House votes to attach emergency clause to commission extension bill

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The Oklahoma House has voted to attach an emergency clause to a bill that would extend the life of the Tulsa Race Riot Commission. <br><br>State representatives voted 70-29 Wednesday

Thursday, March 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The Oklahoma House has voted to attach an emergency clause to a bill that would extend the life of the Tulsa Race Riot Commission.

State representatives voted 70-29 Wednesday for the clause, which allows the legislation to take effect immediately after the end of the legislative session. Without that provision, it would have taken 90 days after the May 26 adjournment to activate.

The commission's authorization ran out last month under the state's "sunset" law, which allows many boards to expire unless their continued existence is justified to lawmakers.

Up to 300 people, mostly black, died in violence that erupted May 31, 1921. A black shoeshine man was accused of attacking a white woman working as an elevator operator.

A white lynch mob clashed with a group of blacks trying to protect the shoeshine man, resulting in gunfights and fires that destroyed homes and businesses in the Greenwood business district once known as the "Black Wall Street."

Rep. Russ Roach, D-Tulsa, said the lack of an emergency provision would create a gap in the commission's work. Another Tulsa-area lawmaker, Rep. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow, debated against the provision, saying it would not improve race relations in Tulsa.

Wright said Tulsa needs to look to the future "instead of looking back and being constantly reminded of our failures." Another Republican, Rep. Fred Perry, said he has no problems with the commission, but said aspects of the race riot have been exaggerated.

For example, some people say there was a cover-up after the riot, but there are history books that refer to the incident, Perry, R-Tulsa, said. "We need to tone down the
exaggerations," he said. The bill now goes to the Senate.