Democrats flip SD37, GOP holds HD76 and SD45

Three legislative special elections were held today - House District 76 (vacated by Rep. David Brumbaugh's death), Senate District 37 (vacated by Sen. Dan Newberry resigning for a private sector job), and Senate District 45 (vacated by Sen. Kyle Loveless' resignation over campaign finance violations).

All three seats were Republican-held. Democrats last won SD37 in 1996 (although Nancy Riley switched from Republican to Democrat in the middle of her final term in 2006), SD45 in 1976, and never in HD76.

In HD76 (Republican District Rating of 61.9), Republican Ross Ford won with 68.35% of the vote . In SD45 (RDR of 59.5), Republican Paul Rosino got 56.78% of the vote.

In a nailbiter of a race in SD37 (RDR of 57.6), Democrat Allison Ikley-Freeman defeated Republican Brian O'Hara by 31 votes, 2234 (50.35%) to 2203 (49.65%). The vote was close enough that O'Hara might seek a recount; either way, due to Newberry's resignation date being January 31st, 2018, the winner won't be sworn in until February 1st, 2018.

Ikley-Freeman (a therapist at a nonprofit mental health agency) defeated O'Hara (a former Jenks city councilor and district director for Cong. Bridenstine) by virtue of receiving 60 more votes on election day, while O'Hara led the absentee and early voting total by 29. Ikley-Freeman becomes the third openly homosexual individual (she is married to another lesbian) to be elected to the Oklahoma Legislature, and the first outside of the HD88/SD46 area in Oklahoma City.

Democrats have now won 4 of the 7 special elections held this year (HD46, HD75, SD37, SD44).

Rosino gains GOP nomination in SD45, Ford in HD76

Primaries were held today for the special elections in House District 76 and Senate District 45.

In HD76, vacated by the death of Rep. David Brumbaugh, Republican Ross Ford eeked out a 19-vote victory over Rep. Brumbaugh's widow Shelley, winning 30.76% to 29.85%. A third candidate received 28.52%, with two others in single digits. Democrat Chris VanLandingham took 54.18% in a two-way Democratic primary.

In SD45, vacated by Sen. Kyle Loveless, Paul Rosino emerged victorious out of 7 GOP candidates, gathering 32.61% to the nearest competitor's 21.12%. He will face Democrat Steven Vincent, who defeated his one opponent with 92.22% of the Democratic primary vote.

The general election for both races will be held on November 14th.

Newberry resigns from State Senate, creates 7th vacant legislative seat this term

Whether it's failing to oppose unconstitutional tax hikes or simply serving out their entire term in elected office, it appears that the Oklahoma Legislature is full of individuals who are unwilling to fulfill their pledge of service to the people. State Sen. Dan Newberry has submitted his irrevocable resignation from office, to "pursue a promotion in his professional career".

Newberry was re-elected to a four-year last November. Let me say that again - just seven months ago, he spent over $336,000 and asked his constituents to send him to represent them for four years in the State Senate. Voters trusted his offer, and gave him the seat.

This creates the seventh empty seat in the state legislature since the 2016 election. The other vacancies are State Rep. Tom Newell (for a private sector job), State Rep. Dan Kirby (sexual harassment allegations), State Rep. Scott Martin (for private sector job), State Sen. Ralph Shortey (child prostitution arrest), State Sen. Kyle Loveless (campaign finance violations investigation). State Rep. David Brumbaugh's sudden passing created another vacancy requiring a special election.

All have been Republicans; four in the State House, and now three in the State Senate. This is getting out of hand. I hope the State Election Board got a significant boost in funding in the recently-passed state budget since legislators themselves are causing extra expense for them.

Here's the Newberry press release:

Sen. Dan Newberry resigns Senate seat to pursue professional promotion

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa, is resigning his seat to pursue a promotion in his professional career. Newberry’s resignation will be effective January 31, 2018. The governor must set a date for a special election to replace Newberry.

