An 8-Year Extinction of the Little Dixie Democrat Legislator

In 2010, Oklahoma Democrats owned the southeast portion of the state, with total control of legislative seats in the "Little Dixie" area, generally south of I-40 and east of I-35.

With yesterday's announcement by State Rep. Johnny Tadlock (DR, Dist.1), there are now no legislative Democrats in the region south of Tahlequah and east of Norman.

No region of the state has been so lopsidedly dominated by one party throughout state history as Little Dixie. Yet, in a period of eight years, four elections, and one party switch, the Little Dixie Democrat legislator has now gone extinct (at least until the next election).

The 2010 election started a GOP landslide in Little Dixie, with victories in the Senate by Josh Brecheen, Mark Allen and Frank Simpson, and Dustin Roberts, Tommy Hardin and John Bennett in the House. Consecutive elections were marked by continued GOP pickups, culminating with this year's flip of four House seats in the very heart of Little Dixie.

Pre-election 2010 State House (62R-39D):

Current 2018 State House (77R-24D):

Pre-election 2010 State Senate (26R-22D):

Current 2018 State Senate (39R-9D):

Only 3 of 24 Democrat House members are from primarily rural districts, while all of their 9 Senate seats are mainly urban.

Following the 2018 election, which saw Democrats lose 7 rural seats including House Minority Leader Steve Kouplen, incoming House Minority Leader Emily Virgin made the following comment in an interview with NewsOK: "For Democrats going forward, we've got to figure out how to make sure that we are still talking to rural Oklahoma and letting them know we are the party for you when it comes to health care and keeping hospitals open."

Looks like that job got a little harder for Oklahoma Democrats.

Election Results Maps: Oklahoma Legislature

I've had a busy week since election day, so I'm pretty far behind on posting about the results. Here are two maps illustrating the election results and new partisan makeup in the Oklahoma Legislature.

First up, the Oklahoma State House:

On a night when many expected Democrats to make major gains in the Legislature, Republicans picked up seven seats in the House, while Democrats only flipped three, meaning the GOP now holds an historically-high majority of 76 members to a mere 25 registered Democrats.

Districts that flipped:

• HD6 - Democrat to Republican (open seat)
• HD15 - Democrat to Republican (open seat)
• HD17 - Democrat to Republican (open seat)
• HD18 - Democrat to Republican (Rep. Donnie Condit defeated)
• HD24 - Democrat to Republican (Minority Leader Steve Kouplen defeated)
• HD71 - Republican to Democrat (open seat)
• HD79 - Republican to Democrat (open seat)
• HD83 - Republican to Democrat (open seat)
• HD86 - Democrat to Republican (open seat)

House Democrats are an endangered species in rural Oklahoma, and extinct in Gene Stipe's old stomping grounds of McAlester, the heart of Little Dixie. Both House seats in the McAlester area went red, including the defeat of incumbent Rep. Donnie Condit. More astonishingly, House Minority Leader Steve Kouplen was upset in HD24.

Now for the Senate side:

While the House had a significant shift, the Senate was more subdued. Republicans picked up one seat, while Democrats flipped two, putting the chamber at 39 Republicans and 9 Democrats.

Districts that flipped:

• SD30 - Republican to Democrat (open seat)
• SD32 - Democrat to Republican (open seat)
• SD40 - Republican to Democrat (Sen. Ervin Yen defeated in GOP primary)

On the Senate side, the Democrats lost their sole remaining mostly-rural district, and the only one west of I-35. They are now confined to the OKC-Norman and Tulsa metros.

Election Day: Vote for Principle

Today is Election Day. Voters across the country are casting ballots to conclude a critical midterm election.

If you're in Oklahoma and need help finding your polling location, use this link from the State Election Board.

Oklahoma election results will be posted at the Election Board website starting at 7:00pm.

Here are my picks, with more detail on them here:

Governor: Kevin Stitt
Lieutenant Governor: Matt Pinnell
State Auditor: Cindy Byrd
Attorney General: Mike Hunter
State Superintendent: not Joy Hofmeister
Insurance Commissioner: not Glen Mulready
State Treasurer: not Randy McDaniel
Corporation Commissioner: Bob Anthony

1st Congressional District: Kevin Hern
2nd Congressional District: Richard Castaldo
5th Congressional District: Steve Russell

SQ793: Yes
SQ794: No
SQ798: No
SQ800: No
SQ801: Yes

Oklahoma Supreme Court: for Patrick Wyrick, against the rest
Court of Civil Appeals: for Goree, against the rest
Court of Criminal Appeals: for Rowland and Kuehn, against Lewis
 District Judge, District 15, Office 4: James Walters
Associate District Judge, McIntosh County: Brendon Bridges

HD2: Jim Olsen
HD8: Tom Gann
HD12: absolutely not McDugle
HD15: Randy Randleman
HD41: Denise Hader
HD49: Tommy Hardin
HD83: Jason Reese
HD85: Matt Jackson
HD79: Dan Hicks
SD2: Marty Quinn
SD4: Mark Allen
SD6: David Bullard
SD40: Joe Howell

My picks for the 2018 Oklahoma general election

Early and absentee voting is over for the 2018 Oklahoma general election, with the remaining in-person ballots to be cast on Tuesday. As is my custom, I will be discussing my picks for the general election races in this post.

