Capitol Correspondent
The McCarville Report
State Treasurer Ken Miller, a college professor in his night job, came up with a new “composite” grading system for the Oklahoma Legislature. The statewide elected officials give themselves high marks, but others have different standards.
Miller’s monthly newsletter published a report card from those who gave a letter grade, and now others are chiming in, too.
Governor Fallin gave the Legislature an A. So did Senate Pro-tem Brian Bingman and Speaker T.W. Shannon, but not Rep. David Dank, who gave the session a C-minus, or Rep. Jeff Hickman who just said it was a “frustrating” session.
But the grade that Miller didn’t publish came from the state’s two leading newspapers, and a few other political factions at the Capitol.
Perhaps the grading of the Legislature is more a reflection of the squabbles ahead.
Grief from the Tulsa World was not surprising toward the Republicans in charge at the Capitol. The Oklahoman’s displeasure seems out of character for a newspaper that has for decades pushed the kind of substantial workers compensation reform which passed this year, and has long supported income tax reductions.
Shannon delivered 74 votes for workers compensation reform.
The session got testy in the final weeks until the tornadoes brought about a hasty end as the leaders scrambled to respond to the devastation.
Fallin unveiled in the final days a plan to provide $50 million in insurance coverage to 9,000 Oklahomans. She had Bingman’s support in the Senate, but the speaker shot down the proposal.
Shannon also took aim at “common core” standards for education, but Bingman wasn’t ready to back away from the controversial program. There’s been a growing uprising among conservative activists nationally in opposition to “common core” standards previously enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature and other states.
Shannon has allies in Oklahoma’s political circles on the issue. Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe were among eight senators nationally to express opposition to the policy they fear will give federal education officials more control over schools.
Revisiting three controversial issues could dominate next year’s session and make for eventful election-year drama.
Common core funding for education and health insurance threaten to divide the GOP, and pension reform could rile up thousands of state employees already angry about the lack of pay raises while Fallin has been governor.
