OK Legislative Black Caucus opposes Electoral College objection by Lankford, others

Black Caucus Opposes Electoral Objection by Lankford, Others

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 5th, 2021) -- The Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus strongly opposes objections to the certification of the Electoral College count by at least 13 Republican senators, including Oklahoma Senator James Lankford,  140 Republican members of the US Congress, including Oklahoma’s  Reps. Kevin Hern and Markwayne Mullin.

“All fair votes of the people should count and not be overthrown,” said State Rep. Regina Goodwin, chair of the Oklahoma Black Caucus. “Democracy should not be destroyed. President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris won. Despicable lies do not prove otherwise.”

Two months since and numerous lawsuits later, there has been no evidence presented that would change the outcome of the November election.

“Why aren’t these same Republicans investigating President Trump’s intentional interference with the fair performance of duties of Georgia state election officials?” Goodwin asked. “We have state and federal laws against the false finding of votes and the flagrant flipping of elections as demanded by President Trump.”

Sen. Murdock compares OK to NM, finds restrictive mandates don't always work

Sen. Casey Murdock says restrictive COVID-19 mandates don't always work

Sen. Casey Murdock says he agrees with Gov. Kevin Stitt that sweeping statewide restrictions are not the most effective strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Murdock, R-Felt, said after looking at New Mexico, a state that has mandated masks statewide and has imposed more severe business restrictions, he found its approach hasn’t resulted in saving more lives or jobs compared to Oklahoma. 

“I live just about 12 miles from New Mexico, and from time to time I have business to do there in Clayton. I’ve talked to people there who are frustrated about the statewide mask mandate and their business restrictions, which have gone farther than Oklahoma’s,” Murdock said. “But what’s really interesting is that when you take a look at their outcomes compared to ours, I think it shows their approach really isn’t the fix some people think it is.”

Murdock says there are a lot of similarities between the two states. Energy, farming and ranching are important to both economies. Oklahoma has more people—according to the 2019 population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, Oklahoma had 3.9 million people, compared to just over 2 million for New Mexico. 

When you look at the per capita figures, as of Dec. 30, Oklahoma has had 7,172 positive cases per 100,000 people, compared to 6,671 in New Mexico. But Oklahoma had 61 deaths per capita, while New Mexico had 115. 

Congressman Hern: Here's why I will object to electoral college vote count

1st District Congressman Kevin Hern announced today that he will join many of his fellow Republican congressmen in objecting to the electoral college vote when it is formally tallied in a joint-session of Congress on January 6th. Below is his statement on why he will do so:

Today, I write to announce my intent to join efforts on January 6 to object to the counting of electoral college votes in those states failing to follow their own election laws and procedures in the administration of the presidential election. I also call on my colleagues in Congress to not only fully investigate election improprieties, but to also study and debate measures that can be implemented to protect elections in the future. 

Since November, I have been contacted by countless constituents expressing their concerns with the security and administration of this year’s presidential election. I believe this issue strikes at the very heart of our national identity, because the success and longevity of our Republic relies on the fundamental idea of free and fair elections. 

15 GOP State Senators ask congressional delegation to challenge Electoral College vote

I missed this press release, but the following letter was sent out the same day that 24 State House members did the same thing, on December 22nd.

Senators join Bullard in urging Congress to fight illegal voting action in four states

OKLAHOMA CITY (December 22nd, 2020) – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, and 14 other senators sent a letter on Tuesday urging Congress to fight illegal ballots in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The letter to Oklahoma’s congressional delegation asks them to voice their objections, bring arguments and evidence against the votes cast in those states where voting laws were illegally and unconstitutionally changed by executive fiat, or by judicial edict.

“Americans deserve an election process that is fair and transparent. This year’s general election was far from it with voting laws being illegally changed in multiple states at the last minute and ballots being cast with no proof of identity or other necessary qualifications to guarantee they were from legitimate voting citizens,” Bullard said. “I want to thank my Senate colleagues for joining me in this stand for our nation, our Constitution and the preservation of our republican form of government. We can’t let those who put power above what is right and honorable control this sacred process. We demand that Congress step in and fight for a recount of the ballots in these four states to ensure accuracy and fairness.”

