Terrill, Anderson make amends

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'The Pat Campbell Show', May 9, 2008

Terrill, Anderson make amends
Staff and wire report

Two state lawmakers said Friday they are willing to put their confrontation earlier this week behind them.

Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, and Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, had what Terrill termed “a thoroughly heated exchange” Wednesday after Anderson forwarded calls to his state Capitol office to Terrill’s office. Anderson said Terrill flooded his district with so-called “robocalls” in favor of Terrill’s legislation to make English the official language of Oklahoma.

Anderson told the Tulsa World in a story published Friday that Terrill tried to pick a fight with him later Wednesday, using words to the effect, “I’ll whip your ass.”

Terrill denied he was trying to fight Anderson, but said it was “cowardly” for Anderson to forward all his telephone calls to Terrill’s office.

Both men said Friday they had talked Thursday and put the dispute behind them.

Anderson said they met Thursday and shook hands. He said he also sent a bouquet of flowers to Terrill’s assistant, Martha Perry, because of the burden the extra phone calls placed on her.

“In my opinion, the hatchet’s been buried,” he said.

Terrill said Friday he told Anderson he thought the flowers were “a nice and appropriate gesture.”

“I also told him as far as I was concerned, we were good to go,” Terrill said.

Terrill, though, was unhappy with the timing of the Tulsa World story, which he called “sensationalized,” and still disputed Anderson’s version of events.

He also said the “robocalls” did not come from him, but came from a member of the organization U.S. English, which was founded in 1983 and has a goal of making English the official language of the United States.

Anderson said his office at the Capitol was flooded with the calls from places as far away as Washington, D.C. He said his office phone system was overloaded and couldn’t be used, so as a practical joke he forwarded the calls to Terrill’s office.

Terrill said one of calls forwarded to him was from Anderson’s wife. He said he complained to her about Anderson’s behavior.

After Anderson forwarded his calls, Terrill sent out an e-mail press release to media outlets across the state, accusing Anderson of “cowardice” for not responding to his constituents.

The e-mail said: “This is the most unbelievably cowardly act by an elected official that I have ever seen. Apparently, Senator Anderson is receiving so many calls from his constituents urging him to support an Official English law that he is now trying to avoid them by forwarding calls to me. Senator Anderson is turning his back on his constituents. The voters of Senate District 19 deserve better.

“It’s inconceivable that any public official would treat his own constituents this way unless Senator Anderson is truly working with the Senate Democratic leadership to block or kill consideration of Official English in the state Senate this week.”

Anderson said Wednesday he was surprised at Terrill’s message.

“I disagree with Mr. Terrill’s comment. I believe I have always been very receptive to my constituents’ concerns and will continue to be,” he said.

The bill to make English the official state language was sent to a conference committee Wednesday and appears dead for the session. Anderson voted with his fellow Republicans in favor of the issue.

Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, who sponsored Terrill’s bill in the Senate, predicted Friday things would calm down between Terrill and Anderson.

Laughlin said the confrontation was “a little unusual, but those things happen in the heat of battle.”

Anderson, Terrill at odds over calls

Anderson, Terrill at odds over calls
By Robert Barron
Published: May 08, 2008

A practical joke by Enid state Sen. Patrick Anderson raised the ire of a state representative Wednesday.

State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, author of legislation to make English the official language of Oklahoma, sent an angry e-mail to media outlets across the state Wednesday accusing Anderson of “cowardice” for not responding to his constituents. Terrill was angry about automatic phone calls to Anderson’s office that were forwarded to his office.

Anderson said Terrill flooded his district with so-called “robo calls,” an automatic system that dials residents with recorded messages. Anderson said his office at the state Capitol was flooded with calls from places as far away as Washington, D.C.

Anderson said his office phone system was overloaded and couldn’t be used, so as a practical joke he forwarded the calls to Terrill’s office.

Terrill’s e-mail accused Anderson of avoiding his constituents’ calls.

The angry e-mail said: “This is the most unbelievably cowardly act by an elected official that I have ever seen. Apparently, Senator Anderson is receiving so many calls from his constituents urging him to support an Official English law that he is now trying to avoid them by forwarding calls to me. Senator Anderson is turning his back on his constituents. The voters of Senate District 19 deserve better.

“It’s inconceivable that any public official would treat his own constituents this way unless Senator Anderson is truly working with the Senate Democratic leadership to block or kill consideration of Official English in the state Senate this week.”

Anderson said he was surprised at Terrill’s message.

“I disagree with Mr. Terrill’s comment. I believe I have always been very receptive to my constituents’ concerns and will continue to be,” he said.

Anderson said he planned to support Terrill’s legislation, but said he does not appreciate Terrill’s “presumptions or accusations.”

