Oklahoma Libertarians Running for Congress as Independents
OKLP Chair Angelia O'Dell, Vice-Chair Clarke Duffe, and former Chair Richard Prawdzienski are all running for the House of Representatives as Independents.See the Oklahoma State Election Board list of candidates here.
OKLP 2010 Convention: April 10 in Guthrie
When: Saturday, April 10th, 9:00 amWhere: Guthrie, Highland Hall
On the south side of Highland Park
1102 E. Warner Ave.
Convention Speakers (all supporters of ballot access reform):
Libertarian National Party Chairman Bill Redpath
Oklahoma Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso)
Oklahoma Representative Charles Key (R-OKC)
Oklahoma Representative Eric Proctor (D-Tulsa)
Price:
$25 for tickets paid in advance
$30 at the door
$20 for student tickets
Includes BBQ Lunch!!!
Libertarian Party of Oklahoma
PO Box 14042
Tulsa, OK 74159-1042
29 October 2009: DUFFE TO ANNOUNCE FOR CONGRESS!
Oklahoma Libertarian Party Vice Chair Clark Duffe will announce his candidacy for the 5th District of the U.S. Congress in Oklahoma at the October 27 meeting of the Central Oklahoma Libertarian Party.Duffe, 52, of Edmond, will run as an Independent, due to Oklahoma's stringent ballot access laws which act to keep third parties from being officially recognized by the state. "It would be more satisfying to have that official 'L' behind my name on the ballot, but by the time voters get to the polls, they'll know who I am and what I stand for," Duffe said.
"Besides, that 'I' looks like a small 'L' anyway."
In office, Duffe says he will concentrate on cutting government growth and spending, protecting individual rights and liberties, and will demand the government quit "cooking the books" to make the budget, and the inflation and unemployment rates seem better than they are.
As importantly, he looks to join in the fight to force the Federal Reserve to be accountable for its actions, starting with House Resolution 1207, Congressman Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill.
"These are things people have said for years that they want Congress to do; I'll actually do them. Or at least I'll try, and if necessary I'll go down swinging."
He has no illusions about long-term service in the House.
"Look, I don't want to live in Washington, D.C. I'm a kid from the suburbs and I love it here in Oklahoma. Even 2 years up there seems like harsh duty."
"So I really don't care if I get reelected. I plan to go up there, rely on my values to do what's right while I'm there, and not worry about the future. That will take care of itself."
Duffe has run for 3 offices in the past: State House, State Senate, and School Board. There were valuable campaign lessons picked up in each unsuccessful race.
"The main things I learned were to start early, start loud, and never let up on your message. People have to be pulled away from their comfort zone with the Republican and Democratic parties. Give them a chance to think on it, and many, if not most, people will realize that their hearts and souls are in line with a libertarian philosophy."
Five Republicans have announced their candidacies: Kevin Calvey of Oklahoma City, Rick Flanigan of Bethany, James Lankford of Oklahoma City, Dr. Johnny Roy of Edmond, and Mike Thompson of Oklahoma City. No Democrats have announced.
Oklahoma's Congressional 5th District covers Oklahoma County (except for Tinker Air Force Base and most of Midwest City), Pottawatomie County and Seminole County.
29 October 2009: WHO ELSE IS RUNNING?
Want to know the current list of candidates for any particular race? Go to http://www.politics1.com/ok.htm. You can click on to candidates webpages there, and see what they have to say about themselves.29 October 2009: HOUSE OF CARDS?
400,000 U.S. + soldiers overseas in dozens upon dozens of countries, with more to be deployed.Hundreds of billions in stimulus money and the government will not tell us where it has gone.
Car companies seized.
Nationalized health care looming on the horizon.
Ten percent unemployment, which ignores those who have quit looking for work or who are underemployed.
Cap and Trade.
High school graduates who can not even identify George Washington.
Astronomical trade deficits.
Global warming data fudged or outright faked.
Social Security careening towards bankruptcy.
Inflation numbers falsified by removing food and fuel from the calculations.
Gun registration and control.
Swine flu pandemic panic.
Socialism.
Fascism.
Totalitarianism.
Is this house of cards we have built ready to fall?
Is there still any chance for a soft landing?
Get involved with the Libertarian Party, the only party which believes in all of your freedoms, all of the time. If you do not want to leave the Republicans or Democrats, consider forming a Libertarian Caucus within those parties.
Don not wait for those cards to start tumbling before you act.
September, 2009: STILL WORKING ON PARTY RECOGNITION
Oklahoma Election Board does not recognize Libertarians as a Political Party today. We are denied because of draconian restrictions in Statutes Title 26. Back in 1974 the legislators changed the law to require third parties to collect huge numbers of amount of qualified signatures to be recognized by the State.The OKLP and others are trying to restore the law which was in effect prior to 1974. That would mean we would only need to gather 5000 valid signatures, instead of perhaps 90,000 or more.
Rep. Charles Key (R) introduced HB 1072 to do that this past session, but the bill met much resistance and was modified in both the Oklahoma House and Senate.
But the bill did survive, in a way. Before the bill came up for a vote, the "Title was stricken", which means that even if legislators had voted YES, the bill would still have to go to conference where its content will be hashed out by a relatively few legislators.
And so, the HB 1072 is alive, but its fate hangs on the pleasure of the House leadership.
The Questions:
Will the bill go forward in conference or will it die?
What will the language of the final bill be? Will we return to 5000 required signatures or a the bill contain percentage requiring 20+, 40+, or even 50,000 signatures?
Most importantly, will your District's Representative and Senator help move the bill forward?
Our consultant/lobbyist, who helped get the bill this far along, says that now is the time to let them know your feelings about HB 1072. Contact them today and find out if he or she will fight to move the bill forward. Ask them what they plan to do when session convenes next February. [Note: If they simply says they will vote if it comes out of conference, then they are side- stepping you. If they say they will fight for bill to be heard in conference and then vote for original 5000 required signatures, that is what we want to hear.
In either case, please let us know if your legislators are just wanting you to leave them alone or if they are really willing to give voters a true choice? Email us at: oklpchair@yahoo.com
September, 2009: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
Five-term Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett will not seek another term. State Senator Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said that because of her departure we can expect major changes at the Education Department.Really?
Has the swapping of power between Republicans and Democrats in Oklahoma and Federal over the past decades government caused any major change? Especially in education?
Former OKLP Chair Richard Prawdzienski asks Sen. Jolley and other GOPers exactly what do they mean by major. He then calls on Libertarians to help define what would be a major change. Is simply going from a donkey to an elephant enough? Would giving lip-service to a few more Charter Schools or moving money from one area to another do it? Or would it have to be a fundamental shift in the mission and the direction of the office?
Prawdzienki says that Libertarians, even though they might not like government schools, can still take actions to influence them for the better. Ask your legislators and school boards what they consider major change, and follow up those questions with letters to the editor, calls to talk shows, and the myriad other ways of getting out information. Your opinions count, but they are nothing but idle thoughts if you do not get them out where others can hear them.
Upcoming Statewide Libertarian Event: Sunday, April 19th
Join us for bowling at the Sheraton Lanes (31st & Sheraton) in Tulsa on Sunday, April 19th, 10am-2pm. There will be a State Executive Meeting after bowling. Hope to see you there!Old Posts
VOTE FOR NONE OF THE ABOVE (NOTA) FOR PRESIDENT by not marking either candidate on the Oklahoma ballot, but do vote for the remaining races. Restricted to just two choices in 2004, almost 10,000 Oklahoma voters chose NOTA four years ago.Oklahoma is the only state where Bob Barr is not on the ballot and there are no write-ins for presidential candidates. The Libertarian Party is on the ballot in the other four states without write-ins: Hawaii, Nevada, South Dakota, and South Carolina.
Oklahoma's ballot access laws are TEN TIMES more restrictive than many surrounding states. Read about the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma's attempts to overcome the nation's most restrictive ballot laws, which protect the two parties from real competition in ideas. Visit Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform at www.OkVoterChoice.org
August 4th Posts
"There is no other position that has such a high burden, just the presidency. It's because the national parties don't want the competition. They are deathly afraid of the competition. This is why it's so important for us to be doing this." - Bob Barr, on filing a lawsuit to be on the ballot in Oklahoma
Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr announced a federal lawsuit
against Oklahoma's restrictive
ballot laws
for Independent Presidential candidates. He turned in over 9,000
signatures, well over the pre-1974 requirement of 5,000 signatures for
recognition of party, but under the 44,000 needed to be on the ballot
this year. Oklahoma's current 3% requirement for Independent
Presidential candidates is the only requirement over 2% in the country.
