What the hell is going on in Oklahoma, aka Alice in Wonderland

[Guest guest]

Just to let all of you know what the hell is going on in the Sooner

State of Oklahoma. There has been a lot of national press regarding

the proceedings in our House of Representatives.

For the last 2 years, we have known that the way to get any insurance

mandate bill passed in Oklahoma, we must get the bill thru the House

Economic Development Committee and Chairman Ron .

There has been no mandates passed in this state since 1999. We are

one of the lowest mandated states in the nation, and we have one of

the poorest health conditions of our citizens.

We wanted to respect the legislative process, asking our parents and

family members to be polite, always shaking hands of our elected

officials and honoring their elected offices. Our strategy has been

to get the faces of children for the bill (Nick's Law with references

to so many kids) and having the most polite and sincere parents at

the capitol.

The media picked up on this and began to run with it. We knew we had

several options to get language passed into law, but wanted to go the

committee route first.

We passed the OK Senate with huge bipartisan support of all of our

bills (Nick's Law, vaccine bill, Autism Teacher Training, and our

BCBA therapist bill).

But the House is where things get nasty and often mutilated. And our

bills will be subject to this. It is so partisan in the House.

Chairman 's actions in his committee on Wednesday infuriated

members of both parties. The Vice Chair told me face to face 2 days

prior to the hearing that he will vote for the bill. Then he votes

against us in committee. He will not see next year's session as a

member.

Since the beginning of the 2008 legislative session no one at the

capitol gave us a chance to get an insurance mandate passed thru the

Senate. We did!! 39-7, 47-1, and 48-0. Then no one at the capitol

gave us a chance to get an insurance mandate passed out of House

Insurance Committee. There has been no mandates passed since 1999.

R=10 and D=7.

With great support and effort from our parents, the members were

lobbyied very hard. We brought down the email server at the House. The

phone system was clogged up for several days. No robot calling or mass

emails, just a lot of parents writing and spilling their guts out.

For the last few months, these parents have walked the halls, sent

letters, had friends and other business associates call. It was truly

remarkable.

WE HAD THE VOTES TO WIN A STRAIGHT UP VOTE in the committee on

Wednesday and damn it, the chairman stole it away from these parents.

All the parents did was stand up in the meeting for nearly 2 hours,

did not say a word, and just held 8x10 pics of their kids. We had many

TV crews there. They were there for only 1 thing, to hear Nick's Law.

Most of the committee members did not know that TV crews were there

prior to arrival. When the bill was announced to be heard, it was

unbelievable what happened. All the parents, nearly 75 in the

committee hearing stood up quietly, raised the pictures of their

children, the TV cameras were turned on, and Chairman was

shaking. He could barely gavel to announce the reading of the upcoming

bill. His voice was cracking. The Speaker pro tem came into the room

to make sure that the R's would follow the orchestrated effort. As

soon as the bill was read, the Vice Chair moved to pass the bill. This

stopped any attempt for the members to ask questions about the bill or

add amendments. There was an agreement between the House author of SB

1059 and several members of the committee to allow Nick's Law as an

amendment.

No public debate, no comments, nothing. A pure violation of House

rules. Very cowardly manuevering was not done. Then the Chair sneaks

out of the room to his office and then LOCKS the door to the outer

chamber of his office. Another clear violation of House rules. The

Chair releases a statement calling all the mothers and fathers a mob.

It is my opinion that the Chair should take a good look around his

office and then pack his bags.

Many people from both sides of the aisle clearly were upset about the

proceeding. Several have referred the actions as the worst in 20

years. Folks, we now have the upper hand. The media has clearly

turned against the House Leadership and that will cost them dearly in

November. Many House Republicans are very mad about the proceedings

and have reached out to tell us. They are very upset with their

leadership because of this action.

On Thursday, the House Democrats walked out of the session in protest

of the actions of the Chairman. It is now reached a boiling point

about the suppression of the people's voice. The general public is

now catching on what has been happening. Please check out the links

below to the newspaper articles.

Now, Nick's Law is still alive. We are forced to go to the floor of

the House and Senate and add the language as a floor amendment. We are

good with this. We will not be denied. It is a huge cult

following at the capitol. The parents are rock stars. Thanks to the

several hundred parents who have been at the capitol this year.

Wayne Rohde

All different articles from this week.

http://newsok.com/article/keyword/3228375/

http://newsok.com/article/keyword/3227950/

http://newsok.com/article/keyword/3227458/

http://www.edmondsun.com/archivesearch/local_story_100212617.html

http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=8147643

http://www.newsok.com/article/3228074

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080410_1__OKLAH86254

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080410_238_A1_hBack27460

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080409_12_OKLAH84460

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080409_12_OKLAH26642

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?s=8144293