It is such an honor to be with you today. I’d like to take a moment to recognize the honored guests with us:

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, statewide elected officials, President Pro Temp Greg Treat, Speaker Charles McCall, Speaker Pro Temp Harold Wright, members of the 57th Legislature, cabinet members, Chief Justice Noma Gurich and members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, tribal leaders, friends, guests, my beloved First Lady – Sarah, my six children, my parents, and the most important audience – my fellow Oklahomans.

I stand before you today to offer a vision for Oklahoma’s future that gives purpose and direction for how our new administration will lead the state. My vision for Oklahoma is very clear and simple: to make Oklahoma Top Ten. My purpose is to work with you to deliver a turnaround that ensures a better future for all four million Oklahomans. I believe it is a purpose we all share in this room today.

Before we get into the details of my very first budget, I want to discuss how we position Oklahoma well for a “turnaround” by defining the term and the expectations for this vision.

Oklahoma’s “turnaround” is when our state stops moving in the direction of decline and begins moving in the direction we want to go: to be Top Ten in the nation. To get there, it will require three steps:

First – We must bring together people from across the state, with various backgrounds, skills and talents, to serve in critical leadership roles.

Second – We must set measurable goals and put metrics in place so every state employee, agency leader, member of my administration, and each of you in our Legislature can be part of one team with one vision.

Third – We must hold ourselves responsible for delivering results and reimagine the possibilities. I’ve said it before, Oklahoma’s challenges are no different than any other state – and Oklahoma’s opportunities, I believe, are the best in the nation.

Going through this process will put Oklahoma on the path to be Top Ten. And if anyone thinks that becoming Top Ten is just a campaign slogan, let me tell you, this turnaround is already under way with individuals who are delivering Top Ten outcomes in their own classrooms, communities, and industries.

Consider Donna Gradel – An environmental teacher in Broken Arrow Public Schools. Two weeks ago, she was named one of the Top Four teachers in the nation. Donna reimagined the classroom. She moved beyond the textbook by taking her classroom outside to partner with the city of Broken Arrow to clean public water and by taking the classroom to the world by developing a system to provide sustainable food sources to orphans in Kenya.

Donna, thank you for being here today.

Consider the Gathering Place – USA Today named it the number one place in America to visit in 2019. It is an example of public-private partnership. Where 55 acres stretched across the Tulsa river front, the George Kaiser Family Foundation reimagined a free park that is bringing together all ages, races, and categories of people to enjoy Tulsa.

Consider the Oklahoma Youth Expo Community. In the early 2000s, this youth livestock show was struggling to survive, but donors, Oklahoma families, and the Legislature came together, assessed their resources, and reimagined the program. Today, OYE is not just the #1 junior livestock show in America, it is the largest in the world. Today, OYE garners young participants from all 77 counties, awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in education scholarships and has shown a $22 million economic impact on Oklahoma City.

These are just a few examples of Oklahomans who brought together a team, set measurable goals, reimagined the possibilities, and executed on their vision to deliver Top Ten results.

Today, as I present my first budget, I ask you to join me in reimagining. Today, as we consider the state of our state, Oklahomans are presented with revenue growth of potentially $600 million, a 3.6 percent unemployment rate, rising wages and a spirit of optimism.

This is because of Oklahomans who are working hard, taking risks, opening new businesses, and creating jobs. The government does not create wealth, only the private sector can. In my administration, every policy decision will promote a healthy economy.

I want to also recognize President Pro Temp Greg Treat and Speaker Charles McCall who provided committed leadership over the past few years to make hard decisions to demonstrate our state’s support of core services that Oklahomans and job creators rely on. As I promised on the campaign trail, I brought them in to our process of reimagining the budget.

As I outline my administration’s priorities this year, I want to make it clear: as elected officials, we will not always agree on the specifics of every policy – and that’s ok. We are each elected for different reasons and because of specific issues.

But you will always find my office willing to work with you and to be open minded on policy differences, because what unites us in this room is that we are committed to reimagining how we can do state government better and deliver a brighter future for Oklahomans.

First, let’s reimagine state government. Our state Constitution vests supreme executive power in the Office of the Governor, but too often that executive power has been delegated by statute to boards that are not directly accountable to the citizens of Oklahoma. State government today is much larger than it was 112 years ago. As a result, accountability for those in power is spread too thin and, at times, it seems as of no one is really in charge.

The Health Department’s crisis in 2017 taught us this lesson, and the Legislature wisely restructured the agency’s board into an advisory role and gave the executive branch the authority to fire and hire a new leader. Let’s not wait for another crisis to start making this necessary reform across our largest agencies.

Oklahomans want three things: accountability, transparency, and results. I know the legislature wants it too.

Both Senate and House leadership are committed to addressing the structure of our state’s largest agencies so that government is held more accountable to the people. By granting the governor hiring authority, you will know exactly where the buck stops – at my desk.

But reform should not stop here. We will also seek to remove board members across state government when they have conflicts of interest. And we will look to sunset and consolidate boards and commissions where there is overlap and duplication. This is common sense reform.