“He has now called off the robo-calls, and I quit forwarding my calls to his office. I assume everything has been resolved,” Anderson said.

Attempts to contact Terrill were unsuccessful. An automatic voice mail informed callers he was busy.

A parliamentary move by Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, blocked a Senate vote on the legislation Wednesday. It will go to a House-Senate conference committee, where Republicans said it likely will die.

Terrill Comments on Senator Anderson’s Refusal to Talk to Constituents

State Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore) issued the following statement today after state Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid) began forwarding his calls to Terrill’s office in an effort to avoid communicating with his own constituents.

“This is the most unbelievably cowardly act by an elected official that I have ever seen. Apparently, Senator Anderson is receiving so many calls from his constituents urging him to support an Official English law that he is now trying to avoid them by forwarding the calls to me. Senator Anderson is turning his back on his constituents. The voters of Senate District 19 deserve better.

“It’s inconceivable that any public official would treat his own constituents this way unless Senator Anderson is truly working with the Senate Democrat leadership to block or kill consideration of Official English in the state Senate this week.”

Enid News and Eagle Editorial - Bond issue for roads is not a good idea for state

Enid News & Eagle Editorial
Bond issue for roads is not a good idea for state
Published: May 04, 2008

Do Oklahoma’s roads need work?

It doesn’t take much time or thought to come up with the answer to that question. Yes, there is no doubt our roads need work — lots of it.

However, the big question — and one that can’t be answered so easily — is how do we pay for the work? State lawmakers have approved a standstill budget. That means most agencies received the same amount of funding for the next fiscal year as they did for the current fiscal year

Lawmakers have been struggling with the question of paying for needed work, and the talk around the Capitol recently was on a $500 million bond issue for road repairs and other projects.

Two lawmakers — Sen. Johnny Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, Senate appropriations co-chairman, and Rep. Guy Liebmann, R-Oklahoma City — are the main ones talking bond issue. Crutchfield is the main promoter of the $500 million bond issue for roads and other projects. Liebmann also has a list of $443 million worth of projects.

That all sounds well and good. The state sells the bonds and gets the work it needs done. However, we also need to consider the debt service. State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, cautioned his fellow lawmakers in a letter to be careful. He said the current market conditions are not what the state needs, and it would be “poor financial planning” to have such a large bond issue.

We have to agree.

Consider Anderson’s evidence. Recently, the state had to refinance $400 million in student loan bonds. The state has been paying up to 16 percent interest on some of those bonds. That figure is unacceptable.

Also, Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said paying debt service on any bonds could be a problem if the state had another tight budget next year.

The key thing to consider is something no one can answer right now. How much will state revenue collections grow, if at all in the next year?

As we said, the state budget for next fiscal year is a standstill budget. If we end up with a standstill budget again in 2009, how could the state manage to make more debt service payments on more bonds while providing adequate funding for schools, corrections and health services?

As much as it hurts us to say, a bond issue isn’t the way to go at this time. Fixing our roads is important, and something we have advocated time and again. However, there are too many unknowns right now to jump into a huge bond issue.

Health Care Measures Could Be Catastrophic For State Budget

On Thursday, Senator Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, provided Senators with cost estimates he received from OSEEGIB (Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board) for an autism insurance mandate proposal and a proposal that has been referred to as the “Patients Bill of Rights.”

These estimates prepared by OSEEGIB, which manages the State’s health insurance plan which covers State employees and retirees, shows that the bills could have a “catastrophic” impact on the state budget.

The information distributed shows that a proposal to require insurance coverage for autism would cost the State insurance program $6 million. In regards to a proposed insurance mandate requiring coverage for any medically approved treatment, the actuary for OSEEGIB stated it could have a ‘catastrophic’ cost to the state insurance program, and affordability to participants could be jeopardized. (See attached documents.)

Anderson added he was concerned how the cost would impact state budgets and, “The cost to the private sector would likely be considerably greater.”

The OSEEGIB actuary information on these proposals had been previously prepared and provided to the Senate authors of the proposals, but had not been shared with the other Senate members.

Anderson applauded the efforts by the Legislature this year to look at health care issues.

“Members of both parties have been working on various aspects of these important measures and one of the factors we must consider when looking at these proposed health care mandates is the actual costs to the State budget and State employees, not to mention the costs to the private sector.”

Senator Anderson serves as co-chairman of the Appropriations Sub-committee for Human Services which oversees the state budget for several state agencies including the Department of Human Services. Anderson previously voted to help keep these measures alive for further discussion in the legislative process.

However, after reviewing actuary’s information Anderson said, “I am concerned that the price of the proposals to the State budget make them cost prohibitive.”

The insurance mandate proposals were attached to a bill earlier this week that will be sent to conference committee for further consideration.