Keating to ask for gas bill aid for needy

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Gov. Frank Keating and state legislators pushed plans Wednesday to help low income families with soaring heating bills linked to a lag in natural gas supplies.

Keating asked the Oklahoma Human Services Commission to transfer $4 million in welfare money to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance program, which aids families at or below 110 percent of the federal poverty level.

"With the rapidly increasing cost of natural gas, many low-income Oklahomans will be hard pressed to pay their heating bills this winter," Keating said People have until 5 p.m. Friday to apply for energy assistance at county offices of the Department of Human Services, but this deadline could be extended if more money becomes available.

Rep. Ray McCarter, D-Marlow, is author of a bill proposing to dip into the state's constitutional Rainy Day Fund for $8.5 million to match energy assistance funding and help 130,000 more Oklahomans with low or fixed incomes.

"We must act as soon as possible," McCarter said. "Dramatic increases in home heating bills coupled with a colder-than-usual Oklahoma winter could be life threatening if people are disconnected from heating services because they are unable to pay their bills."

The measure is supported by newly elected House Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell.

Oklahomans can also apply for a payment plan with their gas company if they cannot pay their bill on time.

McCarter's legislation cites "a lag in supply in response to a recent surge in demand" for natural gas.

Ed Apple, Corporation Commission member, said many producers were forced out of business during a downturn in energy prices a few years ago. He said the state regulatory agency has warned for more than a year that "it could take as much as two years for the supply to catch up with the demand."