Sen. Kirt to hold interim study Monday on Oklahoma’s ethics laws

This has the potential to be good, though at least one of the guest speakers (Moore) is a liberal hack. Oklahoma's ethics laws could use some reform, and the Ethics Commission needs additional funding and authority to actually give it some teeth to see that the laws are enforced (see the whole dark money fiasco plaguing Oklahoma right now). 

Sen. Kirt to hold interim study on Oklahoma’s Ethics

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 21st) – Sen. Julia Kirt [D-OKC] will hold an interim study on Oct. 24 focused on Oklahoma’s laws for ethics and accountability for elected officials.

OKGOP Chair again calls on redistricting petition head to release donors, expenses

REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN AGAIN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, September 1, 2020 – In light of a third initiative petition filed by a political advocacy group aimed at disrupting Oklahoma’s redistricting process, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today that Andy Moore, leader of People Not Politicians (PNP), must immediately release the organization’s donors and expenses.

“This is the political story that keeps on giving,” said David McLain. “The latest PNP filing is nothing more than a political scheme to buy Mr. Moore’s left-wing, out-of-state donors more time to push their disingenuous petition on Oklahoma voters. Their plan is to increase the size of the state legislature for the 2025 and 2026 sessions, and draw legislative lines on a proportional basis, leading to many counties and cities across the state being disenfranchised. This would be true political gerrymandering.”

“Other states, Oregon for example, are using the exact name as Mr. Moore’s group which confirms my belief that his effort is a component of a national plan to advance a liberal political agenda across the United States. It is why, for the third time this summer, I call on Mr. Moore to release all donors and expenses related to his three redistricting petitions dating to October 2018. His organization has funded salaries, hired attorneys and a public relations firm, produced videos, and engaged in other campaign expenses that have never been disclosed.”

OKGOP Chairman calls out redistricting petition head on transparency hypocrisy

GOP CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO STEP DOWN FROM FIO POST, RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, July 27, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party called today for Andy Moore, the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to resign his position and immediately release the names of all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, the initiative petitions to change Oklahoma’s redistricting process of which Moore heads. SQ 804 was ruled invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and SQ 810 was recently withdrawn.

“The irony of Mr. Moore’s conflict of interest is beyond comprehension, and must be brought to light,” said David McLain. “On one hand, he heads an organization whose mission statement is ‘promoting open and transparent government in Oklahoma.’ On the other hand, he also has led two initiative petition campaigns which have never made public who their liberal, and likely out-of-state, donors and key supporters are. This is blatant hypocrisy, and while I seriously doubt Mr. Moore will comply, I call on him to promptly release all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, and resign from his position with FIO.  If he fails to do either, I request FIO’s Board of Directors immediately remove him.”

Column: Redistricting petition is blatant move that should concern all

Initiative Petition 420 is part of national plan

an op-ed by Michael Clements in the Durant Democrat

The Oklahoma Supreme Court heard arguments this week on a case that is getting little attention but could have huge implications on the local, state and national levels.

The case concerns Initiative Petition 420. If the petition’s backers are successful, they will put State Question 804 on the ballot. And, if that question is approved by voters it will completely change how legislative boundaries are drawn in Oklahoma. We have covered this issue before, but it’s too important to ignore.

Andy Moore, founder of People not Politicians which is pushing the petition, claims he is just a regular guy who got interested in politics after learning about gerrymandering. Moore claims he was just minding his own business when he became so outraged over the issue that he had to do something. So, he started the organization with the populist sounding name to fight the obvious corruption of having elected officials draw district lines.

Moore was so regular that he didn’t even know who Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States under President Barak Obama, was. Which is odd since Moore is also the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, a group dedicated to fighting for government openness and transparency.

Apparently, the FOI Oklahoma Board was so impressed with the political neophyte that the fact that he couldn’t identify the top law enforcement official in the nation was irrelevant. So, why is Moore’s obtuseness relevant? Because Moore’s redistricting crusade just happens to coincide with far-to-similar-to-be-coincidence national campaign to flip red states to blue states being run by holder.

In another stunning coincidence, People Not Politics web presence is hosted by a company dedicated to advancing progressive political agendas, like those espoused by Holder. Moore claims it was simply a financial decision, but we’re pretty sure that if he was pushing a Republican agenda his Internet Service Provider wouldn’t be quite so blue.

Then there’s the census-data manipulation SQ 804 would require. Moore claims to have no idea how language calling for the incarcerated to be counted differently from all others for the purposes of redistricting, and only for that purpose, got into his proposed amendment. But, to our knowledge, he and his grassroots movement have made no moves to remove the provision.

Right now, the decision is in the hands of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. But even if the court rejects this move, it will not end. It is being pushed by a national campaign intent on bypassing the voters and the Constitution. People on one side of the aisle may be fine with that for the time being since they see it as a way to correct what they consider to be a mistake by the voters. But what happens when the other side controls the commission?

Frankly, we are being sold a bill of goods and the potential impact goes far beyond drawing some boundaries. This is a blatant move to take control an essential part of our political process away from the majority of the people and place it in the hands of a few. And that should concern people of all political persuasions.