Bill to keep Pardon & Parole Board from politicizing cases passes House committee

House Committee Passes Pardon and Parole Board Reform Act

OKLAHOMA CITY – To keep punishment decisions for the most heinous crimes out of the hands of political appointees and with courts and juries, where they belong, Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, advanced legislation Wednesday restricting the Pardon and Parole Board from exceeding its jurisdiction on death penalty and life without parole cases.

“The Pardon and Parole Board’s controversial, unprecedented actions last year in the death penalty cases of Julius Jones and others exposed a major loophole in state law that threatens proper separation of powers in government,” Pfeiffer said. “Trial and appellate courts of the judicial branch, not agencies of political appointees in the executive branch, are the proper venues for appeals on legal procedure or wrongful conviction. The Pardon and Parole Board’s function is not to re-litigate already-adjudicated and repeatedly appealed cases like that of Julius Jones, but to assess inmates’ applications for clemency with impartiality. This bill restores proper balance to the board’s duties.”

Gov. Stitt appoints Judge William Musseman to Court of Criminal Appeals

GOVERNOR STITT APPOINTS JUDGE WILLIAM J. MUSSEMAN, JR TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 4, 2022) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced his appointment of Judge William J. Musseman, Jr. to the Court of Criminal Appeals.

“Judge Musseman possesses an unmatched work ethic, strong integrity, and the highest level of competency,” said Gov. Stitt. “I have every confidence he will continue to diligently serve Oklahomans in this new role.”

Prior to his appointment, Musseman was serving as a district judge for Oklahoma’s 14th district, covering Tulsa County, beginning in 2011.  In this role, Musseman presided over the felony criminal docket, then served as the presiding judge for the 14th judicial district from 2018 to 2020, and most recently presided over the civil docket.

Small: Setting Oklahoma on path to post-pandemic growth

Setting Oklahoma on path to post-pandemic growth

By Jonathan Small

COVID rates have plunged in the past month and the worst may be behind us. Now policymakers should adopt significant reforms to allow Oklahoma to grow and thrive in the pandemic’s aftermath.

At the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, we’ve released a new study that provides a blueprint. It has three major planks: eliminate the personal income tax, reform our state’s dysfunctional regulatory system, and put parents in charge of education with a universal Education Savings Account.

When it comes to taxation, the old adage holds true: If you want less of something, tax it more. Given that the income tax is a penalty on earnings—from work, investment, and risk taking—that means our state discourages job growth with the income tax. It doesn’t have to be that way.

If policymakers reduce Oklahoma’s income tax to zero and offset that change by broadening the sales tax and making sales tax rate adjustments (if policymakers want a revenue-neutral reform), our estimates show those changes would rapidly increase the state’s GDP by almost 3% and have a positive GDP growth impact of around a quarter-percent per year. Over 10 years’ time, Oklahoma’s GDP would increase by more than $13 billion, or more than 100,000 jobs.

Former NSC Chief of Staff Alex Gray considering Senate run

Another day, another name being tossed out for the special election to fill U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's seat: Alex Gray, a former member of President Trump's national security staff. This seems to have first publicly surfaced on the Hugh Hewitt Show (you can listen to the 12 minute audio clip here).

I'll be honest, I've never heard of him before, so here's a brief bio on him from the American Foreign Policy Council, where he is a senior fellow in National Security Affairs:

Mr. Gray most recently served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council (NSC) at the White House [September 2019 to January 2021], where he was responsible for the management of the National Security Advisor’s Front Office and the budget, security, and personnel functions of the NSC. Previously, Mr. Gray served as Special Assistant to the President for the Defense Industrial Base at the White House National Economic Council (NEC). He was the principal Executive Office of the President official focused on the health and resiliency of the defense and manufacturing industrial base and U.S. maritime industry. Mr. Gray played a key role in Executive Order 13806, the first-ever whole-of-government assessment of the U.S. defense industrial base.

Additionally, Mr. Gray was the Director for Oceania & Indo-Pacific Security at the NSC, the first NSC Director ever focused primarily on Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. [...] Earlier in his career, Mr. Gray was a Member of the 2016 Presidential Transition Team at the U.S. Department of State and served as Senior Advisor to former U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee.

He did his first year of college at Oklahoma State, and worked for Congressman Tom Cole for a time before his position in the Trump administration, per his comments on the Hugh Hewitt Show.

Here is the initial Tweet that I saw mentioning Gray on the Hewitt program:

Sen. Rand Paul endorses Dahm to replace Inhofe

SENATOR RAND PAUL ANNOUNCES FULL AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT OF US SENATE CANDIDATE NATHAN DAHM

Oklahoma (March 3, 2022) - Senator Rand Paul releases the following statement, announcing his full and total endorsement of US Senate candidate Nathan Dahm: 

"As you know, I’ve been standing up against the mandates of Dr. Fauci, but I need your help. That’s why I’m endorsing Nathan Dahm for Senate. 

I know Nathan Dahm will join me in demanding that Fauci is immediately fired and removed from office. Time and time again, Nathan Dahm has proved that he's a man of courage and conviction who will break the current mold of big government and endless spending. 

