OKLAHOMA CITY - A budget report issued by the Ethics Commission today proves just how damaging Governor Keating's veto of ethics funding was, according to a Senate leader.

"Governor Keating has given plenty of lip service to ethical government, but he certainly doesn't practice what he preaches when it comes to funding our watchdog agencies," noted Senator Keith Leftwich, Majority Whip of the Oklahoma Senate. "You can't say you're for ethical government and then restrict the Ethics Commission's ability to operate, yet that's exactly what Governor Keating did."

OKLAHOMA CITY - A controversial turnpike program offered by former Governor David Walters would have built more road at a cheaper price than a turnpike package currently being advocated by Governor Frank Keating, according to a state legislator.

"The Walters program was the deal of the century compared to the Keating plan," said Senator Bruce Price. "It's costing Governor Keating twice as much to build his new turnpikes. The Keating toll road construction program just seems to be incredibly overpriced. "

Governor Keating is attempting to cut the budget for public education once again, this time by suggesting that motor vehicle revenue currently earmarked for schools be diverted to the transportation budget, according to a Senate budget leader.

"This is another attack on the education budget by Governor Keating," said Senator Cal Hobson, vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "He's tried to disguise it a little this time, but the reality is he's trying to take money out of Oklahoma classrooms again."

Saying he's seeking more information about a controversial turnpike program offered by Governor Frank Keating, a state legislator is formally requesting an interim legislative study of Oklahoma's toll road system and Keating's plans to expand it.

"I haven't gotten any answers from Governor Keating yet so I'm going to try to find the answers on my own," said Senator Bruce Price, the most vocal critic of Governor Keating's turnpike program. The Governor wants to build two new toll roads in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, financing the construction with a 10 percent toll hike statewide.

Apparently embarrassed by his performance on education, Governor Keating is conducting a bit of "revisionist history" on his record of support for the public schools, according to a Senate leader.

Governor Keating convened day three of his revisionist history lesson on his education record today, enlisting the aid of two Republican legislators to help him in his continuing effort to cover his anti-education tracks.

"Me thinketh he protest a bit too much," said Senator Cal Hobson, paraphrasing a famous line from Shakespeare that best describes Governor Keating's recent protestations and gesticulations about his education record.

By suggesting that motor vehicle revenue currently earmarked for education will be diverted to transportation needs if his new urban turnpikes are not built, Governor Keating is once again threatening the budgets of public schools, according to a Senate budget leader.

A group of rural state legislators is urging Governor Keating and the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation to take swift action to investigate Oklahoma's omission from a critical federal crop insurance program.

"Our farmers have been left out in the cold on this deal," said Senator Paul Muegge, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. "Unless the Governor and the congressional delegation move quickly, Oklahoma farmers are going to be in a world of hurt, and we can't afford that, especially after this year's drought."

The Oklahoma Legislature cut state taxes by $50 million in the recently concluded 1996 legislative session, according to a new study by the Senate Committee staff. The analysis was requested by Senator Dick Wilkerson, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

"I wanted to see what the final numbers were after the dust settled from the legislative session," said Senator Wilkerson.

"In the final analysis, I think legislators did a pretty good job of responding to the people's concerns about taxes, from property taxes to income taxes."

When Governor Keating vetoed a series of education reform measures at the end of the legislative session, he also killed a number of proposals made by the Governor's Commission on Government Performance he created, according to a Senate Budget leader.