Low casino fees a problem for Henry administration too

Low casino fees a problem for Henry administration too

by Ray Carter

Director, Center for Independent Journalism

(December 6th, 2019) -- Gov. Kevin Stitt has said Oklahoma casinos are not paying market rates for geographic monopoly rights to operate gambling facilities, which significantly reduces state government funding. Stitt isn’t the first statewide officeholder to raise this issue.

In 2008, former State Treasurer Scott Meacham, who negotiated the state’s gaming compacts on behalf of former Gov. Brad Henry, opposed the opening of a tribal casino because it would result in a loss of revenue to state government, pointing to the lower fees paid by tribal casinos compared to the rates paid by state racetrack casinos, or racinos.

In a June 9, 2008 letter sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Meacham wrote that if the Shawnee Tribe was allowed to open a casino in Oklahoma City, the state would “be harmed” because of a loss in “direct gaming revenue” as gambling shifted from the racetrack to the tribal casino.

“The state receives 4 to 6% of tribal gaming receipts but receives 10 to 30% of horseracing gaming receipts,” Meacham wrote. “Therefore, state dedicated gaming revenues for education will also be harmed.”

In 2000, Congress passed the Shawnee Act, which restored the Shawnee Tribe’s federal recognition and gave it the right to secure land outside the assigned lands of other Oklahoma tribes. That meant much of the state was off-limits to the tribe, but property in Oklahoma County was available.

In 2005, tribal officials publicly discussed their desire to purchase land and build a casino in downtown Oklahoma City or Bricktown. By 2007, the tribe had a contract to buy property and announced plans to build a casino on 104 acres fronting Interstate 35 between Britton Road and Wilshire.

That effort drew opposition from the Remington Park racetrack and casino.

In a Feb. 28, 2008 letter sent to Meacham by Scott Wells, the general manager at Remington Park, Wells said the racetrack’s “business was negatively impacted by the opening of the Riverwind and Fire Lake Grand casinos in 2006.”

While that competition had been expected, Wells said racetrack officials did not expect to face competition from “a giant tribal casino 1.7 miles away from Remington Park ...”

Under legislation approved in 2004, slot machines at Oklahoma racetracks are taxed at rates between 10 percent and 30 percent. In contrast, under the various gaming compacts signed with tribal governments, the state receives only an “exclusivity fee” of 4 percent to 6 percent for slot machines at tribal casinos. The fee paid by tribal casinos is provided in exchange for the state barring competition in an area, which gives a tribal government monopoly rights to casino activity in that area.

In his letter opposing tribal casino operation in Oklahoma City, Meacham noted that if the proposed Shawnee Tribe casino lured gamblers away from Remington Park’s slot machines, state government would receive much less money due to the lower fee imposed on tribal slot machines.

The Shawnee Tribe’s effort to open an Oklahoma City casino fell by the wayside and the tribe eventually opened a casino near Guymon in the Oklahoma panhandle, more than 300 miles from the tribe’s headquarters in northeastern Oklahoma.

Meacham and Wells’ letters are both preserved in state archives.

The large gap in rates paid to the state on slot machines continues to be an issue and plays a large role in the current dispute between Stitt and tribal casino operators.

Tribal gaming compacts include language stating that each compact “shall have a term which shall expire on January 1, 2020.” Stitt says the compacts must be renegotiated before that expiration date, and has said the exclusivity fee paid by tribes should be increased to more closely match the rates paid in other states with similar casino markets. According to one estimate, 44 percent of tribal gaming compacts nationwide involve fees of 10 percent or greater, and Oklahoma’s casino market is far larger than most. Oklahoma is currently the nation’s third-largest state casino market and home to the world’s largest casino.

Despite the expiration date Stitt notes, tribal casino operators claim the compacts auto-renew every 15 years and have refused to negotiate.

United for Oklahoma, a publicity campaign funded by the state’s tribal casino operators that opposes renegotiation of the fees paid on slot machines, estimates tribal casinos’ total combined payments to Oklahoma state government since 2006 are more than $1.5 billion.

In addition to exclusivity fees, United for Oklahoma states that tribal casino operators also provided $80.5 million for tribal education programs, scholarships, and donations to Oklahoma education institutions in 2017. Combined with the share of exclusivity fee payments earmarked for education, the tribes report providing $198 million for education in 2017.

However, the amount paid through exclusivity fees and other forms by tribal casino operators is dwarfed by the payments that would have occurred had tribal casinos and racinos been placed on equal footing, records show.