Nathan has the courage to stand with me to defeat the Washington machine." 

US Senate candidate Nathan Dahm responded by saying: 

OCPA praises committee passage of SB 1647, Treat's school choice bill

Senate Bill 1647 (Pro Tem Treat's Oklahoma Empowerment Account school choice bill) passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday, in amended form, by a vote of 12 to 8 (roll call here).

I haven't fully read the bill or listened to the committee hearing, but it appears that homeschoolers can breath a sigh of relief, as the amended version does not include home educators in the program (read these articles for more on why the homeschool community opposed SB 1647).

OCPA statement on SB 1647 passage

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 2, 2022)— Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to passage of Senate Bill 1647 out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 1647, by Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, would create the Oklahoma Empowerment Account (OEA) Program. Under the program, most students across Oklahoma would be eligible for an OEA, which could be used to pay for a range of education services, including private-school tuition.

J.C. Watts, Kyle McCarter considering joining open Senate race

Another day, another set of potential candidates in the special election to succeed U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe.

Former Congressman J.C. Watts is said to be considering a run, according to The Frontier:

News: Former OU QB, CD 4 Congressman and House Republican Conference Chair J.C Watts is “strongly considering” a bid for the open U.S. Senate seat, Chad Alexander, his former campaign manager, confirms to The Frontier. pic.twitter.com/vGqmx4T4gb

— Reese Gorman (@reesejgorman) March 2, 2022

Watts' name has come up for a variety of offices since he left the House, including the 2010 gubernatorial race and the open Senate seat in 2014, but he has so far declined to run for another office. Will this year be different? 

Also looking at running is former Trump-appointed ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter, per Politico:

Corey DeAngelis to receive OCPA’s Citizen of the Year Award

Corey DeAngelis to receive OCPA’s Citizen of the Year Award

OKLAHOMA CITY (February 25, 2022)—Corey DeAngelis, national director of research at the American Federation for Children, will be the recipient of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affair’s 2022 Citizenship Award.

“Corey DeAngelis is a leading national voice for school choice and an unflinching warrior for the cause of children who deserve greater opportunity,” said Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. “His knowledge of facts and data on school choice is unsurpassed, as is his willingness to debate anyone, anywhere—and win.”

“Corey DeAngelis is well known in the world of free-market policy because he does not allow any falsehood to go unchallenged in school-choice debates,” said OCPA Board Chairman Larry Parman. “Time and again, he has shown that facts matter more than volume, even in online debates, and he is a true champion for the right of children to access the best education possible by funding students, not systems.”

Quinn is in: announces 2nd District Congressional campaign

This morning, State Sen. Marty Quinn (R-Claremore) announced his intention to run for the Congressional District 2 seat being vacated by Congressman Markwayne Mullin (who is running for U.S. Senate):

Today, I announced my intentions to run for Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District. Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, the politicians in DC think the only answer to a problem is more government spending and more government control. Oklahomans know that more government is the PROBLEM, not the solution. In Congress, I’ll fight every day and will continue to challenge the status quo on behalf of hard-working Oklahomans. President Trump showed us exactly how a business leader can shake things up in Washington DC. I’m ready to put my years of business and legislative experience to work on behalf of our state.

Quinn is completing his final term in the state legislature, having served two terms in the State House and two subsequent terms in the State Senate.

Republican Mike Masters giving it a second go for HD71

Republican Mike Masters is running for State House District 71, hoping a second try will help to snag the seat for the GOP. Masters ran in 2020, coming up just short of defeating Democrat Denise Brewer.

Dedicated Community Servant Mike Masters Announces Candidacy for House District 71

Mike Masters will cut red-tape, get bureaucrats out of schools and support law enforcement

(Tulsa, OK) February 28, 2022 - Public school teacher and licensed real estate agent Mike Masters announced his candidacy for Oklahoma House District 71 today. As a proud father, 17-year veteran public school teacher and committed community servant, Mike began teaching to help ensure our kids reach their full potential. He viewed teaching as being a role model and focused his educational career teaching history and government. 

Elected officials react to Biden's State of the Union

I'm going to echo U.S. Sen. James Lankford's comment about President Joe Biden's State of the State address last night: "Well, that was interesting."

It was pretty standard Biden-fare, which means it was generally disastrous from delivery to content. And what on earth was going on with Nancy Pelosi? She was behaving rather more bizarelly than normal.

Following his speech, members of Oklahoma's Washington delegation, plus Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, emailed out their responses. I'm posting them below in the order I received them: Cong. Hern, Cong. Lucas, Lt. Gov. Pinnell, Cong. Bice, Sen. Lankford, Sen. Inhofe, and Cong. Cole:

FEMA: don't forget to mask and social distance if taking shelter from nuclear blast

With Soviet Russian President Vladimir Putin putting his nuclear forces on high alert and not-so-subtly warning the West to not tempt him to use them, somebody decided to take a look at what FEMA suggests for citizens to do in the event of a nuclear explosion and noticed something that has now gone viral: