Party-line Vote Kills Voter ID Measure

A bill that would require voters to show identification at polling sites was defeated along party lines Tuesday in the Senate.

Senator John Ford, R-Bartlesville, said he would seek another vote on the measure, if he can round up the 25th vote needed for approval.

The vote was 24-23 for the bill, but it takes 25 votes to pass a bill in the 48-member Senate.

All 24 Republicans supported the plan, while 23 Democrats voted against it.

Democrats said the proposal was meant to help Republicans and would deter the elderly and other citizens from voting because they may not have identification readily available.
Ford said the bill is needed to guard against voter fraud.

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Senate Approves Lottery Privatization Bill

The Senate today approved a bill that could privatize the state’s education lottery.

Senator John Ford said the lottery has not made as much money for education as supporters had claimed. He said privatization might create a more efficient operation.

"Senate Bill 2173 calls for the creation of an eight-person Oklahoma Lottery Asset Review Board to determine whether privatization could result in better revenues for education,” Ford said. “If six of the eight members agree that it would and the governor then concurs with their findings, a private company would then take over the operation of the lottery.”

Ford, who represents Craig, Nowata and Washington Counties, said the state would still maintain ongoing oversight. If the company failed to meet the terms and standards negotiated by the Lottery Asset Review Board, the state would terminate the contract.

Ford said his legislation would not change the current distribution of the Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund. The measure now goes to the House for further consideration.

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Ford's Charter Schools Bill Wins Approval

Senator John Ford's bill that would establish a charter school district pilot program passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 10-6 vote today.

Currently, certain school districts are allowed to have individual charter schools within their jurisdiction. Charter schools are supported by state funding, but exempt from many state regulations. Senate Bill 2100 would establish a trial program allowing 10 entire school districts in Oklahoma to become charter districts.

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Lottery Privatization Bill Heads To Senate

With education revenues from the state lottery failing to produce the amount of education revenues initially projected, John Ford has authored legislation to examine whether to privatize the operation. Senate Bill 2173 is now headed to the full Senate for a vote after winning committee approval on Wednesday.

“I was opposed to the lottery, and I’ve never bought a single ticket, but I also respect the fact that 65 percent of Oklahoma voters said they wanted a lottery with proceeds going to education,” said Ford. “If there is a better way to run it that would result in more funding for education, then we should do that, and get our government out of the gambling business.”

SB 2173 would create an eight-person Oklahoma Lottery Asset Review Board to determine if privatization would result in a more efficient operation. The legislation would require six of the eight members to agree, and would require the governor’s approval as well before a private company could be chosen to operate the lottery.

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John Ford Calls For Lottery Privatization

While the people of Oklahoma voted in favor of a statewide lottery in 2004, it has consistently failed to produce the amount of education revenue supporters had claimed it would and as a result, Senator John Ford said today he has filed legislation that could result in the privatization of the lottery.

“I did not support the lottery, and I’ve never bought a single Oklahoma Lottery ticket, but in 2004, the majority of voters said this is what they wanted and I respect that,” Ford said. “However, many people voted yes believing it would result in a large boost for education funding. We all know that hasn’t happened. Since the lottery is now a reality that has been mandated by the citizens of Oklahoma, perhaps at the very least, we should look at privatization as a way to run the lottery more efficiently, and get the government out of the gambling business.”

Ford’s legislation calls for the creation of an eight-person Oklahoma Lottery Asset Review Board to be chaired by the Lt. Governor, and would include the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the Chancellor for Higher Education, the State Superintendent of Education, the Career Tech’s executive director, as well as appointees by the Senate Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House. The panel would have the responsibility to examine options for privatizing the lottery. Ford said the commission would expire by December 31, 2008.

The board would be charged with studying various options and defining what provisions must be included in a privatization agreement to maximize potential income to education, Ford said. The Oklahoma Asset Review Board would then seek bids from approved private sector companies or other private entities through a competitive and fully transparent process.

“When the bids are returned, it will be the responsibility of the board to determine if any of the bids will enhance the value to education while still meeting the intent of our citizens when creating the education lottery,” Ford said.

If six of the eight board members agree on a winning bid, they will forward it to the Governor for his review and potential final approval. The Governor would then have 14 days to approve the bid. The lottery would then be transferred to out of state operations and awarded to the private operator under the terms and conditions of the agreement. If the Governor does not approve the recommended bid, the lottery will continue under its current state management and operation.

Ford also strongly emphasized that the state must always maintain ongoing oversight of the lottery so that failure to meet the predetermined concession terms and standards will result in Oklahoma revoking the lottery from the concessionaire.

If approved, all net proceeds from the concession will be deposited into the Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund, as is the case today. Ford emphasized that this bill does not change the current distribution percentages out of this fund that are currently in effect.

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John Ford Wants Voter Identification

Senator John Ford is renewing his effort to guard against election fraud. Ford has filed Senate Bill 1150 which will require voters to show identification when they cast their ballots. Similar legislation has gone unheard in past sessions.

“The role voters play in determining the future of our cities, counties, state and nation is just too important to leave it open to fraud,” said Ford. “Senate Bill 1150 will protect the integrity of the process by helping ensure that only duly registered voters participate in elections.”

Ford said his measure simply requires voters to show identification at the polls. Voters could use a valid voter identification card, driver license, passport, state identification card, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck, or any other government document showing the voter’s name and address.

“No one thinks twice when asked for identification when writing a check or for commercial air travel,” Ford said. “When you consider the critical roll elections play in determining our very future, it is simply good sense to make sure we do everything possible to protect that future by ensuring citizens who are registered voters are the ones making those decisions.”