Some of these candidates I am in wholehearted support of. Others will receive my vote with some reservations or primarily because the other options are worse. On still others, I will be casting a protest vote, or skip that race ("undervoting"). If I've written a separate post on a particular race or candidate, there will be a link where you can read in more detail. Candidates that I enthusiastically support will be in bold.

Governor: Kevin Stitt (R)
Oklahoma needs Kevin Stitt as Governor, not only because of the sharp contrast he draws with liberal Democrat Drew Edmondson, but because Stitt will be a strong leader (unlike Fallin) and will stand against the Legislature as it begins to turn to the left.

Lieutenant Governor: Matt Pinnell (R)
Matt Pinnell is a solid candidate, a great guy, and will make a fantastic Lieutenant Governor. Teamed up with Governor Stitt, I would expect great leadership for Oklahoma.

State Auditor: Cindy Byrd (R)
The State Auditor's office is vitally important, especially as we have seen recent fiscal scandals among state agencies and with record levels of tax revenue coming into state coffers. Cindy Byrd has served as Gary Jones' top employee, and will build on the tremendous performance of his tenure. Hopefully, the Legislature will unshackle the State Auditor to allow the office to be more proactive about rooting out waste, as they continually tied Jones' hands out of political motivations.

Attorney General: Mike Hunter (R0
It appears that even the Democratic nominee for governor, Drew Edmondson, voted for Mike Hunter.

State Superintendent: not Joy Hofmeister (R)
From all appearances, Joy Hofmeister and her campaign consultants should have gone to prison for multiple campaign finance felonies back in the 2014 election. Those charges were inexplicably not followed through on. I will not cast a vote for such an unethical candidate. I'll be voting for the Independent in this race out of protest.

Labor Commissioner: absolutely not Leslie Osborn (RINO)
Osborn, a "Republican", is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, voted to make it easier to raise taxes, completely betrayed conservative principles in her final years as a legislator, and ran an incredibly dishonest and nasty campaign in the primary and runoff. I'll be casting a protest vote against her in this race.

Insurance Commissioner: not Glen Mulready (R)
Another Republican who voted to make it easier to raise taxes, Mulready will not be getting my vote. I won't reward such an action with my support.

State Treasurer: not Randy McDaniel (R)
Another Republican who voted to make it easier to raise taxes, McDaniel will not be getting my vote. McDaniel is a fine gentleman, but as previously mentioned, I can't reward that HJR 1050 vote with my support.

Corporation Commissioner: Bob Anthony (R)
This is Anthony's "last hurrah" due to term limits.

1st Congressional District: Kevin Hern (R)
Hopefully Hern will be a worthy successor to former representative Jim Bridenstine.

2nd Congressional District: Richard Castaldo (L)
Markwayne Mullin is a politician running on broken promises and cannot be trusted when he gives his word. I won't reward such dishonorable conduct with my vote, and will cast a protest vote for the Libertarian candidate.

5th Congressional District: Steve Russell (R)
Russell has been a little disappointing in Congress, consistently getting sub-par ratings early in his tenure from conservative organizations like Heritage Action, Club For Growth, the American Conservative Union (his scores have improved some more recently). He is facing a decently strong challenge from a Democrat who is being pushed by radical leftist and pro-abortion groups. This district is beginning to become more competitive as the Oklahoma City metro turns more purple.

State Legislative races

HD2: Jim Olsen (R)
HD8: Tom Gann (R)
HD12: absolutely not McDugle (R), an adulterous individual of atrocious character
HD15: Randy Randleman (R)
HD41: Denise Hader (R)
HD49: Tommy Hardin (R)
HD83: Jason Reese (R)
HD85: Matt Jackson (R)
HD79: Dan Hicks (R)
SD2: Marty Quinn (R)
SD4: Mark Allen (R)
SD6: David Bullard (R)
SD40: Joe Howell (R)

If the Republican in your district is on this list of legislators who voted to make it easier to raise taxes, I'd encourage you to consider at least not voting, if their opposition is unpalatable.

SQ793: Yes. The hysteria from the opposition has been ridiculous, and I'm a fan of competition in a free market. Not particularly a fan of singling out one industry for a constitutional amendment, so if it fails I hope the Legislature addresses this very real problem that is contributing to significantly higher expenses for Oklahoma consumers.
SQ794: No. I'm not convinced that this is a needed measure and could have unintended consequences.
SQ798: No. I still believe having an independent Lieutenant Governor can be beneficial. It also seems to be very poorly written, with an incomplete process to be determined in the future by the Legislature.
SQ800: No. Oklahoma does not need another government fund to pocket away taxpayer money.
SQ801: Yes. This would give flexibility and local control to school boards in funding for their districts.

Oklahoma Supreme Court: for Patrick Wyrick, against the rest
Court of Civil Appeals: for Goree, against the rest
Court of Criminal Appeals: for Rowland and Kuehn, against Lewis 

Unless I've heard otherwise to change my mind, I vote against retention. No judge has ever lost a retention vote, so it would take a miracle for that to happen this year. Here is a little more information on the judges, in addition to links at the bottom of this post.

District Judge, District 15, Office 4: James Walters
Conservatives in this five-county district (Muskogee, Wagoner, Cherokee, Sequoyah, and Adair counties) should be supporting Walters. He is a well-respected attorney and a real conservative. His opponent is part of the Democrat "good ol' boys" club and is no conservative.

Associate District Judge, McIntosh County: Brendon Bridges
I have heard good things about Bridges from people I attend church with and who have interviewed both candidates. This race is between a Scalia fan and a Sotomayor fan.

OTHER VIEWPOINTS

Michael Bates of BatesLine.com, as always, has some excellent insights on this election: the Judges, SQ793 (no), SQ794 (yes?), SQ798 (no), SQ800 (no), SQ801 (yes), on 'Ayatollah' Drew Edmondson, on the need for Governor Stitt,

Charles Phipps of OKPolitechs has a great post on the state questions.

David Van Risseghem of SoonerPolitics.org: SQ798 (no)

Kenny Bob Tapp of Tapp Into Common Sense: vote no on OSC Justices Edmondson, Gurich and Kauger

Steve Fair and Georgia Williams: judges and state questions

Now more than ever, Oklahoma needs Stitt/Pinnell

Oklahoma is at a crossroads, particularly for the Republican Party. Will we continue down the road of bigger and more intrusive government, expanded and higher taxes, and increased abandonment of conservative principles, or will we choose fiscal responsibility, conservative values, reined in and accountable government, and more freedom and choice?

That is what Oklahoma voters will decide on Tuesday, and much of that hinges on the election of our next Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Oklahoma needs Kevin Stitt and Matt Pinnell in a desperate way.

As the Oklahoma economy rebounds, state government will be flush with cash. With the legislature lurching leftward, both through Democrat pickups and moderate Republicans purging conservatives from the GOP caucus during the primaries, the pressure to explode government growth and spending will be tremendous.

Kevin Stitt has made government efficiency and accountability a key part of his platform. He has singled-out some major areas of needed reform in the budgeting process and how agencies operate. Stitt can wield a Trumpian hammer to the status quo in Oklahoma City and bring long-needed changes to how our state is run.

Matt Pinnell makes a perfect fit with Kevin Stitt. Where Stitt has no previous political experience or relationships with elected officials, Pinnell helped get many of them elected in his former role as OKGOP chair. His built-in relationships with many of the players in the Capitol will go a long way toward helping craft and guide the Stitt agenda through the marble halls of the State Capitol.

I think we can count on both Stitt and Pinnell to hold the line against the legislature when they go astray. Pinnell has pledged to take an active role in working with the legislature, and Stitt has already begun regular communication and strategy meetings with legislative leadership -- something that never existed with the current governor and led to major problems.

Both Pinnell and Stitt, with their unique backgrounds and capabilities, will be able to market and promote our state in a way to help facilitate further growth. Oklahoma's image can rebound with the fresh leadership they will provide.

During the primary, Kevin Stitt answered an in-depth survey that I sent to the GOP gubernatorial candidates. You can read his responses here. It was a wide-ranging questionnaire, and he took some very good and refreshing conservative positions on the issues.

The Democrat alternatives to Stitt and Pinnell are both very liberal, and would lead Oklahoma down the wrong path. Combining a liberal Governor/Lt. Governor with a Legislature that is turning leftward would be disastrous for Oklahoma's economy and growth.

Oklahoma needs conservative fighters at the helm of government, ready to face down their own party when it goes down the big government road. Mary Fallin was a catastrophe for the Republican Party; Kevin Stitt and Matt Pinnell are needed to bring conservative principles back to state government.

On Tuesday, I will proudly and enthusiastically cast my vote for Kevin Stitt for Governor and Matt Pinnell for Lieutenant Governor. I hope that you will join me.

They voted to make it easier to raise your taxes. Vote accordingly.

In 1992, Oklahoma voters revolted against higher taxes and passed State Question 640, a constitutional amendment that attacked the ease with which tax increases had historically been passed. SQ640 required revenue-raising measures to either be passed by a majority vote of the people (50%+1) or a 75% vote in both houses of the Legislature, rather than a simple legislative majority as had been the practice.

Big government advocates and tax hogs have complained about it ever since.

As legislative Republicans began abandoning their conservative principles over the past few years in the face of tough fiscal choices, they increasingly started to talk about gutting SQ640 and lowering the standard for revenue-raising measures.

Until this past year, no outright tax increase had achieved that 75% hurdle, although hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes had been raised through other means (votes of the people, fees, and other loopholes). To be fair, few outright tax increases had been attempted. Nevertheless, the 75% hurdle did not prove to be "impossible" as tax fans had decried.

At the beginning of the 2018 legislative session, efforts began in earnest to actually reduce the revenue-raising threshold and gut SQ640's constitutional language. House leadership filed a measure (HJR1032) to drop the threshold to 3/5ths (60%), and then a new measure (HJR 1050) to change it to 2/3rds was brought to the floor.

All of this continued to ignore the fact that a statewide vote of the people only requires a bare majority of 50%+1 vote. Legislators continue to fear placing tax increase measures before the voters, counting instead on short memories to cover up their legislative voting records.

HJR 1050 made it to a vote. An amendment was submitted to reduce the tax-hike vote threshold from the proposed 2/3rds back down to 60% (like HJR 1032). That amendment failed, although a shameful 39 Republicans voted for it. The next vote saw 44 Republicans join 7 Democrats in passing the bill.

That brings us to this election. Three Republicans on the ballot for statewide office voted to gut SQ640 and make it easier for the Legislature to raise your taxes.

State Reps. Randy McDaniel, Glen Mulready, and Leslie Osborn all voted to change the tax-raising requirement from 3/4ths to 2/3rds. Glen Mulready voted to move it even lower to 3/5ths (McDaniel voted against, Osborn skipped the vote but in all likelihood would have voted yes).

McDaniel is running for State Treasurer. He is facing off against a lone Independent candidate, Charles De Coune.

Mulready is running for Insurance Commissioner. He is facing a Democrat, Kimberly Fobbs.

Osborn is running for Labor Commissioner. She is facing Democrat Fred Dorrell and Independent Brandt Dismukes.

After the House passed HJR 1050, current Insurance Commissioner John Doak slammed the Republicans who voted to gut SQ640, saying that it was "hard to believe this vote has happened in Oklahoma", and "our party needs to govern by continuing to increase efficiency and effectiveness of limited government and lowering taxes not making it easier to raise by lowering the threshold of votes needed." Several county Republican parties (including Muskogee County) passed resolutions opposing the effort to make it easier to raise taxes, as did other conservative organizations.

This betrayal of the Oklahoma taxpayer should not be rewarded by promoting these individuals to higher office. McDaniel and Mulready are cordial and well-meaning, and generally conservative, but legislative votes have consequences. This was a major transgression. Osborn has many flaws, including her targeting of conservatives and endorsement by the AFL-CIO, and this is just one more to add to the pile.

None of these three Republicans will be getting my vote this election. I haven't completely decided whether I'll simply not cast a vote in their races, or if I will vote for their opposition, but I absolutely will not lend them my vote. That's no loss to them, as I'm sure they'll all three win by large margins, but principles matter, and betrayal of principles also matters.

Remember this at your ballot box and vote accordingly.

On a side note, at least 16 of the other Republicans who voted against the Oklahoma taxpayer are on the ballot for re-election. Check the betrayal list here.

Voter registration soars ahead of General Election

Voter registration soars ahead of General Election

(Oklahoma City) – Official voter registration statistics released Thursday show a net increase of more than 104,000 voters this year, with total registration well over levels for recent gubernatorial elections.

The Oklahoma State Election Board does an official voter registration count on November 1 in years where there is a General Election. This year’s count showed 2,120,843 people registered to vote, almost 100,000 more voters than at this time four years ago.

Republicans had 1,003,182 voters [47.3%], with 781,091 Democrats [36.83%], 8,675 Libertarians [0.41%], and 327,895 Independents [15.46%].

“These numbers are very encouraging, particularly following the exceptionally high turnout from this year’s primary election,” Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said. “It is important to keep in mind that registration is just the first step. We need people to get out and vote November 6.”

Long term trends continued to show the share of the vote increasing for Republicans and Independents at the expense of the Democratic Party, although all parties saw an increase in registrations this year. Republicans, Libertarians and Independents have their largest number of voters ever.

The number of Republicans rose to more than 1 million, the first time any party has had a million voters since the Democratic Party did in 2010.

To view historical voter registration statistics or to download a voter registration application, visit http://elections.ok.gov.

Judicial Retention Voter Information

Finding information for the judicial retention voting is one of the most difficult and frustrating things about Oklahoma's election system. There's often little to no information to find out about the justices from the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Court of Civil Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Oklahoma Republican Party recently put out the following voter guide on these races, showing the party registration of the judges, and which Governor appointed them to their current office. I will post their appointment date below the OKGOP guide.