My budget will prioritize funding to continue performance audits of the top 12 agencies. We will fund this effort by immediately recalling the $30 million that was given to the Health Department after the agency misrepresented their financial standing to the Legislature.

We will also reimagine state government so that our customers – Oklahoma taxpayers – are the primary focus. This is why I have placed a special emphasis in my administration on the digital transformation of state agencies. Today, I am calling for the Legislature to fund a $20 million grant program where agencies can apply to receive funds to bring their services into the 21stCentury and to make government more customer-centered and efficient.

Imagine digital driver licenses that are Real ID compliant. Imagine titles available electronically. Imagine one site to obtain occupational licenses and one site to pay taxes. It is time to get it done.

It is time to improve our government’s “D+” ranking in digital transparency and for the state government’s checkbook to be online, up to date, and easy to navigate. It is time for an online dashboard where you can monitor my administration’s progress on performance metrics we will set for delivering state services.

Turning our attention to education, my administration is committed to public education and understands that the large majority of our students attend public schools. Over the next few years, we will move the needle in outcomes. We will set high standards. We will enact reforms. We will invest in the classroom.

But we must first continue our investment in the teacher, because it’s not programs, curriculum, or resources that students will remember. The magic happens between the student and the teacher in the classroom.

We are confronted with a nationwide teacher shortage. This is not a problem unique to our state, but Oklahoma was among the hardest hit. With recent revenue growth, I aks the Legislature to bring our teachers to number one in our region in pay and benefits. This amounts to a $1,200 increase per teacher.

I am also calling for the Legislature to funds a bonus recruitment program, up to $5 million, to encourage certified teachers to stay in Oklahoma after graduating college, to return to the classroom after a hiatus, or to move to Oklahoma for the first time.

I applaud Representative Rhonda Baker’s collaboration to get this effort underway, and I appreciate House Minority Leader Emily Virgin and her caucus for their support of a continued pay increases for our teachers.

We must also standardize the certification test for Oklahoma’s teachers, get rid of the five-year renewal fee, and reduce unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy on high-performing schools and instead shift resources to help schools who need it the most.

But these reforms and continued investment from the state will not be enough to make Oklahoma’s education system competitive. We must do the hard work of reimagining education.

Consider Cecilia Robinson-Woods, the Superintendent of the Millwood School District in Oklahoma City. After assessing the resources and unique challenges of her district, Cecilia reimagined ways to recruit and retain talent in her classrooms. It was important that teachers were not just skilled in their profession, but that they also were passionate leaders who could shape the culture of their schools and district. Cecilia partnered with Teach for America, utilized opportunities offered under state law, and implemented a new reading program. Today, the Millwood School District has seen dramatic, positive progress in outcomes.

Cecilia, thank you for being here today.

We must also look at ways to better stabilize the funding of public education. The fact that Texas is preparing to pass a teacher pay increase – at a cost of $3.7 billion – compels us to review and reform our state’s funding formula and to take the handcuffs off local communities wanting to compete, recruit, and retain the very best teachers. We must chart a bold course that allows for communities to do more for their students without being penalized with the loss of state support.

State government cannot fix education’s funding needs alone. We must stand arm-in-arm with communities, cities, and counties. Oklahoma is stronger when we are all working together.

The process of reforming the formula demands a reimagining of school districts so we can ensure not just equal funding per student, but also equal opportunity. This will take time to study what other states are doing, what is working, and what challenges we must address that are unique to Oklahoma. I am committed to be a continuous learner in this area and a leader in the discussion.

We must not forget that education should be first and foremost about our students, not about systems. I will sign into law any legislation that seeks to break down the silos between common education, career techs, and higher education so that we can better align the education experience for Oklahoma’s children and prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce of machinists, computer programmers, engineers, and more.

Next, let us take a moment to reimagine our state’s criminal justice system. We are number one in the nation for incarceration. To move the needle, it will require us to change the way we see the person who is in a cycle of incarceration for non-violent crimes.

Many years ago, I was introduced to Melinda who held the titles of daughter, mom, and fellow Oklahoman – but to the prison system, she was a drug offender. When I met her, she was looking for hope, for a better life for her son, and for an opportunity to change course.

Today, she has been an employee at Gateway for more than 13 years. Her entry into the workforce was key to remaining sober and to becoming a thriving individual in our society. Melinda’s story of redemption was possible because of a community of people who stepped in, walked with her, and gave her opportunity.

Melinda, you are why I believe in second chances. Thank you for being here today.

There can be more stories of redemption like hers. It is why my budget requests:

$1.5 million to Women in Recovery, a public-private partnership to help women identify the roots of their addictions and develop life skills, and $10 million to the County Community Safety Investment Fund, a criminal justice reform initiative the people of Oklahoma approved with SQ 781.

But money is not the sole action government must take. I am encouraged by legislation in the House to accomplish licensing reform for those with a felony. We must give Oklahomans re-entering society more opportunities to be gainfully employed and we must give employers more discretion on who they can hire.

