Oklahoma lawmaker's concerns are for naught

The state Supreme Court this week said a proposed $25 million bond issue for the Zink Dam in Tulsa was unconstitutional because it essentially was a gift to the city. State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, who had challenged the plan, said he hoped that “in the future … policymakers will pay closer attention to the state constitution.”

But Anderson’s concerns are for naught, at least as they pertain to bond issues.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has made it abundantly clear it wants nothing to do with increasing the state’s bonded indebtedness. As a result, proposals to use bond issues for truly worthwhile projects, such as repair of the Capitol and construction of a new state medical examiner’s office, have been rejected.

With the GOP adding members in the House and Senate with this year’s elections, that sentiment isn’t about to change.