Read more in the
Oklahoman, the Gazette
and
Tulsa
World.
Norma Sapp, executive director of Oklahomans for Initiative Rights, writes in a letter to the Oklahoman: "Congratulations to The Oklahoman for speaking out against the awful loss of our voter initiative rights. Oklahoma voters deserve better than to get to vote on only two of the 23 initiatives submitted this decade.
We need to lower our signature requirement, which is the highest in the nation, and expand the narrow 90-day period for gathering those signatures. The latter reform is just as important as the former in giving grassroots efforts a chance to qualify a measure for the ballot; moreover, it doesn't require a constitutional amendment. Voters also need protection so that petitions aren't thrown out on technical grounds after hundreds of thousands of citizens have signed.
Reform won't be easy. During this year's legislative session, The Oklahoman rightly took Senate Democrats to task for blocking a bill that would have simply allowed a task force to study reform. It appears reform will have to be citizen-initiated. Oklahomans for Initiative Rights is launching a citizen task force to gather public comment and ideas for reform. We want to hear from you. Email us at ekco@swbell.net."
July 5th Posts
Tuesday, July 15th, 7:00 PM: Libertarian Presidential Candidate, BOB BARR, in Oklahoma City. He will speak at Rose State College ( I-40 & Hudiburg Drive, near Tinker) at the Student Building (3rd right, campus map here). Cost is $10. Hope you can make it! Read the Media Alert(pdf). Visit Barr's website at www.BobBarr2008.com."The American people need a choice, they want a choice, they deserve a choice." - Bob Barr Monday on CNN
OKLP
Press Release:
Libertarian Presidential Nominee to Run as Independent in Oklahoma
Signatures to put Bob Barr on the ballot in Oklahoma as an Independent
are beginning to be collected today. Barr will need 43,913 valid
signatures from registered Oklahoman voters by July 15th. HELP BARR BE ON 50 STATES. HELP COLLECT SIGNATURES: download the petition (pdf). Please mail signed petitions to Libertarian Party of Oklahoma, P. O. Box 14042, Tulsa, OK 74159-1042.
THANKS FOR HELPING PETITION! Here are some tips to make your work count:
-ANYONE can circulate petitions for Barr, even if not registered to vote in Oklahoma.
-Carry extra pens and petitions, two, three or four clipboards (cardboard works)
-Label a few petitions with the counties you expect to find people from. One county per sheet.
-Ask people, "Are you a registered Oklahoma voter?" before they sign.
-Ask "Will you sign my petition?" as you hand it to them. Say "This petition will allow Oklahomans to vote for Independent presidential candidate Bob Barr. Which county are you registered in?"
-You may clarify "Signing does not mean you support him, but would only allow Oklahomans to have more choices as we are one of five states without write-ins." Or mention, "Because of Oklahoma's restrictive laws, we were the only state limited to two choices for president in 2004."
-DO NOT ARGUE! Move on to the next person. Getting signatures by early July is the goal.
Once you fill up a petition with signatures:
-You must sign each sheet.
-Mail the signatures by July 10th to Libertarian Party of Oklahoma, P.O. Box 14042, Tulsa, OK 74159
Oklahoma has, by far, the most strict requirement in these United States, according to Ballot Access News. You can read the state rules (pdf) on why an independent presidential must collect so many signatures.
July 1st Posts
The Libertarian Party was the only political party to file a brief in the recent District of Columbia v. Heller case. Bob Barr wrote the amicus brief supporting the right to bear arms and defend one's self. Read the LP release here.Bob Barr says Oklahoma is the toughest state for ballot access and may file lawsuit on Fox News last Sunday (6/18/08). "Oklahoma is an extremely tough nut to crack because the two parties there, the two status quo parties, make it almost impossible to get on the ballot. It may be that we'll have to file a lawsuit to get on the ballot, but we intend to do whatever we can to get on the ballot in all 50 states."
Math problem: Petition process in need of change; The Oklahoman editorializes on why the initiative process in Oklahoma should be opened up by reducing the number of signatures required. The process is becoming inaccessible, except to the very few, which is why only 2 of 23 initiatives made it to the ballot; and those two both sought to increase the size of government with the cockfighting ban and raising the state's gasoline tax.
June 3rd Posts
Georgia Governor recently signed a
$50 million Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit program
into law, providing hope to thousands of
families who want to send their children to better schools. Oklahoma
State Representatives recently shot down a much more modest education
tax credit that would have allowed low-income
students to have access to more school choice. How did your
Representative vote?The Oklahoma Supreme Court decides to uphold the full $84,000 annual pension of multi-indicted former state legislator, Gene Stipe, despite a state board's ruling that Stipe forfeited much of his pension because he violated his oath of office.
May 27th Posts
OKIES Press Release:
Independents Want More Candidates Filing to run for office in
Oklahoma is June 2nd-4th. PLEASE CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE
AND GIVING VOTERS A CHOICE ON ELECTION DAY.
Bob
Barr wins Libertarian Party Presidential Nomination. Visit www.BobBarr2008.com
An Oklahoman article asks "Why are state prisons so full?" Maybe it is because of criminalizing activities without victims, like responsible adult drug use. Oklahoma has the third highest rate of incarceration. The United States imprisons more people than any other industrialized country, with almost 1.6 million imprisoned. This means one in every 99 adults is behind bars.
Cigarette Taxes cause Black Market to explode. OKLP warned against this result.
April 23rd Posts
Although there are some great public schools, "we've got other schools that we've been telling [parents] for years and years and years that it's going to change. And I would not risk my child's education to say, 'Well, I'm going to make you stay in there because I'm committed to fixing the school, and the next thing you know they're in 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade and maybe the damage has been done. ... I wouldn't do that." He said that he and his wife happen to have the resources to take their own children out of a bad school if necessary. So "why should I turn to my constituents, especially my low-income constituents, and say they got to stay in there?" - Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC) on his support of the New Hope Scholarship Act (Senate Bill 2093)
Support School Choice! Support Education Tax Credits! Support The New Hope Scholarship Act, Senate Bill 2093! (The bill was just defeated in the Republican controlled House, although it passed the split Senate.)Minnesota lawmakers may soon allow voters to decide if their state becomes the 13th to allow medical marijuana.
The first federal marijuana decriminalization bill in 25 years was just introduced in Congress. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5843, the 'Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008,' which would decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use. Please urge your representative to support this important legislation.
April 5th Posts
"Abdication of responsibility is not part of the constitutional design...Separation of powers was designed to implement a fundamental insight...Concentration of power in the hands of a single branch is a threat to liberty." - Justice Kennedy, quoted in a Washington Times article about broad executive powers given to the Department of Homeland Security.April 5th Posts
"The American people are much more sensitive to big government and the problems of big government. Republicans in Washington have opened people's eyes. Both major parties are big-government parties." - Bob Barr
Former Congressman Bob Barr announces he will seek the Libertarian Party nomination for President today. Read the OKLP Press Release and the FITSNews story and Fox story.Former Democratic Senator and presidential Candidate, Mike Gravel, has also announced his intention to run for the Libertarian Presidential nomination: "It's not so much that I left the Democratic Party; it's that the Democratic Party left me."
Attorney General Drew Edmondson Fights the Right of Citizens to Petition their Government: "Kill the Bill". Norma Sapp writes, "This is just to let you know about the shenanigan's going on. It may be normal politics but it isn't right."
