Oklahoma Democratic Party Praises Democratic

Legislators for Standing Up for Consumer and Patient Safety

Challenges Republicans to End the False ‘Family Values’ Rhetoric

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A recent report from the Oklahoma Center for Consumer and Patient Safety, a Tulsa-based non-profit consumer and patient advocacy organization, gave three Democratic lawmakers a perfect rating on their latest legislative report. The scores were based on legislative votes dealing with issues including extending health coverage to uninsured children, assisted living, identity theft, additional safety requirements for children, and legislation that waived liability for volunteer doctors at free health clinics. All votes were tracked during the 2007 legislative session, which ended at the end of May.

“We are proud of Senator Mike Morgan from Stillwater, Senator Judy Eason-McIntyre from Tulsa and Representative Jabar Shumate from Tulsa who all received a perfect rating in defense of Oklahoma consumers and patients,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Ivan Holmes, “and we congratulate them for working to protect Oklahoma families.”

In addition to the three perfect ratings, the report shows that Senate Democrats had a combined score of 89% compared to the Senate Republicans combined score of 75%. The House Democrats had a combined scored of 88%, compared to the House Republicans combined score of 72%. In the State Senate, nine Democrats scored over 90% and in the House of Representatives, fourteen Democrats scored over 90%, while no Republicans scored over 90% in either chamber.

Holmes went on to add, “it is disheartening, yet not surprising, that the highest score of any Republican is still lower than the Democratic average in either house. It just highlights the fact that there are no Republicans in the legislature championing these issues, which are so critical to the future wellbeing of Oklahoma families.”

“Oklahomans are tired of the false Republican rhetoric about ‘family values’ when Republican votes prove they don’t care about protecting children or the elderly when it might inconvenience their friends in big business. It is clear that the Democratic Party is the only party that will work to make Oklahoma a safer place for our families,” added Holmes.

Democrats in the Senate who voted over 90% of the time to protect consumers and patients were Tom Adelson, Sean Burrage, Mary Easley, Connie Johnson, Debbe Leftwich, Judy Eason McIntyre, Mike Morgan, Jeff Rabon and Andrew Rice.

Democrats in the House who voted over 90% of the time to protect consumers and patients were Wallace Collins, Darrell Gilbert, Rebecca Hamilton, Wes Hilliard, Scott Inman, Ryan Kiesel, Al Lindley, Jeannie McDaniel, Richard Morrissette, Bill Nations, Eric Proctor, Paul Roan, Ben Sherrer, and Jabar Shumate.

Senator Glenn Coffee, leader of the Senate Republicans, along with five other Republican Senators, received a ‘D’ rating. Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill also received a ‘D’ rating, along with twenty-three other House Republicans. In addition, Republican House member Mike Reynolds received the only ‘F’ grade in the entire legislature.

“The Democratic Party will continue to challenge Republicans on these issues, because the citizens of Oklahoma deserve more than lip service from their elected officials. Oklahomans deserve real reform that will make their lives better each day and the Democrats are the only ones working to make that happen,” concluded Holmes.

The full report can be found at www.okccps.org.