Ugly Business

Deadlines always have a way of applying pressure. It places a time contract and forces things to be done within a framework. This past week at the Capitol was one of those deadline weeks. It is probably the most awful time to be a legislator. I have seen some very intelligent people over the last decade try to manage the flow of the legislative process. Even the smartest of them struggle so I am beginning to think it is just the nature of the beast. The gatekeeper for bills is the floor leader. This year’s Floor Leader who was appointed by the Speaker, is Dan Sullivan from Tulsa. Dan is probably as smart as anyone I have ever met. But, even with his way above average intelligence, the task of getting 3,000 pieces of legislation through the process is very daunting. We really did not want to meet on Friday this last week because of the additional cost so we crammed about three weeks worth of floor activity into four days.

I thought of a cowboy analogy as I set in the presiding chair listening to a debate that I had heard many times. There only difference now is that it is coming from new players. I believe that bills in the legislative process are a lot like working a pen of cattle. If you have ever worked cattle, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Most of the gentle, easy to handle calves will go through the chute fairly smoothly. As you work toward the back of the pen, you get into the knuckleheads of the group. They are the ones who do not want to go through the alley, the ones who fight the chute, they spook and shy, usually require a little cussin’ and just generally cause trouble. Most of us were not lucky enough to have Dr. Temple Grandin design our facilities. Bills in the legislature are much like that. The easy ones go through the process pretty early and usually pretty smoothly. The knuckle heads or in this case the tougher, more contentious bills kind of ball up in the corner of the pen. When you finally get them headed down that alley, it takes lots of hot shottin’, whippin’ and cussin’ to finally get them passed.

This last week was like 150 head of five weight steers just off wheat pasture coating everything with a color of green, you know what I’m sayin’, and just kickin’ the snot out of anyone who got in their way. About that fourth night that lasted till near midnight, we had a bunch of people ready to get out of that dome. We have a lot of diversity in the House chamber this year. There is quite a spread between the right and left. It has caused a lot of headaches and fights. Interestingly enough, many of the fights have been caused by the extreme right teaming up with the left. Many of those battles have occurred because of an unusual alliance between the left and the right. I am really not trying to poke anyone in the eye with that. It just is what it is. It has been said that politics makes strange bed fellows. There is probably not a better example of that than in the House this year. I am always honored to preside over the House and I have always appreciated the Speaker’s confidence in me to sit in the chair and run the session but this year, instead of a gavel, you almost need a striped shirt and a whistle. It has just been tough, no let’s just say ugly. I have never pulled punches or tried to sugar coat things and I am not going to now.

This week is already better because we have passed the deadline and we restart the timer. We are now going through the committee process of hearing Senate bills on our side. In a few short weeks, we will do it again. And then, we will start on the budget. Pray for us.

If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call 1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:

“Politics are very much like war. We may even have to use poison gas at times.” -Winston Churchill