Oklahoma Supreme Court
James E. Edmondson - appointed in 2003 by Gov. Henry (D)
Yvonne Kauger - appointed March 14th, 1984 by Gov. Nigh (D)
Noma D. Gurich - appointed February 15th, 2011 by Gov. Henry (D)
Patrick Wyrick - appointed February 9th, 2017 by Gov. Fallin (R)

Court of Civil Appeals
Robert Bell - appointed in June 2005 by Gov. Henry (D)
Kenneth L. Buettner - appointed February 26th, 1996 by Gov. Keating (R)
Brian Jack Goree - appointed in 2012 by Gov. Fallin (R)
E. Bay Mitchell - appointed in 2002 by Gov. Keating (R)
Barbara Green Swinton - appointed September 16th, 2016 by Gov. Fallin (R)

Court of Criminal Appeals
Scott Rowland - appointed November 2017 by Gov. Fallin (R)
David Lewis - appointed August 4th, 2005 by Gov. Henry (D)
Dana Kuehn - appointed October 2nd, 2017 by Gov. Fallin (R)

The Oklahoma Bar Association has put together a website that gives a little bit of detail, mainly biographical, on each of these judges. You can visit that here.

Like I said, it is difficult to find good information on why to vote for or against retaining these judges. No judge has ever lost a retention vote.

MY PICKS
I have heard good things about Justice Wyrick, and Judges Goree, Rowland and Kuehn, and will vote for retaining them. I will vote against the rest unless convinced otherwise between now and Tuesday.

If by a miracle any of them are not retained, the next Governor (hopefully Kevin Stitt) would appoint a new replacement.

Perspective: Against SQ793

Over the next few days I hope to post some views in support and in opposition of different state questions that are on the ballot. Today, I have a column from both sides of SQ 793.

Posted earlier was a column from the Yes side. Now, we'll hear from the No side.

Optometry is a Rare Bright Spot in Rural Oklahoma Health Care … and It is Under Attack from Walmart

By Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians Executive Director Joel Robison

Oklahoma, and particularly rural Oklahoma, has major challenges when it comes to healthcare. The United Health Foundation ranks Oklahoma as the sixth least healthy state in the nation.

One of the main drivers of that poor health, cited in that UHF report, is the limited availability of doctors in our state. In fact, 64 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties are currently classified as areas with a shortage of primary care physicians. That means that many Oklahomans, especially those outside of our major metropolitan areas, are forced to drive long distances for routine checkups. Many simply choose not to, letting whatever ailments or health problems they have fester and grow worse.

None of this is breaking news; the state’s troubling lack of rural health care has been well-publicized. What many people are less familiar with, however, is the happy and glaring exception to this rule for optometry and vision health.

Hollywood may consider us “flyover country,” but the best and brightest optometric physicians have for years considered Oklahoma to be a destination state for vision care. As a result, we are home to hundreds of optometric physicians with offices in almost all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, meaning patients rarely must travel long distances for world-class care. In Muskogee alone, there are at least 16 practicing optometrists.

Optometrists come to Oklahoma because we have the broadest scope of practice in the nation, and laws designed to put patients first. They are trained to perform procedures that are only administered by ophthalmologists in other states. Our optometrists diagnose and manage many types of eye conditions and diseases, including bacterial and viral eye infections, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataract as well as refractive conditions like myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. 

Before 1971, when Oklahoma’s modern optometry laws were put into place, optometrists had a much more limited scope of practice and many worked helping to sell frames and lenses at large retailers and jewelry stores.

A concerted effort was made to elevate the practice in two ways: first, by dramatically expanding scope of practice to emphasize medical care over sales; second, by establishing a much higher bar for quality of care, overseen by the State Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Finally, optometrists removed themselves from retail establishments like Walmart, where the pressure to assist in non-medical sales could corrupt the integrity of their medical practice and damage the doctor/patient relationship.

Today, Walmart wants to undo that progress by asking voters to pass State Question 793 in November. Not only would this initiative put optometric physicians back in the Walmarts of the world, it has also been deliberately crafted to give those corporate entities almost total control over their doctors.

For example: an independently practicing optometric physician is required by the Board of Examiners in Optometry to diagnose and manage conditions like glaucoma, which can eventually cause blindness. If SQ 793 were to pass, a Walmart optometrist in Oklahoma could be contractually obligated to discard every part of their medical training that does not lead to maximal sales of frames and lenses. While such a practice would be obviously and directly harmful to patients (whose glaucoma would now go untreated and continue to degrade their vision), the medical community would be powerless to object because SQ 793 was crafted as a constitutional amendment that overrules all other conflicting statutes.

State Question 793 is being marketed by its supporters as a free market proposition; in reality, it is a corporate takeover of a medical profession.

As a lifelong conservative, I support market competition, as do the doctors our association represents. After all, they compete for business with each other every day. However, I believe that all voters – regardless of their ideology or their immediate need for vision care – should be disturbed by this attempt to change the state’s constitution to benefit large corporations at the expense of good health care and patient safety. 

Our state and our Constitution are not for sale. Let’s remind Walmart of that on November 6 by voting no on SQ 793.

Perspective: For SQ793

Over the next few days I hope to post some views in support and in opposition of different state questions that are on the ballot. Today, I will have one column from both sides of SQ 793.

Up first will be the Yes side. The No side will post around noon (at this link).

Oklahoma Kids Deserve Improved Eye Care 

By Jim Helm

One often overlooked factor in a student’s success is having access to necessary eye care so they are able to read whiteboards and concentrate in the classroom. But because of Oklahoma’s outdated optical laws, many students have trouble getting the glasses or contacts they need to participate and excel in the classroom, and in sports and other activities.

