Just 19 Days until Sen. Morgan Senate Democrats Shut Down State Government

Just 19 days remain until obstruction by Senate Democrats leads to a shut down of state government, the Senates GOP leader said Monday. And, a Democrat state senators statement at a candidate forum last week is the latest evidence that Senate Democrats may have been planning to force a government shutdown all along.

Democrat Sen. Cal Hobson said last week that Senate Democrats are willing to hold up the budget negotiations until the November elections if necessary to get their way, while Democrat leaders began calling for a special session on the budget months before the end of the regular legislative session. It is becoming very clear that Senate leader Mike Morgan and the Senate Democrats have planned to stall and obstruct budget negotiations all along in an effort to force a shut down of the state government, stated Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Sen. Morgan and the Senate Democrats must believe that a government shutdown can give them some sort of political advantage, but I think theyre the only ones drinking that flavor of Kool-Aid, Coffee said.

Coffee said the budget stalemate shows that a change of leadership in the State Senate is needed.

This issue is not about governing, it is about leadership. Senate Democrats have governed our state for nearly 100 years, but their lack of leadership has put Oklahoma near the bottom of just about every important national ranking. Oklahoma needs new leadership with fresh ideas in the Oklahoma State Senate, he said.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Democrat Gov. Brad Henry and Republican House Speaker Todd Hiett reached a bipartisan budget agreement weeks ago. Senate Democrats, however, have refused to compromise, bringing the state government to the brink of a shutdown. State government will shut down on July 1 if a new state budget is not in place before then.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Democrat Sen. Cal Hobson was quoted in the June 9, 2006 edition of the Tulsa World for the following statement about the state budget stalemate made at a June 8 candidate forum in Oklahoma City: The Democrats in the Senate are united. We are determined to stay here as long as it takes, until the November elections if necessary.