Lawmakers cite varied reasons for missing votes
Legislators point to reasons ranging from family health matters to military deployment when explaining why they’ve missed a substantial number of floor votes.
The missed votes were tabulated by eCapitol, a subscription-based legislative news and bill tracking service.
The data cover the two special sessions and the regular session that ended in May.
Rep. Michael Rogers, R-Broken Arrow, topped the list of House members who missed the most votes — nearly 77 percent.
Rogers said his wife had a heart condition that required surgeries.
“I had to step away from the Legislature and take care of her through her recovery and take care of our three boys as she was going through all of it,” he said.
Rogers chose not to seek another term as a result.
“It really kind of put a perspective on life,” he said. “With me having three young boys, it made me realize how much I put on my wife when I was in the Legislature. I decided to step away.”
He said his wife is healing well.
Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, missed nearly 45 percent of the votes. She is running for labor commissioner in Oklahoma.
“Leadership has nothing to do with making votes on the House floor where the good-old boys often waste your time with nonsense bills,” she said. “You work to get your major goals accomplished by working to build support for a teacher pay raise, for audits of every agency and for a true balanced budget.
“That’s what I tried to do, be a leader and a difference maker.”
Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, ranked third, missing 40 percent of the votes.
He said work, a new grandbaby and responding to an unsuccessful challenge to his candidacy were partly to blame.
Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, ranked fourth, missing nearly 36 percent of the votes. He declined to comment.
Rep. Eric Proctor, D-Tulsa, was fifth. He missed nearly 33 percent of the votes.
Proctor said he missed nine days of a session because his young daughter had an appendectomy.
Proctor could not seek re-election due to term limits.
He said that in his 12 years in office, he made well in excess of 95 percent of the votes.
Being called to active military duty resulted in Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Broken Arrow, missing 100 percent of the votes.
“I hope the empty chair in the Senate chamber served as a reminder that thousands of other citizen-soldiers are serving overseas and their absence is felt at jobsites and kitchen tables,” Newhouse said. “The American resolve to defeat international terrorism and restore order comes with tremendous shared sacrifice.
“As I am finishing my last Navy Reserve deployment, I am looking forward to returning home this summer and focusing on my family and constituents.”
Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz, R-Altus, missed 56 percent of the votes.
“Most of my missed votes can be attributed to the fact that I spent so much time in the budget negotiations in order to secure the largest teacher pay raise in state history,” said Schulz, who can’t run again due to term limits.
Senate rules require a senator to be physically on the floor to cast a vote. The House allows the speaker to vote from his office.
Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, missed nearly 46 percent of the votes.
Standridge said he missed a couple of weeks of the session due to a family crisis, adding that his overall record is good.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, missed nearly 42 percent of the votes.
“I missed votes because I was in budget negotiations working to secure the largest and most significant teacher pay raise in state history and in meeting with my House counterpart to guide priority Senate bills safely through the legislative process,” Treat said.
Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow, missed nearly 38 percent of the votes.
Brown, who can’t run again due to term limits, said he missed votes due to the death of his daughter.