Thompson Announces Steering Committee

State Representative Mike Thompson today announced 15 Oklahoma leaders have joined Campaign Chairmen Larry Nichols, David Rainbolt and Tim Duit on the Steering Committee for his campaign for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District.

Steering Committee members announced today include: Larry Nichols, Co-Chair David Rainbolt, Co-Chair Tim Duit, Co-Chair Ron Norick, Clay Bennett, Dave Lopez, Mike McDonald, Kory Warr, James A. Pickel, Steve Edwards, Phil Parduhn, Kim McLendon, Brian Timberlake, Steve Young, Scott Fischer, Jim Duit, Pete Brown.

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Political Novice Enters 5th District GOP Race

Bethany businessman and Navy veteran Rick Flanigan said today he's a candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District next year.

He joins former Rep. Kevin Calvey, Dr. Johnny Roy and Rep. Mike Thompson in the race.

Flanigan graduated from Del City High School in 1987. He joined the Navy in 1988 and served as a damage controlman.

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Johnny Roy To Enter 5th District Race

Dr. Johnny Roy, the former chief of surgery at Edmond Medical Center, will announce tomorrow he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District.

The seat is now held by Mary Fallin, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

Roy finished sixth in a six-person GOP primary for the open seat Fallin won in 2006. He got about 3 percent of the primary vote.

Two other Republicans are seeking the nomination; they are Rep. Mike Thompson and former Rep. Kevin Calvey.

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Thompson Reports $215,000 For Congress Race

State Rep. Mike Thompson, Republican candidate for the open 5th Congressional District, raised cash contributions of about $215,000 from 300-plus donors and will report a “cash on hand” balance of about $180,000 when his report is filed, his campaign spokesman said today.

The campaign received over 90 percent of its contributions from Oklahoma donors and nearly 95 percent of contributions are from individuals, the spokesman said. The donations came from 300+ contributors, the majority of whom live and work in and around Oklahoma’s 5th District. The spokesman said all of the money was raised from donors and there were no contributions or loans by the candidate.

Totals reported do not include any contributions received after the end of the disclosure period on June 30th.

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Thompson Names Campaign Co-Chairmen

Rep. Mike Thompson announced today business leaders Larry Nichols, David Rainbolt and Tim Duit will serve as co-chairs in his campaign for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District.

"Known for his hard work and expertise in the transportation, business and energy fields, Mike has emerged as one of the foremost conservative policy experts and pro-business voices in the state House," said Nichols, CEO of Devon Energy. "Mike has the experience, leadership qualities, and values we need in Washington and I am honored to serve as a leader in his campaign."

"Mike’s common-sense, conservative values and positive energy have made him a rising star in the Oklahoma Legislature," said Rainbolt, CEO of BancFirst. "It is those qualities that made him an effective leader in the state House and they will no doubt help him hit the ground running in Washington as our Congressman."

"During his tenure in the Legislature, Mike has fought successfully for tax cuts and called for much needed budget reforms," said Duit, President of TTK Construction. "He is a leader in promoting the pro-growth and pro-business policies that we desperately need in Washington."

A commercial realtor by trade, Thompson was first elected to the State House in 2004 with 69 percent of the vote. He was overwhelmingly reelected in 2006 and 2008.

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Thompson To Officially Announce This Summer

A spokesman for Rep. Mike Thompson says the Oklahoma City Republican will have an official announcement about the race for the 5th District seat in Congress in early summer.

Thompson already has formed a committee and is raising money, Jake Parsons of the committee said.

"We have opened a committee for Congress and thus far, fundraising is going very well," Parsons said.

Former Rep. Kevin Calvey has announced he is seeking the Republican nomination and others are known to be considering the race.

Incumbent Congresswoman Mary Fallin has announced she'll seek the GOP nomination for governor next year.

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Fallin's Decision Stirs Candidate Speculation

The race to succeed Congresswoman Mary Fallin in the 5th District will be a contested one, likely to draw a huge field of Republican candidates.

With word on Friday that Fallin has all but publicly declared her intention to run for governor, the talk about contenders has erupted.

Known to be considering the race are Republicans Kevin Calvey, former House member who sought the nomination in the 2006 primary; Mick Cornett, mayor of Oklahoma City who lost the 2006 GOP runoff to Fallin; Dr. Johnny Roy, who ran last in the 2006 GOP primary; and Mike Thompson, Oklahoma City House member, a Realtor who was an assistant to former Congressman Ernest Istook.

Among Democrats, speculation focuses on State Senator Andrew Rice, defeated decisively in his 2008 U. S. Senate race against incumbent Jim Inhofe. Some say ousted Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth may also consider the race; Roth lost his seat to Republican Dana Murphy last year. Despite his declared gay lifestyle, Roth won election to the Oklahoma County Commission before being appointed to the Corporation Commission by Governor Henry.

Fallin declared her intention to run for governor in a conference call with supporters.

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Thompson Asks Probe Of Internet Deal

Rep. Mike Thompson has asked Attorney General Drew Edmondson to investigate the proposed Google-Yahoo! deal that would give Google control of over 90 percent of the search advertising market.

Thompson, R-Oklahoma City, said Oklahoma should add its name to the growing number of organizations and states that are investigating the deal. The transaction is currently being investigated by the Department of Justice and has been the subject of hearings in both the United States Senate and House. States as diverse as California, New York, Florida, and Connecticut are currently looking at the deal because of its monopolistic implications and impact on privacy. Last week the Association of National Advertisers, a major trade group that represents companies like Procter & Gamble and General Motors, sent a letter to the DOJ opposing the Google-Yahoo! deal.

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'Fire Safe' Cigarettes Bill Goes To Governor

A "fire safe" cigarettes bill is on Governor Henry's desk for action.

House Bill 3341, by Rep.s Mike Thompson and Joe Dorman, creates the Fire Safety Standard and Firefighter Protection Act.

The bill would require retailers to sell only "fire safe" cigarettes, meaning no cigarettes could be sold in Oklahoma unless they have been tested and certified by the manufacturer and are in compliance with the State Fire Marshal's approved standards for being a fire safe cigarette.

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Oklahoma's Metro Roads Among Nation's Worst

A new national study shows that major roads in Oklahoma's metro centers are among the nation's worst, Rep. Mike Thompson said today, adding that the report shows the need to ensure more tax dollars are used for road repair and maintenance.

He has filed legislation this year, House Bill 3342, to require that all car tag and other motor vehicle fees now diverted to other uses be dedicated to road maintenance.

"It's time for our road taxes to start funding road repair," said Thompson, an Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. "It's a simple concept that the majority ofOklahomans endorse - as many as 81 percent of Oklahomans support thisproposal in some polls."

According to TRIP, a national transportation research group, Oklahoma's roads are among the worst in the nation.

TRIP's report, "Keep Both Hands on the Wheel: Metro Areas With the Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make Our Roads Smoother," ranked Oklahoma City in the top 10 metro areas with the greatest share of major roads and highways with pavements in poor condition.

The report found that 41 percent of major Oklahoma City roads are in poor condition and that 40 percent of roads in Tulsa are just as bad.

Interstates, freeways and other critical local routes were included inthe state.

TRIP estimated that Oklahoma drivers pay additional expenses for vehicle maintenance as a result of Oklahoma's bad roads. The report estimates drivers pay an additional $682 per year because of Tulsa's crumbling roads and an additional $661 in Oklahoma City.

"Bad roads are an in direct tax on working families," Thompson said. "It's time we used the direct road taxes they already pay up front to improve the state's highways and bridges."

Thompson's bill passed the House on a 99-0 vote and now awaits a vote from the state Senate.

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Measure Would Increase Road, Bridge Funding

Oklahoma road funding could dramatically increase under legislation approved by a House committee this week.

House Bill 3342, by Rep. Mike Thompson (pictured), would incrementally increase road funding by up to $500 million over the next several years.

"The Legislature has made significant investments in our roads in recent years, but it's still not enough," said Thompson, an Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. "When bridges on major highways are collapsing, that should be a wake-up call for all of us. House Bill 3342 is a very aggressive response to a very serious problem."

Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently closed the left lane of westbound I-40 at the North Canadian River bridge, between Council Road and Morgan Road, to perform emergency bridge repair.

Prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma had essentially flat-lined at $200 million per year - the same amount approved 20 years prior. Taking inflation into account, road-maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over those two decades.

In response, House leaders developed a plan to finally begin investing in road maintenance. Legislation first approved in 2006 allowed annual increases of up to $50 million per year for roads until an additional $270 million was provided.

House Bill 3342 builds on that plan by raising the total increase from $270 million to $500 million new dollars. The legislation also provides new funding by requiring that all car tag and other motor vehicle fees that are now diverted to general revenue be used for road maintenance.

When funds are diverted to the general revenue fund, tracking how that money is spent is extremely difficult, Thompson noted. Those diverted funds are targeted by the bill to ensure they go to road uses. "It's a simple concept: Road taxes and fees should be used for roads," Thompson said. "House Bill 3342 ensures that transportation fees go for transportation needs."

House Bill 3342 passed out of the House Appropriations & Budget Committee and now heads to the floor of the House.

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Republicans See Road Improvements Ahead

Oklahoma drivers will see continued improvements on both county and state roads as the result of new funding provided by the Oklahoma Legislature this year, Republicans say.

County roads, in particular, will enjoy a significant increase in funding thanks to reforms pushed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. County road projects will receive a growing share of state motor vehicle taxes. Beginning this July, counties will receive 5 percent of motor vehicle taxes, or about $28 million in new funding.

"The boost in county road funding is further evidence of our commitment to transportation needs in Oklahoma," said Rep. Chris Benge, a Tulsa Republican who has chaired the House Appropriations and Budget Committee for three years. "In the past two years, we've done a lot to improve state roads; now we're addressing county roads as well."

"Most Oklahoma drivers don't spend their entire commute on a state highway, so it's important that we ensure both county and state roads are properly maintained," said Rep. Mike Thompson, Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has already developed a plan to use the new funding to repair more than 100 of the most dilapidated county bridges and 200 miles of county road in the next five years.

"The Transportation Commission has done a great job identifying the highest-need county projects and targeting them for swift repair," Benge said. "Oklahoma drivers are going to see slow but steady improvements on all Oklahoma roads in the near future."

Next year, counties will receive 10 percent of motor vehicle taxes and then 15 percent starting in the summer of 2009. Once fully implemented, county road projects will receive about $85 million per year in new revenue under the funding reform.

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