This just in: This afternoon the Oklahoma Senate voted down SB 1324, 3 votes to 42. Only three senators voted yes: Brian Crain (R-Tulsa; the bill's author), Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), and Ted Fisher (D-Sapulpa). Glenn Coffee (R), Judy Eason-McIntyre (D), and Mike Morgan (D) were absent. Everyone else voted against.
Thanks to all who called, e-mailed, and faxed to express your opposition. And thanks to the legislators who responded to our concerns, took a closer look at the bill, and rejected it.
TRACKBACK: Charles G. Hill comments on the bill and its defeat: "Tulsa's historic zoning is a plastic latch: it's there, and it makes a satisfying click sound, but sooner or later you know it's going to break."
Comments (3)
Thank goodness. I hope my emails helped. This law would have been the kiss of death for neighborhoods.
Posted by Jan Thomas | May 24, 2006 8:12 PM
Posted on May 24, 2006 20:12
All progressive Tulsans should be very proud of the sucessful grass-roots effort to stop SB 1324 and HB 2559. This was another example people from both the left and the right coming together to prevent special interests from having their way. Other examples include defeating recall, organizing to stop the at-large petition drive, halting the south Tulsa bridge and electing a citizen friendly city council.
Keep up the good work citizens!!!!!!!!!!!
Representative Democracy really can work if people get involved.
Posted by Greg Bledsoe | May 25, 2006 7:13 AM
Posted on May 25, 2006 07:13
The denizens at the local controlling Oligarchy and their GTAR and Home Builder cronies learned a lesson after their pyrrhic victory at 71st and Harvard land grab for F&M Bank:
They learned that it's much better to make their nefarious moves in the backroom, and at night, well under the public radar screen, rather than riling up the peasants with a direct frontal assault to their cherished VALUES.
Like their recent subterranean move on the Senate Bill 1324 to push all zoning disputes outside of the political system and directly into District Court where they already rent the District Judges and can easily afford the best land attorneys to litigate against impotent neighborhood associations.
The unanticipated result of their 71st and Harvard zoning malfeasance was Homeowners for Fair Zoning, which isn't going away anytime soon.
Posted by Bob | May 25, 2006 2:08 PM
Posted on May 25, 2006 14:08