags; some brought by Girl Scouts.

“People handing you tea bags is very important. King George didn’t listen and that’s why we aren’t British,” Lucas grinned at the Scouts. “I have 690,000 constitutes in the Third District. If they are handing me tea bags, I’d better listen. If I don’t pay attention, I could wind up in one of these tea bags.” Lucas began with the economy and the various stimulus plans enacted by both the Bush and Obama administrations.

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Gus Blackwell’s Student Pages

Cassidy Edenborough served the Oklahoma House of Representatives as a Student Page, during the week of Spring Break.  Cassidy was sponsored by Rep. Gus Blackwell, Chairman of the House Standing Rules Committee, and served her duties with distinction.  She is a Junior at Goodwell High School and the daughter of Roger and Shelley Edenborough of Goodwell.

Luke North, a Senior at Hooker High School, served the Oklahoma House of Representatives as a Student Page, during the week of Spring Break.  Cassidy was sponsored by Rep. Gus Blackwell, Chairman of the House Standing Rules Committee, and served his duties with distinction.  Luke is the son of Ruth North of Hooker.

William Parks, son of Steve and Paula Parks of Tyrone, served the Oklahoma House of Representatives as a Student Page, during the week of Spring Break.  William was sponsored by Rep. Gus Blackwell, Chairman of the House Standing Rules Committee, and served his duties with distinction.  William is a Junior at Tyrone High School.

Capitol Corner

 

   Last week I detailed several of the bills that I had filed to meet the January 15th deadline of bill filing. This week I will complete the synopsis of the bills that I have filed for this session.

     Two bills that I filed deal with common education. One bill will provide an exception clause to the 10 day rule. This rule only allows a student to miss 10 days or less during a school year. For schools that must travel long distances for extra-curricular activities this puts their students at a disadvantage. 

Many school board members and superintendents have talked to me about this rule and its new application that penalizes schools in the panhandle. My bill would allow time traveling on a bus to be used as study hall time if certain criteria are met. That time in study hall would not count against the 10 day rule.

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Capitol Corner

  Last week marked the deadline for filing bills. About 1,000 substantive bills were filed in the House and about the same number in the Senate. No further bills may be filed during this year’s session.I filed eleven different bills. I also co-authored several other bills with other legislators. I am planning to also be the House author of various Senate bills that will come over later in the session.

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Capitol Corner

    Although the start of session is still officially three weeks away, there is plenty of activity at the Capitol. This week will mark the official bill filing deadline on the 15th of the month. There are several committee meetings that will also occur before the State of the State address on Feb. 1st.The budget projections will be about 3-5% lower than last years’ receipts. Because of this, the House will be doing budget committee meetings during the next three weeks with a dual purpose. The first purpose will be to determine how the agency has spent money during the last fiscal year.

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Sen. Coburn Calls Omnibus Lands Package a Return to Business As Usual

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, (R-OK) released the following statement today regarding a decision by Senate leaders to make a $10 billion omnibus lands package the first order of business in the 111th Congress.  More than 100 organizations ranging from the U.S.Chamber of Commerce to the National Wildlife Refuge Association have expressed their opposition to this package due to its wasteful earmarks, anti-conservation provisions and anti-domestic energy production provisions.  In addition, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service has released a report calling the package “controversial.”"The decision by Senate leaders to kick off the new Congress with an earmark-laden omnibus lands bill makes a mockery of voters’ hopes for change.

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Capitol Corner

The past two sessions I have focused much of my energy in making wind generators a reality in the panhandle area. The eastern part of this district has seen some development in this field of energy production. However, the western end of the district has yet to have any extensive development. With the announcement of OG&E to build a 765 KV line from Guymon to Woodward and a 345 KV line from Woodward to Guymon, the development of wind farms will spread to the western part of this district. The problem now is two-fold.

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Capitol Corner

As Christmas draws nearer, it is my sincere hope and prayer each of you will enjoy a blessed Christmas.  Even amidst the financial turmoil and problems, besetting our nation and the world, take time this Christmas to enjoy the family and friends who surround you.  Remember to keep in your prayers the soldiers who are still on foreign soil, fighting to defend our freedoms and our way of life.

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House Speaker Announces New Committee Structure and Chairmanships

OKLAHOMA CITY- House Speaker Chris Benge announced Dec. 4, a streamlining of the House Committee structure and named committee chairmen.

Last session, the House operated with 10 standing committees and 26 subcommittees. Speaker Benge, in an effort to further streamline the committee structure, announced today that there will be 18 full standing committees in the House and seven budget subcommittees when the 52nd Legislature returns in February.

“This committee structure will allow for a better allocation of staff and member time and resources,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. “The changes will help both members and the public better understand where a bill stands at any given time.”

Speaker Benge also named his committee chairmen today.

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CAPITOL CORNER

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

 

This past election I received many inquiries about the state questions, which were on the ballot. A persisting urban myth was one amendment would limit landowner’s rights.

 

One of the state questions that passed made hunting and fishing part of the Oklahoma Constitution. This does nothing to change the laws dealing with trespassing. Landowners still have the right to prohibit hunters and fishers from their land.

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CAPITOL CORNER

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

Yesterday was Election Day so the votes have already been counted. On the ballot, there were three Supreme Court justices, two Court of Criminal Appeal judges and four Court of Civil Appeal judges for Oklahomans to elect whether or not they should retain their positions.

The Oklahoma judicial system can be confusing, so I want to try to explain this system for you. It is my hope this will be in a manner you will better understand how our judicial system works in our state.

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Capitol Corner

 by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

Did you know it has been almost 400 years since the first pilgrims came to America? These people were willing to give up everything to climb onto a small ship with dozen of others on which they would very likely die and attempt to come to a land with no communities, no infrastructure and a promise of constant struggle and sacrifice.

There were no homes waiting for them, no roads to travel and no markets to buy food. Our founding fathers built their own homes and roads, cleared their own land and planted their own food.

 They did it all in the quest for Freedom – freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Freedom to have the type of life they longed for without obstruction from the government.

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CAPITOL CORNER

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

With just 22 days to go until the November 4 election, there are several important state Constitutional issues I want to make you aware of so you can make an informed decision at the polls on Election Day.

This year, there are four specific state questions which have been placed on the ballot for citizens approval ? two relate to property tax exemptions, one relates to the sale of wine and one would create a Constitutional right for citizens of this state to hunt, trap and fish.

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Capitol Corner

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore 

 

 

Two weeks ago the Energy Committee had an interim study on transmission lines. This was a study that I authored to look at options in building transmission lines in Oklahoma. The main problem that we were studying was how to get auxiliary transmissions lines to the substation in Guymon once the Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission line was built.

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Capitol Corner

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

 

As I travel the district, people normally ask when the legislature is in session. By law, the legislative session runs from the first Monday in February, at noon, until the last Friday in May, at 5 pm. During the Interim, summer and fall, legislators conduct hearings on various subjects. These can be either in the form of an ongoing task force or of shorter duration which is called an interim study.

 

During session, I am back in the district every week from Thursday night until Monday morning. In the interim, I usually am in Oklahoma City one or two days attending interim studies.

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Capitol Corner

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

 

This past summer one of the most common complaints I have heard from constituents is the high price of gasoline. The spike in gasoline prices has caused hardships in many different segments of society.

 

The solution to the high price of gas can be addressed fastest through federal legislation. Congress must allow more drilling, build more refinery capacity, and create and conserve new forms of energy.

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Sen. Inhoffe Visits Boise City

U.S. Senator James Inhoffe steps from State Senator Owen Laughlin’s Mooney aircraft.

 

 

In a brief visit to Cimarron County last Friday, U.S. Senator James Inhoffe touched on a variety of subjects including highways, war, and gasoline.

Inhoffe is the number two man on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He is being challenged for reelection this year by State Senator Andrew Rice.

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Capitol Corner

by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61

Speaker Pro-Tempore

I have requested two studies for consideration by the Education Committee, during this Interim. Both have been accepted by the Speaker and the Committee Chairman. One is being heard on an ongoing basis and the other will be heard later in the fall.

The first study deals with two performing schools and strategies to help them achieve adequate progress every year. This study has been combined with three other studies from Representatives with similar studies.

Our rural schools do an outstanding job in education. However, because of the nuances in the federal “No Child Left Behind” program, some are on a list of low performing schools. This is because there are 41 different subcategories of students which must be tested and scored. Failure in one or lack of adequate progress in only one category will result in a school being listed as “low performing.”

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