We must also remember the people who work hard every day to keep our correctional facilities clean, safe, and operating. They are on the front lines of delivering core government services, and as revenue continues to improve, I urge us to consider ways we can better improve their work conditions and compensation.

In my budget, we will also use revenue growth to address two critical healthcare programs in Oklahoma: The Graduate Medical Expense Program to train doctors, a cost of $62 million, and the Children Health Insurance Program, a cost of $14.8 million.

These programs remind us why we must be judicious and thoughtful about seeking federal funds. In Fiscal Year 2020, these two programs alone will cost the State of Oklahoma $77 million that the federal government once paid – a 6.8 percent increase to the healthcare authority’s budget. When Washington, D.C. wants to end a program, we are left holding the bag and covering the cost.

While Medicaid expansion currently stops at a 90 percent federal match, we cannot assume that it will remain this high forever. The estimated $150 million price tag today for Oklahoma to expand Medicaid could leave us down the road fronting more than $1 billion when the federal government pulls back on its commitment. They’ve done it before and they will do it again.

Medicaid is the fastest growing expense in our state budget, and before we commit our state to accepting even more Medicaid dollars, Oklahomans deserve accountability and transparency with our state’s management of the Healthcare Authority.

Oklahoma is the only state in the nation where the governor does not have the authority to provide oversight of this agency. We are sticking out like a sore thumb, and this must change.

Healthcare is also preventative, promoting wellness through education, personal responsibility, and raising awareness. Today, I am announcing my partnership with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to hold a Governor’s Relay Challenge, and I invite you to join me! I’ll be forming my own team to compete in the relay, and the team that wins will join me for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion later this year.

Let’s now move to the economy. In order to make our efforts in state government sustainable, we must first grow Oklahoma. We need more taxpayers, not more taxes.

We will reimagine our economy by diversifying our marketplace, strengthening our workforce, and encouraging Oklahomans to start new businesses. Our rules must be clear, our regulations must make sense, and our tax code must remain competitive with our neighbors.

At the Department of Commerce, I have hired the very best talent in the state to lead this critical agency, and they have set measurable goals and are running hard to tell the world Oklahoma is open for business.

To best equip the agency’s mission, I ask the Legislature to support additional funds for the governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund. Since its inception, the state has granted $11 million in total awards which attracted high paying jobs with the Macy’s large distribution center in Owasso, with Boeing’s relocation of the Aircraft Modernization and Sustainment business unit, and with the Commercial Metals Company in Durant and many more.

Today, the balance of Oklahoma’s Quick Action Closing Fund is $4.3 million. By comparison, the latest legislative report for the Texas Enterprise Fund indicates the state has awarded $609 million from its Quick Action Closing Fund, resulting in 94,347 jobs. In Arkansas, their fund has awarded over $120 million, resulting in 26,684 jobs.

You can help me sign on the dotted line for new opportunities to grow Oklahoma and demonstrate to the nation that Oklahoma is not afraid to compete with our neighbors and that we intend to win!

As we close our time together, let’s end by reimagining our state budget. I promised Oklahomans that we would get to the bottom of every tax dollar and I promised to be transparent and open about the budget process.

For the first time in recent history, the governor’s budget provides you with every tax dollar we could find across the 12 largest agencies, which are spending 90 percent of the state’s total budget. It is important we talk in total dollars. This was the one consistent request I heard from Oklahomans across the campaign trail.

In this budget packet I have also included agencies’ current performance goals. As we move forward together this year, my administration will be working with agencies to hire the best people, raise accountability, and deliver measurable results.

My vision for the budget is for it to become a meaningful resource each year, to establish a common language for lawmakers and tax payers and create a transparent budget process.

Now, as we dig into the numbers, instead of across the board increases in FY’20, my budget addresses more than $230 million in obligations and another $151 million in critical needs.

My budget also casts a bold goal for our state’s savings account, I have said often why I believe the state needs $2 billion in savings.

When we look at states where the economy depends on the price of oil, they place a strong emphasis on saving during the good years. One thing we know is true, oil prices are going to go up and oil prices are going to go down.

When energy prices tumble, it directly impacts the state’s Sales Tax collection, the state’s Income Tax collection, the Gross Production Tax, and various other revenue streams. We must be honest with ourselves and recognize that last year’s tax increases made us more dependent on the price of oil. We must be good fiscal stewards of this decision by creating more stability through savings.

At the end of FY’19, our Rainy-Day Fund will have approximately $874 million with no additional support from a stabilization fund often seen in oil-rich states. Meanwhile, Texas has $12.5 billion in total savings to weather another economic downturn. North Dakota’s total savings is more than $5.8 billion.

This is why I am setting a goal for Oklahoma to have $1 billion in our savings by the end of FY’20. To get there, we must set aside an additional $250 million from revenue growth.

Being conservative with our budget surplus today will protect Oklahoma from having to cut core services in the future.

