Spotlight7
Special committee hires counsel
Capitol Spotlight for March 18, 2008, or thereafter
By Jim Campbell
OPA Capitol News Bureau
Having cleared a backlog of about 215 bills spotlighting such hot button topics as 
firearms on campus and religious viewpoints in schoolrooms, House members turned 
their attention to possible impeachment of State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan.
A special investigative committee voted in its organizational meeting Monday to hire 
Andrew Lester of the Oklahoma City law firm of Lester Loving and Davies as special 
counsel.
Chairman Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, said meetings would be conducted publicly on a 
schedule to be determined by Lester's progress in obtaining witnesses and evidence of 
possible wrongdoing.
"It's going to take a lot of time and effort," said Duncan.
He said the panel of eight, four of each party, will use previous impeachment proceedings 
against former Insurance Commissioner Carol Fisher as a blueprint.
Co-chairman David Braddock, D-Altus, said Lester is "ready to work and we think he 
will do a fine job for the committee."
McMahan and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Muskogee.
***
Whether college students carry firearms on campus, common school pupils voice 
religious viewpoints in class and insurance firms pay routine costs of patients in clinical 
trials are among questions to be asked anew in possibly less receptive environs.
Bills addressing these and many other issues that survived in a relatively friendly home 
base now take their chances across the rotunda in the other legislative chamber.
And since nothing ever really dies in the Oklahoma Legislature, issues supposedly 
snuffed for lack of hearing or barely beaten on the floor could find new life before May 
30 adjournment in bills shucked of related content.
University of Oklahoma President David Boren said he would "get down on my knees" 
to plead for Senate defeat of HB 2513 by Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, which passed 
the House watered down a little to apply only to people with training. The bill would 
allow some college students to carry concealed weapons on 
campus. Gov. Brad Henry was seeking advice of college presidents and the campus 
security task force.
The Senate earlier approved a school security bill focusing on victims of bullies.
A bill reducing the age for carrying concealed weapons from 21 to 18 was altered to 
apply only to military personnel.
In a week dominated by national reaction to Rep. Sally Kern's remarks that homosexuals 
are a bigger threat than terrorists, the House passed Kern's bill granting pupils the right to 
express religious viewpoints.
Rep. Daniel Sullivan, R-Tulsa, carried the bill in debate, arguing that simply replying "I 
do not believe in evolution" is not an acceptable answer to question about evolution. But 
the student could provide a textbook answer and add, "I do not believe in evolution."
Two bills removing the state's sales tax on groceries were among tax bills failing to make 
the early cut. 
A bill that would have required parents to "opt in" in writing before their children could 
receive sex education was defeated by one vote in the House.
Neither house had much committee or floor work scheduled this week, acting Monday 
only to commend the 42-0 Chelsea Lady Dragons softball team.