In 2018 the 1,000 racino slot machines paid $24 million to state government. In contrast, the estimated 42,000 class III tribal casino slot machines paid a total of $119 million in state revenue share.

Broken down, that averages about $24,000 for each racino machine, but just $2,833 per Class III slot machine in tribal casinos. And tribal casinos pay no state fee on more than 28,000 Class II (Bingo-style) slot machines in their facilities.

Those figures indicate the state of Oklahoma would today receive payment of more than $1 billion annually from tribal casino operators had the fee on Class III slot machines in tribal casinos been equal to the rates imposed on the same slot machines in Oklahoma racinos, based on current per-machine averages.

In response to Stitt’s call for renegotiating compacts, officials with 29 tribal governments in Oklahoma signed a letter saying they believe the compacts “automatically renew” on Jan. 1, 2020 and that “rates under the present Gaming Compact should not change.” The chief of the Shawnee Tribe was among the signatories.

Brad Henry endorses Hofmeister for reelection

Funny how this endorsement wasn't announced during the primary or runoff...

Former Governor Brad Henry Endorses Joy Hofmeister

OKLAHOMA CITY (September 24, 2018) -- Former Gov. Brad Henry, who made education a cornerstone of his two terms in office, today endorsed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister in her bid for reelection.

Henry is a Democrat and Hofmeister a Republican, but the former governor said education is an issue that transcends party affiliation.

"A strong Oklahoma requires a strong system of public education. As state schools superintendent, Joy Hofmeister has been a tough, tireless and effective advocate for all Oklahoma schoolchildren," Henry said.

"From Day One, Joy successfully fought for a long-overdue teacher pay raise and continues to push for increased investment in public education. She spearheaded strong academic standards, eliminated unnecessary testing and has always supported local control for our schools. Joy has shown she is willing to fight for our students and teachers, even if it means standing against her own party. There is real momentum underway for our schools, and I believe Joy Hofmeister is a big reason why. I trust her to continue fighting for public education, and I hope you will too.”

As the state's chief executive from 2003 to 2010, Henry increased teacher pay and ensured that Oklahoma paid for teachers' health insurance. Under his stewardship, the state became a leader in early childhood education. Gov. Henry's wife, Kim Henry, taught U.S. History in Moore and Shawnee public schools prior to becoming Oklahoma's First Lady.

Hofmeister said she is humbled by the support of Gov. and Mrs. Henry.

“What an honor it is to have the support of Gov. Henry, who was and remains a strong ally for public education,” said Hofmeister. “I have always appreciated and admired his commitment to our students, teachers and schools throughout Oklahoma. I am humbled and thankful he is offering his support.

“Governor Henry and I agree that the issue of public education transcends party affiliation. Providing a quality education to all Oklahoma children is not a partisan issue. We should all work together for the good of every student and ensure they are well prepared for life."

Dilemma: who will Dems pick for possible CD2 special election?

With the prospect of a 2nd Congressional District special election looming, and the need to select a substitute candidate, the Oklahoma Democratic Party is in a pickle.

Their Party is in electoral shambles. They have not won a statewide race since 2006, and lost their lone congressional district to the GOP in 2012 after Dan Boren did not seek reelection. They are down to a mere eight seats in the 48-seat State Senate, and outnumbered 72-29 in the State House.

What's a Party to do in such a circumstance?

ODP Chairman Wallace Collins has told the media that they are considering "10 to 12" candidates to substitute for deceased nominee Earl Everett in a hypothetical (but likely) special election. Their new nominee would go up against GOP incumbent Markwayne Mullin and Independent Jon Douthitt, who received 70% and 5.4% in the November 4th election, respectively.

So, who would might they be considering? I'll take some guesses, and throw out some possibilities (some more realistic than others). I'll rate them on Likelihood of being selected, and Competitiveness in a 2nd District election.

Listed in order of my "competitiveness" rating, we start with...

BRAD HENRY
Likelihood: 0-0.5
Competitiveness: 10
Review: Brad Henry would probably be the most viable candidate the Democrats could put forward, and since residence in the district is not a requirement for federal offices, that wouldn't be a hindrance for a Henry candidacy. Henry is easily the most popular Democrat in Oklahoma, and won the 2nd District counties by huge margins in his gubernatorial races. However, the likelihood of Henry going for it is practically nil, so Republicans can breath a sigh of relief.

