Oklahoma House speaker names rest of impeachment panel

Thursday, April 1st 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- House Speaker Larry Adair on Thursday completed naming a committee of mostly veteran lawmakers that will consider articles of impeachment against state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.

"I choose people I think will do a good job. They will be fair," Adair, D-Stilwell, told reporters.

The speaker previously named veteran Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, as chairman of the committee.

Toure, who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the impeachment panel would hold its first meeting at 9 a.m. Monday.

He said committee members will focus on procedures that will be taken to comply with House Resolution 1040, which directs the committee to "conduct a comprehensive and detailed study and investigation of the activities" of Fisher.

Added to the committee on Thursday were four Democrats and three Republicans.

The Democrats are Reps. Ray McCarter of Marlow, Larry Roberts of Miami, Paul Roan of Tishomingo and Larry Rice of Pryor. Rice is majority floor leader of the House.

The Republicans are Reps. Larry Ferguson of Cleveland, Frank Davis of Guthrie and John Nance of Bethany.

"We have commissioned a group of well respected members from both sides of the aisle, who will approach their task with the highest level of unbiased professionalism," Adair said.

He said authors of the resolution, Reps. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow, and Fred Morgan, R-Oklahoma City, were left off the committee to avoid a conflict of interest.

"The fact that the two authored the measure and their comments during debate indicate they have strong feelings toward one side of the issue," the speaker said.

Adair said that in naming the committee, however, he did not consider how an individual lawmaker voted on the impeachment resolution, which was adopted on an 84-12 vote.

All but one of the committee members named Thursday voted for the resolution. The exception was Roan, a former member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Toure did not vote on the resolution in anticipation of his appointment as chairman

Fisher, a Democrat, has been charged with four felony counts related to operating a charity illegally and embezzling insurance education money.

The resolution also pointed to Fisher's acceptance of more than $30,000 worth of furniture and artwork from entities regulated by the Insurance Department and a reprimand he received from the Ethics Commission for violating ethics rules during his 2002 re-election campaign.

Fisher returned the furniture and artwork after Gov. Brad Henry refused to accept the items as gifts to the state.

Adair voted for the resolution, but has declined to join some lawmakers who have demanded that Fisher resign.

"I think the man's entitled to due process," the speaker said.

Rep. Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, House GOP leader, repeated his feeling that Fisher should resign to "save Oklahoma a lot of expense and and a lot of distraction."

Fisher has said he has no intention of stepping down from office and welcomes the legislative probe.