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  • Randy Cowling

    Randy Cowling
January 29, 2010

<b>BENCH SITTIN' - </b>Sen. Coffee should not replace Morgan

Randy Cowling

Friday, January 29, 2010 — As a precursor to what is to be a serious and brutal legislative session for Oklahoma lawmakers next month Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee has begun trimming some fat.

Oklahoma’s budget is as much as $1 billion short and Coffee knows there will be no sacred cows that avoid the necessary butchering by his fellow lawmakers.

With that type of blood writing on the wall, Coffee’s buddy, who he gave a cushy $140,000 job to be his policy advisor and legal counsel Fred Morgan has jumped ship.

On Tuesday it was announced that Morgan will become the next president and CEO of The State Chamber. He begins on Feb. 15. He is a former state representative and House Republican leader who worked as a consultant for Coffee since 2007.

When Coffee brought on the former state representative and paid him much more than others, many red flags popped up. Coffee gave members of his staff raises ranging from 12 percent to 59 percent, which didn’t send a good message to the public with a budget hole.

Now with monthly 5- and 10-percent cuts to all state agencies, Coffee may just be getting the message that everyone needs to tighten their financial belts.

He is bringing on longtime Republican and failed gubernatorial candidate Jim Williamson to replace Morgan.

Williamson, a Tulsa attorney, will join Coffee’s staff on March 1.

The former state lawmaker had been considering a run for federal office when Coffee asked him to help during the upcoming legislative session.

Williamson will only be Coffee’s staff for the session and be paid considerably less than Morgan. He will make $65,000 for the 160 days session - that’s $406.25 a day. Nice pocket change for a former lawmaker.

Hopefully, Coffee, who is a lame duck Senate leader, doesn’t see the $85,000 savings as his only contribution to balancing the budget. If he had not replaced Morgan that would have been a much better signal that he is serious about reducing expenses, starting within his own staff.

As lawmakers prepare for the upcoming session they have to look around and see how the budget crisis is impacting their constituents.

The City of Tulsa is set to layoff 185 police officers. More than 100 personnel will lose their jobs in the Tulsa Public School system. State agencies are looking at every way to save money, knowing full well there will be less and less funds available in this fiscal year and even less in FY 2011.

When more local jobs are cut because of the lack of state funding, each legislator will begin to feel the heat.

Sen. Coffee should rethink whether he needs a policy advisor to the tune of $406.25 a day. Step up Coffee and show your fellow legislators how you will be the first to make a sacrifice that is meaningful.

n Randy Cowling is managing editor the Claremore Daily Progess.

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