DREW EDMONDSON
Likelihood: 2
Competitiveness: 8
Review: Drew Edmondson is an intriguing option for the Democrats. Edmonson has deep ties to the 2nd District; his father Ed was 2nd District congressman from 1953 to 1973 (the U.S. Courthouse in Muskogee is name after him), and his brother James is on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Drew was the Muskogee County DA from 1983 to 1995. Drew would probably be pretty competitive, but at 68 years old, it's doubtful he'd want to re-enter the political world.

BRAD CARSON
Likelihood: 1
Competitiveness: 7

Review: Carson held the seat from 2000 to 2004, before losing the U.S. Senate race to his 2nd District predecessor, Tom Coburn. He expressed interest in the seat again when Boren made his announcement in June 2011, but changed his mind later in the month, and was appointed Under Secretary of the Army in September 2011. Would he be interested in leaving his Army post for a tough Congressional race? I doubt it.

JOE DORMAN
Likelihood: 4
Competitiveness: 6

Review: Dorman lives in the 4th District, but was just on the ballot for Governor and as such has high name recognition. He got around 43% of the gubernatorial vote in the 2nd District, which was slightly higher than he got statewide, and won four of the six counties he won are in the 2nd District. I could see the ODP trying to get Dorman to step in here.

JERRY ELLIS
Likelihood: 7
Competitiveness: 4

Review: Ellis termed out of the State Senate this year, and has put his name in with the ODP Central Committee. I view Ellis as the most likely pick for the Democrats. However, I don't see him as all that competitive, for several reasons. His old seat went Republican on Tuesday, Mullin has a significant bank account still and will far outraise any Democrat, and Ellis has practically no base outside of his old far-southeastern district. 

PETE REGAN
Likelihood: 1
Competitiveness: 4

Review: Regan was chief-of-staff for Dan Boren, lost to Jari Askins in the 2006 Lt. Governor primary, but was appointed by Gov. Fallin to the Transportation Commission, surprising many Republicans. He could be a fairly competitive candidate, in large part due to ties to political money.

KENNETH CORN
Likelihood: 4
Competitiveness: 3

Review: Kenneth Corn was mentioned as a possible candidate in 2012, but declined to make the run. A former state senator, he lost the Lt. Governor race pretty badly against Todd Lamb in 2010, winning just two counties. Lamb had a 40%+ margin of victory in 13 of the 26 counties in the 2nd District, so I just don't see Corn as a very viable candidate.

JIM WILSON
Likelihood: 5
Competitiveness: 3

Review: Wilson ran against Boren in 2010, and lost badly. Term-limited from the state senate in 2010, he's probably the most liberal individual on this list, and as such would be easy to beat.

WAYNE HERRIMAN
Likelihood: 4
Competitiveness: 3

Review: Herriman lost in the 2012 runoff to Rob Wallace, but might be open to another run. Could he do better than Rob Wallace? I don't think so.

EARL GARRISON
Likelihood: 1
Competitiveness: 3

Review: State Senator from Muskogee, Garrison will be term-limited in 2014. Garrison isn't a particularly charismatic candidate, and his district base just isn't enough to make him that competitive.

ROB WALLACE
Likelihood: 2
Competitiveness: 3

Review: Wallace got 38.34% in 2012 against Mullin. I doubt another attempt would be more successful, or that Wallace would be interested.

MIKE BROWN
Likelihood: 2

Competitiveness: 3

Review: State Representative from Tahlequah, Brown is serving his final term. Would he be interested, since he'll be out of office soon anyway?

JERRY MCPEAK
Likelihood: 2
Competitiveness: 3

Review: Like Brown, McPeak will also be term-limited from the House in 2016. With so few elected officials left in eastern Oklahoma, will the ODP ask McPeak? 

JOSHUA HARRIS-TILL
Likelihood: 6
Competitiveness: 1

Review: Harris-Till lost with 37% to Earl Everett in the primary this year, even though Everett suffered a stroke two months before the primary. He has publicly stated that he is interested. He wouldn't have a chance at winning.

Can Barry Switzer Play Spoiler Once Again?

Can former OU football coach Barry Switzer play spoiler in the gubernatorial race, once again? Democrat candidate Jari Askins sure hopes so.

Switzer played a key role in the upset election of, then a little-known State Senator, Governor Brad Henry in 2002. Now the Askins' campaign has released a final-week commercial with Switzer.

You can count on this to run very heavily until the election. But will it be enough for Askins to pull off a victory, as polls continue to show Fallin with a large lead? Only time will tell.

Even Gov. Brad Henry Opposes SQ744

Democrat Governor Brad Henry announced today that he will be chairing the opposition to State Question 744 - the ballot questions that seeks to mandate Oklahoma spend the "regional average" for education.

