Election Results Map: Gov, LtGov, and State Superintendent races

Update: be sure to check out my follow-up post here, with U.S. Senate and other statewide races

I've finally gotten the time to update my long-running Election Results Maps series with some posts looking at the 2022 Oklahoma general election.

For now, we'll look at the race for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and State Superintendent. I'll work on additional races as I find the time.

Runoffs Galore!

Well, primary election day contained a lot of surprises, but relatively few races were resolved. There is a glut of runoffs that will now occur on August 28th to settle the party nominees for many races.

There's a lot to process from the primary. The GOP gubernatorial race left Todd Lamb standing outside of the runoff, and no candidate in a statewide race with three or more people running was able to reach 50%. The 1st Congressional District race ended with former DA Tim Harris surprising most people with a first place finish, while Kevin Hern held off Andy Coleman and Nathan Dahm for the other runoff spot.

Of the conservative legislators that opposed the recent tax hikes and who drew primary challengers, only Sen. Mark Allen won his race without a runoff. Reps. Chuck Strohm and Scott McEachin are gone, trounced in their reelection efforts, receiving 36% to 38% of the vote. Reps. Bobby Cleveland, Jeff Coody, Travis Dunlap, George Faught, Sean Roberts, and Tess Teague all came in first, but under the 50% mark, ranging from a 26.42% lead (Cleveland) to 0.63% lead (Coody). Rep. Mike Ritze is the only legislator to enter a runoff in second place, trailing by 2.92%.

Other Republican legislators in runoffs who voted for the tax hikes are Mark Lawson, John Pfeiffer, and Jadine Nollan, ranging from a 24.99% lead (Lawson) to 9.08% (Nollan). Also of note, Rep. Kevin McDugle currently leads by 3 votes over his challenger, with 10 provisional ballots to be reviewed on Friday.

Three incumbent Republican House members who voted for all of the tax hikes were defeated. Rep. Greg Babinec was crushed by one of his challengers 61% to 28%. Rep. Steve Vaughan lost to Ken Luttrell, who was the Democrat incumbent Vaughan beat back in 2010. Rep. Scooter Park lost to Toni Hassenbeck, who was a Democrat in 2014 when Park beat her by the same exact percentage that she beat him by on Tuesday.

In one of the few bright spots, RINO Sen. Ervin Yen lost his primary in a 60% to 40% thumping.

The State Senate is now guaranteed to have at least 12 freshmen out of 48 members (25%), while the State House is guaranteed to have at least 37 freshmen out of 101 members (37%). At least one-third of the legislature will be brand new.

Republicans have 34 runoffs -- 7 statewide races, one congressional, 4 state senate races, and 22 state house races. The Libertarian gubernatorial primary barely went to a runoff. Democrats have 13 runoffs -- one statewide race, four congressional, 1 state senate race, and 7 state house races.

Here are the runoffs for the statewide, congressional, and legislative races:

REPUBLICAN RUNOFFS
Governor: Mick Cornett (29.35%) vs. Kevin Stitt (24.41%)
Lieutenant Governor: Dana Murphy (45.85%) vs. Matt Pinnell (35.7%)
State Auditor: Cindy Byrd (49.45%) vs. Charlie Prater (42.08%)
Attorney General: Mike Hunter (44.46%) vs. Gentner Drummond (38.46%)
State Superintendent: Joy Hofmeister (46.84%) vs. Linda Murphy (31.05%)
Labor Commissioner: Cathy Costello (43.26%) vs. Leslie Osborn (35.92%)
Corporation Commissioner: Bob Anthony (47.17%) vs. Brian Bingman (38.42%)
Congressional District 1: Tim Harris (27.48%) vs. Kevin Hern (22.67%)
Senate District 10: Bill Coleman (48.47%) vs. Amber Roberts (27.46%)
SD16: Ed Crocker (44.41%) vs. Becky Maldonado (39.44%)
SD30: Lori Callahan (20.07%) vs. John Symcox (19.96%)
SD36: John Haste (34.71%) vs. Bill Day (25.6%)
House District 10: Rep. Travis Dunlap (46.11%) vs. Judd Strom (41.93%)
HD14: Rep. George Faught (44.61%) vs. Chris Sneed (28.48%)
HD17: John Hass (34.88%) vs. Jim Grego (29.02%)
HD20: Rep. Bobby Cleveland (43.04%) vs. Sherrie Conley (16.62%)
HD27: Danny Sterling (37.8%) vs. Dave Spaulding (37.45%)
HD30: Rep. Mark Lawson (47.48%) vs. Kent Glessner (22.49%)
HD36: Rep. Sean Roberts (33.04%) vs. Louise Redcorn (32.13%)
HD38: Rep. John Pfeiffer (42.55%) vs. Brian Hobbs (31.32%)
HD41: Roxanne Pollard (36.89%) vs. Denise Hader (29.83%)
HD43: Jay Steagall (33.73%) vs. Crystal Duncan (30.12%)
HD47: Brian Hill (40.18%) vs. Beverly Adams (32.8%)
HD61: Kenton Patzkowsky (42.07%) vs. Brad Raven (31.73%)
HD63: Rep. Jeff Coody (39.71%) vs. Trey Caldwell (39.08%)
HD66: Rep. Jadine Nollan (45.71%) vs. Brian Jackson (36.63%)
HD68: Lonnie Sims (33.4%) vs. Nicole Nixon (27.97%)
HD71: Cheryl Baber (43.44%) vs. Beverly Atteberry (24.29%)
HD79: Karen Gilbert (48.37%) vs. Dan Hicks (44.9%)
HD80: Stan May (39.48%) vs. Rep. Mike Ritze (36.56%)
HD82: Nicole Miller (33.87%) vs. Brad Martin (17.44%)
HD98: Laura Steele (29.32%) vs. Dean Davis (27.35%)
HD100: Julie Roach (41.55%) vs. Marilyn Stark (38.18%)
HD101: Rep. Tess Teague (37.99%) vs. Robert Manger (26.55%)

LIBERTARIAN RUNOFF
Governor: Chris Powell (48.92%) vs. Rex Lawhorn (32.4%)

DEMOCRATIC RUNOFFS
Corporation Commissioner: Ashley McCray (48.79%) vs. Blake Cummings (22.17%)
Congressional District 1: Tim Gilpin (34.5%) vs. Amanda Douglas (32.41%)
Congressional District 2: Jason Nichols (37.9%) vs. Clay Padgett (24.21%)
Congressional District 4: Mary Brannon (34.36%) vs. Fred Gipson (30.37%)
Congressional District 5: Kendra Horn (43.84%) vs. Tom Guild (17.91%)
Senate District 16: Mary Boren (34.59%) vs. Rep. Claudia Griffith (32.81%)
House District 26: Terry Hopkins (38.72%) vs. Bruce Bushong (31.76%)
HD41: Sara Peterson (39.11%) vs. Jennie Scott (37.75%)
HD53: Leslie Bonebreak (39.34%) vs. Cyndy Sutherland (36.14%)
HD68: Angela Statum (49.36%) vs. Michael Ross (32.94%)
HD91: Amanda Jeffers (45.08%) vs. Sonya Fergeson (30.49%)
HD99: Ajay Pittman (38.14%) vs. Nkem House (32.1%)
HD101: Madeline Scott (32.51%) vs. John Carpenter (28.81%)

You can view the statewide results here, or county-by-county results here.

2018 Oklahoma Constitution Conservative Index released

The 2018 Oklahoma Conservative Index

Published by the Oklahoma Constitution

Oklahoma's Conservative Newspaper since 1979

This issue of the Oklahoma Constitution presents the 40th annual Oklahoma Conservative Index, rating our state legislators. Members of each house of the Oklahoma Legislature were rated on ten key votes. A favorable vote on these issues represents a belief in fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, free enterprise, and constitutional government.

After taking suggestions from conservative leaders, the staff of the Oklahoma Constitution submitted bills to a vote of the membership of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) to determine the ten key votes. The legislators were rated based on their votes on bills involving taxes, interference in free markets, protecting liberty, and the right to keep and bear arms.

RATING CALCULATION

To determine this year’s rating, 10 points were earned for each conservative vote (designated by a C), and no points are awarded for a liberal vote (indicated by an L). Each failure to vote (recorded as a Z) provides only three points. When the rating system was created in 1979, it was decided that there should be a difference between voting liberal, and missing a vote. A legislator absent for all the votes could only score 30%, which is our recommended score for seeking a replacement.

