SPEAKER PLANS CONFERENCE CALL AMID RESIGNATION RUMORS
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill plans to address GOP House members this afternoon amid speculation that he will step down as speaker. Republican House members say Cargill has planned a 3 p.m. conference call with members of the House Republican caucus. GOP House members say they expect Cargill to announce his resignation from the speaker's post. Cargill has been under fire following published reports indicating he submitted late property tax payments on his Harrah law office six years in a row. Cargill also failed to file state personal income tax returns in 2005 and 2006. Cargill is serving his second year as House speaker. At 35, he is the nation's youngest state House speaker. House rules state that if the speaker's position becomes vacant, the speaker pro tem will become acting speaker until an election is held. Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell, is the House's speaker pro tem.