Henry said it was a "painful" decision, but that SQ744 would cause major problems to Oklahoma's state budget. Henry joins a long line of prominent Democrats who oppose SQ744 (including the Democrats gubernatorial nominee, Jari Askins), in addition to Republican officials and major newspapers.

For more information on SQ744, visit the website of One Oklahoma Coalition, and OFRG's site on SQ744.

License Plate Camera Controversy

There is a controversy brewing over plans in the recently announced state budget agreement to install cameras on Oklahoma highways to check for insurance verification.

Click here to get the whole story from Mike McCarville.

This issue involves current and former members of the legislature (including a certain state house member who is running for statewide office), Barry Switzer, Brad Henry, and a host of other participants.

Be sure and read all about it at the McCarville Report.

The Conservative View: Driving on the Wrong Side

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Driving on the Wrong Side

One of the traits that have made America great is the willingness to do the hard job and accomplish something that other people refuse to do. When our nation was founded, the framers of our country faced insurmountable odds. At that time our county was composed of a group of colonist farmers but they had a desire that should burn in the heart of all men, the desire to be able to forge their own destiny and to be free. They took on and won against Great Britain. Later in our history our country built the Panama Canal “THE MOON SHOT OF IT’S DAY” after other nations had already failed. Speaking of the moon shot, our country is the first and only nation to put a man on the moon and bring him back home. The moon shot happened in 1969, that was 41 years ago. Have we forgotten or allowed the gene that makes us free Americans to go dormant? The actions of the Governor and Attorney General of the state of Oklahoma would seem to point to that conclusion.

The state Legislature passed a bill that would allow Oklahomans to opt-out of the federally-mandated health care and allow us to move forward with a lawsuit to stop implementation of the bill. The governor and Attorney General Drew Edmondson have both called this legislation—‘an exercise in legal futility.’ The polling data of the people of Oklahoma and the rest of the country have clearly stated they were not in favor of the take-over of our heath care system. House Speaker Chris Benge stated, “It is unfortunate that they think it is futile to oppose a federal health care bill that will raise taxes, erode quality and doesn’t recognize at all that states have any ability to craft their own health care solutions, like we have done in our state with the Insure Oklahoma program”. Speaker Benge went on to say, ““Luckily, we have been listening to the people of Oklahoma who don’t want this bill and certainly can’t afford it. We will do everything in our power to make sure this heavy-handed health care mandate is not imposed from Washington on the people of this state.”

I am glad that our founders did not have that sense of futility that our Governor and Attorney General have, for if they had we Americans would probably be eating fish and chips and driving on the wrong side of the road.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

Fallin Campaign Clarifies Henry "Contribution"

I asked the Mary Fallin for Governor campaign for a clarification on what Follow The Money reported as a campaign transfer from her Lt. Gov. campaign account to Gov. Brad Henry's re-election campaign.

Here is the statement from the Fallin campaign:

This is a misunderstanding. Follow the Money has mislabeled the Inaugural Ball fundraising committee as "Brad Henry." If you click on "Brad Henry" on their site (notice that it's not Henry for Governor, it's just strangely his name), you can see the top contributors are corporations (Boeing, OG & E) and they are all contributing well over the legal maximum for a candidate running for office and doing so just prior to the inaugural ball. I can assure you that Mary Fallin is not a contributor to any of Brad Henry's political campaigns. Furthermore, Mary Fallin's campaign could not legally contribute to Brad Henry's campaign.

I'm not sure why Follow The Money reported the contribution the way they did. I thought it odd that Fallin would (seemingly) contribute to Henry, and am relieved to have the clarification.


UPDATE: Follow The Money has since corrected the error. They said in a statement I obtained, that "It appears that the error happened because the paper report [that they had ordered, since the state Ethics Committee doesn't have that information online] had the cover page for his reelection committee on top of the contributions for the inaugural committee. Regardless of the cause, we will correct the error."

Did Mary Fallin Contribute to Brad Henry?

UPDATE - see this post for the clarification from the Fallin campaign

After I looked up Janet Barresi and Shawn Hime's campaign contributions, I decided to take a look at some of the other state-wide candidates' donations. One of the things I found surprised me.

(Click for larger image)

That appears to be a transfer of $800 from then Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin's campaign account to Democrat Gov. Brad Henry's re-election campaign. *

FollowTheMoney shows the transfer as taking place in January of 2003. However, I have been unable to confirm that through the State Ethics Commission website, which does not have records from back that far still online.

