Gov. Brad Henry addressed a joint session of the Oklahoma legislature in the House chamber Monday afternoon, Feb, 4, 2008. This marks the opening session of the second session of the state's 51st legislature. By Jim Beckel
More Republican-backed measures — including lawsuit reform legislation — will make it to the governor now that GOP lawmakers have made historic gains in the Senate and House of Representatives, ranking Republicans say.
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Lawsuit reform, education reform and anti-abortion legislation could come to the forefront with Republicans controlling both the House and the Senate. Although lawmakers say they’ll work to find common ground, they could clash on key issues.
"For the first time in Oklahoma history we’re going to be able to send Republican legislation to the governor’s desk,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. "I like that scenario. That should play well for us. I sense that we have the momentum.”
Republicans captured the Senate for the first time in state history and increased their advantage in the House. The GOP picked up two seats in the Senate to take a 26 to 22 advantage and four seats in the House, giving Republicans a record-high 61 in the 101-seat body.
Senate President Pro Tempore-designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, joked last week that key Republican bills will finally get heard. For the last two years, GOP senators have shared power with the Democrats.
"In the past we had to deal with the triangle symmetry to get things done,” Coffee said. "I think having one less person in the mix will make it easier.”
However, Republicans will have to push their measures past Gov. Brad Henry, a popular Democrat who won a landslide re-election in 2006. The governor has stressed his ability to work with both parties, but at the same time Henry has not shied away from vetoing key Republican measures.
"I’ve had great success working with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, and I will continue to advocate a bipartisan approach to addressing the state’s challenges,” Henry said.
It takes 67 members in the House to override a governor’s veto, and with 61 House members Republicans have "a better chance to get Democrats to go along with us,” Benge said.
Democratic House leader Danny Morgan said he and Benge have a good working relationship.
"His office was open to us,” said Morgan, D-Prague. "We did have the opportunity to at least have an audience and visit with the speaker ... and we never had that before.”
Benge said he plans to "always be interested in what the House Democrats are thinking.”
Coffee said he looks forward to spirited debate as well as cooperation.
"It’s an important part of the democratic process,” Coffee said. "I’ve been that grenade thrower, it’s not easy.”
In both legislative bodies, lawsuit reform is in the bull’s-eye. Last session, Henry vetoed a tort reform package championed by Republicans.
Henry, a lawyer, also vetoed a lawsuit reform bill in 2007, saying several provisions were unconstitutional.
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Ivan Holmes (the state Dem chair) made a statement to CBS in which he just barely stopped short of calling Oklahomans racist. The article can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/08/ap/national/printable4585879.shtml
The article made me laugh; I can imagine the CBS staff blubbering over the GOP's big gains in the Oklahoma Legislature. What I found funny was the blurb about Democrats hoping to pick up 6 seats in the House & hold onto control of the Senate. Evidently CBS didn't know that was nothing more than a Democrat pipe-dream.
Kevin, you must be one of those call center handicapped mirror hanging people I see on their cell phone driving up and down I-35 in the morning. I hope you like your job and if you get any benefits for your handicap watch your wallet because things are going to get thin for you. Then maybe you'll lose weight, get over your diabetes and stop costing the rest of us more in health insurance premiums. Don't forget to go to church on Sunday, get your marching orders for the day and hit the meth on Monday after you play the ponies, hit the casinos and gamble the rest of your low wage check away on Sunday afternoon football games. Bum some cigarettes and don't forget to try and pay your child support for the kids from your first and second marriages. And so on, ad infinitum.
For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/us/politics/11south.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Well now lets see
All red counties, republican rule finally
Make you worse than the people in this story.
Hey Tim, the elections in Oklahoma prove that Oklahoma's citizens are not only conservative but have morals and common sense to go with it. I 'm proud of this state and its elected officials. The only thing the Democrats are Progressive on is stupidity and being naive. They elect a man to office that is pro-gay, pro-abortion and pro-welfare and oh I forgot pro-illegal immigration, these are all issues that make America Progressive when the Truth is if Obama was white he wouldn't have won the Primary against Clinton. I would say putting a man in the most powerful position on earth on skin color alone is pretty backwards. Everything Obama represents is bad for America and skin color has nothing to do with it?
Tim, it proves we are a state with much common sense and conservative values. Don't like it, leave for one of your more liberal states with high taxes, poor education, higher crime, and congested traffic. Bye, bye.
I doubt it--they are, after all, still politicians at the end of the day. ALL politicians are, to a degree, corrupt. Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach. Those that can't teach, counsel. Those that can't counsel, administrate. Those that can't administrate, run for public office. And so on, ad infinitum.
"...key Republican bills will finally get heard." Benge said he plans to "always be interested in what the House Democrats are thinking.” Gee I wonder whatever happened to actually looking out for constituents' best interests!
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KEY FACTS
What a GOP majority means
With a Republican majority in the House and the Senate, measures coming from the Legislature will likely be pro-business and anti-abortion.
PRO-BUSINESS
Republican House members earlier this year tried to resurrect a lawsuit reform measure — sometimes called tort reform — which Gov. Brad Henry vetoed in 2007. The proposal included capping non-economic damages — those usually awarded for pain and suffering — at $300,000. It also would limit cases in which juries could award punitive damages. Punitive damages could only be awarded if a jury found, by clear and convincing evidence, that there was intentional or gross negligence. Republicans say the measure would limit frivolous lawsuits and would attract businesses to the state.
ANTI-ABORTION
Republican lawmakers led the charge last year in passing legislation and overriding Gov. Henry’s veto of a measure to require women to view an ultrasound of their unborn babies before having an abortion. A group has challenged the law; an Oklahoma County district judge likely will issue a ruling next year.
"We’re a pro-life party,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. "Social values are very important to House Republicans, and we believe that a strong family is vital to allowing your state to flourish and to be successful.”
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The article made me laugh; I can imagine the CBS staff blubbering over the GOP's big gains in the Oklahoma Legislature. What I found funny was the blurb about Democrats hoping to pick up 6 seats in the House & hold onto control of the Senate. Evidently CBS didn't know that was nothing more than a Democrat pipe-dream.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/us/politics/11south.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Well now lets see
All red counties, republican rule finally
Make you worse than the people in this story.