OKLAHOMA Senate passes redistricting plan

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A plan redrawing the boundaries of Oklahoma's state Senate districts was approved on a 42-0 vote on Tuesday in the 48-member legislative body. <br><br>There was no debate.

Tuesday, May 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A plan redrawing the boundaries of Oklahoma's state Senate districts was approved on a 42-0 vote on Tuesday in the 48-member legislative body.

There was no debate.

The plan, which received one ``no'' vote in committee, now goes to the House, where redistricting has caused strife and played a role in an attempt Monday to remove Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell.

In both plans, population declines led to expanding the geographical size of many western Oklahoma districts.

The Oklahoma Panhandle district of Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, grew in size from 250 miles long to 310.

The House proposal also had been scheduled for floor action on Tuesday, but it was sent back to committee after the move to oust Adair failed on a 50-50 tie.

The last vote against the move was cast by Rep. Jim Glover, D-Lawton, who had complained about his new district, which snaked from the Lawton area in southwest Oklahoma into Mustang, an Oklahoma City suburb.

The plan abolished the district of Rep. Tim Pope, R-Mustang, and announced candidate for labor commissioner. Pope's district was relocated to suburban Tulsa.

One of two Democratic votes against Glover was cast by Rep. Ron Langmacher, D-Carnegie, who had been given part of Glover's old district in the plan voted out of committee on Monday.