Dark Money Swamp retaliates against State Auditor Cindy Byrd, props up unqualified straw candidate

There's some phenomenal reporting this morning from the Tulsa World's Randy Krehbiel on the State Auditor's race: Dark money campaign hits state auditor race. You simply have to read the whole thing.

Oklahoma has a political swamp, a deep state, that controls a lot of what goes on politically. There are interconnected fingers between dark money, consultants, campaigns, and elected officials. And now the knives are out for State Auditor Cindy Byrd, who must be removed before she does them more damage.

The Oklahoma Capitol Press Corps renders invaluable service to citizens

While Oklahomans are busy at work, the State Legislature deliberates on legislation that will affect their lives. Keeping up with events at the Capitol can be nigh impossible for the average citizen, especially when the Legislature runs late-night sessions and committee meetings, pulls legislation out at the last minute, and operates in ways and uses language that the average Oklahoman is unfamiliar with.

Unknown to most people, there is a small band of journalists and media personnel that are assigned to observing the legislative session, many of whom do as-it-happens reporting on Twitter rather than just the evening print or television stories. They bring much needed light and transparency to an oftentimes dim and hidden state government.

Recognizing the Oklahoma Capitol Press Corps

While Oklahomans are busy at work, the State Legislature deliberates on legislation that will affect their lives. Keeping up with events at the Capitol can be nigh impossible for the average citizen, especially when the Legislature runs late-night sessions and committee meetings, pulls legislation out at the last minute, and generally makes things difficult for common people to be able to observe (i.e. difficult-to-navigate websites and technical issues with video/audio when under heavy viewing load... looking at you, State Senate, in particular...).

Unknown to most people, there is a small band of journalists and media personnel that are assigned to observing the legislative session, many of whom do as-it-happens reporting on Twitter rather than just evening print or television stories. They bring much needed light and transparency to an oftentimes dim and hidden state government.

Several of the journalists on the list below tweet details from committee meetings, floor activities, snippets from floor debate, practically everything that happens with or without a microphone in the Legislature.

These individuals provide an invaluable realtime service to the people of Oklahoma. When I'm working or unable to personally watch or listen to proceedings in the Legislature, I monitor tweets from these dedicated reporters in order to stay in the loop with what is going on at 23rd and Lincoln.

Below is a list of most of the Capitol press corps that is active on Twitter:

Catherine Sweeney (@CathJSweeney), Journal Record (which also tweets with @JRLROK)
Dale Denwalt, The Oklahoman (@Denwalt)

Trevor Brown (@tbrownOKC) and Paul Monies (@pmonies) with Oklahoma Watch (@OklahomaWatch)

Shawn Ashley (@eCapitol_Shawn) and Tyler Talley (@tylertalley22) with eCapitol (@eCapitol_House, @eCapitol_Senate, and @eCapitol)
Tres Savage, NonDoc @thricesavage and @nondocmedia (Savage and NonDoc are ideologically liberal, but deserve mention due to frequency in covering Capitol happenings)

The following reporters are also in the Capitol regularly, although they tend to be less active with as-it-happens tweets:

Aaron Brilbeck, News9 (@AaronBrilbeck9)
Grant Hermes, News9 @GrantHermesKWTV
Justin Wingerter, The Oklahoman (@justinwingerter)
Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World (@rkrehbiel)
Barbara Hoberock, Tulsa World (@bhoberock)

Janelle Stecklein, CNHI (@ReporterJanelle)

Sean Murphy, Associated Press (@apseanmurphy)
Bill Miston, KFOR (@billmiston)
Bret Buganski, KOCO  @KOCOBret

I've created the Twitter list below, featuring tweets from the bulk of these reporters (and a few others), which you can follow as well.

A Twitter List by JamisonFaught

FOX23, TulsaWorld shamefully politicize legislators' children

Earlier this week, FOX23 and the Tulsa World cooperated on a story about lawmakers' education choices for their children, shamefully and shamelessly politicizing the children of legislators.



Judging from the article and accompanying videos, it appears that the FOX23 reporter harassed legislators over the past two months over whether they send their children to public schools, private schools, or whether they homeschool.

Children should not be politicized, or made a target due to their parent being in politics. Period, end of sentence.

In this day and age when political opponents and protestors invade private space, stalk, and threaten violence over political differences, there's no wonder why lawmakers would be hesitant to reveal details about the lives and whereabouts of their children to the media or anyone else. Besides, a significant portion of the members asked in the FOX23 video do not have school-aged children.

Shame on FOX23 and the Tulsa World for politicizing lawmakers' children.

Campaigning while Legislating: Lankford and Shannon

Cong. James Lankford                   State Rep. T.W. Shannon

The top two candidates to replace U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn are both current elected officials. James Lankford is a U.S. Congressman, and T.W. Shannon is a State Representative. How are they handling their responsibilities as legislators in this season of intense campaigning? The Tulsa World has taken a look at their voting records in each respective House.

The article was published on Sunday, April 6th. Here's what they found out about Congressman Lankford: "Until missing 10 votes on Thursday and Friday, Lankford had answered 129 of 131 roll call votes taken since he decided to run for the U.S. Senate."

Lankford told the Tulsa World, "I still have a job to do. I'm still going to do that job." Later in the article, he also said, "The people of central Oklahoma have one voice in the House. Me. If I stop doing my part, they have no voice. I'm not going to do that."

Here's what they found out about State Rep. T.W. Shannon: "Former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon, who still represents District 62 in southwest Oklahoma, has missed 305 of 385 votes this session, which began just after Shannon declared his candidacy for the Senate."

In an email response, Shannon said, "This campaign is about something larger than a few votes at the state Capitol. It's about the future of our country."

The U.S. House and Oklahoma House do operate differently, a fact discussed in the article. The State House tends to have more roll call votes, and a shorter and more intensive legislative session.

Read the rest of the article here.

OkiePundit: Tulsa World Withholding Harry Coates Scandal

The anonymous writers at OkiePundit are writing that the Tulsa World is purposefully withholding a major scandal on State Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole) until after Tuesday's election. Coates (often called "Harry TurnCoates" by conservatives for his tendency to vote with the Democrats on some major issues) is facing a conservative Republican primary challenger.

OkiePundit can confirm that the Tulsa World is withholding a damaging story on incumbent State Senator Harry Coates until after Tuesday’s primary in order to protect his re-election prospects.

Multiple well-placed sources have confirmed for us that the Tulsa World is sitting on the story that explores the allegation that Coates has been engaged in an affair with a lobbyist who is about 30 years younger than he is and that the married lobbyist may be pregnant with the senator’s child.

Read the rest of the story here.

Coates is the most liberal Republican in the state senate. He's also one of two candidates to become the next Senate Pro Tem.

Even Democrat Gov Candidates Oppose SQ 744

From the Tulsa World, via the Choice Remarks blog:

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson, both Democrats, and Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, said they support funding for common education but that the regional-average requirement would hurt other functions of state government.

The three participated in a forum sponsored Tuesday by Leadership Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Community College, where the forum was held.

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., was in Washington and did not participate.

State Question 744, backed by the Oklahoma Education Association, is expected to be among a number of state questions on the November ballot. The measure would require the Legislature to bring per-pupil spending to the regional average, at an estimated cost of $850 million.

This is a huge blow to the OEA and the 'HOPE Petition' proponents, but encouraging to those who oppose the disastrous measure. SQ 744 would mandate an increase in education funding to the nebulous "regional average", which would mean about $850M more dollars than is spent today. Oklahoma's state budget is only about $7B - mandating another near-billion dollars in spending would require either tax increases, massive spending cuts in other under-funded departments (like Corrections, Transportation, etc.), or both.

Michael Bates (BatesLine) Sued by Tulsa World

The World Publishing Company (i.e. the Tulsa World) is suing conservative blogger and Urban Tulsa columnist Michael Bates for libel. Also named in the case is Keith Skrzypczak, the owner of the Urban Tulsa Weekly, and the Urban Tulsa's publishing company (Renegade Publishing Inc.).

You can read Michael Bates' take on the suit here. The Tulsa World has an article here. They contacted Bates 45 minutes after the lawsuit was filed, asking for his reaction (like he would know about it yet?).