As I close, let us remember, the future doesn’t just happen. We make it happen. As public servants, our responsibility and purpose are to ensure a better future for all four million Oklahomans. This will require us to be good listeners, continuous learners, committed communicators, and bold leaders – both inside the building and around the state.

Our vision is to make Oklahoma Top Ten.

Join me! As we work together, we will move our whole state forward.

God bless you and God bless the State of Oklahoma!

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday threw out a petition seeking to repeal recent tax increases, ruling that it was misleading and fatally flawed.

Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite!, which has been circulating petitions to force a statewide vote on the tax hikes, now has less than than a month to file a new petition and gather more than 41,000 signatures. The deadline is July 18.

In their decision, justices said nothing prevents the group “from filing a new referendum petition, without the deficiencies identified today, and restarting the process of referendum.”

The Supreme Court – siding with groups that included the Oklahoma Education Association and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association – ruled that the petition being circulated was misleading and incomplete.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

NEWCASTLE, Okla. (AP) — Sherrie Conley is like most people in small-town Oklahoma: solidly conservative. When she goes to the polls, she faithfully votes Republican.

But in Tuesday’s primary election here, the elementary school principal won’t be voting for the two-term GOP state House member from her district. That’s because she’s trying to get him out of office.

Conley is part of a wave of about 100 educators, including dozens of Republicans, who are running for office in the aftermath of a teacher walkout that shut down public schools for two weeks this spring and opened an unusually bitter chasm in the state’s ruling party.

Read the complete story from the AP. 

WHENEVER government corruption and mismanagement occur, it’s asked why such abuses have been tolerated. Yet those outcomes may be a direct result of government structure, as a new report makes clear.

“Baked-In Corruption: The Need to Reform Boards and Commissions,” by the conservative 1889 Institute, points out the institutional structure of Oklahoma state boards and commissions often gives special interests outsized representation, fueling conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and groupthink.

“We’ve essentially given licensing boards, health boards, and educational boards a license to self-deal,” said the study’s author, Byron Schlomach, economist and director of the Oklahoma City-based institute.

The report notes “every licensing agency is headed by a board comprised mostly of individuals licensed to practice the profession they regulate. Virtually every decision they make impacts their own professional practice directly or indirectly and is almost bound to have financial implications for each of the board members.”

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

ONE service provided by Oklahoma’s multi-county grand jury and state auditor’s review of the Health Department’s finances is that it undermined a talking point too often blindly accepted as fact: That most, if not all, state agencies have been “cut to the bone.” The investigative audit report on the Health Department shows how that claim can rely on rhetorical sleight-of-hand.

The audit reveals, “Although the agency claimed that the current financial ‘crisis’ is due in part to decreasing revenues, that claim does not reflect the full picture.”

Auditors determined the money directly appropriated to the Health Department by the Legislature had been cut by $7 million between the 2011 and 2017 budget years, but those cuts were more than offset by $20 million in increased non-appropriated revenue during that same period.

“In summary, total agency revenues increased by $13 million and total overall expenditures increased by $15 million,” the audit revealed.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

The referendum petition being circulated to repeal taxes passed by the Legislature is valid, and a protest filed by the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators should be rejected, the Oklahoma attorney general’s office argued Friday to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

In written arguments, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter’s office said the state Constitution has always afforded broad protection to the right of citizens to seek a referendum on legislation. That right was strengthened when voters approved State Question 640 and barred the Legislature from attaching an emergency enactment clause to bills that raise taxes.

The state Supreme Court should “zealously guard the right of referendum” and deny the protest filed by the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators, Hunter’s office argued.

The high court asked the attorney general’s office for its opinion on the protest filed by the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators and on a separate protest filed by the Oklahoma Education Association and other education groups.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Budget Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed the Fiscal Year 2019 budget bill (Senate Bill 1600) into law, which includes historic teacher pay raises and increases for public schools as well as criminal justice reform measures that she recently signed into law. The $7.6 billion budget puts significantly more money toward education, mental health services, and public safety.

“The budget includes many of the priorities I have called for in my annual State of the State address to lawmakers the past three years. Core services of state government are prioritized throughout the budget. It provides for a teacher pay raise and additional funding for public schools as well as increased funding for mental health and corrections to implement criminal justice reform measures. The legislation also includes additional revenue growth to put Oklahoma on a stable foundation, and reduces reliance on one-time funds.

“The budget includes a 19.8 percent increase for common education, the largest appropriation for public schools in state history. The appropriation includes $353 million to fund teacher pay raises that average $6,100 per teacher, which move Oklahoma teacher from last in the seven-state region to second for average annual pay, and from 49th in the nation to 29th. When taking into account the cost of living, Oklahoma teachers will be the 12th-highest-paid in the country. It also has $52 million for support personnel pay raises, $24 million for flex health benefits; $33 million for textbooks, and $17 in new funding for the school funding formula.

