By Heide Brandes
OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept 4 (Reuters) – An Oklahoma state
representative said he wants voters to decide whether the state
should issue bonds to help fund storm shelters in public
schools, a day after the House refused to consider such funding.
Oklahoma Rep. Joe Dorman, a Democrat, said on Wednesday he
will hold a special committee meeting on Friday to discuss a
possible ballot initiative.
The Republican-led House of Representatives voted on Tuesday
to exclude the issue of safety in schools from consideration as
part of a special legislative session. The decision came three
months after two historic twisters hit the state, including one
that killed seven students in a Moore elementary school that did
not have a shelter.
“The motion to kill it means to me that no one else had a
plan or that they wanted to leave it up to local schools to fund
shelters, many of which cannot afford to do so,” said Dorman.
The state House voted 57 to 26, largely along party lines,
to not consider shelter funding. One of the Republicans who
voted against the discussion represents Moore.
Republicans said the special session was called by Governor
Mary Fallin in order to reform torts, the amount of money that
can be awarded in court cases. All other issues not relevant to
tort reform also were tabled.
“The governor issued the call, and we need to adhere to her
agenda,” said Republican House majority floor leader Pam
Peterson. “She set the agenda, and the House is adhering to that
agenda only.”
During an 11 day period in May, Oklahoma was hit by two EF5
tornadoes, the strongest rating assigned to such storms, with
winds of 200 miles per hour or more.
The first tornado on May 20 flattened whole sections of the
Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people, including
seven children at Plaza Towers Elementary School that did not
have a shelter.
The second, on May 31, was the widest tornado ever recorded
in the United States, at 2.6 miles. But it skirted the town of
El Reno, Oklahoma. Nineteen people died from tornadoes, flooding
and other weather-related events on the day of the monster El
Reno twister.
Fallin, a Republican, told Reuters in an interview two weeks
after the Moore tornado that it would be unrealistic to put a
safe room or shelter in every school. It could cost up to $2
billion, which would be nearly a third of the state budget, she
said.
Following the devastating tornados, Dorman requested that
House staff draw up a bill for a $500 million bond issue, with
$400 million going to pay for storm shelters in schools through
a program currently administered by the state’s Office of
Emergency Management.
The other $100 million was earmarked for a program to assist
homeowners and group home facilities to build storm shelters.
However, in Oklahoma, only House leadership can introduce
spending measures late in regular session. Oklahoma Speaker of
the House T.W. Shannon declined to have the bill heard. Shannon
was not available for comment on Wednesday.
(Editing by Brendan O’Brien, Mary Wisniewski and Ken Wills)