If approved, SB 1150 would take effect on January 1, 2009.

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Where Did Mary Easley Vote Last November? Coffee Says Residence 'Violation of the law'

UPDATE: Attorney General Drew Edmondson told KTOK radio today that questions about Easley's residence are not ones that "would come to our office." He said such questions would go to the Election Board or the Ethics Commission. State Senator Mary Easley, who last October 2nd registered as a voter in Senate District 29 while she represents Senate District 18, faces more questions today about her place of residence and whether she voted in her own election last year.

The McCarville Report Online reported Wednesday that Easley, who moved out of her district into Owasso last year, now lists a district "office" in Grand Lake Towne, on Grand Lake in Republican Senator John Ford's district, and claims mileage reimbursement from that Grand Lake Towne address to the State Capitol and back.

Easley thus far has had no comment or offered an explanation.

Today, Tulsa blogger Michael Bates reveals that Easley and her husband, Truman, registered to vote on October 2nd in the Mayes County town but didn't vote there in November's election and are no longer registered to vote in Tulsa County. That begs the questions (1) Did she vote last year, (2) If so, where?

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee told radio station KTOK that Easley's residence outside her district is "a violation of the law."

Bates raised the issue: "McCarville points out that 230 miles is the right distance for a round trip from the Capitol to Owasso -- where the phone book lists her as living, even though it's in (Senator) Randy Brogdon's district -- but too far for the round trip between the Capitol and east Tulsa, where Easley was registered to vote last summer. 336 is what Google Maps gives for a round trip between the State Capitol and Grand Lake Towne, where Easley and her husband Truman registered to vote on October 2. (Records show that neither of them actually voted in that precinct, 490031. They are no longer registered to vote in Tulsa County, so it's not clear where they voted. I can't imagine that they wouldn't vote when her name was on the ballot.) I doubt she changed the mileage for the sake of $50, but she might have changed it in order to keep her stories straight."

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Where Does Senator Mary Easley Live? She Lists District 'Office' Outside Her Own District

Where does State Senator Mary Easley live?

Is it Tulsa, in the District 18 area the Democrat represents, an approximately 210-220 mile roundtrip from the Capitol in Oklahoma City?

Is it Owasso, outside her district, where she was living in last year's reelection campaign, an approximately 230-mile roundtrip?

Or is it somewhere else farther north (like Grand Lake), shown in a Senate document as a 336-mile roundtrip?

Tuesday's Senate Journal lists mileage reimbursement for Easley and it shows "Tulsa 230 (miles)" and "$111.55" reimbursement. The "230" and "$111.55" are marked out, however, and replaced with "336" (miles) and "$162.96."

Easley's Senate profile contains a relatively new listing for a "district office." That listing is "106 S. Cherokee Lane, Grand Lake Towne, OK 74301." She also lists a Tulsa post office box number as an "office" address. The State of Oklahoma shows the Grand Lake Towne address to be outside the district she represents.

Grand Lake Towne is on the southwestern end of Grand Lake in Mayes County and is at the northeastern-most edge of the district she represents. The Legislature's own system for finding out what Senate district an address is located in shows the address in Grand Lake Towne to be in Senate District 29, represented by Republican Senator John Ford.

Last year, controversy erupted over Mary Easley's place of residence when it was revealed she had moved into Owasso. Senate Republican leader Glenn Coffee said, "Mary Easley now resides at an Owasso address in Senate District 34." He added, "She is clearly skirting state election laws by living at her new address while running for office and voting using an old address,"Coffee said. Easley's move prompted ads like the one at left. Coffee noted at the time that state law requires candidates to live in the district they seek to represent. "Mary Easley has left her district behind," Coffee said. "How can she represent the people of District 18 when she doesn't even want to live there?"

Here's what blogger Michael Bates of http://www.Batesline.com reported last November 2nd: "Mary Easley, who moved out of her State Senate district, SD 18, to Owasso in SD 34, has a new TV ad, now claiming that she lives in a house somewhere in northeastern Mayes County, at the opposite end of the district from her old house in east Tulsa. The ad never mentions the name of the town, but it refers to Cherokee Lane, shows a house that appears to have the house number 106 on it, and then shows a map with an arrow pointing somewhere east of Langley. The only Cherokee Lane I find in the area is in Grand Lake Towne, a tiny municipality just south of Ketchum, just south of the Craig / Mayes County line. There is someone registered to vote at 106 Cherokee Lane: Lucille K. Howard, a 68 year old Republican. But this is silly, I thought to myself. Surely, Sen. Easley listed her true address on her declaration of candidacy. But she listed a P.O. Box in Tulsa -- 690027 -- no way to tell if that's in the district. And where is she registered to vote? As of July 1, just a few weeks after filing for office, she was still registered at 9909 E 12th St, Tulsa, as was her husband Truman. That was their home in the handful of precincts where her old House District, HD 78, overlaps SD 18. (Truman's record lists the P.O. Box as his mailing address, although Mary's does not.) Between November '05 and July 1, 2006, Mary didn't vote, while Truman voted by absentee ballot in the Tulsa city primary, city general, and the 3rd Penny sales tax renewal. But when you do a phone search on AT&T's Anywho service, Mary and Truman Easley still show up in Owasso at 19009 E Knightsbridge Rd. There aren't any listed phone numbers for an Easley near Langley, Ketchum, Disney, or Grand Lake Towne, or indeed on a street named Cherokee anywhere in Oklahoma."

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