“This budget includes $11 million for multiple criminal justice reform measures, such as:

• $5 million to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services – $4 million to fund risk/needs assessments, and $1 million to drug and mental health treatment courts.
• $4.8 million to the Department of Corrections to fund a new system that will allow the agency to track and monitor offenders on probation in one system, and will allow for shared data regarding offenders to be shared in one database statewide.
• $500,000 for the Pay for Success program, which reduces the number of women sent to prison and the resulting impact incarceration has on their children.

“The budget also includes about $23 million for the Department of Human Services to help Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens. This will fully fund the Pinnacle Plan, which calls for improving services to our children in state custody, and restoring provider rates that had been cut, as well as addressing those on the Developmental Disabilities Service Division waiting list.

“For the first time in years, no agency is receiving a cut. This budget provides a long-term solution to the re-occurring budget deficits and helps reduce the reliance on one-time funds. The people of Oklahoma expect excellence and demand we solve our state’s problems. This budget provides an opportunity to bring forth an enduring reality for a promising future.” – Governor Mary Fallin

###

Senate approves criminal justice reforms
Treat, Shaw bills will keep communities safe, while slowing incarceration rates

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved a slate of criminal justice reform bills that will slow the state’s skyrocketing incarceration rates while still keeping communities safe.

The measures were sponsored by Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, the Senate’s two primary advocates for criminal justice reform. The measures are a part of the criminal justice reform bills that, after being sidetracked in 2017, are finally on a clear path to becoming law.

“Oklahoma’s prison population is currently at 113 percent capacity and is projected to grow 25 percent by 2026. That is an unsustainable course. These reforms will slow that growth and even reduce Oklahoma’s overall prison population long-term,” Treat said. “Slowing the growth of the prison population will save the state hundreds of millions of dollars, allowing us to reinvest that money into education, health care, mental health services and other programs that will have a multiplying effect in further lowering incarceration rates.”

“These reforms are about more than saving money or reducing prison populations. This is a balanced approach to keep our communities safe while keeping more families together. We spend too much time and money locking up nonviolent offenders rather than investing in the treatment and rehabilitation. These reforms will keep more families together by ensuring nonviolent offenders get treatment and remain as taxpaying citizens,” Treat said.

The measures include:

• SB 650 (expungement bill), Shaw: authorizes offenders of no more than one nonviolent felony to apply for expungement if they have no new convictions or pending charges within the last seven years.
• SB 786 (burglary sentences), Shaw:  eliminates the mandatory minimum and allows a judge to sentence up to the current maximum sentence of seven years in prison for burglary in the second degree. Creates a new felony offense, burglary in the third degree (defined as breaking into a vehicle), punishable by up to five years in prison.
• SB 649 (habitual offender), Treat: reduces enhanced sentences for certain repeat nonviolent felonies.
• SB 689 (sentencing reform), Treat: creates risk and needs assessment as a tool for sentencing; requires intervention programming on certain domestic violence convictions; failure of offender to pay fines and costs may not serve as a basis for revocation, other than restitution and willful nonpayment.
• SB 793 (commercial drug sentences), Treat: changes the penalties for commercial drug offenses, and distinguishes conduct by possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and manufacturing.

“The costs of warehousing nonviolent offenders and those with substance abuse or mental health issues is enormous for Oklahoma. These bills are designed to avert our prison growth by nearly 70 percent and help us avoid spending millions of dollars to build more prisons. These reforms also will help us ensure nonviolent offenders who need treatment get it and get a second chance,” Shaw said.

The measures now go to the House for final consideration.

###

As mentioned in my previous post, a record 794 candidates filed for office last week. In this post, I went through some statistics on the filings, but here I’ll break it down further and give some more details on races.

U.S. HOUSE RACES

1st District: 10 candidates filed to replace outgoing Congressman Jim Bridenstine. The five Democrats are seemingly led by attorney Tim Gilpin (who leads the field with $13k raised). The Republican side has the strong lead, with businessman Kevin Hern as the frontrunner ($1.1M raised), followed by former Air Force captain Andy Coleman ($230k raised), former DA Tim Harris ($250k raised), State Sen. Nathan Dahm (CPI of , $95k raised), and pastor Danny Stockstill ($25k raised). Hern has the big money advantage, but Harris may have better name recognition due to his tenure as District Attorney and Coleman has been endorsed by former presidential candidate Rick Santorum (who won the 1st District in 2012) and five Freedom Caucus congressmen.

2nd District: incumbent Republican Markwayne Mullin should be facing his toughest reelection yet, as he is breaking his oft-repeated term limits pledgeand seeking a fourth term in office. Mullin has the money lead as expected (60% from mostly out-of-state PACs), with just under $1M raised and $540k on hand. The three Republicans are former Army captain and 2016 GOP challenger Jarrin Jackson ($140k raised), 2016 Independent candidate John McCarthy ($115k raised), and economics professor Brian Jackson ($25k raised; no relation to Jarrin). Four Democrats also filed — Tahlequah mayor Jason Nichols ($33k raised), former Army colonel and schoolteacher Clay Padgett ($31k raised), Creek Nation official Elijah McIntosh, and perennial candidate Virginia Blue Jeans Jenner. Libertarian Richard Castaldo and Independent John Foreman also filed.

