Enid News & Eagle
Feb
Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate
21
2018
Edmondson calls for unity, reform
By James Coburn
Page
CNHI Oklahoma
A002
Clip EDMOND — People are
resized ready for a change, Drew
53% Edmondson said of what he
hears on the campaign trail
for Governor.
“That is not just
Democrats, but I hear from
registered Republicans,”
said Edmondson, a Democrat
and former Oklahoma attor-
ney general.
His campaign polling
shows that more than half
of registered Republicans
are not satisfied with the
direction state government
has taken in the last sev-
en-plus years, the former
state Attorney General said.
“I’m running because of
the sad state that Oklahoma’s
in right now,” he said.
Income investment in
business improve prof-
its, Edmondson explained.
Business understands how
to invest for profit, but most
state legislators think the the
state can create income by
cutting its income, he said.
“It’s never happened
and it never will happen,”
Edmondson said.
If state government does
not invest in education,
health and mental health,
transportation and correc-
tions, and the other needs
of people, then it will not
attract industry or help
existing businesses to grow,
Edmondson said.
“I would restore the gross
production tax to 7 percent
where it was. It was reduced
to encourage what was at the
time a relatively new tech-
nology — horizontal drill-
ing and hydraulic fractur-
ing,” Edmondson said. “The
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
experiment worked. It’s now
the way they do business.
They’re making billions of
dollars. By doing it that way,
they no longer need a state
subsidy.”
A $1.50 additional ciga-
rette tax would be necessary
even without a state bud-
get problem, he continued.
Smoking rates would decline
if the existing tax is suffi-
ciently raised, Edmondson
noted. However, he said the
capital gains tax has out-
lived its usefulness. He said
the commission that was
looking at tax incentives
stated that over a five-year
period, the capital gains tax
increased revenues by more
than $6 million through new
jobs and economic devel-
opment.
“But it cost over $465
million of revenue. I don’t
think that is a good trade-
off,” Edmondson said.
The state cannot afford
to remain 49th or 50th in
per-pupil expenditures or
teachers’ salaries and expect
out-of-state corporations to
bring their corporations to
Oklahoma, he continued.
Appropriations to high-
er education have declined
from 70 percent of high-
er education’s budget to 30
percent. This has occurred
for longer than seven years,
he said.
“The difference has been
made up by tuition increases
which ultimately are going
to price some kids out of
college,” Edmondson con-
tinued. “I think that’s the
wrong direction to go. I
think appropriated dollars to
our colleges and universities
need to be increased to make
up more of the mix of fund-
Drew Edmondson
ing for those institutions.”
Edmondson supports
bringing more econom-
ic opportunity to rural
Oklahoma by forming vol-
untary partnerships of indus-
trial districts within rural
industrial districts, he said.
Major urban areas includ-
ing Oklahoma City, Edmond
and Tulsa are doing a good
job of industrial recruitment,
Edmondson said. The state
Department of Commerce
needs to do the same job for
rural Oklahoma, he added.
It has been counter-pro-
ductive to take $500 million
a year out of the highway
department’s budget to help
fill a billion dollar budget
hole two years in a row,
PUBLIC NOTICE
Published in the Enid News & Eagle February 21, 28, 2018 LPXLP
Edmondson said. ODOT’s
eight-year plan has become
a 10-year plan, Edmondson
said. County government
has been robbed of its road
and highway money as well,
he said.
Edmondson pointed out
that state legislators need
to come to a meeting of
the minds, similar to how
it was in the 1970s-80s.
Edmondson served in the
Legislature in the 1970s. His
roommate was a Republican.
There was a collegiality lost
today when the minori-
ty party were co-chairs of
committees, Edmondson
recalled.
“I’d like to work on
restoring that,” Edmondson
said.
He would open the
Governor’s Mansion as a
venue for members of both
parties to come to after
work and communicate in a
relaxed environment. They
would not be locked-in by
their respective leadership
of both parties that they
might not agree with, he
said.
“I’ll be right with them,”
he said.
Coburn writes for the Edmond Sun.
(50)
 Clip
Feb 2018 Page resized
21 A004 73%
The Norman Transcript
A busy year for local, state politics
N
ormanites and
Oklahomans are
going to make some
important decisions about
who will lead us in 2018 and
beyond. Below are some key
races, hirings and election
dates to keep track of in the
coming months.
t Norman City Council
Ward 8 runoff: Incumbent
Kyle Allison and Alex Scott
were neck in neck in the
Feb. 13 municipal election.
They’ll have until June 3 to
convince Ward 8 residents
who is best equipped to
represent the ward for the
next two years. The city
council will vote on some
significant local issues,
including what stormwater
utility fee to send to a public
vote and the University
North Park expansion.
t OU President David
Boren’s impending retire-
ment: Last year, Boren an-
O UR VIE W tial, and it’s quite possible are all in the running. Drew
we won’t even know who Edmondson and Connie
nounced he would retire at the finalists are after a new Johnson will battle for the
the end of this school year, president has been hired. Democratic nomination.
June 30. It was a monu- Some members of the OU Primaries are slated for
mental announcement community are calling for June 26, with early voting
from someone who led more transparency during June 21-23. November 6
the university into the 21st the search.
t Oklahomans will elect will be the general election.
century and has somehow We’ll keep you informed
managed to weather severe a new governor this year:
Gov. Mary Fallin is serving on deadlines to register and
state budget cuts. A public more as we get closer to the
servant for 50 years, Boren’s her final year as governor
June 26 election.
experience as a legislator at of Oklahoma, and regard-
less of where you land on t Plenty of other state-
the state and federal level,
the political spectrum, wide races: Almost every
and as governor, has served that’s a good thing. It’s clear
him well. statewide seat is open for
the state needs new, more election this year, from lieu-
A search for a replace- effective leadership. The
ment is on. A committee tenant governor to attorney
Republican primary will general to one of the three
that will recommend final- almost surely determine
ists to the OU Board of Re- the next governor, and it’s corporation commission
gents, who are responsible seats. The Transcript will
a crowded field. Former
for making the decision, is Oklahoma City Mayor Mick print an election guide prior
nearing the end of its search Cornett, Tulsa lawyer Gary to the June 26 election to
and should present finalists Richardson, Tulsa-area get you as much informa-
to the regents by the end of businessman Kevin Stitt, tion as possible, because
the month. The search so state auditor Gary Jones you will have a lot of deci-
far has remained confiden- and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb sions to make.
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Woodward News

Edmondson calls for unity, reform

By James Coburn worked. It’s now the The state cannot bringing more economic
CNHI News Oklahoma way they do business. afford to remain 49th or opportunity to rural
Feb They’re making billions 50th in per-pupil expen- Oklahoma by forming
EDMOND, Okla. — of dollars. By doing it ditures or teachers’ voluntary partnerships
21 People are ready for a that way, they no longer salaries and expect out- of industrial districts
change, Drew need a state subsidy.” of-state corporations to within rural industrial
2018 Edmondson said of what A $1.50 additional bring their corporations districts, he said. Major
he hears on the cam- cigarette tax would be to Oklahoma, he contin- urban areas including
Page paign trail for Governor. necessary even without ued. Appropriations to Oklahoma City, Edmond
A003 “That is not just a state budget problem, higher education have and Tulsa are doing a
Clip
Democrats, but I hear he continued. Smoking declined from 70 per- good job of industrial
resized from registered rates would decline if cent of higher educa- recruitment, Edmondson
52% Republicans,” said the existing tax is suffi- tion’s budget to 30 per- said. The state
Edmondson, D- ciently raised, cent. This has occurred Department of
Oklahoma City. Edmondson noted. for longer than seven Commerce needs to do
His campaign polling However, he said the years, he said. the same job for rural
shows that more than capital gains tax has out- “The difference has Oklahoma, he added.
half of registered lived its usefulness. He been made up by tuition It has been counter-
Republicans are not sat- said the commission that increases which ulti- productive to take $500
isfied with the direction was looking at tax mately are going to million a year out of the
state government has incentives stated that price some kids out of highway department’s
taken in the last seven- over a five-year period, college,” Edmondson budget to help fill a bil-
plus years, the former the capital gains tax continued. “I think that’s lion dollar budget hole
state Attorney General increased revenues by the wrong direction to two years in a row,
said. more than $6 million go. I think appropriated Edmondson said.
“I’m running because through new jobs and dollars to our colleges ODOT’s eight-year plan
of the sad state that economic development. and universities need to has become a 10-year
Oklahoma’s in right “But it cost over $465 be increased to make up plan, Edmondson said.
now,” he said. million of revenue. I more of the mix of fund- County government has
Income investment in don’t think that is a ing for those institu- been robbed of its road
business improve prof- good trade-off,” tions.” and highway money as
its, Edmondson Edmondson said. Edmondson supports well, he said.
explained. Business
understands how to
invest for profit, but
most state legislators
think the the state can
create income by cutting
its income, he said.
“It’s never happened
and it never will hap-
pen,” Edmondson said.
If state government
does not invest in edu-
cation, health and men-
tal health, transportation
and corrections, and the
other needs of people,
then it will not attract
industry or help existing
businesses to grow,
Edmondson said.
“I would restore the
gross production tax to
7 percent where it was.
It was reduced to
encourage what was at
the time a relatively new
technology — horizon-
tal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing,” Edmondson
said. “The experiment

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