Political Pulse

One of the most significant Oklahoma political figures for me was former Governor Henry Bellmon. I remember I first heard him speak in person at the 1986 State F.F.A. convention. He was the keynote speaker that year.

I also remember the heated debate over House Bill 1017. Bellmon worked both sides of the political aisle to pass that landmark legislation which led to improvements in public education.

The video below is that of Governor Brad Henry giving his thoughts on the passing of Bellmon.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Former Oklahoma governor and U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon has died after a
long battle with Parkinson’s disease. The 88-year-old Bellmon died shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday in Enid.
He became the first Republican governor since statehood in 1963. In 1967, Bellmon served as national chairman of the Nixon for President campaign. He served one term as governor and won election to the U.S. Senate in 1968 and 1974.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma’s two U.S. senators, who are both
Republicans, have endorsed the GOP candidate in the upcoming Tulsa
mayoral race.
Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn both issued prepared statements
Saturday in support of Dewey Bartlett Jr., who is on the Nov. 10
ballot opposite Democrat Tom Adelson and independents Mark Perkins
and Lawrence Kirkpatrick.
Bartlett is a former Tulsa city councilor and president of
Keener Oil and Gas. The senators say Bartlett would use
conservative principles to govern Tulsa.
Inhofe, a former Tulsa mayor, says Bartlett can “lead the city
in creating an environment for citizens to pursue opportunities for
growth and prosperity.”
Coburn says Bartlett’s volunteerism and civic involvement show
his love of Tulsa.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State Sen. Andrew Rice has been chosen
Democratic leader-elect by the Senate’s Democratic caucus.
Rice, of Oklahoma City, will take over as leader of the Senate’s
minority party in 2011. Current Democratic Leader Charlie Laster of
Shawnee will continue as leader next year but will step down after
the 2010 elections. Laster has served as Democratic floor leader
since January of 2007.
Rice says he wants to lead Senate Democrats back to majority
status during the next election cycle. Democrats controlled the
chamber until Republicans gained majority status for the first time
in state history in the 2008 elections.
Rice, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate last year, was
elected to the state Senate in 2006 with nearly 70 percent of the
vote.

State Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) announced today he will file legislation next year allowing a vote of the people to opt out of the proposed federal health care system.

“Polling shows the overwhelming majority of Americans are satisfied with their health care coverage and do not want it taken away,” said Ritze, who is a board-certified family practice physician and surgeon. “Many of the proposals under consideration in Congress are likely to result in reduced access to a family doctor, rationing of services, or even outright denial of care if a bureaucrat decides it is not a ‘best practice.’ My legislation would give the voters the ability to protect and preserve their existing health care coverage.”

Modeled on an Arizona proposal, Ritze’s legislation would place language on the ballot to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to declare what types of health care systems could lawfully exist in the state.