Members who signed the letter included:

• Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro
• Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair
• Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant
• Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard
• Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow
• Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry
• Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain
• Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee
• Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow
• Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt
• Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington
• Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa
• Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman
• Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah
• Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore

To view the letter, click here.

Governor Stitt selects Jason Reese as new general counsel

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT ANNOUNCES NEW GENERAL COUNSEL 

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 31, 2020) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the selection of Jason Reese as his new general counsel following current general counsel Mark Burget's decision to return to Search Ministries after fulfilling a two-year commitment to the governor.  

“Over the past two years, Mark Burget's wise counsel and legal expertise has helped guide our office through historic challenges facing the State, and I am thankful for his dedicated service to our team," said Gov. Stitt. "As Mark transitions out of the office, I look forward to welcoming Jason Reese as my new general counsel. Jason is a longtime litigator and former Oklahoma House of Representatives attorney with more than 15 years of experience, so he’ll bring a robust understanding of law and policy to the office. He will serve my administration well as we continue to work toward becoming a Top Ten state.”   

Here's what you need to know for 2021

 2020 is blessedly gone, and 2021 is here. 

Here's the deal. God made you. God made everything. Just as this website/app/browser had a designer, the building you are in had an architect, the vehicle you drive had a builder, this entire universe - infinitely more complex - had a Creator. He orchestrated the atoms and molecules that make up everything.

As Creator, He has the right and prerogative for placing laws and rules for His creation to follow. You, and I, and every human being, have fallen short of those laws. 

The Ten Commandments sum up God's Law. We have broken every single one. We have lied. We have stolen. We have had inappropriate sexual thoughts (Jesus called this adultery of the heart). We have been angry without just cause (Jesus called this murder of the heart). We have coveted. We have blasphemed. We are all guilty.

Punishment for offenses increase as the party against which the crime was perpetrated increase in stature. Disobedience to parents require one level of correction/punishment. Crimes against a human government require a higher degree of punishment. Crimes against an infinite God require a greater punishment, namely an infinite punishment. 

Heaven is real, but so is Hell. Hell is a real place, where the full righteous wrath of God Almighty is unendingly poured out on those who rebelled against the most loving and gracious Being in the Universe. You have sinned against God and earned for yourself Hell. I sinned against God and earned for myself Hell.

But, Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, God in flesh, came to earth and fulfilled God's Law on our behalf and paid our punishment with His sacrificial death, wiping away our sin-debt, our criminal fine, and giving us His righteousness. 

We must, by faith, believe and repent. Believe that Jesus is who He said He was, that He died for us and rose again, and repent - turn away from our sin in disgust that we would offend God in such ways, and dedicate our lives to following Him, not in order to earn salvation but in recognition that we cannot save ourselves and in response and gratefulness to the kindness shown to us by God in providing a way of forgiveness.

This salvation is a free (and permanent, ever-lasting) gift of God, and is fully of Him. We contribute nothing to it except the sin that made it necessary. We can do nothing to earn it or maintain it. No amount of good deeds or prayers or pilgrimages or sacraments is sufficient -- only Christ is.

I cannot convince you of the Gospel. Only God can. My responsibility is to share it with you. 

You must determine whether you will believe it to be true or not.

But know this: if all this is true, you will one day stand before your Maker and be held to account for the works you did and did not do during your life. And, you will be held to account for how you respond(ed) to the free offer of the Gospel that was presented to you, for better or for worse. 

If 2020 teaches anything, it is that life is short, and Man is not guaranteed tomorrow. Eternity is forever. God offers salvation freely to those who will believe. Receive it while you have opportunity to do so and do not tarry.

