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

So after all the meshugas on the right over the past few years, the Republicans could wind up with two new leaders going into this election, Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan. That’s a pretty excellent outcome for a party that has shown an amazing tendency to inflict self-harm.

Ryan is the new House speaker and right now Rubio is the most likely presidential nominee. The shape of the presidential campaign is coming into focus. It’s still wise to expect (pray) that the celebrity candidates will fade as the shopping phase ends and the buying phase begins.

Voters don’t have to know the details of their nominee’s agenda, but they have to know that the candidate is capable of having an agenda. Donald Trump and Ben Carson go invisible when the subject of actual governance comes up.

Jeb Bush’s problems are temperamental and thus most likely permanent. He would probably be a very effective president. And he would have been a very effective candidate — but in 1956. These are harsher times.

Read the complete story on nytimes.com

Their reasons may vary, but one thing is certain: Young adults are increasingly uninterested in voting.

The number of registered voters in Oklahoma ages 18 to 24 has declined nearly 40 percent in the past decade, according to a Tulsa World analysis of voter registration records.

In 2005, there were some 224,000 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, the analysis shows. By January 2015, there were about 138,000 Oklahoma registered voters in that age range.

So where did all the voters go?

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

It’s once again time to unite to recognize and honor grassroots activists for their hard work and dedication toward preserving liberty in our cities, state and nation. The Defenders of Liberty Grassroots Activism Awards is a way for grassroots leaders in Oklahoma to recognize volunteers who put in many hours of time and hard work to make our communities better and hold our elected officials accountable.

This is the third year for this event and we want to make it even larger than last year.  Last year we had a wonderful evening where we gave away 12 awards to grassroots leaders across the state and recognized the accomplishments of activists from various organizations. This year the awards will be held Saturday, September 26th at 6:30 at the Crowne Plaza: 7902 S Lewis Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136.

We would like to invite you and your organization to participate in the Defenders of Liberty Grassroots Activism Awards this year.  There are a number of means by which you can participate:

• Submit for nomination (up to) two people that you believe should be considered to receive a Defenders of Liberty Grassroots Activism Award. Fill out a nomination form. Deadline for nominations is August 20th, 2015.
• Purchase tickets or consider being a sponsor of the event.  Individual tickets are $35/each, and sponsorships at $500, $1000 and $2500. Tickets can be purchased here.
• Help us make this a huge success by spreading the word.  This event is open to the public.

Join us Saturday, September 26th for the 3rd Annual Defenders of Liberty Grassroots Activism Awards as we recognize ordinary individuals who have taken time out of their days to stand up for what they believe in. They are dedicated to find enough time and energy to make calls, walk neighborhoods, or speak out at the meetings in their community to make a difference. We believe these actions should not go unnoticed.

Please feel free to share this with other like-minded organizations and leaders so they can participate as well.  Together let’s honor those who help make grassroots activism successful in Oklahoma.
In Liberty,

Samantha Jones

President of the Defenders of Liberty Grassroots Activism Awards

For media questions, contact Samantha Jones at defendersoflibertyok@gmail.com

HOW TO STOP D.C.:  JOIN THE CONVENTION OF STATES PROJECT – A CONSTITUTIONAL TOWNHALL IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA

Hosted by:  Michael Farris with Special Guest Senator Tom Coburn

Oklahomans: Get D.C. out of OK! Come hear first-hand, from one of America’s conservative heroes about the solution to rein in the federal government

TULSA, OKLAHOMA, March 16, 2015 — The Convention of States Project is pleased to announce a Constitutional Town Hall event in Tulsa, OK.  Hosted by Michael Farris and special guest, former Oklahoma State Senator Tom Coburn on March 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in Jenks, OK.

Join us for an exciting discussion on an Article V Convention of the States – the best way to stop the runaway federal government and keep D.C. out of Oklahoma. A Convention of States allows the people – acting through their state legislature – to propose constitutional amendments that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, impose term limits on federal officials, and force Congress to be fiscally responsible.

“I have spent enough time in our Nation’s Capital to know that the federal government will never limit its own power,” explains Senator Coburn. “That is why I am now dedicating myself to promoting this historic effort across the nation. I am urging our state representatives to use the tool our Founding Fathers left to them for such a time as this.”

Sen. Coburn and Michael Farris will give brief presentations, followed by a question and answer session.

When:  March 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Jenks Performing Arts Center – 205 E. B Street, Jenks, OK 74037 (Off Birch and F Street)

About the Convention of States Project

The Convention of States Project is currently organized in all 50 states, including hundreds of thousands of volunteers, supporters and advocates committed to stopping the federal government’s abuse of power. We stand ready with 32 Prime Sponsors to pass this year and plan to meet the 34 state requirement by the end of 2015. For more information visit www.ConventionofStates.com.

A lawsuit seeking to halt implementation of a controversial air-quality case settlement was filed Friday in Tulsa County District Court.

The plaintiff, a group called the Tulsa 9.12 Project, says the settlement, which involved phasing out American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s two coal-fired power plants at Oologah by 2026, was the result of improper actions by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and should be invalidated.

The suit alleges that DEQ violated the state’s Administrative Procedures Act by failing to file a Regional Haze State Implementation Plan in a timely fashion. This, the suit says, led to AEP-PSO’s agreeing to shutter the Oologah plants in order to comply with Regional Haze rules imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The suit says this will result in higher rates for AEP-PSO customers, including members of the Tulsa 9.12 Project.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

Politico.com
By Kenneth Vogel

A few hours after a certain former Florida governor took to Facebook last month to announce he was going to “actively explore” a presidential run, a political action committee called the Conservative Action Fund blasted out an email to thousands of recipients urging them to “help us stop Jeb Bush today.”

The email, signed by the PAC’s chairman, Shaun McCutcheon, pleaded, “If you are a conservative like me who is tired of the special interest, political elites like Jeb Bush running the GOP, then I need your immediate help to make it clear that American conservatives reject a Jeb Bush candidacy.”

Bush could be persuaded to stay out of the race, McCutcheon’s email asserted, if “hundreds of thousands of conservative, grassroots activists” signed petitions by Dec. 19 to be “hand delivered to Jeb Bush in a very public way” that would presumably shame him out of the race. “And after you sign the petition, please make a donation of $5, $15, $25 or more to help us get even more signatures?” the email concluded in underlined bold text embedded with a hyperlink that took readers to a petition landing page that asked for their emails and then their cash.

It was a slick and well-timed campaign, tapping into the angst of grass-roots conservatives who are as unhappy with GOP leaders like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner as they are with President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats.

Read the full article at Politico.com.

As the Oklahoma Republican Party nears a state of full saturation in state government, the concern is not so much whether the Republican lawmaker is being heard, but rather; does the Republican politician even speak for the conservative electorate who sent him to the capital. There will always be the opportunist seeking to hitch his horse to the back of the party wagon. But that politician is primarily self-seeking, whose aim is principally to get himself re-elected.

As the local town folk shake off the last bit of Democrat dust and seek leaders who will provide good government. That goodness is also defined by how free the people can remain.

• How few regulations we bind upon the backs of producers.
• How little taxes we extract from income earners.
• How efficiently we solve state challenges in cooperation with other private & public sector solutions.
• How the great traditions and values of our diverse families are celebrated, rather than maligned.

What message will our massive majority of elected officials support in unity and great resolve? Can anyone command the respect and trust of the elected officials, so that the legislature produces sound conservative legislation? Is there a person with sufficient moral authority to insure that state agencies adopt regulations which reflect the strong commitment to liberty which our founding fathers fought & died for?

I believe our Republican Party needs now, more than ever; to be disciplined in how we identify state challenges. Last Winter we watched a sneak attack of compromised Republican senators who sought to give away the Oklahoma Electoral College votes to a compact of mostly liberal states. It is reported that the OKGOP chairman (David Weston) voiced some displeasure in this sly maneuver. But the Bingman-controlled senate just ignored Weston altogether.

Why is that?

Even the local Republican party apparatus is confused by some of Weston’s actions. This past Spring, Weston demanded the resignation of a County Chairman, citing a “state party rule” which bars her from her county chairmanship if she files for elective office. There is no such rule; and Weston should know this. To date there is no record of retraction or apology from Weston for seeking to prohibit the County Chairman of her full participation in the party (an infraction so serious that it should result in Weston’s removal from office).

Last Winter the party leadership planned one of the biggest formal fundraiser events, at the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel Ballroom. The details of the event eventually helped get the ball cancelled (postponed, but never rescheduled). Those details upset large numbers of Tea Party members because the headliner (Mike Huckabee) was promised a percentage of the event proceeds. But more specifically, the proceeds were earmarked to go to HuckPAC, where they would be redirected toward opposing the Tea Party candidates in states like Kentucky & Tennessee. Dinosaur senators like Alexander & McConnell were among the biggest intended recipients of funds from the OKGOP Ball.

We do have better options. We just need to encourage good leaders to come up to the platform and lead. When I look around for better options, one name comes to mind. The Sooner State GOP has a rare opportunity to choose a well-known and highly respected former state senator for our next state chairman. Senator Randy Brogdon is said to be considering the race for GOP State Party Chairman. With sufficient rank-and-file support, we could see a leader like Brogdon lay the groundwork for a successful effort to be the next state GOP chairman. And that is good news for conservatives who want political discipline and a clear conservative message to be promoted throughout the state and exported to the rest of the nation.

The passion of the values voters, liberty advocates, and the visionaries who see the potential in a state which puts off the bondage of mounting taxes, debt, and oppressive regulation; want a more effective leader who can channel the energy and conviction of the Tea Party into a Republican return to the sound governance which respects freedom and rewards the industriousness and ingenuity of the free market.

We need to do better than this current confused effort. We need a better state party leader whose capacity to lead is proportionate to the overwhelming majority of voters’ choice.

On Thursday, the Republican nominee for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives was selected in a meeting of all the Republican members elected to serve in the 114th Congress. The debate and vote were in a members-only meeting to allow open discussion and build consensus for the Republican nominee who will face off against the Democrat nominee in a vote on the floor of the House in early January.

John Boehner was selected as the Republican nominee. While he is well liked by many within the Republican conference, I continue to believe that Speaker Boehner has not been sufficiently strong in challenging the president — the most ideologically liberal and obstinate in our nation’s history. Additionally, there are issues on which the speaker and I continue to disagree.

An effort to replace Speaker Boehner would require several steps, each offering very little chance of success. The first step would be to rally enough Republican dissenting votes to block a 50-percent-plus-1 vote on the floor. The Republicans have a historically high 60-seat majority in the newly elected 114th Congress, possibly higher as midterm election vote counts continue. With this large of a majority, the probability of securing enough dissenting votes is remote, especially after a private nomination meeting.

If 30 or more Republicans voted for someone else and Speaker Boehner did not get a 50-percent-plus-1 vote, a second private meeting of the Republican Conference would occur. At that meeting the dissenting members would have to withstand pressure from the balance of the Republican conference. The minority of Republicans would have to offer an alternative candidate who the majority of Republicans would accept. The probability that there would be 30 or more dissenters is virtually zero, and likewise the chance that the majority of Republicans would capitulate to the minority is near zero.

Read the complete story on tulsaworld.com

Medical doctor Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has always crusaded against federal spending and the inevitable deficits that follow. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, he kept his pledge to serve no more than three terms and went back to doctoring in 2001. But in 2004, he won a Senate seat and pledged to serve no more than two six-year terms. Reelected in 2010, he recently decided he’d had enough and announced his resignation effective at the end of 2014, two years before his second Senate term would have ended.

Still crusading about Washington’s big spending and deficit building, Coburn has now announced that he wants the states to hold a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to add a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He would also like to have the Con-Con add an amendment mandating term limits for members of Congress.

As much as Dr. Coburn’s numerous efforts to cut spending and deal with the national debt deserve accolades, he seems to have not considered that his new proposals are fraught with dangers. He should consider that term limits for the office of President have been in place since 1951. As a result Bill Clinton served only eight years. He was followed by George W. Bush whose eight years were followed by Barack Obama. There are some Americans who applaud the Clinton to Bush to Obama parade because it brought change. But it surely didn’t lead to less spending and an end to deficits.

The main change when term limits force one President to exit and a new one to enter is the name of the occupant of the White House. Real change would occur if the voting public were better informed and not captive of the phony claim that top Democrats are different from top Republicans. If real change is sought, there’s no alternative to an informed electorate.

Dr. Coburn doesn’t seem to realize that a Con-Con could cancel the entire Constitution, as happened in 1787 when the only Con-Con in our nation’s history exceeded its mandate to revise the Articles of Confederation, scrapped them, and produced the U.S. Constitution. A Con-Con can’t be limited. It could abolish the Bill of Rights, cancel term limits on the presidential office, destroy numerous limitations of federal power, etc.

Read the complete story on thenewamerican.com

TULSA 9.12 PROJECT OPPOSES PSO RATE HIKE

Tulsa, OK, July 21, 2014– Public Service Company of Oklahoma is asking the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to approve a $24 million dollar rate increase for the deployment of 522,000 wireless “Smart Meters” to replace our current analog meters.  Smart Meters are wireless devices with a two-way transmission, relaying the information to Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), for billing and monitoring purposes.  What PSO and The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is not making public at this time, is the total cost will be $130 million dollars.  Once all the meters are in place, they will be back for the approval of the $107 million balance.  Tulsa 9.12 Project stands in opposition to the PSO request for a rate hike and the deployment of Smart Meters.

“There are numerous issues associated with Smart Meters,” states Ronda Vuillemont-Smith, president of Tulsa 9.12 Project, “such as the added cost to the consumer for the purchase and installation of the meters, privacy issues of data collection shared with the laboratory for the Department of Energy and Homeland Security and sale to third parties,  as well as health issues.”  If approved, “Smart Meters” will blanket 30,000 square miles of Oklahoma with pulsing non-ionizing radiation (a class 2B Carcinogen).  The unsuspecting public will be radiated 24 hours a day by a wireless technology that can neither be seen nor heard.  There are 3 cases currently before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission due to severe health effects associated with AMI (Smart Meters).  The Utilities have refused to remove the meters from the residences although evidence and science support the plaintiffs’ cases, that the meters are causing serious health issues.  “As more people associate their failing health to Smart Meters there will be more lawsuits resulting in greater costs to the citizens and businesses of Oklahoma,” adds Vuillemont-Smith.

OK-SAFE, Inc., another local grassroots organization, joins Tulsa 9.12 Project in their opposition to the PSO rate hike.  Amanda Teegarden, executive director of OK-SAFE, Inc. comments “OK-SAFE opposes PSO’s proposed rate increase, and the related rollout of AMI (smart meters) in their service area. Having followed this issue for a while now, we have come to believe that  PSO is willfully and intentionally disregarding the public’s legitimate privacy, health and cost concerns associated with the installation of these types of meters.  We strenuously oppose this rollout.

Further, we ask the legislature to issue a moratorium on the installation of any more AMI meters until expert testimony on the risks and costs has been made public.”

Tulsa 9.12 further believes Corporation Commissioner Patrice Douglas, candidate for U.S. Congress, should recuse herself from voting on the PSO rate case.  Douglas has accepted campaign contributions from several utility companies, including PSO, leading to possible conflict of interest and bias in the PSO rate case.

Tulsa 9.12 Project and OK-SAFE, Inc., believe our elected officials of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Attorney General’s Office have a duty to protect the Health and Privacy of the citizens of Oklahoma.

The next public hearing on the PSO rate hike is scheduled for Monday, July, 21, 2014, at 8:30 am in Court Rm 3 at the OK Corp. Commission offices in OKC.

If you cannot attend in person, please call the Oklahoma Corporation Commission at 405-521-4114 and state your opposition to rate increase, and the smart meters. They are counting the calls.

# # #

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The conviction of a tea party leader on felony blackmail and computer crimes charges brought unwanted attention to the conservative political movement but has not diminished its message of limited government and lower taxes, according to other tea party leaders in Oklahoma.

An Oklahoma County jury convicted Sooner tea party co-founder Al Gerhart on Wednesday after prosecutors claimed he sent a politically charged email to a state senator who testified that he felt threatened by the email’s tone.

Gerhart was an Oklahoma City cabinet maker when he became an early face of the tea party movement four years ago. But even then, some conservative Oklahomans were concerned when he targeted the state’s Republican Party leader and floated the idea of a volunteer militia to guard the state from what were called federal infringements on state sovereignty.

“Al has a very hard time working well with others,” said Charlie Meadows, president of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee. “Al is not effective at all, and it’s because of his confrontational style.”

Read the complete story from the AP.