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Show prep: May Day

Fairgrounds annexation: Still no action from the Mayor, who has until the end of this week to sign or veto. The scrivener's error that reset the 15-day clock was a failure to specify to which council district the newly annexed territory would be assigned. I supposed everyone thought that was obvious, as it's surrounded by Council District 4 on all four sides.

City budget: The Mayor will submit her proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2007-08 to the Council at the 10:00 a.m. urban development committee meeting, with a full presentation to follow at the regular meeting on Thursday night. With the fire district tax dead (a fact the Whirled didn't get around to reporting until Saturday), there will have to be some creative juggling to get the books to balance. Rumors are that proposed spending will grow faster than the rate of inflation and that the arena operating costs will be worse than previously acknowledged.

Also on the council committee agendas: During the 8:00 a.m. meeting, a presentation on the FY '08 operating budget for the BOk Center. During the 10:00 a.m. meeting, Councilor Turner's proposal to require the public display of sales tax permits, the rezoning of the SE corner of 11th Street and 161st East Ave. for residential and commercial use (currently the Brashear Stables; the TMAPC voted 4-4 on the rezoning in a rare tie), a discussion of the 2006 Police Department Manpower Report, and a property tax increase.

Yeah, you read that right. City of Tulsa property owners will have their millage go up enough to cover the latest $6.125 million installment of the city's $14.5 million settlement with Arvin McGee, who spent 12 years in prison for crimes he didn't commit because of what a jury ruled was Tulsa police misconduct. The Council has no choice but to commit the money to pay the settlement.

Brad Henry veto watch: The first attempt to override Henry's veto of pro-life SB 714 failed, because of a switcheroo by Shawnee Sen. Charlie Laster and a longer term flip-flop by Sand Springs Sen. Nancy Riley, who promised in her first race in 2000, "absolutely NO STATE FUNDING FOR ABORTION." Henry protected the interests of his trial lawyer buddies by vetoing SB 507, a comprehensive lawsuit reform bill that incorporated most of the provisions he had previously championed. Brandon Dutcher says there's a link: Laster insisted on the tort reform veto in exchange for his SB 714 flip-flop.

The National Association of Manufacturers is watching Oklahoma's progress on lawsuit reform very closely. And here's a fact sheet from the State Chamber outlining the key points of SB 507. (Hat tip: Point of Law.)

And after returning tanned and rested from Spring Break, missing the successful conclusion of budget negotiations, Henry has now vetoed not only the legislature's budget, but five agency bills that matched his own budget proposal.

Today should see passage of Oklahoma's landmark immigration enforcement bill, HB 1804. If it passes, it will be headed to the governor's desk.

UPDATE: Where was I this morning? Oversleeping. I thought I had two alarms set, but somehow neither one went off. We'll try again tomorrow morning at 6:10.

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» More on Oklahoma reform veto from PointOfLaw Forum
The NAM's ShopFloor has reaction (here and here) to Gov. Brad Henry's veto of a comprehensive liability reform bill, and Brandon Dutcher offers some speculation about the possible logrolling origins of the veto (via BatesLine). Activist AG Drew Edmonds... [Read More]

Comments (3)

sbtulsa:

after reading about governor poker chip's activities, i wonder what legislation he has actually initiated on his own. forget the gambling crap. i'm talking about original ideas to move the state forward. does he have an agenda that touches the citizens?

i don't see anything creative coming out of brad henry. in a state with straw donors we appear to have stumbled on a straw governor.

Ok, who's the rat bastard that messed up Mr. McGee? Yer soooooooo FIRED.

sbtulsa:

i get the impression theis mayor suffers from parralysis by analysis. the fairgrounds issue was researched well enough by the council staff. what is she beating around the shrubbery for? is the mayor afraid of the angering the county? does she not place importance on a decision that puts the house in better order? (a piece of county land surrounded on all four sides by by the city). does she not feel the pain of citizens whose property abutts the fairgrounds at a time when the replacement for bell's is not subject to Tulsa zoning laws?

this mayor is a sideshow in the circus of protecting the public interest.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on May 1, 2007 1:14 AM.

The previous post in this blog was Dust bowl: Natural disaster or unintended consequence?.

The next post in this blog is Review: Swinging Broadway by John England and the Western Swingers.

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