State Senate Releases Redistricting Plan

The Oklahoma State Senate released their proposed redistricting plan this evening. Bloggers Peter Rudy of Oklahoma Watchdog and Paul Monies of the Oklahoman's Politics and DataWatch blogs both posted maps (I borrowed Monies' map for this post). The official Senate press release is here. Michael Bates of BatesLine has also posted on the topic.

I would expect this plan to be challenged in court, as portions appear to be gerrymandered (perhaps the by-product of using one of the state's top political consultants to run their redistricting program).

For more details on the urban areas, click here for Rudy's post, and here for Monies' post. Rudy's maps have more detail of the urban areas, while Monies' maps have outlines of the current districts, in addition to the new proposals.

American Majority 'Tulsa Battlefield Training': Saturday

This Saturday, I will be participating in a local blogger panel at an American Majority training event. Joining me will be bloggers Michael Bates of BatesLine.com, and Peter J. Rudy of OklahomaWatchdog.org.

Here's the press release from American Majority:

Our nation was founded by ordinary citizen activists desiring a government that was accountable to the people.  Today, ordinary citizens in every citizen and in every community are tired of the status quo and are ready to get involved like they never have before to demand accountability.

American Majority’s purpose is to address these passions by providing education and resources to help you reach your goals.

To that end, American Majority desires to challenge concerned citizens to turn their focus to state and local issues with the first annual Tulsa Battlefield Training.

This event will provide those in attendance with two things:

First, the Tulsa Battlefield Training will give those in attendance a clear picture of what is happening at both the state level and local level with government spending, waste, and clear explanation regarding how all levels of government got into this mess.

Secondly, the Tulsa Battlefield Training will also provide tool, resources, and specific ways that attendees can get involved in the local government structure – whether as informed citizen activists or candidates for local office.

Confirmed Presenters Include:

• Ned Ryun, President of American Majority
• Michael Carnuccio, President of Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs
• Matt Robbins, Executive Director of American Majority
• A Local Blogger Panel Consisting of Michael Bates of Batesline.com; Jamison Faught of MuskogeePolitico.com; and Peter J. Rudy of OklahomaWatchdog.org
• Plus Presentations by the American Majority Oklahoma Staff

The Tulsa Battlefield Training will take place on Saturday, April 23^rd at Tulsa Technology Center located at 3420 S Memorial Dr. from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Doors open at 8:30 am.

Registration is $20 per person (which includes lunch and all materials) - space is limited.

Click here to register online. If you have any questions or would like additional information, call Seth Brown at 405-639-8896 or e-mail him at Seth@americanmajority.org.

This will be a great event; I highly encourage you to attend if at all possible.

OCPA: Reform State Board of Education

OCPA: Legislature Should Reform the State Board of Education

The actions taken by the State Board of Education today—not allowing the newly elected superintendent to hire her own staff—are a perfect illustration of dysfunction in state government. It’s time for the state Legislature to reform the state Board of Education.

Though the state constitution does require the establishment of a State Board of Education, it explicitly states that, in addition to its composition, the board’s “powers and duties shall be prescribed by law.” The Legislature, therefore, can restrict or even take away the board’s managerial powers; at a minimum, the Legislature must ensure the superintendent possesses sufficient power to hire staff and manage the department as she sees fit. The Legislature can also reform the board by altering the length of its members’ terms and how they are appointed.

The members of the board, except for the superintendent, are currently appointed by the governor and hold six-year terms. The Legislature could easily revise the law to require that the term of each incumbent member ends with the election of a new governor and that each new member is appointed by the new governor or, maybe better yet, by the superintendent. The larger point is that control of our public education system is the hands of the Legislature and governor—they should be held responsible for remedying the board's unconscionable acts.

Today’s actions are a perfect example of why our government is dysfunctional. We tie down our executive officials with a dizzying array of boards and commissions that act like leeches on our public circulatory system. Why? Because we are unwilling to trust either the individuals the people have chosen to do their jobs well, or to trust the people to throw these officials out if they have performed poorly.

The architects of our national government long ago explained that the prerequisites for good government are energy, stability, and accountability. There is no doubt having our educational system run by Gov. Brad Henry’s people long after his departure makes for a more stable government. But a government that both lacks the power to reform itself and ignores the clear command of the people to change is no good at all.

To learn more about the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), visit their website.

[MP note: for more information on the brouhaha at the Board of Education, visit Oklahoma Watchdog and the McCarville Report.]