The New OKGOP: 44 GOP Reps vote to make it easier to raise taxes

Welcome to the new Oklahoma Republican Party. Today, 44 GOP State Representatives voted to make it easier for the Legislature to raise your taxes.

Below are the Republicans who voted to pass HJR 1050 this afternoon. HJR 1050 lowers the 3/4ths (75%) threshold for legislative approval of revenue raising measures put in place by SQ640 down to 2/3rds (66.7%). 39 of them also voted against tabling an amendment which would have gutted SQ640 even more by making the threshold 3/5ths (60%). The measure squeaked by on a 51-41 vote, and now heads to the State Senate. If passed there, it will become a State Question for a statewide vote.

Remember these names. Every last one of them, if running for reelection, should receive a primary challenger and be voted out of office. Three of them are running for statewide office this year; Randy McDaniel for State Treasurer, Glen Mulready for Insurance Commissioner, and Leslie Osborn for Labor Commissioner.

In addition to these Republicans, 7 Democrats voted for the measure to weaken the taxpayer protections put into the Constitution by SQ640: Meloyde Blancett (Dist. 78), Ed Cannaday (Dist. 15), Donnie Condit (Dist. 17), Mickey Dollens (Dist. 93), Jason Dunnington (Dist. 88), Jacob Rosecrants (Dist. 46), and Collin Walke (Dist. 87).

In stark contrast, below are the taxpayer heroes who voted against this atrocious bill. These members should be thanked for their stand. 24 are Republicans, while 17 are Democrats.

Of the Muskogee-area representatives, only Reps. George Faught (R, Dist. 14) and Matt Meredith (D, Dist. 4) voted to protect taxpayers. Reps. Ed Cannaday (D, Dist. 15), Scott Fetgatter (R, Dist. 16), Avery Frix (R, Dist. 13) voted to make it easier to raise taxes on Oklahomans. Rep. Kevin McDugle (R, Dist. 12) did not vote.

I have asked all of the candidates for Governor for their comments on HJR 1050 and SQ640 in general, and will post their responses tomorrow morning.

Real Republicans have a lot of work ahead of them for the June primaries.

Betrayed: Fake Pro-Lifers in the GOP Caucus

From Erick Erickson at RedState:

Led by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC), the House Republicans have yanked a bill that would prohibit the savage killing of 5 month old children, some of whom are gruesomely killed feeling their bodies torn limb from limb.

The Republicans did this on the day of the March for Life, when thousands upon thousands of pro-life voters marched on Washington. These are the base voters of the GOP who now see the party betraying them.

I have been writing about the GOP’s incompetence, contempt for their base, and lack of real pro-life bona fides for several years. It has been a recurring point I make and have made in the run up to the 2014 elections.

But it is often pro-lifers who have the hardest time believing it. Fiscal conservatives recognize it immediately. But pro-lifers see a politician kissing babies and talking Jesus and they extend plenary grace toward the politician. When the politician betrays them, they love them just the same. After all, they just couldn’t get the votes to get it done. But they really believe in the cause.

That, at least, is the pro-lifers’ rationalization.

In fact, today we are already seeing some pro-life groups making excusing for the House Leadership. These stooges love them some table scraps. But the majority of the pro-life movement will not be so easily mollified.

The GOP has been exposed, just after its election, as incompetent and having contempt for its base. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) has become the Abortion Barbie of the GOP — more successfully defending late term abortion than Wendy Davis ever hoped to do.

More and more of the Republican base sees the GOP Leadership today as I have long seen them. And that, friends, is a good thing.

Renee Ellmers. Jackie Walorski. Marsha Blackburn. These are self-proclaimed "pro-lifers" who fought tooth-and-nail to preserve the practice of unborn child murder, also known as abortion. Ellmers went so far as to say she would vote for the bill -- only after she made sure it wouldn't see the House Floor. Despicable hypocrisy.

Only a handful of nations in the world allow unborn babies to be murdered/aborted after 20 weeks of pregnancy. We are in the same company as the communist regimes in North Korea, China, and Vietnam.

Respecting and preserving life is the fundamental platform of Republican Party principles. These fake pro-lifers must go.

Senate passes fiscal cliff bill; House yet to act

At 1:39am New Year's morning, the U.S. Senate passed a "compromise" deal on the fiscal cliff -- with nearly all of the compromise coming on the part of the Republicans.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the deal to raise tax revenue by $620 billion, while cutting only $15 billion in spending (which is off-set by increased spending elsewhere). That's $41 in higher taxes to every $1 cut. Additionally, only two billion dollars in cuts will take place during 2013 -- which means that when it's all said and done, not a penny will be cut. We've been down this road many times already.

Here are some details from RedState:

The bill raises income tax rates for those taxpayers with incomes more than $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. These higher income taxpayers will also pay higher rates on investment income, with rates on dividends and capital gains rising from 15 percent to 20 percent. Add the 3.8 percent ObamaCare surcharge on investment income — another tax that takes effect in January, and the top rate on investment income would rise to 23.8 percent for those high-income households.

The bill also raises taxes on couples earning more than $250,000 a year and single people earning more than $200,000 by limiting personal exemptions and itemized deductions.

Estates taxes will also be increased, with the top rate raised to 40 percent, with the first $5 million in value exempted for individual estates and $10 million for family estates.

The bill also delays the automatic $1.2 trillion draconian sequester spending cuts for sixty days. The sequester cuts, evenly split between defense and certain domestic discretionary spending, were scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. The $24 billion cost of the sequester delay is allegedly made up with a mix of spending cuts and new revenues from rules changes on converting traditional individual retirement accounts into Roth IRAs.

Worse, the bill actually increases the deficit by including:

• A permanent fix for the alternative minimum tax.
• A five-year extension of tax credits for college tuition and the working poor, which were enacted as part of Obama’s failed 2009 stimulus.
• A one-year extension for unemployment benefits, affecting two million people.
• The long-term unemployed could count on receiving emergency benefits for another year, at a cost of about $30 billion.

The bill passed 89-8. Three Democrats voted no: Sens. Bennett (CO), Carper (DE), and Harkin (IA). Only five Republicans voted no: Sens. Grassley (IA), Lee (UT), Paul (KY), Rubio (FL), and Shelby (AL). 40 Republican senators voted for the measure, including Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn.

As of this moment, the House has yet to act on the bill.

One thing is for certain - Republicans in both houses of Congress need new leadership. Far too often have GOP leaders in D.C. betrayed the trust that grassroots conservatives have placed in them.

Stupak Caves

According to reports on Capitol Hill, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI), who had been leading a contingent of pro-life Democrats in opposition to the health care bill, has caved in and will be voting yes.

He has betrayed the pro-life community and the American people. Remember this come November, and kick every single congress-member who votes for this bill out of office.

UPDATE: Stupak has denied that he is supporting the bill. "I'm a no vote. There is no agreement. Until there is an agreement I'm a no vote."

UPDATE 2: Stupak sells out at a press conference that took place at 3pm CST/4pm EST. He reached an agreement with President Obama for an Executive Order that will "solve" the abortion language in the bill. An Executive Order... from the most pro-abortion president in history. An Executive Order, that is easily repealed by a new president, or tossed out by a court.

Stupak just sold the American people, and millions of unborn babies, for a piece of paper.