by Karl Kurtz
The Paul's Valley (Oklahoma) Daily Democract has an amusing editorial, "Oklahoma is a model for the rest of the nation," that comments on the benefits of the Oklahoma Senate being tied this year and reads in part:
For decades - in fact since statehood - Democrats have controlled the Oklahoma Senate, which often times made for some dramatic political battles.
Now, for the first time in state history, the Senate is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats and they seem to be getting along better than ever.
Maybe we've hit on something here. If we could somehow get all of the voters in Oklahoma to consistently elect an evenly divided House and Senate every two years, we just might get some things done.
As it goes on to talk about how the state could be redistricted in a manner that would always produce ties, the Daily Democrat has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek. But in fact, tied legislative chambers are not unusual across the country, and they sometimes do lead to improved interparty communication and cooperation, as explained in "Legislative Deadlock: What if it Happens to You?"
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