Fifty Years Ago

Fifty years ago the Oklahoma Legislature under Governor Howard Edmondson's direction was struggling with four major issues. County Commissioner Reform, Central Purchasing law, Merit System law and Repeal of Prohibition.The Old Guard Senate fought off County Commissioner Reform but the other three measures passed. In late April, Oklahoman's voted to repeal prohibition but not until after Joe Cannon, Edmondson's chief cop, barrricaded major roads into wet states to stop bootleggers and raided Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.
The side stories are even more interesting. Back in that day the Govrnor appointed the Speaker and to a great extent controlled the House of Representatives. Edmondson tagged Clint Livingston from Carter County as Speaker and the appointed floor leaders for the major issues, Stanley Huser for Central Purchasing, G.M. Fuller for Merit System and Bob Lollar for Repeal of Prohibition. All three chaffed under the Governor's heavy hand, particularly Lollar.
After the bill setting up all the rules regarding booze and sale of booze and the Resolution for a vote of the people passed the Legislature, Lollar took personal priveleges to speak and blstered Edmondson and Cannon for their tactics and resigned as Floor Leader. Speaker Livingston said, after Lollar's unprecedented attack on Edmondson, "Members, this is a sad day for Oklahoma, for the Governor and for Representative Lollar." Edmonson's power and popularity begin to wane and in the following legislative session, J.D. McCarty took advantage of that, changed the rules of the House of Representatives and was elected by the members as Speaker. A huge power grab that weakened the Governor forever.