Read the complete analysis on muskogeepolitico.com

Candidate filing begins April 11

Large crowds expected if teacher demonstrations continue at State Capitol, candidates should be prepared and give themselves extra time

(Oklahoma City) – The 2018 candidate filing period for state, federal and nonpartisan judicial offices is scheduled for April 11-13 at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City, State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said Monday.

Filing will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday in the West Hallway on the Ground Floor of the State Capitol just inside the west entrance. Races on the ballot include all five of Oklahoma’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, statewide offices including Governor, dozens of state legislative races and judicial offices.

Large crowds are expected at the State Capitol during the week if teachers continue their demonstrations in and around the building. Although there will be limited parking available for candidates in the west parking lot, parking cannot be guaranteed. Candidates should consider arranging for someone to drop them off near the building and allow extra time to arrive. Space in the filing area will also be limited, and those accompanying candidates will be required to enter the building via regular public entrances.

Candidates will be allowed to enter at the State Capitol’s west entrance and should follow signs to gain entry. Ziriax strongly encouraged candidates to review the candidate filing checklist provided with the candidate filing packet online at http://elections.ok.gov.

“Candidates must be in line by 5 p.m. to submit their paperwork that day,” Ziriax said. “We cannot accept incomplete paperwork, so it is critical that candidates review that checklist to make sure they have everything they need when they arrive.”

County voters will elect assessors, treasurers and district 1 and 3 commissioners in 2018. Candidates for those offices will file at their respective county election boards.

–30–

Senator Tom Coburn to headline announcement of OKLAHOMA TAXPAYERS UNITE!

STATE CAPITOL BUILDING PRESS ROOM
PRESS CONFERENCE 1 pm, Wednesday March 28, 2018

Fiscal hawk and Taxpayers’ friend, Senator Tom Coburn, will announce the formation of a new Taxpayers’ coalition to take the fight to the legislative tax hogs, oath breakers and Political Class.

Oklahoma Taxpayers are fed up with legislative leadership that seeks first to raise taxes and refuses to make the structural, transformational reforms that fiscal responsibility requires. With HB1010XX, passed under duress and rules suspension March 26, the majority of the House of Representatives has chosen the path of more taxation instead of reform.

Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite! is a coalition of Oklahoma Taxpayers — civic leaders, concerned citizens, grassroots activists, and party leaders, working together, demanding constitutional, ethical, transparent, and fiscally responsible governance for the Oklahoma Taxpayers. Reminiscent of the group known as “Stop New Taxes” which almost repealed HB 1017 28 years ago with a referendum petition, and then Oklahoma Taxpayers’ Union, which successfully passed SQ 640, the new coalition reflects the disgust and anger with a Governor and legislature that has refused to lead, opting for new taxes instead.

Of the 79 House members who voted for new taxes, 11 of them previously signed a pledge for their entire term of office with Americans for Tax Reform, “to oppose [and vote against] any efforts to increase taxes.” Apparently, their word means nothing. Two of the oath-breakers are running for higher office in 2018. Seven members of the Senate signed the same pledge.

Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite! will offer its 7-point Taxpayers Platform for all incumbents and candidates to pledge to on their Word of Honor.

For further information, please contact Brooke McGowan at 704-526-9494 or Porter Davis at 405-343-0239.

###

Despite talk of widespread dissatisfaction with the Oklahoma Legislature, three quarters of the House members running for re-election have yet to draw a challenge.

Among those who don’t have opponents are the people who run the House: Speaker Charles McCall and the top three members of his Republican leadership team.

In all, 40 of the 57 House Republicans seeking another term do not have an opponent who has registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Candidates must register when they have raised or spent $1,000.

Democrats, the minority party in the House, have it even easier, proportionately. Of the 21 Democratic incumbents running this year, only three have drawn opposition. Even a couple Democratic incumbents who narrowly flipped Republican-held districts in recent years have no challenger.

Read the complete story on NewsOK.com

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A plan to give Oklahoma schoolteachers a pay raise has fallen short in the Oklahoma Senate after a package of tax increases to pay for it couldn’t get enough votes.

Amid a looming teacher strike, the Senate late Wednesday voted on a series of bills, including one to give teachers a nearly 13 percent, across-the-board pay hike.

But Democrats who say the revenue plan is inadequate and a handful of fiercely anti-tax Republicans joined to prevent the bill from getting the three-fourth’s vote needed to pass a tax increase. It included tax hikes on cigarettes, motor fuel, and oil and natural gas production.

Read the complete story from the AP.

Source: http://acuratings.conservative.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/07/Oklahoma_2017_web.pdf

Does God judge nations? Recently, while serving as Chaplain of the Week in the Oklahoma Senate I posed this question. I was deeply grieved to learn that some people misunderstood my heart. Knowing if a man does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, I can plainly say I am not a perfect man. Perhaps I could have spoken with greater clarity.

