Oklahoma News Briefs: Tulsa County commissioners approve raises

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Elected officials in Tulsa County will get a $7,000 pay raise effective Jan. 1. <br><br>The Tulsa County commissioners unanimously approved the raises. Officials said they expect the

Wednesday, December 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Elected officials in Tulsa County will get a $7,000 pay raise effective Jan. 1.

The Tulsa County commissioners unanimously approved the raises. Officials said they expect the pay increases to be easier for the public to take than a $20,000 increase attempted two years ago.

The $20,000 pay raise drew a lawsuit.

``In retrospect, I think we overreached,'' Commissioner Bob Dick said. ``This time, I don't think we are.''

The 10 percent raise approved Monday increases pay for eight elected officials from $70,074 to $77,082. Getting raises are the three county commissioners, treasurer, assessor, court clerk, county clerk and sheriff.

``I think it's a reasonable and moderate increase, and it's consistent with what we've given employees,'' Commissioner John Selph said.

County employees have been averaging 5 percent increases based on performance for the past three years, said Personnel Director Terry Tallent.

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High energy prices help boost budget for cleanup of abandoned sites

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ There's a silver lining to high energy prices: a bigger budget for cleanup of abandoned oilfield sites in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board on Tuesday marked the reclamation of its 2,000th location since it was formed in 1994.

Rising revenues are expected to help fund more cleanups, said Mike Terry, the board's executive director. Oil and gas producers and royalty owners fund the cleanups from a voluntary assessment of one-tenth of 1 percent on oil and gas sales.

The board's budget will be $7.4 million this fiscal year, compared to $4 million 18 months ago when oil prices hit record lows, Terry said.

The energy panel expects to clean up as many as 600 sites this fiscal year, which ends next summer.

``If we don't clean these up there's not going to be anybody doing it except the landowner, and we don't think it's fair for them to do it because they're not responsible for it,'' Terry said.

Producers and royalty owners can apply for a refund from January 1 to March 31 each year, but about 95 percent of the assessments remain in the fund, he said.

``Many of the critics of this program never thought we'd get here,'' said state Sen. Kevin Easley, D-Broken Arrow, who co-authored the legislation forming the board.

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Oklahoma's collections continue to rise

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma's General Revenue Fund collections climbed 8 percent over a year ago in November, almost exclusively because of higher natural gas prices.

Three of the state's four major revenue sources came in below estimates. Alison Fraser, deputy director of the Oklahoma State Office of Finance, said it is a sign Oklahoma's economy ``is falling more in line with the rest of the nation and is slowing a bit.''

She said there is no cause for alarm, noting that net income tax and sales tax collections for the year remain above estimates.

She said motor vehicle tax collections are being affected by a cut in tag costs approved in a statewide vote.

Gross production taxes exceeded last year's figure by 80.3 percent and the estimate by 152.3 percent. Collections totaled $41.2 million, or $18.4 million more than last year.

Combined individual and corporate income taxes yielded $135.2 million, which was $1.7 million below the estimate.

Sales taxes produced $97.1 million, up $2 million over a year ago, but $2.2 million below the estimate.

Motor vehicle taxes were $2.5 million below the prior year and 10 percent less than the estimate.

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Lawyer for Oklahoma killer says client's death sentence should be overturned

DENVER (AP) _ An attorney for a man who admitted killing four people in an Oklahoma bank says his client should not be executed because the penalty phase of his trial was unfair.

Jay Wesley Neills faces the death penalty for killings that occurred during a 1984 robbery of the First Bank of Chattanooga in Geronimo.

His attorney, James L. Hankins, is asking the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to turn Neills' four death sentences into a life sentence, with or without the possibility of parole.

Because of trial errors, Neills was tried and sentenced to death twice for repeatedly stabbing three employees and shooting a customer during the robbery.

Hankins told appellate judges Monday of inflammatory and erroneous statements by the prosecutor at the second trial, errors by the trial judge and ineffective lawyers for Neill.

But Oklahoma Assistant Attorney General Sandra Howard argued that Neill's death sentence should remain intact, claiming any imperfections in the trial did not warrant having the sentence overturned.

It was not clear when the appeals court planned to rule in the case.

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Labor commissioner say she'll run for lieutenant governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ State Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau Wynn says she's running for lieutenant governor, making it possible Oklahoma's top two political offices could be held by women in two years.

Reneau Wynn, a Republican, said she has accomplished her goals as labor commissioner and it is time to move on.

``I'm running for lieutenant governor because I want to play a larger role in shaping public policy in Oklahoma,'' she said Tuesday.

There is speculation that GOP Gov. Frank Keating will join a George W. Bush administration. If that happens, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, also a Republican, would succeed him and be in position to seek election to a full term. Reneau Wynn said she expects Fallin to run for governor in any event.

As far as her own decision, Fallin said it is not based on what any other office holder does.

Another woman, Democrat Laura Boyd of Norman, also has announced she will run for lieutenant governor. Boyd is a former state legislator and unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor.