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The Duncan Banner

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The Duncan Banner

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 The Comanche Times

Jan
of VO U W N S , NU 9 U S , J NU 8, 0 8 50 C N S
18
he Candidate for Governor Says Corporations Loom Too Large at State Capitol
he
2018 rs.
he
Edmondson Visits Comanche on “Take Back Oklahoma” Tour
When the regular legislative governor in 2018, visited
Page session kicks off in February, Comanche last week as part of
rt-
0001 Oklahoma will likely be facing a his “Take Back Oklahoma” tour.
“Our legislative leaders still
revenue shortfall for the fourth
Clip r- straight year. If the legislature have a chance to set Oklahoma
resized is fails again, Drew Edmondson back on solid financial footing to
38% told The Times he has a plan to fund education, health care, in-
ts address the state’s funding cri- frastructure and services for se-
ts. sis. niors,” Edmondson said.
5 Edmondson, a candidate for “If they aren’t willing to stand
up to their corporate donors and
manche $20,000 their corporate lobbyists and do
what’s right, I’m prepared as gov-
ng This Past Week ernor to put a plan before the
people and let them vote to se-
cure these critical services and
put Oklahoma back on track.”
Promising that his governorship
will be a partnership with the
people, Edmondson is touring the
state giving Oklahomans across
the state an opportunity to help
build the plan for Oklahoma’s
future.
“Our leaders have failed to stand
up to corporate special interest
lobbyists. Our friends and neigh-
bors and especially our children,
are paying the price,” Edmondson
said. “As governor, if the shad-
ows from the tall buildings down-
town loom too large over our Comanche pharmacist Ryan Woody and Thompson Pharmacy employee
legislature, I’ll bring the process Deanna Butler visit with Drew Edmondson during his visit to Comanche
into the light of day and let Okla- Thursday afternoon of this past week as part of his “Take Back Okla-
homans vote on a budget plan homa” Tour.
that supports the people’s priori-
ties.” The people also approved ting the state budget, it has a
If such a petition became neces- Edmondson’s plan to direct the major impact on schools, hospi-
sary, it would mark the second Trust’s administrators to spend tals and nursing homes. It im-
time Edmondson has brought a only the Trust’s earnings, insur- pacts rural Oklahoma like
funding issue to the vote of the ing that the fund would continue Comanche harder than it does
people. As attorney general, to grow even as other states Tulsa, Oklahoma City, or even
Edmondson led the effort to pass drained their settlement accounts. Muskogee or Lawton. It is dev-
a constitutional amendment that Today, the Tobacco Trust has a astating to some communities if
created the Tobacco Settlement balance of more than $1 billion. their hospital has to close or even
Lough presented the City of Comanche a
Endowment Trust, which directed “Rural Oklahoma is suffering if a nursing home has to close. It
of $20,000 in recognition of becoming a
that the money received from the disproportionately from the bud- can put a real burden on families.
he check are: (l-r) City Manager Chuck
1998 Master Settlement Agree- get cuts,” Edmondson said. “I was just visiting in Waurika
yor Smokey Dobbins, from OMPA Repre-
ment with big tobacco be spent “When you talk about not taking and they had a prison facility
specifically on public health. the Medicaid expansion and cut- shut down which not only pro-
m the work to get it done. There is vided jobs, but also provided in-
ed
gy
a lot that goes into this. Cheryl
Johnson, Lester Lehew and oth-
Area Roundup mate labor for cities like
Comanche. That hits real hard. It
ers have to go to training,” Lough Cordially Invited! is something that if you are from
et said. Pastor Dianne and Elder Robert Myers and church family of Power Tulsa or Oklahoma City, you
ld “You have to have a written House of Deliverance Apostolic Church, 401 Patterson Avenue, don’t think about.
system maintenance plan. You cordially invite you to the ordination service of Latasha Crawford “If you have a town or county
of See OMPA p. 7 this Saturday morning, January 20, at 11 a.m. See Drew p. 5

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Comanche Times

past week.
Jan
18 Drew From Page 1
that is suffering already and all of a ing about Comanche, Waurika and put them on the ballot if we cannot
2018 sudden you take away inmate labor, other communities. get the legislature to do what needs
that is a major problem. It makes a “That’s my commitment. I can’t to be done. Let the people of the
Page big difference in rural Oklahoma promise that I can bring in industry, state of Oklahoma have a voice on
0005 more so than in the large cities. but I can promise that Comanche that.
Clip “Again, restoring the budget is the and other areas will be on my radar “If we don’t get the 7% gross pro-
resized key component to getting us back on screen,” Edmondson said. duction tax and get the legislature to
51% track.” do it, I will do everything I can to see
As for the state budget cuts that
From When asked about making eco- have devastated public school fund- that it is on the ballot.
0001 nomic development a higher prior- ing and so many other areas that “I do not blame Devon or Chesa-
ity to bring jobs back to rural areas serve Oklahoma families, peake or anybody else. They have a
of Oklahoma, Edmondson replied, Edmondson said he is willing as duty to try to maximize their profit.
“The governor needs to make sure governor to work across party lines. They have a duty to stockholders. I
there is economic development in “I believe the people elected this don’t blame them for doing every-
all 77 counties, and not just 2 coun- year, both Democrats and Republi- thing they can and that’s they way it
ties or a 7 county deal. cans, will come to Oklahoma City is.
“Oklahoma City and Tulsa have with a real sense that we have a “But, the legislature has a duty to
very active economic development problem and that they need to try to the people. The governor has a duty
components through their chamber. work together to try to come up with to the people and part of that duty is
The rest of the state, by and large, solutions. to listen and then do the right thing.
depend on the State Department of “If elected governor, I will help The right thing is to put it back
Commerce. If the State Department facilitate that. But my hole card is I where it was. The gross production
of Commerce is not working on a 77 am prepared to take issues to the tax was lowered to encourage an
county basis then nobody is worry- people with initiative petitions and experimental procedure for horizon-
tal drilling.
“The experiment is over. It works.
Board From Page 1 It is now the way they drill.
“They are making billions. They
do not need to be subsidized by
Davidson said that Comanche Schools would not be impacted by the Oklahoma. Texas doesn’t subsidize
order, but that there is fallacy in the order by the governor because only 118 them. New Mexico doesn’t subsi-
of 516 school district currently meeting the requirement. dize them. The Dakota’s do not.
Davidson said that a primary cause of the spending percentage decrease Oklahoma shouldn’t.”
for instruction is per-pupil funding cuts from the state. Davidson said when “We have too many people in of-
that happens the fixed charges that a school district can’t control automati- fice who are concerned about the
cally become a larger percentage of the budget, such as electricity, utilities, next election when they should be
insurance premiums, as well as county revaluation costs. thinking about the next generation,”
Davidson presented spreadsheets relating to expenditures of all school Edmondson said.
districts in the state. The spreadsheets indicated that Comanche’s adminis- “The legislature should focus on
trative costs are among the lowest in the state. funding the priorities that will best
Davidson also reported on a major water leak under the patio behind the serve our seniors, kids, grandkids
high school and outlined plans to completely rework all of the underground and our Oklahoma. If they don’t do
supply and sewer plumbing in that area. that, when I’m governor I’ll take it
In a special called meeting just prior to the regular meeting, Board to the people and we’ll get the job
members approved the April 3 date for the bond election, changed from done through the initiative petition
March 6 due to election statutes. process.”

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