I spoke of the love of God who gave His Son, Jesus Christ, as a payment for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. I taught the Bible truth that God is unchanging. And considering the quick succession of many cataclysmic, tragic events in recent months, I posed the question, could God be speaking to America in a judging manner?

Any discussion of God’s judgment must begin with the Biblical truth that God loves us and derives no pleasure in judgment, but patiently waits for us to turn to Him.

God blesses nations (Psalm 33:12). Uniquely, America traces her roots to Christianity; not that Christianity is our national religion, nor is anyone compelled to be a Christian, but that the principles of Christianity shaped our foundations. Second President of the United States, John Adams said, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were. . . . the general principles of Christianity.” And God has blessed America like no other nation in history.

My pastoral role is not to offer my opinion, but to speak God’s Word, and the clear Bible answer is, “Yes,” God judges nations (Jeremiah 18:7-10], not for this or that sin or a hot button sin, but because they reject Him, worship other gods, embrace false forms of ideology, and wallow in immorality and sin. God is not speaking to this or that group, but to all of us.

He may withdraw His restraining grace (Romans 1:18-32). He may allow adverse circumstances, or cataclysmic events (Numbers 16:1-33; Job 37:11-13], to turn us back to Him.

Is God judging America? For years we have systematically dismantled our Judeo-Christian foundations in favor of secularism and moral relativism [beliefs that reflect the culture and personal preference as opposed to God’s truth, the Bible]. We no longer pray in Jesus’ name or study the Bible in our schools. We have removed the Ten Commandments from our schools and many other places throughout the country. We call right wrong and wrong right.

My heart aches that some, not all, but some were offended. But, the consistent message is that God loves you and if God is judging or correcting America it is for the purpose, remember, of drawing us back to Him.

Pastor Bill Ledbetter

Senate President Pro Tem announces full committee assignments

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz, R-Altus, on Thursday announced the full membership of Senate committees. The committee assignments are effective through the end of the 56th Legislature.

The committee assignments are as follows:

Agriculture and Wildlife Committee

• Senator Larry Boggs, Chair
• Senator Josh Brecheen, Vice Chair
• Senator Eddie Fields
• Senator Darcy Jech
• Senator Chris Kidd
• Senator Roland Pederson
• Senator Dewayne Pemberton
• Senator Paul Scott
• Senator Wayne Shaw
• Senator Frank Simpson
• Senator Randy Bass
• Senator J.J. Dossett

Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee

• Senator James Leewright, Chair
• Senator Stephanie Bice, Vice Chair
• Senator Micheal Bergstrom
• Senator Nathan Dahm
• Senator Julie Daniels
• Senator Chris Kidd
• Senator Paul Scott
• Senator Joseph Silk
• Senator Gary Stanislawski
• Senator Micheal Brooks
• Senator Anastasia Pittman

Education Committee:

• Senator Gary Stanislawski, Chair
• Senator Ron Sharp, Vice Chair
• Senator Mark Allen
• Senator Micheal Bergstrom
• Senator Josh Brecheen
• Senator Tom Dugger
• Senator Eddie Fields
• Senator Dewayne Pemberton
• Senator Paul Scott
• Senator Jason Smalley
• Senator Anthony Sykes
• Senator Roger Thompson
• Senator J.J. Dossett
• Senator Allison Ikley-Freeman

Energy Committee

• Senator Mark Allen, Chair
• Senator Eddie Fields, Vice Chair
• Senator Kim David
• Senator AJ Griffin
• Senator David Holt
• Senator Roland Pederson
• Senator Dewayne Pemberton
• Senator Marty Quinn
• Senator Dave Rader
• Senator Ron Sharp
• Senator Jason Smalley
• Senator Rob Standridge
• Senator Kay Floyd
• Senator Kevin Matthews

General Government Committee:

• Senator Nathan Dahm, Chair
• Senator David Holt, Vice Chair
• Senator Stephanie Bice
• Senator Larry Boggs
• Senator Julie Daniels
• Senator Jack Fry
• Senator Chris Kidd
• Senator Joe Newhouse
• Senator Wayne Shaw
• Senator Kay Floyd
• Senator Anastasia Pittman

Health and Human Services Committee

• Senator Ervin Yen, Chair
• Senator Rob Standridge, Vice Chair
• Senator Kim David
• Senator AJ Griffin
• Senator Darcy Jech
• Senator Greg McCortney
• Senator Adam Pugh
• Senator Dave Rader
• Senator Joseph Silk
• Senator Frank Simpson
• Senator Kay Floyd
• Senator Allison Ikley-Freeman

Judiciary Committee

• Senator Anthony Sykes, Chair
• Senator Nathan Dahm, Vice Chair
• Senator Julie Daniels
• Senator Kim David
• Senator David Holt
• Senator Joe Newhouse
• Senator Adam Pugh
• Senator Jason Smalley
• Senator Rob Standridge
• Senator Michael Brooks
• Senator Kay Floyd

Pensions, Retirement and Insurance Committee

• Senator Bill Brown, Chair
• Senator Marty Quinn, Vice Chair
• Senator James Leewright
• Senator Lonnie Paxton
• Senator Roland Pederson
• Senator Paul Rosino
• Senator John Sparks
• Senator Kevin Matthews

Public Safety Committee

• Senator Jack Fry, Chair
• Senator Wayne Shaw, Vice Chair
• Senator Josh Brecheen
• Senator Tom Dugger
• Senator Darcy Jech
• Senator Greg McCortney
• Senator Lonnie Paxton
• Senator Roger Thompson
• Senator Ervin Yen
• Senator Michael Brooks
• Senator Kevin Mathews

Rules Committee

• Senator Eddie Fields, Chair
• Senator Frank Simpson, Vice Chair
• Senator Mark Allen
• Senator Stephanie Bice
• Senator Nathan Dahm
• Senator Kim David
• Senator AJ Griffin
• Senator Rob Standridge
• Senator Gary Stanislawski
• Senator Roger Thompson
• Senator Michael Brooks
• Senator Kay Floyd

Transportation Committee

• Senator Darcy Jech, Chair
• Senator Joseph Silk, Vice Chair
• Senator Mark Allen
• Senator Bill Brown
• Senator Jack Fry
• Senator James Leewright
• Senator Greg McCortney
• Senator Marty Quinn
• Senator Dave Rader
• Senator Paul Rosino
• Senator Ron Sharp
• Senator Randy Bass
• Senator Kevin Matthews

Veterans and Military Affairs Committee

• Senator Frank Simpson, Chair
• Senator Larry Boggs, Vice Chair
• Senator Bill Brown
• Senator Joe Newhouse
• Senator Adam Pugh
• Senator Paul Rosino
• Senator Anthony Sykes
• Senator Randy Bass
• Senator J.J. Dossett

Appropriations Committee

• Senator Kim David, Chair
• Senator Eddie Fields, Vice Chair
• All senators are members of the Appropriations Committee.
• The President Pro Tem and Majority Floor Leader are Ex Officio voting members of the committee.

Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance

• Senator Roger Thompson, Chair
• Senator Josh Brecheen, Vice Chair
• Senator Micheal Bergstrom
• Senator Stephanie Bice
• Senator Tom Dugger
• Senator AJ Griffin
• Senator Lonnie Paxton
• Senator Gary Stanislawski
• Senator Ervin Yen
• Senator J.J. Dossett
• Senator John Sparks

Appropriations Subcommittee on Education

• Senator Jason Smalley, Chair
• Senator Gary Stanislawski, Vice Chair
• Senator Josh Brecheen
• Senator Tom Dugger
• Senator Dewayne Pemberton
• Senator Ron Sharp
• Senator J.J. Dossett

Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation

• Senator Stephanie Bice, Chair
• Senator Joseph Silk, Vice Chair
• Senator Bill Brown
• Senator Adam Pugh
• Senator Kevin Matthews

Appropriations Subcommittee on Health

• Senator Rob Standridge, Chair
• Senator Ervin Yen, Vice Chair
• Senator Greg McCortney
• Senator Lonnie Paxton
• Senator Paul Scott
• Senator Allison Ikley-Freeman

Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services

• Senator Eddie Fields, Chair
• Senator Darcy Jech, Vice Chair
• Senator Chris Kidd
• Senator James Leewright
• Senator Marty Quinn
• Senator Dave Rader
• Senator Randy Bass

Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary

• Senator David Holt, Chair
• Senator Anthony Sykes, Vice Chair
• Senator Larry Boggs
• Senator Jack Fry
• Senator Roland Pederson
• Senator Michael Brooks

Appropriations Subcommittee on Select Agencies

• Senator Roger Thompson Chair
• Senator Nathan Dahm Vice Chair
• Senator Mark Allen
• Senator Joe Newhouse
• Senator Paul Rosino
• Senator Anastasia Pittman

Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services

• Senator AJ Griffin, Chair
• Senator Frank Simpson, Vice Chair
• Senator Micheal Bergstrom
• Senator Julie Daniels
• Senator Wayne Shaw
• Senator Anastasia Pittman

** Senator Schulz and Senator Greg Treat, the Majority Floor Leader, are Ex Officio voting members of all Senate committees.

###

A newly formed group is seeking a state constitutional change that would strip the Legislature of its power to rewrite the state’s legislative and congressional boundaries when redistricting work begins after the 2020 Census.

Represent Oklahoma Inc., which is applying to be a social welfare nonprofit and has launched a website, has set a $400,000 fundraising goal to put a state question on the 2018 ballot that would let voters decide whether to transfer redistricting duties to an independent, nonpartisan commission.

Rico Smith, executive director of the group, said the goal is to take politics out of the process by preventing any party in power from drawing the lines in a way that gives an advantage to their party or a candidate. Six states have independent redistricting commissions, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana and Washington.

“When we allow the Legislature to draw its own lines, we are saying that citizens’ voices don’t matter,” he said. “This isn’t about party. This is about representing the peoples’ interests.”

Read the complete story on oklahomawatch.com