“It has been a true honor to serve as the senator from District 37. I want to thank my wife, my children, family and friends for their unwavering support during my service in the Senate,” Newberry said.  “Just as importantly, I want to thank the citizens of District 37 for placing your trust in me to represent you at the Capitol for nearly 10 years.

Newberry was first elected as senator from District 37 in 2008, and was re-elected in 2012 and 2016. He and his wife, Laura, have four children: Claire, Paige, Eva and Alex. Newberry is an executive at the Tulsa Teachers’ Credit Union.

During his time in the Senate, Newberry was known as a conservative champion and an advocate for small business, most recently serving as chairman of the Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee.

“This wasn’t an easy decision to make—however, Laura and I have made the difficult but necessary decision to focus on the needs of our family.  While we are optimistic about this new chapter in our lives, we are equally excited for the State of Oklahoma,” Newberry said.  “I am certain the people of District 37 will choose a wise leader to help steward this great state to a prosperous future.  I will miss serving in the senate, but will work with my successor to ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted representation for the district.”

Newberry said he’d miss the many friends he made during his time in the upper chamber of the State Legislature.

“I can say without any hesitation that the men and women serving in the Oklahoma Senate – regardless of their party affiliation – are some of the most honorable and dedicated public servants who work each day to make Oklahoma an even better place. I will miss my Senate family, but will be praying and cheering them on as they continue to make Oklahoma the best place to work, live, and play.”

Newberry led recent reforms of the state’s unemployment benefits program, lowering unemployment taxes paid by Oklahoma employers. The reforms also strengthened the state’s workforce system and unemployment insurance trust fund which assisted in keeping unemployment low during the recent recession.

He has received multiple awards from Americans United for Life and Oklahomans for Life for authoring legislation which protects the sanctity of human life at all stages. He established the Gold Star Medal of Honor, which is given to the spouse or family members of an American soldier killed in action since 9/11. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau named him a member of the prestigious “100 Percent Club,” and the Oklahoma State Chamber honored him with the Guardian of Free Enterprise award for championing the economic development and growth of business in our state.

Shelley Brumbaugh to run for late husband's House seat

Shelley Brumbaugh Announces She Will Run for the House District 76 Seat

After the stunning events of the unexpected death of her husband, State Representative David Brumbaugh, who held the people's seat of House District 76 since his first election in 2010, Shelley Brumbaugh has been encouraged to run for the seat. Shelley was an instrumental support in her husband's campaign, constituent services, and legislative activities over the last seven years.

"Not only is there unfinished business that David was committed to in his role as Chairman of the Republican House Caucus, but I also have a legislative agenda to be completed in support of our home district.  Since before David's election in 2010, I worked alongside him for our district, knocking doors, visiting with constituents, answering and finding resources to fill their needs -  and the people deserve to have continued stability in their representation and services."

Shelley Brumbaugh also expresses appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy as we all share in the loss of David. "My teenage daughters and I are thankful for wonderful visits from all over the district, to even flowers from Senator Ted and Heidi Cruz. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, but what also has been amazing is the strength and the confidence I have in knowing that we have already addressed what can sometimes be difficult for a single parent to accomplish. I am thankful for family support already arranged if I am fortunate to serve you at the Capitol during next spring’s session. I am confident in my ability to fully serve in every capacity that our constituents expect. My whole family, church, and great Oklahoma leaders whom we will be announcing soon are standing with us in support of our decision to run."

Shelley is also a businesswoman, who assisted her late husband in managing their company DRB Industries, located in Broken Arrow. She majored in Accounting at Northeastern State University, is a fifth-generation Oklahoman, and a two-decade resident of Broken Arrow.

The primary election will be held on August 8, 2017 with the general election on November 14, 2017. To find out more about Shelley, please visit her Facebook page at: Shelley Brumbaugh for State House.

Oklahoma House pays tribute to Rep. Brumbaugh

This morning, the Oklahoma House of Representatives paid tribute to State Rep. David Brumbaugh, who unexpectedly passed away Saturday evening. Session began with a moment of silence, State Reps. George Faught and Mike Ritze spoke about Brumbaugh's impact and legacy, and members closed with the singing of Amazing Grace.