* UPDATE - see this post for the clarification from the Fallin campaign - was not a contribution to Henry

UPDATE 2: Follow The Money has since corrected the error. They said in a statement I obtained, that "It appears that the error happened because the paper report [that they had ordered, since the state Ethics Committee doesn't have that information online] had the cover page for his reelection committee on top of the contributions for the inaugural committee. Regardless of the cause, we will correct the error."

Legislature Overrides Henry's Vetoes of Pro-Life Legislation

The Oklahoma Legislature has overridden Gov. Brad Henry's veto on two pieces of pro-life legislation.

The bills that were vetoed:

• House Bill 2780, by state Rep. Lisa Billy, requires that doctors provide women information obtained from an ultrasound prior to performing an abortion.
• House Bill 2656, by state Rep. Dan Sullivan, makes it illegal to sue a doctor claiming "wrongful birth" because the doctor failed to convince the mother to abort a child.

The House voted yesterday to override; the tally was 81-14 (HB2790) and 84-12 (HB 2656) in favor. The Senate voted this morning, with both bills receiving a vote of 36-12.
House voted 81-14 to override the governor’s veto, which was above the three-fourths vote required.

Here is how the Muskogee-area legislators voted (click for larger view).



Rep. Jerry McPeak was the ONLY local legislator to vote against the veto override. Kudos to State Reps. Mike Brown, Ed Cannaday, George Faught, Wade Rousselot and State Sen. Earl Garrison for standing up for LIFE.

Rasmussen Poll: Coburn Over Henry

Rasmussen polled a hypothetical matchup in the U.S. Senate race here in Oklahoma, pitting Sen. Tom Coburn (R) against term-limited Governor Brad Henry (D).

Rasmussen Reports 2010 Oklahoma Senate General Election Poll (link)

Tom Coburn (R) - 52%
Brad Henry (D) - 40%
Some other candidate - 2%
Not sure - 5%

Favorable/Unfavorable

Tom Coburn - 63%/31% (+32%)
Brad Henry - 63%/33% (+30%)

Job Approval (approve/disapprove)

Gov. Brad Henry - 64%/34% (+30%)
Pres. Barack Obama - 38%/62% (-24%)

Poll of 500 Likely Voters, February 24, 2010, with a MoE 4.5%

Henry has ruled out a run for Senate, leaving Oklahoma Democrats without any likely candidate. As of right now, there are no announced opponents for Coburn.

For Brad Henry, the state's most visible and popular Democrat, to fall this short against Coburn speaks to the depths to which the Oklahoma Democrat Party has fallen.

Not only did they lose the state house in 2004 (for the only second time since statehood), and the state senate in 2008 (for the first time in history), but they have fallen below 50% in voter registration for the first time ever. Republicans now make up just over 40% of registered voters, an all-time high. Just 40 years ago, voter registration was slightly over 70% Democrat and around 25% Republican.

Just more evidence that the conservative movement is turning Oklahoma the 'reddest of the red', thanks in part to the work of people like President Ronald Reagan, President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Harry Reid, all for convincing Democrats that they were actually Republican, and to OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones, for his adept leadership of the Republican Party in Oklahoma.

Henry Bans Texting for State Employees

Governor Brad Henry signed an executive order yesterday that bans state employees from texting while driving state vehicles.

"In an effort to ensure safer roads and highways, Gov. Brad Henry today signed an executive order barring state employees from 'text messaging' while driving state vehicles. The Governor said he wants the directive to serve as a model for all Oklahoma motorists."

"'Technological advances like text messaging have revolutionized our lives in many ways, but they have also created serious distractions that can have disastrous results on our roadways,'” he said."

"'There really is no way someone can be an alert and responsible driver while he or she is also reading or typing out keys on a small keyboard. This is a matter of common sense.'"

"Under the order signed today, Oklahoma state employees are prohibited from text messaging when driving government vehicles, driving private vehicles on government business or when using electronic equipment supplied by the state while driving. The directive defines 'texting' or 'text messaging' as reading from or entering data into any handheld or other electronic device."

"In order to give state agency directors time to inform employees of the new policy, the executive order will not become effective until February 1."

"Studies conclude that motorists' use of handheld electronic devices while driving can be significant distractions. According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, these distractions contribute to hundreds of injury accidents each year and have also been cited in a number of fatal crashes."

"Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently ban text messaging while driving.

