LARGENT PLANS MCALESTER CAMPAIGN STOP

Gubernatorial candidate and former United States congressman Steve Largent
is scheduled to speak in Chadick Park from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday as part
of a 12 city tour announcing his intention to run for governor of Oklahoma.

Largent, who resigned from Congress in February to explore the possibility
of running for governor, formally announced his intentions Monday at
campaign stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Lawton.

Speaking from a campaign stop in Lawton, Largent spoke to the News-Capital
& Democrat about issues as diverse as water sales, prisons and the death
penalty.

"I definitely support the moratorium on water sales," Largent said, adding
all issues surrounding the sale of water out of state need to be carefully
examined. "I think there are a lot more T's to be crossed and I's to be
dotted before I'd sign off on anything like that.

"There are too many legal issues that need to be fully examined before
anything like that is done."

Largent said he would rather see industries that need water come to
Oklahoma than to sell the water out of state. "We want to reverse the gates
at the state border, not only for industry, but for our students and young
people," he said. "Everywhere you go you hear parents and grandparents say
they'd like to see the children be able to stay in the state and get the
kinds of jobs that other states have.

"I believe we can do that."

Largent said there is a "lot of room for discussion" about prisons. "We
have a real serious drug problem in Oklahoma that we have to address," he
said, noting drug abuse contributes to the number of burglaries and other
non-violent crimes seen across the state and can also contribute to violent
crimes, such as murder. "I believe we need to have stiff penalties, to
crack down on the drug users, but we need to look at other issues as well."

One way to do this is to incorporate more treatment programs into the
prison system. In addition, he said, he would not be adverse to a plan to
house state inmates in county jails - something first proposed by state
Sen. Frank Shurden and Rep. M.C. Liest - "as long as the inmate is locked up."

Under the plan proposed by Shurden and Liest, county sheriffs would be able
to contract with the Department of Corrections to house state inmates in
county jails, then use that contract to get bank loans to make improvements
to the jails.

The death penalty was "the one area that gave me pause when I was
considering whether or not to run," Largent said. "In Oklahoma, the
governor puts his name on the dotted line when an execution is performed."

Still, Largent said, he supports the death penalty "but I'd like to ensure
that all available forensic evidence is properly tested before someone is
sentenced to death."

On the campaign trail, Largent told supporters he plans to build on efforts
by current Gov. Frank Keating to make the state more prosperous by
upgrading schools and changing the state's workers' compensation system and
tax code.

The 47-year-old National Football League hall of fame member said public
education is vital for a prosperous state, adding schools should be
controlled locally and not "micromanaged" from the Capitol.

Largent said he believed the state's income tax should be replaced with a
consumption tax. In addition, he endorsed elimination of the estate tax,
the corporate franchise tax and repeal of the state sales tax on groceries.

He said he'd like to submit a tax reform plan to a statewide vote within
the first two years of his administration.

Largent is one of two declared Republican gubernatorial candidates. The
other is political newcomer Jim Denny, a motivational speaker from Oklahoma
City.

Oklahoma City businessman Vince Orza, state Sens. Kelly Haney of Seminole
and Brad Henry of Shawnee and state Rep. Jim Dunegan of Calera are running
on the Democratic side.

Independent Gary Richardson, a Tulsa attorney, also is running.