Governor keeps promises in 2009 Legislature

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — From health care to education, alternative fuels to conservation, Democratic Gov. Brad Henry achieved many of his promises in this year’s Republican-controlled Legislature thanks in large part to the bipartisan support they received from GOP leaders who made them their own.

Legislative goals outlined by Henry in his state-of-the-state address, including development of alternative energy sources, energy conservation by state agencies and expansion of the Insure Oklahoma premium assistance program, were embraced by House and Senate leaders who shared the governor’s goals.

Other promises didn’t fare so well. Political differences between Henry and Republican lawmakers blocked the governor’s call for a health insurance mandate for the diagnosis and treatment of autism and expansion of early voting in the state.

Budget problems caused by a $900 million revenue shortfall prevented other programs from winning passage, including Henry’s plan to increase treatment options for methamphetamine addicts and to find a permanent funding source for the Economic Development Generating Excellence research endowment.

And the jury is still out one of Henry’s boldest promises — to end partisan politics at the Capitol.

“You have to put aside the party agendas and do what is best for Oklahoma,” Henry said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It shouldn’t just be a party agenda.”

From the governor’s point of view, partisanship was set aside on at least five of his promises to Oklahomans that won passage before the 2009 Legislature adjourned last month, including an alternative fuels bill authored by Republican House Speaker Chris Benge of Tulsa.

Among other things, the bill will help expand the number of vehicles in the state running on alternative fuels like compressed natural gas and also help expand the number of publicly available CNG fueling stations.

Separate GOP-backed legislation would make companies that support and service wind industry energy companies eligible for the state’s Quality Jobs Act in an attempt to attract them to Oklahoma.

Benge said his leadership team developed the ideas independently from the governor following a year in which energy prices soared and gasoline cost almost $4 a gallon.

“We didn’t have any discussions beforehand,” the speaker said. “I guess we just looked out there and saw what the needs and the challenges were. It was coincidental that we came to the same conclusion on some issues.”

“It certainly meshed with my agenda,” Henry said of the speaker’s alternative fuels bill. “We worked together in a bipartisan fashion.”

Henry also challenged state agencies to conserve their energy resources, a goal that was met with the passage of legislation that encourages state agencies to develop and implement an energy efficiency and conservation plan to reduce energy consumption and show a preference for using alternative fuels.

Another of Henry’s promises, to expand Insure Oklahoma, easily won passage thanks to bipartisan support.

A bill authored by Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Kris Steele of Shawnee, the House’s second-ranking member, will make the public-private partnership more accessible so small businesses can provide health care coverage for their low- and middle-income employees and reduce the state’s more than 600,000 uninsured residents.

Henry’s call to replenish the state’s Emergency Fund was met when lawmakers agreed to appropriate $15 million to speed up disaster recovery payments to cities and counties. And the governor successfully championed a graduation coaches program that will recruit volunteers to help at-risk students stay on track academically and cope with difficulties outside school.

But he ran into problems with his call for an autism mandate. Republican leaders defeated the plan, claiming a mandate would drive up the cost of health insurance and make it unaffordable for many Oklahomans.

“I understand their argument. I just think they’re wrong,” Henry said. Opponents of forcing health insurers to pay for therapy that may help autistic children function in society do not consider the ultimate cost to taxpayers of paying for the care of dysfunctional adults.

“You’re not looking at the long-term effect,” the governor said.

“We do have a belief that it does raise the cost of insurance,” Benge said. “There are people who are facing the possibility of losing their insurance.”

Instead of a mandate, lawmakers passed a GOP-backed bill to increase the number of therapists who provide services to autistic children. Benge said he is hopeful that private insurers in the state will begin offering autism benefits on their own.

“The demand is out there,” he said.

Henry’s call to expand Oklahoma’s three-day early voting period to a full week was also rejected by GOP lawmakers who instead passed a voter ID bill that Henry vetoed.

Supporters of voter ID say it is needed to fight voter fraud. It would require voters to provide a government-issued photo ID or county-issued voter ID card at the polls to prove their identity.

But Henry said Oklahoma does not have a problem with voter fraud. He said a voter ID requirement will increase lines and waiting periods at the polls and deter some people, including the elderly, from voting.

“It’s unfortunate,” the governor said. “The goal ought to be to make it as easy and convenient for Oklahomans to vote as possible.”

The voter ID bill was opposed by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters and the American Association of Retired People, which said as many as 78,000 Oklahomans do not have the required identification and could be negatively affected by a voter ID requirement.

Although Henry vetoed the bill, lawmakers sent the issue to a vote of the people at the 2010 general election.

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