March 27th Posts
Support House Bill 3350 to create a Task Force to study making the Initiative process more user friendly and giving a more reasonable time to gather signatures. HB 3350 passed the House and will be heard this Monday in a Senate Committee. Here is a list of the Senators on the General Government Committee:Cliff Aldridge (405) 521-5584 aldridge@oksenate.gov
Joe Sweeden (405) 521-5581 sweeden@oksenate.gov
Patrick Anderson ( 405) 521-5630 anderson@oksenate.gov
Roger Ballenger (405) 521-5588 ballenger@oksenate.gov
Randy Bass (405) 521 55-67 bass@oksenate.gov
Brian Bingman (405) 521-5528 bingman@oksenate.gov
Bill Brown (405) 521-5602 brown@oksenate.gov
Brian A. Crain (405) 521-5620 crain@oksenate.gov
Mary Easley (405) 521-5590 easley@oksenate.gov
Constance Johnson (405) 521-5531 johnsonc@oksenate.gov
Tulsa
Libertarians meet Monday, April. 7th at 7:00 PM at Angelia
O'Dell's home (3527 E. 4th St.) to discuss the Tax Day Protest with
OKLP vice-chair Jimmy Cook.March 15th Posts
OKIES Press Release:
'Clean Campaign Act' needs reform: House Bill 2196 passes House,
but needs to be reformed before going forward because it protects
incumbents by severely limiting challengers' ability to raise funds and
maybe even pay their filing fee.March 9th Posts
OKIES Press Release:More
and More Independents: "With over half of state legislative races
unopposed in the 2006 general election, we hope more Oklahoma voters
will have a choice this November. But that all depends on the number of
Oklahomans, regardless of party, who step up to the task." said Clark
Duffe, OKIES chairman. 9,715 more Oklahomans registered as Independent since 2006. This was out of 13,564 new registrations. Bringing the total number of Independents to 219,230, or 11%. (If you register Libertarian in Oklahoma the Election Board will label you Independent.)
Maps for Millionaires passed.Feb. 16th Posts
Press Release: OKLP 2008 Convention (PDF)Action Alert: Call State Legislators: demand Ballot Access Bills get a Committee vote this week.
Tulsa Libertarians next Meeting:Wed., March 12th potluck dinner at Angelia O'Dell's home. Details here.
Feb. 9th Posts
"We're all citizens of the United States of America...We have our rights to do what we want to do, and if you don't like what's going on, then get up and walk out." -Diana Davidson on the proposed ban of smoking in all public places, including privately owned establishments
Craig Dawkins, author of Modern Patriot Chronicles, says "the Republican Party has become the "Democrat-Lite" party moving ever leftward as necessary. Big government promotion is now a central part of Republican ideological push. Compassionate conservatism means that - government knows best."Feb. 8th Posts
Oklahoma Libertarian Brent Colle is featured on LP.org
(with 3rd highest candidate tracker) and the Ponca City News because of
his campaign for City Commissioner. He
finished a strong second in a three way race and will compete in a
runoff April 1st. From the Ponca City News: Colle called for a "principled approach" to government and said taxation was not always the correct response to situations facing the city. "America was born out of a sense of liberty and justice...We need roads, prisons and some other things we can't do without a tax." However, taxation should be a last resort. He advocates encouraging private business to fill many needs instead of seeking a governmental solution. "We need to set a higher standard for our children to see," Colle said.
A debate on decriminalization of marijuana takes place at the University of Oklahoma. The Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma president Ron Shewey asked, "Why is it the business of government if a hard-working American wants to smoke rather than drink after a hard days work?" And he explained, "I believe in moderation and personal responsibility."
Feb. 3rd Posts
OKLP Chairman, Jimmy Cook is interviewed on KTOK Channel 6 about our fight to open primary elections to all voters. "It would be good because you want people to vote for the candidate, not necessarily the party. You want people to get more involved in the political process; you want them to research the candidates." said Cook. Read the 2005 OKLP Press Release about the Clingman v. Beaver Supreme Court decision.Jan. 29th Posts
Paul Jacob, author of Common Sense, and Jason Carini of "Yes on Term Limits" have both been invited to speak at the 2008 Oklahoma Libertarian State Convention. Below, you can see Mr. Jacob speaking at the steps of the Oklahoma County Courthouse with many supporters, including our own Jimmy Cook, OKLP chairman, and Richard Prawdzienski, former OKLP chairman. For more, read the Journal Record article.Jan. 20th Posts
Modern Patriot, Craig Dawkins, writes,"I see Ron Paul as the only candidate committed to limited government conservatism and the restoration of constitutional freedoms." And in his latest newsletter explains why Fox News delivered a blow to its own credibility by excluding Ron Paul from the New Hampshire debates. He suggests watching this short CNN video.Jan. 14th Posts
OBAR submits 14,000
signatures for ballot access reform to the secretary of state.
Though not enough to put the question on the ballot in 2008, it should
send the signal to legislators that Oklahomans want voter choice.Steve Hunt, of the Oklahoma Media Awareness Alliance,
writes about why extending the one-cent sales tax to pay for corporate
welfare (the Sonics basketball team) is a bad deal for the taxpayers
and good deal for special interests.Dec. 22nd Posts
Watch Rep. Charles Key and Rep. Jason Murphey endorse Ron Paul for president at the OKC rally.Dec. 9th Posts
"Competition breeds success. When you have the opportunity to have competitions in an elected capacity, it is good for people...serve your constituents for a limited amount of time and then you go back and live under the laws you helped create." - Senator Randy Brogdon on expanding term limits
Learn about and register for the 2008
Libertarian National Convention
in Denver, May 22-26.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has re-indicted the Oklahoma 3- Paul Jacob, Rick Carpenter and Susan Johnson. This follows the AG quietly dismissing the grand jury indictment against the three last week. Read more at FreePaulJacob.com and watch the short video below.
Nov. 18th Posts
Sunday, Dec. 2nd, 2:00 PM - Ron Paul Rally at State CapitolNov. 1st Posts
The Oklahoman, The Tulsa World, and The Journal Record cover the successful OBAR fundraiser with National Libertarian William Redpath and former Congressman Bob Barr.Oct. 29th Posts
"If taxes are laid upon us without our having a legal representation where they are laid, we are reduced from the character of free subjects to the state of tributary slaves." -Sam Adams
Petitioning
Government: Rep. Charles Key defends citizens' right to petition
and questions the AG's understanding of Constitution. Paul Jacob of the Sam Adams Alliance writes that nearly half of Congress sends or has sent at least one of their children to a private school.
Ron Paul on KOTV: Watch on YouTube story on grassroots support in Oklahoma.
Consequences of Drug Prohibition: "We have about a 95 percent capacity filled on a regular basis in our state penitentiary system," said state Rep. Joe Dorman. "We don't want the feds to take over the system like they did in the past, so the state is putting greater pressure on the counties to hold more prisoners, for a longer time period so the state meets the federal mandates."
AEIA Director:
Military Strike On Iran "Would absolutely lead to a Disaster." Iran and Economic Recession: If war breaks out, anticipate that all hell will break loose in the oil markets,"
Oct. 14th Posts
EVENT TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 23rd: Former Congressman, Bob Barr, and National
Libertarian Director to Speak at the north Oklahoma City Holiday Inn
(NW 63rd and Robinson, just west of I-235). Bob Barr is currently a
member of the National Libertarian Committee. Join us for this
Libertarian Event of the Year and help OBAR raise funds to open
Oklahoma's ballots!
Event Oct. 9th:
Plan to hear Oklahoma State Rep., Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) at the next
OKC Libertarians meeting. Rep. Murphey has has committed to not taking
personal gifts or campaign contributions from registered lobbyists. His website says this
allows him to be a "leader in the fight to eliminate the state income
tax, reform education, cut state spending and open up the state
government to the people." Join us Oct. 9th, 6:30 PM at Chen's
Buffet (NW 23rd & Meridian).
Oct. 7th Posts
PAUL JACOB, writes in the Oklahoman and Townhall about the petition for which he was indicted: "...a liberal labor activist from Oregon, was hired to run a campaign of harassment. Blockers were hired from throughout the country and paid as much as $100 a day. Their function? Swarm around anyone out circulating the petition and create enough street theater and mayhem to chase away citizens who, since the measure was overwhelmingly popular, would otherwise be likely to sign."Oct. 2nd Posts
PAUL JACOB, tireless advocate for
term limits and property rights was
targeted by the Oklahoma system today for daring to challenge
unaccountable government spending growth. His use of the initiative
process has infuriated bureaucrats intent on keeping citizens from
holding government accountable. Read Paul's comments at FreePaulJacob.com. Read about
Paul's history of active citizenship here.