24 GOP State Reps ask Oklahoma delegation to challenge Electoral College votes in Congress

This may come as a surprise to some of my readers, and I'm sure I'll lose or upset some of you, but the following press release is nothing more than a fantasy and pandering to individuals who refuse to accept the possibility that President Donald Trump could have in fact lost the election.

The real story is that the Trump campaign itself does not believe the post-election spin that it has fed Trump supporters. If they did, then they would have put forward a legitimate legal effort led by competent individuals. They didn't, and no elected conservatives will dare say that 'the Emperor has no clothes' for fear of the political ramifications. 

There's a lot more to unpack on that story, but until I get some time to write my take down, here's what a quarter of the Oklahoma State House members are asking our congressional delegation to do next week:

Group of House Republicans Urges OK Congressional Delegation to Challenge Electoral College Votes

OKLAHOMA CITY (December 22nd) – A group of Oklahoma House Republicans today sent a letter to the members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation urging them to challenge the certification of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

The 24 lawmakers contend that election law changes and violations in swing states disenfranchised the votes cast by Oklahomans.

“Every state in our Union is dependent on the others to hold free, fair and constitutional elections,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “When any state willfully violates our mutual contract – the U.S. Constitution – and/or their own state election laws (in order to skew the outcome of their election), the process and subsequent results shall not be dismissed or ignored. We must commit ourselves as a state to ensure our constituents’ votes are not disenfranchised, and we must hold accountable those who intend to harm us through election tampering.”

The following lawmakers signed on to this statement:

Lucas votes for new COVID stimulus bill, supports Trump's request for $2,000 instead of $600

Lucas Votes in Favor of CASH Act, Supports President’s Request Increasing Direct Stimulus

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9051- the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act. Lucas supported the legislation.

“The coronavirus pandemic has caused tremendous societal and economic hardships across Oklahoma and the United States. While a number of our communities have begun to recover, many Oklahomans and families are falling even further behind and are now faced with the consequences of delaying bill payments in order to purchase necessities for their families. Our recovery will depend significantly on the course of the virus in our communities, but during times of need, Congress must provide stability and a bridge for individuals and families until we are fully on the path of recovery,” said Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03). “Joining with President Trump, I’m hopeful the aid the House voted on tonight will further assist Oklahomans during this historic pandemic and economic crisis.”

The CASH Act increases the value of the economic impact payments (EIPs) proved in the end-of-year relief package so that each eligible family member receives $2,000, up from $600.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Have a very merry Christmas!

The account of the birth of Jesus Christ, from Luke 2:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

I hope that you have a very happy and safe holiday!

Gov. Stitt, Speaker McCall comment on smaller projected budget deficit than expected

GOVERNOR STITT ISSUES STATEMENT ON OKLAHOMA STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION CERTIFICATION

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 18, 2020)- Governor Kevin Stitt today issued the following statement after the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization certified an estimate indicating lawmakers will have $8.4 billion to build a budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2021. 

“Over the course of this past fiscal year, Oklahoma’s state revenues have dropped due to the impact of the historic COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the substantial loss of oil and gas drilling activity," said Gov. Stitt. "However, Oklahoma was one of the first states to fully re-open its economy after the onset of the pandemic to allow Oklahomans to operate their businesses and safely return to work. Thanks to this decision, and the effective deployment of the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds to our citizens, businesses, cities and counties, the Fiscal Year 2021 predictions are coming in better than expected. By these projections, we now believe we will see less than half the revenue losses predicted in April. Moving forward, the Legislature will still have difficult decisions to make regarding the budget, but my team is committed to working alongside our legislators to ensure we remain fiscally responsible with Oklahomans’ hard earned tax dollars."  

During the meeting, Gov. Stitt gave attention to one-time cash sources of $1.03 billion as part of the spending authority estimate that will not be available in FY 2023 and does not bring the State back to its previously projected pre-pandemic levels. 

The Board of Equalization will return in February to certify a final estimate on how much revenue lawmakers will have to build a budget during the upcoming legislative session.