Brumbaugh's body will lie in repose at the State Capitol on Thursday, from 10am to 2pm. Visitation with the family will be from 6pm to 8pm at Floral Haven Funeral Home in Broken Arrow. The funeral is set for 1pm Saturday at Tulsa Bible Church in Tulsa, with a graveside service to follow.

Brumbaugh was the Majority Caucus Chairman, and represented House District 76. Sometime in the next 30 days, Governor Fallin will announce the scheduling of a special election to elect a replacement to fill the remainder of his legislative term.

State Rep. David Brumbaugh has passed away

State Rep. David Brumbaugh (R-Broken Arrow) has passed away this evening. Please keep his family in your prayers.

— OKHouseGOP (@GOPHouseOK) April 16, 2017

OCPAC announces 2016 legislative awards

From John Michener, President of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC):

On July 13 members of OCPAC debated and then voted on which legislators should receive special awards for their principled policy and leadership.  These legislators will be formally recognized and presented with their awards at the annual OCPAC Awards Banquet on Friday, February 10, 2017.  In most cases the runner-up will also receive an award.  Here are the winners of OCPAC’s 2016 legislative awards:

Senate Legislator of the Year:  Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow).  Sen. Dahm scored a perfect 100 on the Index.  Beyond simply voting the principled way when given the opportunity, he authored and championed many of the bills on and off the Index which supported conservative values.  As Majority Whip, he rallied the other conservatives to each cause and negotiated tirelessly with Senate leadership and less conservative senators to gain support for property rights, States’ rights, gun rights, and the right to life.  This is our most prestigious award in the Senate.

The runner-up is Sen. Mark Allen (R-Spiro) who scored 93 on the Index.  For two consecutive years his score has been 90 or better, and our members have been pleased with his conservative leadership.

Senate Freshman of the Year:  Joseph Silk (R-Broken Bow).  Sen. Silk scored 90 on the Index.  In his second year as a freshman, and without an official leadership position, Sen. Silk made his voice heard on issues such as life, federal tyranny, and parental rights.  Leadership is more than a position; it is a character quality, and OCPAC applauds Sen. Silk’s leadership.

Senate RINO of the Year:  Ervin Yen (R-OKC).  Sen. Yen scored 10 on the Index.  That is not a typo.  One wonders how he got elected and why the State GOP does not revoke his party membership.  His Index score is the lowest in the entire Senate.  Every Democrat scored higher, by an average of 26 points.  Some RINOs are simply ignorant or gullible.  They repeatedly vote the wrong way because they do not know any better and are easily persuaded to go along with liberal leadership.  But Yen is neither of these.  He is dangerous because of his big-government and collectivist beliefs and his willingness to implement them in policy.  In 2016 he fought hard to force parents to vaccinate their children, and he openly admitted in a committee hearing that he would go after religious exemptions.  Yen is an enemy of liberty on every front.

The runner-up is Sen. Jack Fry (R-Midwest City) with an Index score of 33.  His liberal ideology is evidenced by his votes for more debt, more police surveillance, unlawful seizure of private data, and more regulations on small businesses.

House Legislator of the Year:  David Brumbaugh (R-Broken Arrow).  Rep. Brumbaugh scored 100 on the Index and earned OCPAC’s highest award in the House.  Beyond his tough votes under pressure, he also spent many late nights building a coalition committed to closing every abortion mill in our state.  This was not a popular project with House and Senate Leadership; without Rep. Brumbaugh’s tenacious shepherding of the legislation at every step, it would not have made it to a vote on the House floor.

The runner-up is Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie).  Rep. Murphey’s steadfast commitment to conservative principles in policy is the standard in the House.  After ten years of service, his lifetime average on the Index is still 100.

House Freshman of the Year:  Chuck Strohm (R-Jenks).  Rep. Strohm scored 93 on the Index and several times this year debated passionately on the House floor in favor of bills to defend property rights and transparency in government.  His bill to force internet publication of school district finances was used on this year’s Index.

The runner-up is Rep. Travis Dunlap (R-Bartlesville).  With an Index score of 80, Rep. Dunlap showed great understanding of conservative principles and how they are manifested or come under attack in policy proposals.

House RINO of the Year:  Leslie Osborn (R-Mustang).  Rep. Osborn scored 23 on the Index.  She actively advanced anti-liberty and anti-free-market policies.  Osborn was a vocal advocate of complying with the federal REAL ID Act, an unconstitutional act which violates state sovereignty and grows the police and surveillance state.  Right after the primary filing date passed, and after seeing that she had no primary opponent, Osborn came out in favor of the governor’s budget plan which featured a whopping 150% tax increase on cigarettes.

The runner-up, another big spender on immoral and unlawful projects, is Rep. Mike Christian (R-OKC) who scored only 21 on the Index.

Wilberforce Champion of Life:  Joseph Silk (R-Broken Bow).  William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a member of the British Parliament and is famous for his life-long campaign to abolish the slave trade.  Year after year he introduced legislation to abolish slavery, even when he knew it was not popular and would not help his political career.

Freshman Senator Joseph Silk took a similar stance this year when he authored Senate Bill 1118 which would have put the practice of abortion back under the state’s murder statutes.  Sen. Silk knew that in so doing he would likely be forfeiting future positions of power.  By taking the morally and constitutionally correct position that the federal government and U.S. Supreme Court are wrong on abortion, Sen. Silk has created enemies in the Oklahoma Senate.  We praise Sen. Silk for matching policy to principle, regardless of the opposition or personal risk.

Braveheart Champion of Liberty:  Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate).  William Wallace is famous for his leadership in the Wars of Scottish Independence.  His willingness to sacrifice everything for liberty was portrayed in the film Braveheart.

Senator Josh Brecheen holds the view that Washington is an oppressive overlord.  At every turn he is looking for a way to fight against federal tyranny and restore Oklahoma sovereignty.  He fought to put his principles into policy when it came to federal education standards and federal trans-gender bathroom mandates.  At the local level, he fought the tyranny of our own overlord, Gov. Mary Fallin.  Fallin vetoed legislation protecting parental rights regarding vaccination; she vetoed legislation allowing farmers to hunt destructive wild hogs on their own property; and she vetoed legislation which would have torn down all Oklahoma altars of child sacrifice.  Sen. Brecheen was a key leader in the coalition which attempted to override the governor and her liberal lackeys in the Senate.

Davy Crockett Champion of Property:  Kyle Loveless (R-OKC, Mustang).  Davy Crockett was a member of the Tennessee Legislature and the U.S. Congress.  He became famous for defending property from the money-hungry hands of government—see his speech “Not Yours to Give.”  He died in defense of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.

Senator Kyle Loveless has realized that government at every level has means and methods of stealing private property.  He has worked tirelessly over the last year to educate the public about the abuses of civil asset forfeiture, and he proposed legislation to protect private property from seizure by law enforcement without due process.  His efforts appear to have been thwarted by law enforcement unions and lobbyists who exerted pressure on Senate leadership, but Sen. Loveless remained vocal, and his efforts led to some moderate reforms being heard in the Legislature.  We appreciate Sen. Loveless’s Crockett-like tenacity to defend our property.

Korczak Defender of Individual Rights:  Rep. Randy Grau (R-Edmond), Rep. Mike Ritz (R-Broken Arrow), Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman), Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow).  Janusz Korczak was an author of children’s stories, a pediatrician, and the headmaster of an orphanage for Jewish children in Warsaw, Poland.  When the Nazis moved the orphans to the Treblinka extermination camp, Korczak had been offered sanctuary, but he turned it down repeatedly, saying that he could not abandon his children.  Attempting to provide comfort and protection from the state until the very end, Korczak boarded the train with about two hundred of his children and was never seen again.

Statists and collectivists are working at every level to take away parental rights, destroy local sovereignty, and control populations in every meaningful way.  One of the greatest manifestations of these efforts is the move toward mandatory vaccination.  Although Sen. Yen’s vaccine mandate was defeated, grassroots activists wanted to go on offense by attempting to secure in Oklahoma law parental rights to informed consent.

Rep. Grau agreed to carry the Parental Rights Immunization Act for the Oklahomans for Vaccine and Health Choice PAC.  Rep. Ritz (an OBGYN doctor) made sure the bill was heard in his House committee.  Sen. Standridge (a pharmacist who had already spoken against Yen’s tyrannical bill), readily agreed to hear the Parental Rights bill in his Senate committee.  Sen. Dahm co-authored the bill in the Senate and secured the votes necessary for passage.  These legislators fought to empower parents to defend (like Korczak) their children from the deadly overreach of state power.

Charlie’s Overall Conservative

Every legislator who has completed at least two years of service and has a lifetime average of 90 or better on the Index receives the Charlie's Overall Conservative award.  This award recognizes the hard work it takes to be consistently conservative, and it is named in honor of OCPAC founder Charlie Meadows who always wears overalls.

Congratulations to Senators Anthony Sykes (R-Moore) and Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow).  Congratulations to Representatives Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), Dan Fisher (R-El Reno), Sally Kern (R-OKC), David Brumbaugh (R-Broken Arrow), Paul Wesselhoft (R-Moore), Chuck Strohm (R-Jenks), and Travis Dunlap (R-Bartlesville).

Visit OCPAC's Facebook page here, and become a member here.

State House passes 10-year income tax phase-out

Oklahoma House approves 10-year income tax phase-out 

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 15, 2012) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a proposal to phase out the state’s personal income tax over 10 years.

Supporters said House Bill 3038 would set Oklahoma on a path toward vibrant, long-term prosperity and robust job growth for generations to come.

“By allowing people to enjoy more of the fruits of their labor, we give people more reasons to work, invest, save and produce at a higher level, leading to a stronger economy for our state as a whole,” said state Rep. Leslie Osborn, one of over two dozen authors of the legislation.

State Rep. David Brumbaugh, also an author of the bill, said, “Those states with the lowest tax burdens and no income taxes consistently outperform the national average and us here in Oklahoma in terms of economic growth, job growth, population growth, and even state and local revenue growth. We need to replicate their success here in our state.”

HB 3038 would repeal Oklahoma’s progressive personal income tax without necessitating increases in other tax rates or cuts in funding to core government services.

Were Oklahoma to eliminate its personal income tax without raising or expanding any other tax rates, the state would have the lowest overall tax burden in the continental United States.

“This would be a game-changer for our state’s economy,” Osborn said. “Oklahoma should have the best climate for business and jobs of any state in America. The status quo is simply not good enough to keep many of our kids and grandkids here.”

Pointing to tax climates in neighboring states, Osborn said, “Texas already doesn’t have an income tax. Kansas and Missouri are actively looking to get rid of theirs. We have the opportunity to be part of an economic corridor that the job creators who are leaving the high-tax, high-regulation states flee to as they pursue profits and prosperity and bring jobs with them.”

On the floor of the House, Osborn quoted from a Feb 7 editorial from the Wall Street Journal, titled “The Heartland Tax Rebellion,” which said, “(t)he tax competition in America’s heartland is an encouraging sign that at least some U.S. politicians understand that they can’t take prosperity for granted. It must be nurtured with good policy, as they compete for jobs and investment with other states and the rest of the world.”

HB 3038 would phase out the state personal income tax through a process of simplifying the tax code, making modest reductions in wasteful, inefficient and nonessential state spending at the outset of the phase-out process, and utilizing growth revenue from other sources as Oklahoma’s private sector grows in response to the state’s dramatically improved tax climate.

“Money is spent more efficiently by the private sector than by government,” Brumbaugh said. “We need to put more money in people’s pockets.”

The measure was amended on the House floor today to ensure it would not raise effective tax burden on Oklahoma senior citizens, retirees and veterans.

The amendment allows individuals who currently claim exemptions or deductions on their state individual income taxes for Social Security income or any type of retirement income to continue to do so, as long as their household income is below a certain threshold. Above that threshold, seniors, retirees and veterans would already break even or pay less in taxes under the provisions of HB 3038.