National Libertarian Party to help
Oklahomans for Ballot Access ReformSept. 14th Posts
OBAR Files
Initiative Petition with Secretary of State Today
National Libertarian
Director, Shane Cory, says in the Norman Transcript to
support
reform: "On a local level, volunteer, get signatures on the petition,
because we have very little time...We need hundreds of volunteers who
want a choice in Oklahoma to realize a two-party system really doesn't
serve them. OBAR will welcome the help, but it will take a huge effort
to make the change."
National Libertarian Chair, Bill Redpath, says, "Without fair
access to the ballot, the electoral
process is spoiled and true representation is impossible to achieve,"
regarding OBAR's efforts.Sept. 10th Posts
OBAR EVENT Friday, Sept. 14th, 2:00 PM at State Capitol:Press Conference open to public on 1st floor of rotunda, following OBAR initiative filing with secretary of state.
Sept. 2nd Posts
OBAR event Sept. 6th, 7:00 PM in OKC, Independent/Libertarian Presidential Candidate Daniel Imperato & National Libertarian Director, Shane Cory to speakWatch the Oklahoma Ballot Access Documentary and Donate to help the petition. Oklahoma Ballot Access Reform (OBAR) plans to circulate an Initiative Petition Sept.-early Dec. 2007.
The Sunday Oklahoman covers OBAR efforts to give voters more choices on the ballot.
"Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a systemic problem through which hard-earned tax dollars are used by government entities to hire lobbyists who then work to secure more of our tax dollars," writes Americans for Prosperity Oklahoma Director, Stuart Jolly in the Daily Oklahoman.
Tulsa Libertarian,
Joe Cristiano, discusses why War
isn't Working, Government
Charity, the presidential debates, and more.
July 26th Posts
Discussing the planned ballot access initiative petition, OKLP Chairman, Jimmy Cook, said in an upcoming LP News article, "We really think voters would support us on it."A poll supports the Chairman's comments. 100% of respondents to an OkcFox.com poll think all political parties should be able to get on Oklahoma's ballot.
Another group also plans on petitioning soon, Oklahomans for Modern Laws plans to move our liquor laws into the 21st century with an initiative petition. Read the Edmond Sun article.
July 24th Posts
Tulsa
Libertarians meet Wednesday, Aug. 1st. A guest speaker will
discuss child safety with DHS and OKLP Vice-Chair, David Splinter will
speak on ballot access reform plans. Dinner at 6:00 and program at 7:00
at Panera Bread (6981 S. Lewis). Next OKC Libertarians meeting Tuesday,
Aug. 14th, 6:30 PM at Chen's Buffet (NW 23rd & Meridian).
Nathaniel Batchelder, director of the OKC Peace House plans to
speak. Oklahoma City Ron Paul for President Group demonstrates their support in this YouTube video. The Tulsa Ron Paul Meetup Group will be at Diversafest (July 27-28).
Ron Black rants against OSU's abuse of eminent domain, "With each passing day, my friends, our freedom is being challenged. Yes, we have a war on terror from outside the nation, but what about the terrorism taking place against our Constitution from within our borders?"
Tulsa Libertarian,
Joe Cristiano, discusses the presidential debates, English as the
official language, train travel, global warming, and the so-called War
on Terror and it's friend Price-Gouging. Rep. Jason Murphey writes, "I have worked to understand the efforts being made to expand the size of government. In the future I will continue to be vigilant in opposing massive government expansion."
May 27th Posts
"Foreign policy is about protecting America...Our foreign policy is doing the opposite." - Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit
Plan to hear Senator Coburn's
local field representative, Craig Smith, at the next OKC Libertarians
meeting June 12th, 6:30 PM at Chen's Buffet (NW 23rd & Meridian). On YouTube, Senator Coburn and Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, explain how Congress has failed to reform the earmark process.
Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) explains problems with the new state budget because it includes an "...additional bonded indebtedness of the Oklahoma Higher Education system by about 50 million dollars. The good news about this proposal is that it is only a fraction of the 663 million dollars of debt requested in Henry's initial budget. However...If we are serious about rolling back big government and enacting important pro-growth reforms such as eliminating state income tax, the issue of big government debt is not one we can ignore. Reducing the size of government is difficult enough because of past inappropriate spending by state politicians and new debt simply adds to this problem."
The 2007 Oklahoma
Democratic Party State Convention Resolutions Adopted included "We
support a statewide vote to decide the issue of the use of medical
marijuana for patients when prescribed by a licensed physician."
They did not include ballot access reform, as the Republicans have. We
hope they will take up this important issue for our democratic process
at their next convention. Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill this week 89-58 allowing seriously ill individuals to grow marijuana at home to ease their pain.
May 25th Posts
The Oklahoma State
Supreme Court refused to address the nation's most restrictive
ballot access laws this month with the appealed 2004 LPO v.
Clingman case. The state constitution says "All elections
shall be free and equal." The court recognized five months ago
that some tort laws created an unconstitutional barrier to the courts.
But the barrier for getting on the ballot is ten times as high for a
party. Is access to the democratic process one-tenth as
important as access to the courts? Or is the constitution to
be respected only selectively in our state's Centennial year.OK Supreme Court Rules Court Access Restrictions Unconstitutional; Why not Ballot Access Restrictions?:"The Oklahoma Supreme Court made it easier Tuesday for Oklahomans to file medical malpractice lawsuits, striking down a legal provision it said sabotages equal access to the courts...With eight out of nine justices concurring, the court said the provision was a special law that unconstitutionally applies only to people filing medical negligence claims. People filing any other negligence claim don't have to comply with the provision, it said. The law also creates an unconstitutional barrier to access to courts because a person filing the malpractice lawsuit must spend between $500 and $5,000 for an expert opinion on the lawsuit's merit, the court said." ("Tort reform issue ruled unconstitutional", The Oklahoman Dec. 20, 2006)
Watch Congressman Paul in the second Republican Presidential debate explain the effect of American interventionist foreign policy to a history-deprived Mayor Giulani; so Paul assigns him a reading assignment, including the recommendations of the 9-11 report. www.RonPaul2008.com
Radley Balko writes on Fox News "Giuliani was either lying, or he hasn't cracked a book in six years." The 'blowback' theory says "actions have consequences. When the Arab and Muslim world continually sees U.S. troops marching through Arab and Muslim backyards, U.S. trade sanctions causing Arab and Muslim suffering and U.S. bombs landing on Arab and Muslim homes, it isn't difficult to see how Arabs could begin to develop a deep contempt for the U.S."
May 24th Posts
"I knew Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush is no Ronald Reagan. Bush's presidency follows in the tradition of Big Government Democrats and Republicans like Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and George H. W. Bush." - Richard A. Viguerie Replying to the White House
In the vein of Fair Trade Coffee, the Dolphin Safe
Tuna program, and the Underwriters
Laboratory (all voluntary, private regulatory groups), and
recognizing that a government mandated wage floor can cause some
workers to lose jobs,
David Splinter proposes a "Voluntary Living Wage" program. Under a
Voluntary Living Wage, employers can voluntarily pay a certain wage to
all employees and communicate that to their clients (perhaps with a
sticker on the door similar to this logo). Some clients may support
that business because they believe in the cause, despite possibly
higher prices. A private group would set the local wage rate and
enforce rules for qualifying employers. Government would not be
involved because it would be a grassroots, private effort, perhaps run
by a group like the Working Families Project. Watch "ADDICTED To WAR" Animated Preview on YouTube. See www.addictedtowar.com
Archives: OK Libertarian Clark Duffe explains how to search for a party at the 2006 OU Political Night: "I think choosing your party is a lot like choosing a partner. You need to start with dating...After that, get married. Join the party, get active and remember that you can always divorce."
May 23rd Posts
"The issue is not sex, it is not death and it is not morality. It
is, rather, the fact that you and I have certain rights, chief among
them the right to be left alone if we're not bothering anybody. But
conservative lawmakers, the same people who think corporations should
be left alone in matters of pollution and public safety, seem to think
they have a perfect right to break down the bedroom door..."
- Leonard Pitts: More government intrusion into our lives: What would
Reagan do?
