Wildfire funding dispute forces early state House adjournment

Friday, March 10th 2006, 12:09 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The state House adjourned abruptly Friday morning without hearing a single bill after Democrats failed to show up in a dispute over money for rural fire departments.

Republican leaders adjourned shortly before 10 AM while Democrats were in a closed meeting. The Democrats were discussing ways to force the state House to take up bill to increase state grants to the rural fire departments in fighting wildfires.

The bill has already passed the state Senate.

Democrats said after meeting the wildfires that have burned more than 500,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses have also drained the budgets of the rural fire departments.

Republican leaders were meeting in private and not immediately available for comment.