Political Pulse

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Democratic Attorney General Drew Edmondson
has raised more than $289,000 in three months for his expected race
for governor and has almost $473,000 in the bank.
Thursday midnight is the deadline for candidates for statewide
office in 2010 to file their campaign reports.
Edmondson, who has not officially announced, said he feels
“very good” about his fund raising so far.
He sees the governor’s race costing a minimum of $3 million and
maybe $5 million or $6 million.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Jari Askins has announced her candidacy and
an aide said her campaign report had not been completed.
Campaign reports also are due from U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin and
state Sen. Randy Brogdon, who plan to run for the GOP gubernational
nomination.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - All 22 Oklahoma Senate Democrats have
signed a letter to Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee demanding
that he resign his post if he does not immediately provide details
of a $29,000 federal income tax lien and a bank loan used to pay
off the debt.
Tuesday’s letter says the Oklahoma City Republican’s refusal to
come forward with information has raised questions about his
sources of income and the conditions of the loan.
The Democrats say Coffee is obligated to provide answers to
their questions because of his position as Senate leader, second in
line of succession to the governor.
A spokesman for Coffee did not immediately respond to questions
about the Democrats’ demands.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Leaders of the first Republican majority of
the Oklahoma Senate are claiming success in the first 50 days of
the legislative session.
Republicans held a news conference on Tuesday to discuss
accomplishments in such areas as government reform, education,
health care and taxes.
However, several of the bills mentioned either have not received
final legislative approval, are not expected to win final passage,
or have been vetoed by the governor. Other proposals on the list
have been submitted to a vote of the people.
A spokeswoman for Senate Democrats says the biggest winners of
the session have been insurance companies. Democrats have
criticized Republicans for thwarting bills to expand health care
coverage to children with autism.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Democrats in the Oklahoma House have walked
out of the chamber after their attempt to revive an autism mandate
was rejected by the House’s Republican majority.
All but a handful of the House’s 40 Democrats walked off the
floor Monday when Republican leaders rejected an effort to amend
legislation to improve the provider network of autism specialists
in Oklahoma.
The amendment would have revived legislation known as “Nick’s
Law.” Named for an autistic child from Edmond, the law would
require private insurance companies to pay for the diagnosis and
treatment of autistic children.
Democrats walked out of the House following a parliamentary
fight over the issue. GOP leaders ruled that the proposed mandate
could not be considered because the same issue was given a
do-not-pass recommendation by a House committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The group that spent about $80,000 on ads
criticizing Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee won’t be required
to disclose its donors.
State Ethics Commission executive director Marilyn Hughes says
the television, radio and newspaper ads were issue advocacy and the
donors don’t have to be disclosed since they weren’t run close to
an election.
The ads funded by Citizens for Transparency called on Coffee to
disclose details about a bank loan used to pay off a federal tax
lien of almost $29,000 that resulted from Coffee paying his taxes
late.
A substitute teacher and two University of Oklahoma students are
listed as the incorporators of the Citizens for Transparency group.
A separate group has funded ads supporting Coffee, a Republican
from Oklahoma City.