NEWS UPDATES

Forum for Debate

Two candidates for the state House District 66 seat will face each other in a forum at 6pm on Tuesday, Oct. 12, but organizers of the event sponsored by the Pearl District Association are trying a new format they hope will lead to a more substantive discussion.

"We're going to try something different," said Jamie Jamieson, a PDA board member and the moderator for the event, which will be held at the Central Community Center, 1028 E. 6th St.

Jamieson said organizers are soliciting questions in advance for candidates Jadine Nollan, a Sand Springs Republican, and Eli Potts, a Sand Springs Democrat. The two are vying for the seat left open when the incumbent, Sand Spring Democrat Lucky Lamons, announced he would not seek re-election. Both candidates already have accepted an invitation to appear at the event.

District 66 stretches from Sand Springs on the west to the Pearl District on the east, bordering the Arkansas River and encompassing much of downtown Tulsa in the process. It includes neighborhoods at both ends of the socio-economic scale.

Jamieson said he'll be asking the candidates questions about such issues as State Question 744, poverty, economic development, mass transportation and inner-city revitalization, among other topics, beginning with general questions before following those with more specific queries. Candidates will be permitted a maximum of two minutes to answer each question, followed by a 30-second rebuttal.

There will be a 10- to 15-minute period at the end of the forum when Jamieson will pass along questions submitted by audience members.

Jamieson said he believes soliciting and organizing the questions beforehand will lead to a "more thoughtful and more rewarding" experience will audience members and candidates alike.

"Our objective is for the candidates to go home with a clear understanding of what this inner-city neighborhood considers to the key issues," he said.

The forum, which is expected to take 60 to 90 minutes, will be followed by an informal session during which voters can meet and visit with the candidates.