Former State Rep. Paul Wesselhöft exploring U.S. Senate campaign

Former State Rep. Paul Wesselhöft announced this afternoon that he is exploring running for the U.S. Senate following news of Jim Inhofe's pending retirement. 

Wesselhöft spent 12 years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing House District 54 in Moore and southeast Oklahoma City. A U.S. Army veteran of nearly two decades, he has also served in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Legislature since 2007.

Here is the exploratory announcement he sent me to publish:

OCPA column: Different rules for different Oklahomans?

Different rules for different Oklahomans?

By Jonathan Small

The repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt v. Oklahoma decision, which effectively re-established the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation, suggest Oklahomans have reason to fear we will live under two different sets of rules based on a citizen’s heritage.

The McGirt decision dealt only with criminal prosecutions and Creek land, but it is expected impact a far broader range of issues also involving the territories of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole nations, or nearly half the state of Oklahoma—and perhaps more.

Those who suggest McGirt will affect only criminal prosecutions ignore the fact that tribal leaders clearly think otherwise. Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill recently confirmed to OETA that his tribe is looking at how the decision may expand tribal authority in taxation and regulation. Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton has similarly said his tribe has “identified five broad categories of questions we see arising from McGirt: law enforcement, judicial, taxation, regulatory, and Indian child welfare.”

Those aren’t minor issues.

Shane Jett files lawsuit after being fired following opposition to Shawnee mask mandate

Senate Candidate Jett Comments on Lawsuit Against Chairman of Citizen Potawatomi Nation: 

Lawsuit was filed in response to Jett’s firing due to his opposition to COVID19 mask mandate. 

On August 10, Shane Jett, candidate for state senate district 17, filed an emergency injunction in the District Court of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation against John “Rocky” Barrett in his official capacity as Chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for illegally trying to fire Jett for exercising his constitutional rights of free speech.

In response to the filing Jett said,

“Last month, I attended a meeting of the Shawnee City Commission to express my opposition to a proposed mask ordinance for the City of Shawnee [you can watch Jett's comments at this link, starting at the 16:00 mark].  This massive government overreach was opposed by most citizens and I wanted to be sure that their voice was heard at the meeting. Therefore, as a private citizen on my private time, I exercised my Constitutional right to free speech and spoke in opposition to the mask mandate.