That is why supporting State Question 793, a November ballot initiative that would allow licensed optometrists to practice in retail settings, is crucial for ensuring Oklahoma families, seniors and children have access to convenient, affordable and quality vision care. 

Proper vision care is essential to helping school-aged Oklahoma children succeed in school, especially for younger learners. Uncorrected eyesight problems can create significant difficulty with everything from learning to read to understanding math. As a result, if we want to ensure young Oklahomans’ educational success, a basic step is making sure they have access to quality eye care. 

Unfortunately, Oklahoma remains one of only three states where eye care is restricted only to optometrists’ offices, which can be few and far between in some of parts of the state. Some will travel to other states such as Kansas, Texas or Arkansas to receive more affordable options. It can sometimes require lengthy drives — sometimes hours long — just to reach an eye care facility. But most economically challenged parents will not make such a drive, and it's their child who "pays the price." Lost education opportunities mean less vocational options. The problem can become generational.

Having taught in three Oklahoma school districts, I have seen students struggle simply because they have uncorrected vision problems. It came as no surprise when the National Rural Health Association called these unmet vision care needs a “growing crisis” — and one that is hitting our state’s children the hardest.

State Question 793 will give voters a chance to address this crisis by giving Oklahoma families the freedom to receive eye exams or purchase eyewear at nearby retail locations. Supporting State Question 793 will extend a crucial lifeline to families and help boost the academic success of our students. Instead of making a long drive to an optometrist’s office, parents could take their child to the nearest Target or Walmart.

There is a reason why 47 other states allow qualified optometrists to practice in retail locations. This modern, common-sense system provides meaningful savings for families on tight budgets by offering more affordable eye exams and eyewear. In fact, families shopping at retail locations saved an average of nearly $200 according to a Consumer Reports survey — giving them more resources to put toward books and school supplies.

With the help of all Oklahomans on Election Day, we can provide our students with better access to the eye care they need to perform their best in school. Our kids will be the winners!

Jim Helm

Retired Public School Teacher

Tulsa, OK

OCPA column: Who's like whom?

Who’s like whom?

by Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

There’s been a lot of talk lately about which of the gubernatorial candidates is most like the current governor. Let’s look at it.

One of the biggest issues in Oklahoma the last four years has been tax increases. On this issue, Democrat candidate Drew Edmondson appears to be the most like the current administration.

In the current administration’s second term, we saw multiple pushes for tax increases totaling more than $2 billion annually. The current administration did succeed in their second term in increasing income taxes by more than $185 million on Oklahomans.

Edmondson has repeatedly called for more tax increases – including on income and capital gains, services, cigarettes, and oil and gas production.

The Republican candidate, Kevin Stitt, has said his outsider status and successful business experience are what is needed to make government more accountable and work more effectively. Noting economic growth and the corresponding revenue growth, he was opposed to enacted increases in annual taxes and revenues under the current administration – $1.1 billion since 2015.

The Libertarian candidate, Chris Powell, said that certain tax incentives should be eliminated and not more tax increases.

Consider also the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. The current administration on multiple occasions signaled public support for – and tried to push through – some form of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, whether it was the “Leavitt Plan” or the “Rebalance Plan” or some other iteration.

Edmondson has advocated repeatedly for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, saying it will save hospitals. Stitt maintains that significant cost overruns – and cutbacks in program services for the truly needy – in other states that have expanded this welfare program make it a government expansion that Oklahoma should avoid. Powell has voiced opposition to expansion.

Consider pensions. For Stitt or Powell, neither has had a state government career. If elected, state law now requires them to be in a defined contribution plan like most taxpayers. By contrast, Edmondson’s 29-year government career allows him to continue to draw his guaranteed annual state pension of $149,934 (he has drawn $1.2 million to date) alongside the governor’s salary of $147,000 (for a total of $296,934), while the current governor’s 24-year career will allow her to draw around $176,000 guaranteed annually.

For both Edmondson and the current governor, a special provision – for politicians only – allowed their annual pension to be higher than their annual salary ever was.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

Stitt campaign launches new TV ad

STITT FOR GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES TV AD FEATURING SARAH STITT

TULSA, Oklahoma (October 29, 2018) – The Kevin Stitt for Governor campaign announced its latest TV ad featuring Sarah Stitt, the wife of Kevin, titled “Sum”. In the ad, airing statewide, Sarah Stitt talks about why her husband is the only candidate who can deliver change in Oklahoma’s state government.

“For the last 20 years, I’ve watched him. I know what makes him the man he is. Running for governor, for Kevin, is about one thing – one very big thing. It’s about change,” Sarah opens in the new TV ad.


“Changing the state’s direction; changing our leaders to solve our problems and fix our schools. He’ll shine the light of accountability and transparency on state government, and get our state moving in the right direction for a change.”