Thus, a legislator voting conservative on eight votes, liberal on one, and failing to vote on another, would receive eighty plus three, or an 83% conservative rating.

This year’s conservative rating was averaged with the legislator’s scores from any previous years of service to obtain the Cumulative Average score for all the years that legislator has been rated. With term limits, we have moved into a period when no legislator will have a cumulative score based on a period longer than twelve years. However, a few former legislators with service prior to the term limits law were later elected to their current positions. The scores of legislators with previous service are included in their cumulative average.

By examining this year’s score in relation to the Cumulative Average, the voting pattern of a particular legislator can be determined. While most score nearly the same, year after year, others trend upward or downward from their average. If your legislator is trending toward conservatism, please offer you encouragement and support. If your legislator is exhibiting a leftward trend, it is time to express your disappointment and suggest the need for a replacement if the trend is not reversed.

The average score in the House this year was 43%, compared to 32% last year. The Senate averaged 48% conservative this year, compared to 33% last year. There were 21 legislators who scored 70%, or better this year, compared to only 12 who scored 70%, or better, last year. We suggest you commend all of these lawmakers.

Readers should consider replacing those who scored 30%, or less, while giving close scrutiny to those who scored between 30% and 70%.

There were a few vacancies during the legislative session due to the resignation of a legislator. Since those legislators were not present for all of the votes, they were not rated. Newly elected Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow), and Sen. David Holt (R-OKC) who resigned after being elected Oklahoma City mayor, were vacant for part of the session. They were not rated, although there votes on the bills for which they were present are included. The votes on bills that occurred when there seats were vacant are recorded with a V.

The Top Conservative and Top Liberal legislators were selected by their scores on the Index. Making the Top Conservatives list were those lawmakers who scored 80%, or better. On the Top Liberals list were those making less than 20%.

THE TOP CONSERVATIVES

Three legislators, two in the House and one in the Senate, scored a perfect 100% conservative rating this year. House members scoring 100% were Tom Gann (R-Inola) and Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie). Senator Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) also scored 100%.

The next highest score was 93%, made by Representative Chuck Stohm (R-Jenks) and Anthony Sykes (R-Moore)of the Senate. Scoring 90% were Jeff Coody (R-Grandfield) and Sean Roberts (R-Hominy) of the House, and Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate) of the Senate. Kevin Calvey (R-OKC), George Faught (R-Muskogee) and Rick West (R-Heavener) of the House all scored 83%.

Representative Travis Dunlap (R-Bartlesville), Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow), and Kevin West (R-Moore) of the House scored 80%, along with Rob Standridge (R-Norman) of the Senate, completing the list of Top Conservatives.

THE TOP LIBERALS

While no legislators scored zero conservative this year, two legislators, both in the Senate only scored a dismal 3 percent conservative: Kay Floyd (D-OKC) and John Sparks (D-Norman). Kevin Matthews of Tulsa scored a mere 6 percent conservative. Other low scores were compiled by Representatives Mickey Dollens (D-OKC), and Jason Dunnington (D-OKC), both making only 9%. Other legislators who scored less than 20% conservative on this year’s Index included Forrest Bennett (D-OKC), William Fourkiller (D-Stilwell), Claudia Griffith (D-Norman), Katie Henke (R-Tulsa), Ben Loring (D-Miami), Jason Lowe (D-OKC), Mark McBride (R-Moore), Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa), Brian Renegar (D-McAlester), Emily Virgin (D-Norman), Collin Walke (D-OKC), and George Young (D-OKC), of the House and Michael Brooks (D-OKC), Anastasia Pittman (D-OKC), and Ervin Yen (R-OKC) of the Senate.

Click here for the 2018 Senate conservative index (PDF). 

Click here for the 2018 House conservative index (PDF).

Yen excludes Midwife group from Interim Study on Licensure of Midwives

Following up on a story I ran early in the 2017 legislative session, here's the latest on State Sen. Ervin Yen's efforts to regulate midwifery in Oklahoma. Yen (R-OKC) had filed two measures that would dramatically restrict midwifery practice in Oklahoma -- one failed in committee, while he held the other over for further discussion at an interim study.

Since January, a coalition of the Midwives Society of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Midwives Alliance, and NACPM Oklahoma chapter has been working with Sen. Yen on his proposals, giving input from their perspective and attempting to come to a reasonable solution.

Sen. Yen held his interim study yesterday, and despite comments to me in January expressing his willingness to work with the Oklahoma midwives, he excluded their group from participating in the interim study.

That's right. Sen. Yen cut the largest association of out-of-hospital midwives in Oklahoma out of a legislative study on licensing midwives.

Here's what the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives had to say:

Today, October 11th 2017, Oklahoma Senator Ervin Yen conducted an interim study entitled “Licensure of Midwives” intended to explore licensure of out-of-hospital midwives in Oklahoma. This study was held at our request after he submitted a bill last session that would have inadvertently criminalized our profession.

Even though we initially reached out to him, and have consistently stayed in touch with him through our representatives, he intentionally excluded us from participating in this study. Instead of choosing to hear from the foremost expert on out-of-hospital midwifery regulation in the US, who we brought in at our own expense to testify, he invited a physician, a hospital CNM, and a legislative analyst to present testimony.

We are shocked and disappointed that, despite our efforts and willingness to cooperate, our voice was intentionally silenced. We are frustrated that many of the questions asked could have been more accurately addressed if we hadn’t been excluded. It is inexplicable that professionals from the singular industry that is being threatened with regulation were censored. 

From what I have been able to ascertain, Yen had given the midwife group the impression that they would be allowed to participate, before he abruptly pulled the rug out from under them in the last week or so. There's no good reason for Yen exclude the largest midwife group from being heard at his interim study.

Perhaps Senator Yen wanted his interim study to be an echo chamber, rather than a productive exchange of ideas and investigation of solutions. Indeed, he seems dead-set on destroying a productive set of entrepreneurial health-care workers that have benefited thousands of Oklahoma mothers and families over the years.

Tulsa Beacon: Stopping abortion is not ‘silly’; Yen needs to be replaced

Stopping abortion is not ‘silly’

by the Tulsa Beacon editorial board

State Sen. Ervin Yen, R-Oklahoma City, thinks a law protecting unborn babies is “silly” and not worth consideration by the Oklahoma Legislature.

Yen, who says he is “pro-life” but he really isn’t, wouldn’t matter much except that he is chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. As chairman, he is in a powerful position to kill pro-life legislation.

Yen just killed House Bill 1549, the “Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2017,” which would ban abortion for unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome or other genetic disorders.

The bill passed the House by a 67-16 vote but Yen won’t send it to a floor vote in the Senate.

For 100 years, liberal Democrat senators blocked similar legislation. Now Yen, who is a registered Republican, is a puppet of pro-abortion Republicans, chamber of commerce minions and liberal Democrats.

Yen says he is a Catholic, yet he is ignoring his own church by facilitating the death of unborn children. And Yen is essentially denouncing the oath he took as a doctor to “do no harm.”

It is tragic when any child is born with a handicap but many families with a child with Down syndrome will tell you that those children are a unique blessing. They certainly don’t deserve to be destroyed before they are born.

Abortion an unborn baby with Down syndrome is one step away from legalizing infanticide. It is devaluation of human life.

Abortion is the American Holocaust, with almost 60 million unborn babies killed in their mother’s wombs.

It’s time for Republican leaders to stand up and be counted and refute those in the GOP who claim to defend the unborn and yet cater to the pro-abortion crowd.

Yen is completely out of touch with Oklahoma’s values and needs to be replaced.

Yen's midwifery bills: one defeated, one shelved

I wrote last month about legislation filed by State Sen. Ervin Yen (R-OKC) that would severely restrict and regulate midwifery in Oklahoma. Today was the deadline for both bills to be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services committee in order to be advanced this session.

Sen. Yen opted to not hear SB714 this session, planning to work on the measure during the interim. This bill would have effectively stopped the vast majority of Oklahoma midwives from being able to practice. Yen intends to pursue some sort of licensing/certification regulation next year.

SB747, which was amended to prohibit Certified Nurse-Midwives from performing vaginal-births-after-caesarian (VBACs), breech births, or delivery of multiple infants (i.e. twins, triplets, etc) outside of hospitals, failed by a vote of 5 to 6. This measure is now dead until the 2018 session.

Voting in favor of SB747 were Sens. Darcy Jech (R-Kingfisher), Greg McCortney (R-Ada), Dave Rader (R-Tulsa), Rob Standridge (R-Norman), and Ervin Yen (R-OKC).

Voting against SB747 were Sens. Kay Floyd (D-OKC), A.J. Griffin (R-Guthrie), Anastasia Pittman (D-OKC), Adam Pugh (R-Edmond), Joseph Silk (R-Broken Bow), and Frank Simpson (R-Springer). Silk was the most outspoken against the measure, and was the only member to debate against.

Sen. Yen seeks to regulate, restrict Oklahoma midwives

State Sen. Ervin Yen (R-OKC) has filed two measures that would seriously restrict and regulate the practice of midwifery in Oklahoma. SB 714 [info, bill language] would prohibit the professional use of the term "midwife" unless the individual "meets the licensing requirements for a Registered Nurse license issued by the [Oklahoma] Board [of Nursing]", while SB 747 [info, bill language] would prohibit Certified Nurse-Midwives from performing a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) outside of a hospital setting (i.e. homebirth). Yen, a former cardiac anesthesiologist, was first elected to the State Senate in 2014.

I contacted Sen. Yen to get his reasoning for the bills. For the other side, I got a response from the Midwives Society of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Midwives Alliance, and the Oklahoma chapter of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives.

Yen filed the measures after an incident in November that resulted in the death of a newborn. A Certified Nurse-Midwife had been in the process of a homebirth when the delivery began to have problems related to a breech birth. The midwife took the mother to a labor-and-delivery facility for an emergency c-section. The baby experienced some problems, and was transported to Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City, where it later died. As a result of this one example, Yen wants to require that any VBAC be done at a hospital licensed by the State Department of Health. (I would point out that tragedies occur, even at hospitals.)

According to statistics from the CDC, Oklahoma has the 6th lowest VBAC rate in the nation. Only a handful of hospitals in Oklahoma even offer or allow VBACs (in large part due to malpractice insurance not allowing them), making it difficult for women to obtain them if they so desire.

The Midwives coalition:

VBACs are, indeed, difficult to obtain in Oklahoma hospitals, even though the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees that VBAC is safer than a repeat C-section and recommends that trial of labor be offered to most women (Practice Bulletin #115, "Vaginal Birth after Previous Cesarean Delivery," published in the August 2010 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology). As required by the Oklahoma Midwives Alliance and the Midwives Society of Oklahoma’s guidelines, all women who attempt out-of-hospital VBAC are given an informed consent document outlining the small but real possibility of a complication that could result in injury or death to both mother and baby.  Each client’s history and current pregnancy is evaluated to ensure that certain clinical criteria are met in order for her situation to be deemed appropriate for an  out-of-hospital VBAC.

Yen's primary issue with both of these bills is focused on regulating and licensing midwives. "When I look [different types of Oklahoma midwives] up, I can't seem to find any data on their training, they're not licensed by any state entity. And so I decided that's not right. If someone's going to call themselves a midwife and help a woman deliver at home, I think they need to have some standard training. Now, I'm not saying that a woman can't deliver at home. Women have been doing that for eons, since the beginning of time, and I think they should still be allowed to do that, and I think that they can utilize anybody that they want to help them ... In Oklahoma, I just think that you should not be able to call yourself a midwife unless you're one of these Certified Nurse Midwives that is licensed by the state of Oklahoma."

Midwives coalition response:

We believe Sen Yen’s plan to restrict midwifery to only CNMs is not in the public's best interest. The bill erroneously presumes that midwifery and nursing are bound when in fact there are three groups of midwives in the US that hold a national credential:  the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), the Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and the Certified Midwife (CM).  Only the CNM credential has a nursing prerequisite. This bill would prevent other professional midwives from practicing their trade and serving the families of Oklahoma, and would leave most women who choose  out-of-hospital birth without a qualified attendant. 92% of the homebirth midwives in Oklahoma are Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and we attend the large majority of  out-of-hospital births. Direct entry midwives have been openly attending births in Oklahoma continuously since statehood. We provide comprehensive prenatal care, report our statistics to and file birth certificates with the state, have public health lab accounts so that we can provide needed newborn screening, and work with various other state agencies to insure our clients receive exceptional care in line with the standard of care in Oklahoma. Additionally, this bill would end the livelihoods of many small business owners who have enormous amounts of time and money invested in their careers. Some have been practicing as long as 35 years, and all of them have made serious sacrifices to attain their positions and serve their communities.

