CPAC overlooks tax hike record to give early endorsement to Echols for Attorney General

Echols is the only public candidate for Attorney General at this very early stage, which makes this endorsement from CPAC somewhat risky. One only needs to look at past Oklahoma elections like the 2004 U.S. Senate or 2022 2nd Congressional District races to see wisdom in keeping one's powder dry until the field develops.

Furthermore, while Echols touts helping (as one of 149 legislators) pass the 'largest tax cut in state history', Echols was one of 44 House Republicans to vote in 2018 to gut taxpayer protections and make it easier to raise taxes on every Oklahoman (HJR 1050). Echols went a step further in supporting an amendment that would have lowered those taxpayer protections even further, from a 75% vote threshold for legislative approval of tax hikes (put in place by SQ640) all the way down to a mere 60% -- which would have meant a minority of Republicans could have partnered with the Democrats to pass tax increases. Additionally, it should be mentioned that Echols voted for most of the 2017-2018 tax hike proposals, including HB1010XX, the largest tax increase in Oklahoma history (plus an even larger tax hike that failed a month earlier).

Something to keep in mind: candidates running for office in 2026 will give you the rosiest picture of their record, without disclosing facts like these. Just sayin'...

Jon Echols Receives Endorsement from Leading Conservative Group, CPAC

Oklahoma City, OK - Today, Jon Echols, candidate for Attorney General, received the endorsement of CPAC, the nation’s oldest conservative grassroots organization.

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.

Gubernatorial candidates respond to bill lowering SQ640 threshold

Following the House passage of HJR 1050 yesterday, I reached out to all of the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian gubernatorial candidates for their comments on the topic of SQ 640 and changing the legislative vote threshold for raising taxes.

Here are their responses, in order of when I received them.

1) What is your position on Article 5, Section 33 of the Oklahoma Constitution (aka SQ640)? 

(200 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): I am a strong supporter of SQ640 and I will work to defeat any attempt to change it. I intend to make my voice loud and clear on this. SQ640 made it clear, the people want there to be a high threshold for their taxes to be raised. I stand with the people.
Todd Lamb (R): I support SQ 640.
Chris Powell (L): The people of Oklahoma passed SQ 640 because of their experience with state government and their desire to keep that state government in check.  Considering that our current state government is viewed even more negatively than it was at the time SQ 640 was passed, it seems counterintuitive to consider increasing it's power.  Further, it is a guarantee that if revenue is increased it will remove any incentive to reform spending and reduce waste, corruption, and crony capitalism.
Rex Lawhorn (L): SQ 640 was a result of the legislature doing just as the current legislature is attempting, and that's governing against the will of the people. It was a stern message passed by the citizens of Oklahoma to take back control over the legislative process in regards to law that most affects every Oklahoman, and that is their right to keep the fruits of their labor. If we are going to permit legislators to have any control over our lives, it should be with great restraint and complete transparency, and SQ 640 returned that control. It should never be easy to take away the rights from our citizens.
Connie Johnson (D): I support changing the threshold required to raise taxes and encourage the Legislature to give consideration to requiring the same threshold to lower taxes. In both instances, Oklahomans are ready to address the reality of and need for solutions to our state operating at a budget that is 15% of what it was in 2007, with 165,000 more people. Sending SQ 640 back to a vote of the people is one of several potential existing revenue streams. I challenge the Legislature to have the courage to immediately begin to factor in the fiscal impact of cannabis, wind and solar as new, renewable and sustainable revenue streams.
Gary Jones (R): I have said before I would not change the 3/4 requirement.
Gary Richardson (R): The people voted for SQ 640 in 1992 to essentially force any new tax increase to the vote of the people and it is working exactly as the voters intended. Without SQ 640, we probably never would’ve uncovered all the waste and corruption that has come to light at the Health, Tourism and Ag departments.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time] Stitt responded late with this: I’m not interested in changing the constitution. It should be hard to raise taxes; it shouldn’t be this hard to govern. I am running for governor because state government is fundamentally broken, and the answer to our crisis is new leadership and fresh vision.
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE

2) Do you support changing the threshold, and if so to what level? 

(100 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): Emphatically NO!
Todd Lamb (R): I do not support lowering the threshold for SQ 640.
Chris Powell (L): I do not support reducing the 3/4ths threshold for the Legislature to raise taxes and if the issue is put on the ballot I will vote against it and campaign against it.
Rex Lawhorn (L): No, I do not support any change in the threshold. The government rules by the consent of the governed, and if the people want that threshold changed, they will propose and pass another State Question. Until that time arrives, the government should act within the constraints placed upon it by the people.
Connie Johnson (D): [no response to this question, but in #1 indicated she would change the threshold]
Gary Jones (R): [no specific response to this question, but in #1 said he would not change it]
Gary Richardson (R): No.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time]
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE

3) If HJR1050 makes it onto the ballot as written, will you vote for it, or against it? 

(10 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): Against it.
Todd Lamb (R): I would vote against it in its present form.
Chris Powell (L): Against it.
Rex Lawhorn (L): Against. I will actively campaign against it, as well.
Connie Johnson (D): [no response to this question, but in #1 indicated she would change the threshold]
Gary Jones (R): [no specific response to this question, but in #1 said he would not change it]
Gary Richardson (R): I will vote against it.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time]
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE

John Doak slams vote to weaken SQ640

In a post on Facebook, Insurance Commissioner John Doak slammed the State House GOP for voting to pass HJR 1050, which would weaken the Constitutional language put in place by SQ640 and make it easier for the Legislature to raise taxes without a vote of the people.

Doak wrote, Hard to believe this vote has happened in Oklahoma, I understand that Republicans have arrived at the flawed conclusion that this will ease the power of the Democrats, just wait till the Democrats take back the house with votes like this in my opinion. This has just paved the way for higher taxes in Oklahoma. (Republicans who think a majority is here to stay need to think again, our party needs to remain true to our principles) Our party is not the party of bigger state Government and raising taxes! This vote I fear will have significant political consequences. This is my personal opinion! 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. 

There is a war on for the heart and soul of the Oklahoma Republican Party, and John Doak is on the right side.

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.