Governor, state senator call for assistance in heating bills

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry and a state senator say they're looking for ways to help low-income Oklahomans afford to pay to heat their homes this winter.<br/><br/>Rising natural gas prices

Friday, October 14th 2005, 4:53 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry and a state senator say they're looking for ways to help low-income Oklahomans afford to pay to heat their homes this winter.

Rising natural gas prices have utilities saying gas bills could rise by 35 percent this winter in Oklahoma.

Henry says he'll ask Oklahoma's congressional delegation about increasing federal funding for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. The federal program provided about $8-million last year to help 100,000 low-income households pay their heating bills.

And state Senator Johnnie Crutchfield wants the state Senate's Appropriations Committee to meet next week to look for ways the state could provide money to supplement the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.