Throughout the campaign, Sarah Stitt has been a surrogate for her husband on the campaign trail, giving insight into her front row seat to Kevin Stitt being an agent of change. She shares her story of how they started off with few resources, but due to Kevin’s commitment, resolve, and visionary leadership, they have experienced great success with Gateway Mortgage.

In an article by the Tulsa World on Oct. 18, Sarah calls Kevin the “right person at the right time,” describing Kevin as someone always “thinking about the future, setting goals and achieving them.”

Sarah also shares on the campaign trail about her two personal passions that she would focus on as First Lady – education and mental health.

In an article by the Oklahoman on Sept. 30, Sarah opened up about her family’s history with mental illness and substance abuse, calling her own life “nothing short of a miracle.” Sarah continues to share her story in the closing days of the campaign, committed to making a difference in raising awareness to these critical issues.

Coming tomorrow: opposing views on SQ793

Tomorrow, I will be posting two columns with opposing perspectives on State Question 793. Brought to the ballot by initiative petition, this constitutional amendment would allow optometrists and opticians to operate in retail establishments (such as Walmart). It is by far the most contested of the five state questions on the ballot this year.

I hope to have some additional viewpoints on the other state questions as well, so stay tuned for updates as we approach election day. You can view more posts on the state questions, including SQ793, at this link.

AFP-OK publishes 2018 State Question Ballot Guide

AFP-OK Announces 2018 State Question Ballot Guide 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma (AFP-OK) today announced the launch of its “2018 State Question Ballot Guide” to provide Oklahomans the opportunity to compare the pros and cons of the questions appearing on November’s ballot.

“As an organization dedicated to educating fellow Oklahomans on policy, Americans for Prosperity is excited to announce the launch of a new tool for voters in weighing the important impacts of November’s ballot questions,” said John Tidwell, AFP-OK State Director.

“Ballot questions are rightly infamous for their oftentimes convoluted policy language.  Our goal was to put together a guide written in plain language that will help Oklahomans better understand what they’ll be voting on,” Tidwell added.

The 2018 State Question Ballot Guide is now available online.

Stitt endorsed by Tulsa firefighters group

TULSA FIREFIGHTERS ANNOUNCE ENDORSEMENT OF KEVIN STITT FOR GOVERNOR

TULSA, Oklahoma (October 25, 2018)— In a press conference today at the headquarters of Tulsa IAFF Local 176, the Tulsa Firefighters Political Action Committee, the second largest union in the state supporting Oklahoma firefighters, endorsed Kevin Stitt for Governor of Oklahoma.

“Many of us felt called to become a firefighter because we wanted to help those who live in our community,” said IAFF Local 176 President, Jim Nance. “We feel Kevin Stitt is answering that same call and will be a leader all Oklahomans can count on. He has not only taken an interest in the job of a firefighter, but he has also experienced it first hand, by going into the flashover chamber alongside Tulsa firefighters to experience the severe conditions we face.  It shows a level of commitment and dedication we value as first responders. Aside from that, Kevin Stitt has a plan to better fund public safety, ensuring every fire department across the state has access to the most up-to-date training and tools to keep citizens safe.”

Stitt welcomed the support of the faithful public safety professionals and discussed his vision to support core services in the state of Oklahoma.

“I am deeply honored to have the support of the dedicated firefighters in Tulsa who protect our communities every day,” said Stitt. “I am running for governor to put Oklahoma on the path to being the Top Ten state we all know it can be. It starts by leading the state to make decisions for the next generation and not the next election. In a Stitt administration, we are going to deliver accountability and efficiency for every taxpayer dollar spent in order to provide funding certainty to core public services like public safety, education and infrastructure.”

OCPA explains the five State Questions on the ballot

Every two years, Oklahoma voters go to the voting booth and find out that they are voting on more than just candidates for office; usually, there are multiple constitutional amendments on the ballot as well. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) recently posted the following explanation of the five State Questions that are on the ballot:

From OCPA:

Want a simple description of Oklahoma’s ballot measures? OCPA doesn’t support or oppose ballot measures, but we do provide simple descriptions of what each one would do. Linked to each description is the full text of the measure and details on who is behind them.

SQ 793: Legalizing eye care and the sale of eyeglasses at regular retail stores

Oklahoma is one of only three states that bans large retailers like Target and Walmart offering in-store optometrist services. SQ 793 would remove this restriction, allowing more of a free market in eye care that should result in consumers gaining increased access to these services and products.

This measure was placed on the ballot via signature gathering. The change is opposed by some optometrists and others who benefit from the status quo. In a way, the measure is similar to the alcohol modernization efforts that passed on the ballot in 2016 and were implemented this fall. You can read the full proposal here.

SQ 794: “Marsy’s Law” would repeal current victims’ rights laws and replace them with others

Marsy’s Law is a list of rights for victims of crime that California first adopted in 2008. Oklahoma already has specific victims’ rights protections in law, which SQ 794 would repeal, replacing them with more general requirements. While Marsy’s Law claims to be mandatory, there is no penalty if government fails to follow any of the requirements.