Henry, a Democrat, signed this order at a time when momentum seems to be building in the legislature for a similar, all-encompassing measure. State Reps. Sue Tibbs (R-Tulsa) and Danny Morgan (D-Prague) have authored a bill that would ban cell phone usage while driving (unless using a hands-free device).

I happen to disagree with this. As with the recent left-lane law, law enforcement should already be able to ticket drivers for inattentive driving (among other possibilities). Rather than passing new laws, that law enforcement officials must read before they can carry out, let's focus on enforcing the laws already on the books.

George Faught on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ban Veto

The following is an email message sent from State Rep. George Faught (R, Muskogee) earlier this afternoon.

Dear Friends,

House Bill 1326 prohibits research done on human embryos. This measure would prevent the destruction of embryos for the purpose of harvesting their stem cells. While this legislation passed both the House and the Senate with strong bi-partisan support, it was vetoed by Governor Brad Henry, at the encouragement of medical professionals and state and city chambers - Yes, medical research is good for business in Oklahoma , even if it means killing human embryos!

This issue has become an emotionally charged firestorm with celebrities and medical professionals promising "cures" for devastating diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's and the like. The truth of the matter is that ADULT stem cells have benefited patients suffering from more than 70 different disorders. By contrast, EMBRYONIC stem cells have NEVER benefited a SINGLE human patient - not ONE!

In fact, the ultimate objective of this unethical medical research is CLONING. Scientist need millions of embryos on which to perform their research and the number of aborted fetuses (while hundreds of thousands too many each year) cannot meet the demand. By dividing these embryonic stem cells, countless new exact embryos could be "created" for the sole purpose of "research".

Oklahoma need not go down that unethical path. Adult stem cells, which are perfectly ethical, are where all the scientific successes have been. The enactment of HB1326 will make Oklahoma the sixth state that prohibits embryonic stem cell research as well as so-called "therapeutic" cloning.

Here is how we need each of you to get involved:

1. Phone this list of Senators and urge them to vote YES on the next attempt at the veto override. This should come about sometime next week. It is very important to mention that CLONING is morally unethical and that EMBRYONIC stem cell research has produced ZERO results in human patients.

2. E-mail these Senators and request they stand for the preservation of human life and against the destruction of unborn babies for the purpose of scientific or medical research.

3. Pass this memo and list of contact information on to your church family, friends and neighbors, co-workers and email lists. We need to put a lot of pressure on those legislators who are riding the fence on this issue. Many of these Senators claim to be "Pro-Life" - now is the time to prove it!

(Senators who voted NO on the override attempt – all but Sen. Kenneth Corn voted FOR the original bill!)

Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid) (405) 521-5630 anderson@oksenate.gov
Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton) (405) 521-5567 bass@oksenate.gov
Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore) (405) 521-5555 burrage@oksenate.gov
Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole) (405) 521-5547 coates@oksenate.gov
Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Howe) (405) 521-5576 corn@oksenate.gov
Sen. Mary Easley (D-Tulsa) (405) 521-5590 easley@oksenate.gov
Sen. Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee) (405) 521-5533 garrison@oksenate.gov
Sen. Charlie Laster (D-Shawnee) (405) 521-5539 laster@oksenate.gov
Sen. Debbe Leftwich (D-OKC) (405) 521-5557 leftwich@oksenate.gov
Sen. Charles Wyrick (D-Fairland) (405) 521-5561 wyrick@oksenate.gov

(Senators who voted YES to override the veto, but will be under extreme pressure to change their vote.)

Contact these Senators to thank them for their courageous vote to override the veto and encourage them to hold fast to their protection of human life.

Sen. Jerry Ellis (D-Valliant) (405) 521-5614 ellis@oksenate.gov
Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant) (405) 521-5586 gumm@oksenate.gov
Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Sayre) (405) 521-5545 ivester@oksenate.gov
Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada) (405) 521-5541 paddack@oksenate.gov

George Faught
State Representative District 14
800-522-8502
405-557-7310
george.faught@okhouse.gov
State Capitol 301A
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4885

If you would like to join Rep. Faught's email list, contact his office at george.faught@okhouse.gov, or use the phone numbers listed above.

Democrat Infighting this Session?

Will there be infighting among the Democrats this legislative session? Look at what Sen. Earl Garrison (D, Muskoge) said about Gov. Brad Henry in today's Muskogee Phoenix:

“Republicans have enough votes to pass any workers’ compensation or tort reform you want,” Garrison said. “We have a governor and if he grows a backbone, we will have some vetoes. Miracles happen everyday.”

This will be interesting to watch.