In my conversation with Senator Yen, he returned numerous times to his belief that midwives should be regulated by the State: "If somebody comes to me and can show me that there are other midwives in the state besides these Certified Nurse-Midwives, that are well-trained and can do a good job, I'd say that's fine, but I think that they should be somehow licensed or supervised or certified by the state." Currently, Oklahoma only recognizes and licenses Certified Nurse-Midwives, but does not ban or restrict other midwives from practicing.

In SB 714, Yen's bill language states that "No person shall use the professional designation of "midwife" [...] unless such person meets the licensing requirements for a Registered Nurse license issued by the Board.", however, according to his numerous statements it seems his intent is that the requirement should be CNM-level (Master's degree) rather than RN-level (Bachelor's degree).

• Yen: "If my bill were to pass, if you wanted to be called a 'midwife', you would need to be one of these Certified Nurse Midwives."
• Yen: "In order to call themselves a midwife, they'd need to be a CNM. Anybody else can help a woman deliver, but they just cannot call themselves a midwife. Again, if these other non-Certified-Nurse-Midwives can show me that they have reasonable training, I'll consider adding them, but they're going to have to do that, and I think they need to be somehow licensed by the state."
• Yen: "In order to call yourself a midwife, you'd need to be a CNM. And again, I am open to including others in there if they're properly trained, and if they're licensed and certified by the State of Oklahoma."

I pointed out the discrepancy between his statements of requiring CNM status when the bill language appears to require RN status instead. He said, "Well, that's not the intent. The intent is that you cannot call yourself a midwife unless you are a Certified Nurse Midwife; that's a RN that has had midwifery training. Now if the bill doesn't read that way, I promise you that we will fix it."

The Midwives coalition responded to Yen's idea: "Direct-entry midwives of Oklahoma have traditionally done an excellent job of self regulating, all without additional expense to our clients or the state. Many Oklahoma CPMs prefer to remain unregulated at this time, though most would be comfortable working under some kind of state oversight as long as it recognizes the legitimacy of midwives who are aligned with the international standards for midwifery and is managed by a pro-midwifery body. History has shown us that there is a legitimate concern that the state may place unfair and unreasonable restrictions on the practice of midwifery, effectively removing the right of birthing women to choose what kind of care they receive and from whom. If it comes to this, there are many excellent models in the US, as 30 states currently recognize CPMs. It is important to note that not one state has ever repealed their CPM licensing legislation."

To his credit, Senator Yen said multiple times that he'd be more than happy to discuss his legislation with the Oklahoma midwives, and could be open to some alterations of the final language. The midwives group said that they are working to set up a meeting with Yen.

A Facebook group supporting midwifery in Oklahoma was started in response to Yen filing the bills; over 5,200 people are currently members, and supporters have raised about $4,000 to fund their activities (including potentially hiring a lobbyist to monitor legislation that would affect midwifery).

Today, the Daily Oklahoman editorial board came out against SB 747 (the VBAC measure). I oppose both of Yen's bills. We planned to have a midwife-assisted homebirth with our baby girl, but after problems surfaced ended up at the hospital for an emergency c-section. When the need arose for more extreme measures, our midwife (a CPM) didn't hesitate to move things to a hospital (as all responsible midwives are prepared to do). She wasn't going to jeopardize my wife and baby's health just to have a homebirth like we had planned. Midwives exist to care for both the mother and baby, and have a vested interest in their best health and successful delivery, even if they end up not being the one to deliver the baby.

Midwifery in Oklahoma isn't broken. Midwives provide vital services to many families across the state, and have since before statehood. In some cases, VBACs in particular, they offer options that are simply not available at most hospitals. While the vast majority of mothers will continue to utilize more common methods, let's continue to allow the freedom for others to seek accessible midwifery if they see fit.

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).

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