In recent years, Oklahoma has adopted a series of criminal justice reforms. Some advocates of these reforms have urged caution on Marsy’s Law. Meanwhile, law enforcement groups and prosecutors who opposed many of the criminal justice reforms are in favor of Marsy’s Law. The Legislature voted in 2017 to put Marsy’s Law on the ballot. You can read the full proposal at Ballotpedia.

SQ 798: Governor, Lieutenant Governor on the same ticket

If this measure passes, candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor would run together on one ticket—just like the President and Vice President do. Twenty-six states do this already according to Ballotpedia. The purpose of the measure is to simplify Oklahoma’s executive branch and make sure the two top executive branch officials are working together.

SQ 798 was placed on the ballot by the state Legislature and, if passed, will take effect beginning with Oklahoma’s 2026 election cycle. You can read the full measure here.

SQ 800: Another state-run investment fund

This proposal would create a new, state-run investment fund. Specifically, SQ 800 would take an ever-increasing portion of collections from Oklahoma’s gross production tax on oil and natural gas production, put the money in a fund that would be invested in financial markets, and then transfer a small portion of it each year into the General Revenue Fund for legislative appropriations.

Oklahoma already has similar investment funds holding a significant amount of state resources. These include the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and the Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO). Together, TSET and the CLO oversee over $3 billion in state assets, equivalent to more than one-third of the state’s appropriated budget. Read the full measure here.

SQ 801: Local control for local school funds

When parents complained that Catoosa Public Schools spent a million dollars on its football stadium while cutting school days and staff, the district’s answer was that some local tax dollars can only be used for buildings. SQ 801 would give local school districts more local control over locally raised ad valorem (property tax) dollars.

The measure would not allow bond funds to be used for operations or permit higher property taxes. But it would break down some funding silos so that local property tax revenues that today can only go to buildings or similar expenses could also go to teacher pay or to hire new teachers. The legislature placed SQ 801 on the ballot. You can read the full measure at Ballotpedia.

Poll: Stitt leads Edmondson 51% to 44%

In a new poll released by Magellan Stategies, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Stitt has pulled ahead for a seven-point lead, breaking the 50% line for the first time in any publicly-released poll.

Oklahoma 2018 Governor Voter Opinion Survey

Taken by Magellan Strategies

Telephone survey of 500 likely 2018 general election voters, conducted on October 22nd and 23rd, 2018, with a MoE of +/- 4.38%

Kevin Stitt (R) - 51%
Drew Edmondson (D) - 44%
Chris Powell (L) - 1%
Undecided - 4%

You can view the crosstabs and more information here.

Pro-Life groups endorse Stitt, all five GOP Congressional candidates

Oklahomans For Life sent out the following election alert yesterday, announcing that GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Stitt had been endorsed by National Right to Life, as well as candidates in each of Oklahoma's five congressional districts.

Stitt answered the candidate survey sent out by the state's largest Pro-Life organization, while his Democratic opponent, Drew Edmondson, refused to respond. Attention was also drawn to the 5th Congressional District race, where pro-life Congressman Steve Russell is being challenged by Democrat Kendra Horn. Horn is being promoted by a prominent left-wing pro-abortion group.

You can visit Oklahomans For Life's website here, and view their Candidate Surveys at this link.

Livestream of Pence/Stitt rally in Tulsa

Vice President Mike Pence is about to step out onto the stage in Tulsa at a rally for GOP Gubernatorial nominee Kevin Stitt.

You can watch the rally and Pence's speech below, courtesy of KTUL:

Shot of the crowd at the Mabee Center

Mulready airs new TV ad in Insurance race

Mulready Campaign Launches New TV Ad

TULSA, OK – Long-time insurance professional Glen Mulready is the first candidate in the Insurance Commissioner’s race to begin airing television ads starting today. The 30-second spot highlights Mulready’s 35 years of experience in the industry, as well as his plan to ensure consumers come first should he be elected.

The ads also feature his wife of 30 years, Sally, a real estate professional in the Tulsa area, and his three teenage sons, Sam, 18, Jake, 16 and Will, 15.

“We are excited to launch this new television ad because we believe that it really captures why Glen is the candidate in this race ready to be our next insurance commissioner. Glen’s 35 years of insurance industry experience has prepared him to protect Oklahomans from day one in office,” Campaign Manager Robert Aery said. “Plus, in another election cycle where negative ads are prevalent, we wanted to keep our message positive and stay focused on who we believe this race is about: consumers. Glen will work hard to make sure that families and businesses across the state have the choices they need to provide insurance for the people that matter to them most.”

Mulready has spent the last nine years as an independent broker working with businesses of all sizes. He formerly spent 13 years on the executive teams of Oklahoma’s two largest health insurance companies and has worked in the insurance industry for more than 35 years.

In his capacity as a state legislator, Mulready has led numerous efforts to reform the state’s insurance laws. He was first elected to represent House District 68 as a Republican in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2010. He served as the House Insurance Chairman, as well as the Majority Floor Leader.

View the ad below: