State Reps study Medical Marijuana impacts on Counties

Humphrey, Kevin West Study Medical Marijuana Impacts on Counties

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, and Kevin West, R-Moore, on Tuesday held an interim study before the House Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances Committee to discuss the impact to counties from the explosion of medical marijuana, growers, dispensers and users.

"We're following up today on what we saw in other medical marijuana studies and how this is affecting our counties," Humphrey said. "We're looking at what we need to do as a state to improve and do a better job of regulating this new industry."

West said he's heard from numerous constituents about the effect of this industry in his House district, from grow facilities to dispensaries.

"Just like any business," West said, "We have to make sure the business owner is obeying local ordinances and state law. We must ensure public safety and that our county and municipal resources are adequate to handle the demands placed on them."

During the study, lawmakers heard from county commissioners, a county sheriff, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a district attorney, a county assessor and others who addressed issues from multiple angles.

Oklahoma files two lawsuits over Biden Admin's vaccine mandate

Lengthy post, or rather series of press releases, but Oklahoma Attorney General has filed two lawsuits over the Biden Administration's new vaccine mandate. One is aimed at the mandate's provisions for federal contractors, and the other is regarding private sector employees. I'm also including comments from Gov. Kevin Stitt and House Speaker Charles McCall.

Attorney General O’Connor Files Lawsuit Against Biden Administration over Illegal Vaccine Mandates 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Today, the State of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration to stop its mandatory vaccination requirement for federal contractors.

“Biden’s vaccine mandates are a clear abuse of power. He does not have the authority to make healthcare decisions for Oklahomans,” Attorney General O’Connor said.

“It is sinister that Biden is threatening Oklahomans with the loss of their jobs if they do not surrender their personal rights and freedoms to the federal government. The President is using private employers to do his dirty work,” said General O’Connor.

Clay Staires announces bid for House District 66

Conservative Republican Clay Staires Announces Candidacy For State House District 66

(SKIATOOK, OK) – Conservative Republican Clay Staires, a former award-winning school teacher and coach who has built a successful career in business, announces his candidacy to serve Oklahoma as State Representative District 66, the area that covered the seat being vacated by the previous legislator due to term limits.

“God is the answer to the issues in our society, not the government.  Our Constitution is the answer to the issues in our government, not reform and reset.  It’s time for conservatives to take the ball back from the government and start playing some offense.  Over these past couple years, we have seen how important it is to be involved in all levels of government that represent us. We have seen government overreach and un-American attacks on our families, schools, places of worship, and our God-given freedoms—all institutions that our great country was founded upon. I am running to keep Oklahoma RED by defending these bedrock institutions and constitutionally guaranteed rights, and so those who share our values are strongly represented in our state government.” 

House, Senate make appointments to Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

Pro Tem Greg Treat makes Senate appointments to Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, on Thursday announced the Senate appointments to the newly created Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).

Previously, Treat named Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, as co-chair of the joint committee made up of members from the Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

The Senate appointments to JCAR are:

• Sen. Julie Daniels, co-chair
• Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, co-vice chair
• Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City
• Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair
• Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City
• Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow
• Sen. Tom Dugger, R-Stillwater
• Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton
• Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa
• Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond

Senate Bill 913 created the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to ensure a more transparent and thorough process before administrative rules are approved or repealed.

“The Legislature lacked an effective method to stop executive branch agencies’ encroachment on legislative authority, until now,” Treat said. “This is a monumental shift at the state Capitol, and one that is long overdue. With the creation of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, the Legislature has a powerful and effective tool to protect legislative authority and stop executive branch overreach. I am confident that Senator Daniels and the other members of JCAR will be thorough and diligent in their work to review administrative rules moving forward.”

Daniels said she is working with Senate staff on preparations for the committee’s work.

“I am honored to be named by Pro Tem Treat to co-chair the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Not only will this be an important tool to protect legislative authority and ensure the checks and balances of our system stay intact, but it will also serve to provide a transparent and open process of reviewing administrative rules before they are approved or repealed,” Daniels said.

House appoints JCAR members

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House members on the newly-created Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) will be the same members on the existing House Administrative Rules Committee, House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, announced Thursday.

Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, will serve as co-chair of the joint committee, made up of members from both legislative chambers as prescribed in legislation enacted last session. 

The House appointments to JCAR are:

• Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, co-chair
• Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont, co-vice chair
• Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin
• Rep. Stan May, R-Broken Arrow
• Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond
• Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Sallisaw
• Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa
• Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman
• Rep. Wendi Stearman, R-Collinsville
• Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton

OCPA column: McGirt is protecting criminals, not average citizens

McGirt is protecting criminals, not average citizens

By Jonathan Small

The public-safety crisis created by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma can be summed up by one anecdote included in recent court briefs. Many criminals now assert tribal membership to deter arrest—including “a known member of the white-supremacist Universal Aryan Brotherhood, covered in swastika tattoos.”

McGirt was hailed as a victory for tribal citizens. Instead, it’s been a windfall for society’s dregs who now actively target American Indians. That’s made clear in briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by law-enforcement officials and major city leaders.

Under McGirt, many crimes involving a mix of Indian and non-Indian cannot be prosecuted by state or tribal officials and must instead be handled by federal officials. And federal officials are declining to prosecute many crimes other than things like murder or rape.

“This nonenforcement policy amounts to a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ for any non-Indian suspect accused of certain crimes against Indians falling below the U.S. Attorneys’ thresholds,” a brief filed by Oklahoma’s district attorneys and sheriffs stated.

Proposed congressional, legislative redistricting maps released

Proposed congressional, legislative redistricting maps released

OKLAHOMA CITY – Little change would occur to Oklahoma's current congressional districts and recently-passed new legislative districts under the state's proposed redistricting maps released Monday.

Based on feedback received through the state's historic public input process, Oklahoma would continue to have two majority urban congressional districts and three majority rural congressional districts. New state legislative district maps initially passed in May change just slightly in the proposals released Monday.

Highlights of the proposals include:

• More compact legislative and congressional districts
• 87% of Oklahomans remain in the same congressional district
• Major military bases and related military communities remain in the same congressional districts

"Oklahomans produced a strong redistricting proposal that maintains appropriate urban and rural representation while protecting multibillion dollar investments in Oklahoma's military installations and surrounding communities," said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, in a joint statement. "This plan should serve Oklahoma exceptionally well for the next decade. We look forward to giving it full consideration in the coming weeks."

The proposals will be voted on in a legislative special session beginning Nov. 15. Like any legislative bill, the proposals will receive committee and floor votes. They must pass both legislative chambers and be signed by the governor to become law.

The redistricting plans the Legislature will vote on can be viewed online. Click here for House maps, here for Senate maps and here for congressional maps.

House GOP: attempted "nonbinary" birth certificate settlement did not follow legal process

Attempted nonbinary birth certificate settlement did not follow process in law

OKLAHOMA CITY - An attempted executive branch legal settlement to authorize nonbinary birth certificates in Oklahoma failed to follow a legal process outlined in state law, House Republican leadership said Thursday.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reportedly entered into a federal lawsuit settlement authorizing a process to add nonbinary to the gender section of Oklahoma birth certificates, but never notified proper authorities as required by law.

"Failure by the executive branch agency to follow the proper legal process means this is not a valid agreement," said House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O'Donnell, R-Catoosa, an attorney.

Title 74, Section 20f of Oklahoma law requires that a "settlement involving injunctive relief which substantially impacts the operation or programs of a state agency...shall be reviewed prior to its finalization by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or his designee, the Speaker of the House or his designee, and the Governor or his designee."

Outrage: wOKe Health Dep't adds "nonbinary" birth certificates

As first reported by NonDoc, the Oklahoma State Department of Health has "formalized a process for designating someone’s sex as nonbinary on birth certificates." The move comes after OSDH settled a federal lawsuit filed by a transgender activist who was born in Oklahoma but now lives in Oregon.

More from NonDoc:

Jackie Shawnee, chief of staff for Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye, explained the new process for amending birth certificates in a statement to NonDoc. 

“Requirements for legally changing the sex designation on an Oklahoma birth certificate have changed,” Shawnee said. “In order to legally change the sex designation on an original Oklahoma birth certificate, you must obtain a court order from an Oklahoma court. A certified copy of this court order must be presented to (the) Oklahoma (Office of) Vital Records before an amended birth certificate can be issued.”

This unscientific, illogical, and insane move has sparked sharp criticism this morning. Below are comments from Governor Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall, and State Senator Micheal Bergstrom (who has now filed legislation for birth certificates to reflect the scientific fact of either male or female). Updated to add a statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat.

Welcome to the woke spirit of the age. When God is dethroned and truth no longer matters, anything goes.

County Commish Ken Doke to hold reelection campaign kickoff

Muskogee County Commissioner Ken Doke will be holding a reelection campaign kickoff reception on Thursday, October 21st, at 5pm. The event is sponsored, in part, by several local GOP legislators, including Rep. Avery Frix, Sen. Kim David, and Sen. Dwayne Pemberton. 

Doke became the first Republican to win his seat when he won in 2014. Doke has been a great asset and a much-needed conservative leader in Muskogee County government. 

Gov. Stitt appoints Larry Edwards as Muskogee County District Attorney

GOVERNOR STITT APPOINTS LARRY EDWARDS AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR MUSKOGEE COUNTY 

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 13, 2021) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the appointment of Larry Edwards to serve as district attorney for District 15 in Muskogee County. Edwards’ appointment fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Orvil Loge on Sept. 30.

“Larry has a proven track record defending the law and I know he will serve Oklahomans well as the district attorney for Muskogee County,” said Gov Stitt. “I look forward to his continued service to Oklahoma in this new role.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed by the governor,” said Edwards. “I look forward to this new opportunity to help serve the law enforcement and people of Muskogee County.

OCPA: Testing results show need to fund students, not systems

Testing results show need to fund students, not systems

By Jonathan Small

There’s an old Simpsons episode where Bart’s teacher hands out state testing forms and informs her students, “Remember, class, the worse you do on this standardized test the more funding the school gets, so don’t knock yourselves out.”

The reason that joke had teeth was because it was based in reality, as the downward trajectory of academic achievement in Oklahoma public schools demonstrates. When you fund systems instead of students, the benefit never goes to the students.

State tests, administered last spring for the first time in Oklahoma since 2019, showed that academic achievement plunged during the COVID shutdowns that went statewide in spring 2020 and continued in many districts the following school year.

Previously, only about one-third of students performed at grade level in key subjects. Today, things are even worse.

OK Poll: Lankford leads with 62%, slim majority oppose gov't COVID mandates

Quarterly Poll Reveals Oklahoma Voters are More Concerned About COVID, More Negative About State Trajectory

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma-based public affairs firm Amber Integrated has released a recent survey measuring voter attitudes about elected leaders and other political issues and current events. The topline results are available here and the crosstabs are available here. This survey was conducted from September 29-October 3, 2021, and included a pool of 500 registered voters in Oklahoma. This survey has a margin of error of 4.38% at a 95% confidence interval. 

Key findings include: