Pass the pizza rolls? Special session a lame pre-party

Sunday, January 21, 2024

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COMMENTARY

special session pre-party — (Mike Allen)

It’s legislative session time already, and the pre-party is starting a week sooner than usual.

No, I don’t mean this weekend’s annual Speaker’s Ball where influence groups picked up the tab and lawmakers rocked out to geriatric Alabama.

I’m talking about the special session Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has called to start Monday, Jan. 29, one full week ahead of the constitutionally required start of the 2024 regular session.

Stitt’s pre-game bash aims to force the Legislature to vote on reducing the individual state income tax by 0.25 percent, something he tried to do all last year. In fact, he tried to call a special session soiree in October tax-cut purposes, and that failed spectacularly after he refused to sit with the Senate and talk about the topic in public.

With Senate leadership already saying that the week before regular session starts is too early to finalize a big budget puzzle piece, it’s hard to see how this special session shindig will offer any more fun.

Since 2024’s looming legislative blowout is sure to spur as many comics as usual, I thought I would take a stab at drawing different members than normal as a reminder of just how many people are going to think this party stinks.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson (D-OKC) always seems adequately annoyed by Stitt’s shenanigans, and she called this latest special session a great way “to waste time and taxpayer dollars by throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks.”

Meanwhile, I’m told Rep. Bob Ed Culver Jr. (R-Tahlequah) is a gregarious fellow who brightens up any room, plus I’m an OU football fan.

For their sakes and others’, here’s hoping this special session pre-party is at least as fun as the lamest tailgate.