Speaker McCall comments on preliminary Board of Equalization projection

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, issued the following statement on the Board of Equalization's preliminary revenue projection for the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriated state budget:

“The projection is a big relief. The budget hole is far smaller than projected this spring because Governor Kevin Stitt and Republicans prioritized keeping the economy open for businesses and families. This approach created a very workable situation for the Legislature and governor to set a budget meeting the state’s needs.

Use of existing savings, spending less than authorized, and other responsible measures helped stabilize last year’s and this year’s budgets during the peaks of the pandemic. Those actions also gave state agencies a full 18 months to prepare for what we can now see will be very workable, smaller-than-expected reductions in next year’s budget.

Oklahoma has solved far bigger budgetary challenges before and will do so again. Governor Stitt’s leadership and smart legislative budgeting have positioned Oklahoma to have an adequate state budget as it continues fighting the pandemic while mourning those lost to it. Government must stay functional to protect the public, and this initial revenue projection indicates it can do so without major issue.”

Gov. Stitt appoints Judge Thomas Prince to Court of Civil Appeals

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT APPOINTS JUDGE THOMAS E. PRINCE TO COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS 

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 18, 2020) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the appointment of Judge Thomas E. Prince to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. This is the governor’s third appointment to the Court.    

"Judge Tom Prince is a proven legal mind who has served the State of Oklahoma for over three decades," said Gov. Stitt. "Years of legal and judicial experience have prepared him for this new role, and I look forward to watching him serve the people of Oklahoma on the Court of Civil Appeals."  

"I am truly honored Governor Stitt would appoint me to the Court of Civil Appeals," Prince said. "As I have done as a District Judge, I will strive to rule according to the law in each case, to apply the law as written and to not favor any person, group or entity over another. I look forward to serving the people of the State of Oklahoma in this position."  

Prince has served as a District Judge for Oklahoma County since 2012, where he has presided over more than 95 civil and criminal jury trials. During his service as a District Judge, Prince was appointed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to serve as the Presiding Judge for the State Multi-County Grand Jury from 2016 to 2018. He was also elected by his colleagues in Oklahoma and Canadian Counties to serve as the Vice-Presiding Judge for the Seventh Judicial Administrative District from 2016 to 2018. He was then elected to serve as the Presiding Administrative Judge for Oklahoma and Canadian Counties for the year 2019.  

OCPA: To diversify economy, get rid of the penalty on work

To diversify economy, get rid of the penalty on work

By Jonathan Small

For too long, Oklahoma has tried to diversify its economy by passing special-interest tax breaks and subsidies. That bureaucrat-planning has failed.

It doesn’t have to be this way if lawmakers embrace the policies that are reaping job growth in other states—and elimination of the state income tax, the penalty on work, is the most obvious tool for success.

The New York Post recently reported that Goldman Sachs, “known for its Democratic-leaning and virtue-signaling leadership,” is nonetheless looking to move part of its workforce from New York City “to some of the reddest states in the nation,” including no-income-tax states Texas and Florida. Nashville, located in no-income-tax Tennessee, was also cited as a potential landing spot for relocating firms.

Goldman Sachs is not an anomaly. Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Oracle are moving their headquarters from California to Texas, while E-cigarette maker Juul Labs has already moved its corporate office to that state. Elon Musk is moving to Texas and his company, electric-car maker Tesla, is building a new facility near Austin. The Austin Chamber of Commerce reports 39 companies have relocated there this year.

Companies and executives from states with some of the nation’s highest tax and regulatory burdens—think California, New York, Illinois—are moving to Texas, Florida, and Tennessee with increasing speed. Oklahoma has seen the loss of headquarters and hundreds of thousands of jobs from Phillips Petroleum, Hilti Corporation, Noble Drilling, SolarWinds, Kerr-McGee, and small businesses and family businesses too numerous to count. Oklahoma also lost out in the competition to become the location for building Tesla’s cyber-truck.

Those relocating include the decisionmakers who determine where thousands of jobs will be located.