Separation of Church & State: The House passed HB
2101, which addresses Faith-Based Programs. "$100,000 has been allotted
in the fiscal year 2008 budget to help these groups reduce Oklahoma's
recidivism rate." But Rep. Al Lindley (champion of rights to tattoos)
"said he supports churches getting involved in prison ministries. but
they should pay for those programs with their own money, not public
funds." reports the
Oklahoman. Meanwhile, Speaker Cargill, the bills author said "It doesn't fund these groups or give them any financial assistance. It just fully opens up the doors for their participation." The truth is, it appears that the money comes from another bill, but HB 2101 sets up two Revolving Funds that can then spend the money.
Competition in Education Works: "After I made the announcement, they all worked hard to get good grades...They all wanted to get that free cruise." said Rose State College professor Kevin Dewey on a reward he offered for the highest class grade, demonstrating how competition works in education.
May 18th Posts
"When Congressman Ron Paul, who has long served on the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, explained how 50 years of American
interventionism in the Middle East has helped compromise our national
security, Giuliani interrupted saying he had "never heard anything so
absurd." This statement is particularly troubling...since Dr. Paul's
point comes directly from the bi-partisan 9-11 Commission Report."
- Paul campaign email
Real
ID: The Oklahoma
Senate voted unanimously to pass SB 464, which forbids compliance
with the REAL ID program, and also provides for collecting and deleting
all biometric information that the State has gathered. The bill now
goes to the Governor. The Oklahoma OK
Republican Platform for 2007 says:
"We support less restrictive ballot access for all political parties
and candidates." Will Oklahoma Democrats also publicly support a fair
democratic process at their convention this weekend? David Splinter
says he hopes so.
May 17th Posts
"Only by working together - by focusing on building a state rather
than a political party - can we move Oklahoma forward...We must act on
the courage of our convictions, and in a spirit of bipartisanship, to
seize this opportunity to shape the future and define Oklahoma for the
next 100 years."
- Governor Brad Henry, The Oklahoman, Feb. 11, 2007
Previous OKLP Press Release on
appeal to State Supreme Court: The court refused to hear the Ballot Access case on Tuesday, even though we celebrate the centennial of our state constitution, which says "All elections shall be free and equal."
Oklahoma's education system and
academic achievement rates an 'F' Nationally in a U.S. Chamber
report "Leaders
and Laggards". "Oklahoma needs serious reforms. More charter
schools, more local control, and merit based pay are great starts. I
commend the U.S. Chambers report for these suggestions, but they don't
go far enough. Oklahoma certainly needs more flexibility and more
competition in education, this can be achieved through vouchers
and tax credits for public, private, or home school
education." writes Patrick Gibbons.
May 16th Posts
"All elections shall be free and equal. No power, civil or military, shall ever interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage..." - Oklahoma Constitution, Section III-5
"The Oklahoma State
Supreme Court refused to hear the Libertarian Party's ballot access
case, a case that had been filed in 2004. The case is Libertarian
Political Organization v Clingman. The party had spent a great
deal of money in 2004 to submit a petition signed by 2% of the last
vote cast, but the law requires 5%. The party had felt that turning in
a petition signed by 27,000 signatures would establish that it had a
modicum of voter support. The fact that no one else even tried in 2004,
and that Oklahoma voters were the only voters with no choices for
president on their ballot except Bush and Kerry in 2004, also seemed
powerful evidence that the law is too strict." - Ballot Access News
editor Richard Winger.Tulsa Libertarian,
Joe Cristiano, interviews Libertarian
Presidential Candidate Daniel
Imperato. 
Budget agreement reached: Plan equals this
year's $7.2 billion budget. Students on scholarship to be held
accountable, while merit-based teacher pay is nixed. "The plan bears
the fingerprints of both Republicans and Democrats. Rather than being a
$1,000 per teacher, across-the-board raise as Henry had originally
proposed or strictly merit based as Cargill had indicated he preferred,
the plan is weighted in favor of veteran teachers and teachers with
advanced degrees "Bill that need to move in the Senate (find your Senator's number here):
SB 464, by Sen. Constance Johnson and Rep. Charles Key, directs the state to NOT participate in the REAL ID Act of 2005. "It also states that no state agency or department charged with motor vehicle registration or issuance of driver licenses or identification cards collect or retain data in connection with compliance with the REAL ID Act. Any biometric data previously collected or retained relating to motor vehicle registration or issuance of driver licenses or identification cards be deleted from all databases."
May 15th Posts
"I think we have a spending problem in this state, not a revenue problem." -Aurora, IL dairyman Jim Oberweis
Gov. Henry passes Tax Relief Package. What
did the Speaker have to yield behind closed doors? Unaccountable,
non-merit based pay raises, perhaps? "I'm looking for people who are going to support school reform...who are willing to raise performance levels of schools," said Rep. Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, a former schoolteacher.
Congressman Ron Paul writes, "I was opposed to the creation of a new Homeland Security Department from the beginning. Only in Washington would anyone call the creation of an additional layer of bureaucracy on top of already bloated bureaucracies "streamlining." Only in Washington would anyone believe that a bigger, more centralized federal government means more efficiency...Certainly we are spending more money and getting less for it with the Department of Homeland Security."
May 14th Posts
"It would be nice if a key lesson of Greensburg, Kansas, were that government derives its power solely through the "consent of the governed" and in no other way. It would be nice if Greensburgians, witnessing the federally created disasters in Iraq, Afghanistan, and post-Katrina New Orleans would stand up and say, "No, thank you!" It would be nice if when George W. Bush comes to preach and promise, the citizens don't show up because they are too busy working on their own recovery and they because already know where real freedom and real value originate. - Karen Kwiatkowski
The Sunday Oklahoman agrees with
OKIES that redistricting reform is needed. More background on
redistricting here.Rep. Jason Murphey blogs about his concern for legislators directing money to special interests: "I am convinced that the prospect for this type of corruption remains high as long as government remains large. When government is small and limited, the public has a greater ability to monitor it and keep it honest. When government grows tremendously, it makes it easy for corrupt politicians to take money off the top for their own benefit." Pass-throughs have been in the news recently because of Gene Stipe and were examined in the 2006 OCPA Piglet book.
Senator Coburn asks the Army to hold an open competition to select the best rifle for our soldiers. "I am certain that we can all agree that America's soldiers should have the best technology in their hands...I am afraid that our troops in combat might not have the best weapon."
Keep tabs on your government: City of Norman City Council meetings on Google Video.
May 8th Posts
"Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice, is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own way." - Adam Smith, 1776
The State
Health Department will appeal a judge's ruling that overturns undue
restrictions on tattoo parlors in Oklahoma. "They're beating a dead
horse," said Attorney Jaye Mendros. "It's a shame that they're using
taxpayer money doing it."A recent OKIES press release shows why Oklahoma's current redistricting system limits voter choice and an Independent Redistricting Commission could help.
May 5th Posts
No Fat Tax:
Oklahoma Libertarians David Splinter and Clark Duffe explain why a
"fast food" tax is a bad idea in letters to the Oklahoman. Duffe
writes, "Wouldn't it be easier just to tax people on how much they
weigh? Maybe we could even have "fat credits" (sort of like "carbon
credits") that skinny people who aren't using their government-allotted
fatness could sell to Al Gore."
May 3rd Posts
"We want you money whether you are here legally or not and whether you earned it legally or not." - IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson, on the IRS practice of collecting taxes from illegal immigrants by assigning taxpayer ID numbers (Newsweek)
Teacher Pay: Terry Stoops reports that Oklahoma's adjusted teacher compensation is "$3,467 higher than the U.S. adjusted average compensation. Oklahoma's high pension contribution, low cost of living, and lower-than-average teacher experience raised the state's ranking from 47th to 14th in the nation."Tulsa Libertarian,
Joe Cristiano, discusses his
interview with the head of the Working Families Project,
immigration with regard to America's economic policy, and micro-lending
as a way to help people become self-sufficient. This Sunday he will
interview Libertarian Presidential Candidate Daniel Imperato. Charlie Meadows thinks Congressmen Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) are the best Republican candidates for president because their votes are most in harmony with the Constitution.
May 2nd Posts
"Delay made an offer that could have come from the like of Tony
Soprano. According to [Congressman Nick] Smith, DeLay told him that in
exchange for support of the drug bill, a $100,000 check would be
forwarded to the campaign of his son, Brad Smith, who was running to
succeed his father in the same House district. The offer, which can
really only be construed as a bribe, came with a threat, too: If Smith
didn't vote in favor of the bill, GOP donors would boycott his son's
campaign. Smith still refused to support the bill. His son ended up
losing the Republican primary"
- Stephen Silvinski, "Buck Wild: How Republicans Broke the Bank and
became the Party of Big Government"
An Oklahoma County judge
struck down parts of the law that make it difficult for tattoo artists
to obtain state licenses by mandating expensive surety bonds and
location restrictions. Oklahoma was the last state to legalize tattoos
and formerly one of the only places in the world to criminalize tattoos
outside of Iran. 
The Oklahoma Supreme
Court struck down the corporate welfare "Opportunity Fund". By
allowing two legislative leaders to decide which companies will benefit
from our taxpayer dollars, the law violates the constitutional
separation of powers. "The extra-constitutional method by which the
Legislature extends its tentacles of control over an appropriation
measure beyond the time when the measure stands transformed into
enacted law offends the constitutional concept of separated powers and
becomes a usurpation of power," the court ruled. OKLP has opposed the similarly contrued "Raid the Rainy Day Fund" Corporate Welfare program (SQ 725). More examples on the OKLP Corporate Welfare page.
"Make no mistake, the good old boys who want to abolish the rights of the people to vote on their own legislation, and who are trying to send their political opponents to jail, have picked on the wrong American," Susan Johnson, president of National Voter Outreach regarding TABOR petitioning roadblocks. She filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictive process: "By filing in federal court, I expect to have my day in a fair court, and on a level playing field."
April 30th Posts
$91,000,000,000 : Total value of US government contracts in 2000
handed out without competitive bidding.
$170,900,000,000: Total last year. [2006] - Harpers Magazine
It look like the $500 million Crosstown Boondoggle may get even more
expensive. Mary
Francis, asks in the Oklahoman if "the high-dollar feasibility
studies and budget projections victims of incompetence or old-fashioned
political sleaze?" Either way, she thinks Oklahoma taxpayers lose. More
on at the OKLP Crosstown
page.
April 28th Posts
"The president made another veto threat and drew the line at $256 billion. But the veto threats were even more meaningless now...the real cost would be $295 billion...True to form, Bush acted as if he'd never issued a veto threat and signed the bill..." - Stephen Silvinski, "Buck Wild: How Republicans Broke the Bank and became the Party of Big Government", pgs. 142-144
Bob Waldrop, founder of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and former OKC mayoral candidate and OK Libertarian, discusses how to support Oklahoma farmers in the Oklahoma Daily.Jay Ingram of Oklahoma City writes that Individual Accountability should be considered when discussing firearms.
April 23rd Posts
"When the president asked him to support the [Medicare Drug] bill, Feeney told him, "I came here to cut entitlements, not grow them." "Me too, pal," said Bush before he slammed the phone down." - Stephen Silvinski, Buck Wild: How Republicans Broke the Bank and became the Party of Big Government, pg. 137
School Choice: Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson (R-OKC) writes in an article in the Oklahoman, "If we really believed in local control, schools would have to satisfy parents in order to stay in business...With more competition in the state-funded school monopoly, Oklahoma could do a better job of preparing children for productive and rewarding lives. School vouchers can allow parents to choose the schools their children attend - private or public - and allow the tax dollars to follow the child."
Marijuana Prohibition:
"It's much easier for kids to get marijuana than to get beer because
it's an unregulated product, " said
Norma Sapp, state director of the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws. She
also said the cost to send someone to prison in the state is nearly
$18,000. "We can send someone to college for that price, easily...We
don't have enough room in our jail to arrest every smoker in this
county. We need to save that jail space for real criminals."The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board makes a case for reconsidering marijuana prohibition.
Real ID Act, State's Rights & Privacy: In a 97-0 vote, the Oklahoma House passed a bill to allow the governor to delay implementation of the federal Real ID Act. More information on Real ID at RealNightmare.org. The Oklahoma Defense of Freedom Project is also working on this issue.
April 21st Posts
The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 60 percent of filers -- including IRS Commissioner Mark Everson -- turn to professionals to help get their returns in order. This represents about $300 billion in additional costs each year for individuals and businesses, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation." - Reason Magazine
Midge Sullivan, State Chairwoman
of Oklahoma Tax Action Group (OTAG) will speak at the Tuesday, May 8th
OKC Libertarian meeting. OTAG has been supporting a bill to tax equally
the income of private sector retirees and government retirees. Guess
who loses now! Private sector retirees, of course. Plan to join us at
Chen's Buffet (NW 23rd and Meridian by Crest foods). Charter
School Bill: School Board Stifling of Charter Schools may
lessen with the passing of a bill in the Senate and House. "The Tulsa
Public School Board took an unusual step in placing a moratorium on the
establishment of any more charter schools, [Rep. Jabar] Shumate said.
If Tulsa schools were doing their job, there would not be a need to
talk about charter schools." When pro-government school bureaucrats
complain that competition threatens the status quo, remember that
charter schools are still government controlled schools, but just
outsourced to a entity that is actually held accountable (or else their
charter can be revoked)."An inner-city Oklahoma City charter school has outperformed most of its peers in federally mandated tests. The KIPP Reach College Preparatory school...in northeast Oklahoma City scored a 2006 Academic Performance Index of 1,393 out of a possible 1,500...The average score in Oklahoma City Public Schools is 1,006. The only middle school that topped KIPP is [another charter school,] Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School." KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.
April 19th Posts
'Where is the government spending irresponsibly? "Corporate
welfare," answered Brogdon as an immediate example. The governor's
Opportunity Fund and EDGE Fund were specific examples he cited. "It's
not right for the state government to spend money to handpick which
companies are going to prosper...If I was governor and I was going to
make that decision, I would set a level playing field and set up a free
market."'
- Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) in The
Urban Tulsa
Although the
government did not extend its reach to 3-year-olds this year, it
continues to try to tighten its grasp on 17 and 18-year-olds. The
compulsory
education bill, which would make it more difficult to allow high
school students out of school, now goes to the House. Here are some comments from
Senators to consider:- Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, said he didn't hear evidence the proposal would have any effect on the state's dropout rate.
- Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, another opponent of the proposal, said, "The message we're really sending with this bill is, 'We know better than you. We know better than you, parent.' "
- Sen. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said he liked the idea of the bill but didn't think it accomplished anything. He voted against the bill.
George Will writes how the federal government bends states with threats of witholding funds: "Each state has a right to set a lower [drinking] age -- more than half had lower age limits in the 1970s -- but doing so will cost it 10 percent of its federal highway funds and cause significant uproar from contractors and construction unions."
April 18th Posts
"I hear from my constituents all the time that they want more and
better options for their children's education...I've seen the
tremendous positive impact that charter schools are having on
children's lives in my own community. We should be encouraging the
formation of these schools, not discouraging them."
- Rep. Jabar Shumate (D- Tulsa)
Legislation
to encourage charter schools in Oklahoma is headed for a vote of
the full state House. SB 661 and HB
1589 "encourages the development of charter schools by allowing the
Oklahoma Department of Education, cities and certain higher education
entities to sponsor charter schools." Currently, only a few school
districts in metro areas can sponsor charter schools, perhaps limiting
school choice. More on the OKLP charter schools
page.4th anniversary of US occupation of Iraq: Oklahoma City University students dissatisfied with how the government is handling the situation organized the first OCU peace protest since 1971.
The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty will hold its 17th annual dinner and meeting Saturday, April 28, 6 pm, in Oklahoma City. This year's keynote speaker will be Bud Welch, whose daughter died in the Murrah bombing. Bud has been interviewed with Larry King and appeared on "Good Morning America," the "Today Show," "60 Minutes" and "Dateline NBC."
April 17th Posts
Tattoo Prohibition Suspended: An Oklahoma County judge issued the temporary injunction after hearing from five tattoo shop owners who say they've been denied a state license because they don't have a bond. They say no one can explain why the bond is necessary and their attorneys say the provision is unreasonable.Rep. Al Lindley's HB 1532 would amend the law. Rep. Lindley previously introduced the bill that saved Oklahoma from being the only place in the world besides Iran where tattooing was illegal. Other legislators added restrictions to his original bill, such as the bond requirement.
Attorney at Law, Jay Mendros, writes in the MidCity Advocate: "The land of the free includes freedom from unreasonable intrusion into our private lives by those in authority....The next time you hear someone "got off on a technicality," remember that the same "technicality" protects your home from forcible entry by armed police officers unless they've followed proper procedure, such as getting permission from a judge, prior to barging into your private domain. These "technicalities" protect you and your loved ones from having confessions beaten out of you."
April 16th Posts
"The first duty of a patriot is to question the government." -
Thomas Jefferson
"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its
government." -Thomas Paine
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by
the president or any other public official." - Theodore Roosevelt
In his MidWest
City Sun column, Thomas Bell, agrees with three great Americans
about the meaning of being a patriot. Read his blog, A Free Society.
April 15th Posts
In the Oklahoma Daily, Mike
McCarthy writes, "...a question seemingly far more in line with the
principles upon which this nation was founded. What business does the
state have in controlling what we do with our own bodies?...As the War
on Drugs has demonstrated, just as Prohibition did in the 1920s,
attempting to stop drugs at the source is a waste of time. The best way
to deal with drugs is to regulate their production and punish those who
prove themselves undeserving of the public trust..." US Criminal Justice Population Tops 7 Million Drug offenders represent the largest source of jail population growth, up nearly 40 percent since 1996 and "nearly one in eight drug prisoners in America are behind bars for marijuana-related offenses".
The Washington
Post reports: "AIDS patients suffering from debilitating nerve pain
got as much or more relief by smoking marijuana as they would typically
get from prescription drugs -- and with fewer side effects -- according
to a study conducted under rigorously controlled conditions..."American Academy of Pediatrics Slams Random Student Drug Testing Policies -- Tests are ineffective, not backed by physicians, and may push teens toward the use of dangerous drugs and alcohol.
A report finds that marijuana is the largest cash crop in the U.S., highlighting the economic benefit that could be derived from taxing and regulating marijuana in an approach similar to that used with alcohol.
April 13th Posts
"This is simply a monopoly...This is really stifling competition.
It really is." -
Rep. Carolyn Coleman, who introduced a measure to reform the
Oklahoma coffin cartel in 2000
Amy Ford points out about the
effects of the government protected casket monopoly in a letter to the
Oklahoman. This monopoly means caskets are much more expensive than in
a free market. In 2005, Rep. Paul Wesselhoft (House author of the recently passed Transparency Act ) introduced a bill to break the cartel. "Wesselhoft said a funeral director's license requires a four- year degree and experience in embalming bodies. All of that just to sell a box...that's a ludicrous argument."
In 2004: Memorial Concepts Online "sells an oak coffin for about $2,000, compared to an average of around $4,000 at funeral homes in Oklahoma, where the company is based. By separating the purchase of caskets from the purchase of funeral services, Memorial Concepts can offer substantial savings...But in Oklahoma, which allows caskets to be sold only by licensed funeral directors, such competition is illegal...the founders of Memorial Concepts, are fighting to overturn Oklahoma's casket cartel, arguing that it violates their rights to due process, equal protection, and economic liberty under the 14th Amendment." More about the case here.
More about the casket monopoly from Common Cause OK (pdf).
April 12th Posts
"The court's decision today diminishes the value of two important rights protected by the First Amendment: the individual citizen's right to vote for the candidate of her choice and a political party's right to define its own mission...[The majority opinion] has little to support it other than a naked interest in protecting the two major parties." - Supreme Court Justice, who dissented with Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the OKLP primary election case, Beaver v. Clingman
From the Archives: May 2005, Beaver v. Clingman CaseLibertarians see silver lining in Supreme Court ruling: The Supreme Court ruled to allow Oklahoma to limit participation in a partisan primaries to a party's members and Independents. But a majority of Justices said agreed that freedom of association rights are a concern because of restrictive ballot access laws.
Okiedoke wrote: "Of course the state was representing the two major parties only. But since the state's interest is evidently paramount to the voters', couldn't they just as well argue one day that the state has a legitimate interest in a one party system also?"
Dustbury wrote before the Supreme Court overturned the 10th Circuit 3-0 decision: "Nothing in this ruling mandates that the two major parties have to allow crossover voting, but it's a first step towards opening up the primaries, which I think will prove beneficial to third parties in years to come, especially with the general level of dissatisfaction with the Big Boys."
April 11th Posts
Larry Brittain, OKLP
Treasurer, writes in a letter to the Oklahoman: "I've heard that the
Kremlin is requiring all political parties to have 50,000 members to be
recognized for elections. A little math shows me that 48,500 valid
signatures are needed to get a "third party" on the Oklahoma ballot in
2008. It's amazing that measures taken in Russia, seen by many as a way
to squash opposition, are taken as doctrine here in Oklahoma, home of
the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nations...Something
needs to change." FreedomFest 2007: Speakers include Rep. Ron Paul, Nathaniel Branden, Dinesh D'Souza, Thomas DiLorenzo, Art Laffer, Brian Doherty (Radicals for Capitalis), Charles Murray (Losing Ground, In Our Hands, and What it Means to be a Libertarian) and many more.
Tom Coburn Taking Aim At Supplemental Pork: "I think it's clear that the 2008 Political Party Conventions don't need $100M in "emergency" funding in a war supplemental bill. That's one bit of blatant arrogance that I think we need to call them all out for." -writes Brad Warbiany in the Liberty Papers Blog.
April 10th Posts
David Splinter, OKLP
Vice-Chair, writes in a letter to the Gazette: "Instead of focusing on
issues, [third party] candidates fight to just give Oklahomans the
chance to vote for them...Many state legislators already recognize the
problem of the majority silencing the minority with a biased democratic
process. They see that we deserve a fair system that allows greater
voter choice." Tuesday, April 17th: The Oklahoma Media Awareness Alliance will be hosting Washington Post's Islamic affairs correspondent Anthony Shadid, who has reported from Iraq unembedded on a rotating basis since the beginning of the war four years ago. Mr. Shadid's fluent Arabic has allowed him to live with Iraqi families and impart their perspective on events as they have unfolded. Mr. Shadid, originally from OKC, was awarded the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. Mr. Shadid's book, Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War, is now in paperback. His new book is Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats, and the New Politics of Islam.
The event is Tues., April 17th, 7:00 PM at the First Unitarian Church, NW 13th St. & Dewey, OKC
April 9th Posts
Bob Waldrop, candidate for Mayor
of OKC last year, will be speaking at the Tuesday, April 10th OKC
Libertarian meeting. Plan to join us at Chen's Buffet (NW 23rd and
Meridian by Crest foods). Tulsa Libertarian,
Joe Cristiano, interviews
(mp3) Libertarian Presidential Candidate Mr. George Phillies. Presidential
candidate, Governor Bill Richardson recently signed into law a measure
that makes New Mexico the 12th
state to allow the use of medical marijuana. "Patients with
debilitating illnesses or in hospice whose doctors recommended them
could be certified to use marijuana...The New Mexico Health Department
would be in charge of obtaining and distributing it."The O'Donnell Foundation in Dallas is demonstrating that proper incentives work: They are paying teachers and student for that receive high scores on Advanced Placement tests. Jobs pay you for your effort, it makes sense that educational endeavors follow a similar model. Exxon-Mobil announced it would donate $125 million to the effort due to the falling number of graduating engineers in America.
April 7th Posts
SCHOOL CHOICE: As the school choice movement moves forward, special interests keep fighting to slow it down. "But a large-scale voucher program answered these arguments long ago. It was the GI Bill." writes retired public school teacher David W. Kirkpatrick.
Parents for Choice in
Education is working to defend America's first universal voucher
program in Utah. This program will offer choice to parents and save
money: "the legislative fiscal analyst estimated the average voucher
amount will be a approximately $2,000 vs $7,500 that will be spent per
student in the public schools next year."
Payne
County District Judge rules that McCloskey
brothers can not challenge the validity of OSU's unconstitutional
Board of Regents, which initiated proceedings to acquire their home.
The McCloskeys plan to continue to challenge the university's right to
seize the property through eminent domain. "This judge ruled that a
board of regents that is improperly constituted can take your property,
and there's nothing you can do about it," said Harlan Hentges, attorney
for the McCloskeys.
Your Vote Counts:
Political Forum discusses Gov. Henry's vetoing of the budget with
Representatives Terrill (R) and Morrisette (D).
Congressman
Ron Paul "explains his foreign policy principles and how they apply
to the Bush doctrine, the 'isolationist' smear, the motives of the bin
Laden movement, his belief that the Middle East would be more
peaceful without the American military presence, the
corruption of the Congress as a result of how much power they wield,
U.S. obstruction of various peace efforts in the region, the threat of
war with Iran and the possible consequences, that nation's enmity
toward al Qaeda, frightening new changes to the Posse Comitatus and the
Insurrection acts, the Military Commissions Act and his opposition to
the way the current administration operates their secret military
tribunals."
April 5th Posts
"If Social Security is such a great program, why is it mandatory?" asks Freedomworks director Dick Armey.
Americans for Prosperity Oklahoma holds Grassroots Training and "Day at the Capitol" Events:Tuesday, April 10th: "Grassroots Workshop" 6:30-9:00 PM - Hardesty Regional Library (Oak Room), 8316 East 93rd Street, Broken Arrow. Learn how to write letters to the editor, call and talk to legislators, and more.
Wednesday, April 11th: "Grassroots Workshop" 6:30-8:30 PM - Norman Public Library Room A/B (225 North Webster, between Andrews Park and Gray St.)
Monday, April 16th: "Day at the Capitol" - 9:00-12:00 - State Representatives and Senators will speak.
April 3rd Posts
"I'm a patriot...but definitely Iraq allowed me to question my government and the reasons I was put in harm's way." - Matt Stiner, Iraq war veteran and student at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. He won a $30,000 Truman scholarship that he'll use to earn a master's degree in public administration.
Republican Senator and presidential candidate Sen. Brownback will address the Oklahoma House tomorrow (Wed. April 4th) at 1:30 p.m. Sen. Brownback opposed president Bush's "surge" plan saying: "I do not believe that sending more troops to Iraq is the answer...Iraq requires a political rather than a military solution... the United States should not increase its involvement until Sunnis and Shi'a are more willing to cooperate with each other instead of shooting at each other."
Congressman Ron Paul's new book, Foreign
Policy of Freedom, is now available. "Our experiment with foreign
policy interventionism has failed, just as our experience with domestic
economic interventionism has failed," he said in 1982."War, and the threat of war, are big government's best friend," he wrote recently. "Liberals support big government social programs, and conservatives support big government war policies, thus satisfying two major special interest groups. And when push comes to shove, the two groups cooperate and support big government across the board - always at the expense of personal liberty. Both sides pay lip service to freedom, but neither stands against the welfare-warfare state and its promises of unlimited entitlements and endless war."
March 31st Posts
Bob Waldrop, candidate for Mayor
of OKC last year, will be speaking at our April 10th meeting. He was
active with the Libertarian Party early in its history and is now
promoting energy efficiency. Plan to join the OKC Libertarians on
Tuesday, April 10th at Chen's Buffet (NW 23rd and Meridian by Crest
foods).In The Oklahoman, Lowell Adams of OKC writes: "It's time for Congress to exercise its constitutional duties by defunding this futile, immoral and imperialistic venture." And Alvena Bieri wants a planned leadership institute and museum in Hobart to draw "a moral lesson from our invasion of Cuba and The Philippines in 1898". More on the Philippine occupation by America (which has numerous parallels to Iraq) here.
March 28th Posts
"For now, federal law is blind to the wisdom of a future day when
the right to use medical marijuana to alleviate excruciating pain may
be deemed fundamental...Considering that during the last ten years
eleven states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, that day may
be upon us sooner than expected."
- Ninth
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Gonzales v. Raich case
"The court has just sentenced me to death," Angela
Raich said after the ruling. "My doctors agree that medical
cannabis is essential to my very survival, and the government did not
even contest the medical evidence ... If we don't have a right to live,
what do we have left?"JD Miller writes in the Claremore Progress: "The time has come to make medical marijuana a reality. It was medicine before 1937. It is medicine now. 11 states representing populations of over 75 million have voted to allow marijuana as medicine."
EVENTS
TODAY: ODFP Informational Meeting in Norman on March 28th, at 7:00 PM in room 304 Adams Hall on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. The ODFP, sponsored by the Jeffersonian Society, will introduce its mission and the major issues of National ID cards, eminent domain, and the future of liberty in Oklahoma.
This
Saturday: Bill of
Rights Celebration will be held from 7:00-9:00 PM and ACLU annual
meeting (11:00) at the Clarion Meridian Convention Center, 737 South
Meridian Avenue in Oklahoma City. March 27th Posts
Oklahoma County Republican Party 2007 Platform recognizes need for Freedom of Political Choice: "Recognizing that real competition leads to improvement in the quality and quantity of products and services, and recognizing that Oklahoma has both the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation and low levels of political participation; therefore, we support lowering state ballot access requirements to at least that of the 10th least restrictive state in the union." The 10th least restrictive states (Utah and Washington) both require 1,000 signatures.Modern Patriot, Craig Dawkins, congratulates the OK County GOP for recognizing the need to reform our state's restrictive ballot access laws: "I have long argued that Oklahoma would do better with more political competition. By political competition, I mean giving other political parties equal opportunity by removing unreasonable barriers to compete with the two major political parties. When it comes to allowing political competition, Oklahoma is...more restrictive than Afghanistan...[and] just barely better than the old Soviet Union."
March 26th Posts
OK
Libertarian, Thomas
Bell, starts as a guest columnist at the Midwest City Sun. In his
first article, he writes: "A free society is the most practical, moral,
humanitarian, and ethical." Also, read his blog, A Free Society. March 21st Posts
The Oklahoman writes in an editorial today: "Libertarian party leaders in Oklahoma...take a back seat to no one when it comes to fighting for their cause. Libertarians want to see the names of their state and federal nominees on the ballot in our state, and have worked years to try to make that happen. What they're asking the state to do is provide a framework of rules that make achieving that goal a reality...We applaud them for their perseverance and wish them well in their pursuit." Thanks Oklahoman!March 15th Posts
OKLP Press Release: Libertarians
want to give Oklahomans more voter choice despite recent ruling. Public Meeting Today on Crosstown. More details on the $500 million Crosstown project here.
OK Legislative Updates:
Responsible Saving with the Rainy Day Fund: An idea OKLP has expressed support of passed the House 96-5 and moves to the Senate. House Joint Resolution 1019 would increase the Rainy Day Fund to 15% of the certification for the General Revenue Fund.
Real
ID Act, State's Rights & Privacy: The Senate passed a bill
to allow the governor to delay implementation of the federal Real ID
Act. Reacting to a groundswell of criticism last month, "the federal
Department of Homeland Security in February said states now will have
until the end of 2009 to implement the act if they request an
extension. Passed two years ago, the Real ID Act would require
Americans to obtain a new, nationally mandated identification card.
Senate Bill 464 is authored by Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City.
It passed 45-0 and now goes to the House of Representatives." More information about Real ID at RealNightmare.org. The Oklahoma Defense of Freedom Project is also working on this important issue.
Voluntary not Mandatory: House Bill 1795 would encourage retailers to place voluntary age restrictions, rather than previously considered mandatory restrictions, on the sale of medications containing dextromethorphan, a drug that is found in many over-the-counter cold and cough medications.
March 14th Posts
Libertarian Party of
Oklahoma to appeal
2004 ballot access case to State Supreme Court. Senator Brogdon
(author of the reform bill, SB 28) said he believes competition fosters
excellence: "No one else can get their turn," he said. "I'm not sure
that's the best system available." Michael Clingman, secretary of the
State Election Board, said "I think it's a pretty high standard,
looking at other states...They do have a high burden." Richard Prawdzienski, former OKLP chair, asks: "Why is voter turnout low? Could it be because the people don't want to vote for an authority, any authority, to make decisions for them?" in a letter to the Oklahoman.
Muskogee drug task force members
seized property with bogus search warrants for drugs. Bill to the
taxpayers: $587,500. A victim of drug task force
theft said they retaliated for comments he made about finding parts
from car seized by the task force installed on other cars. Since property seizures were expanded to local agencies, drug charges have multiplied, as government agencies have the monetary incentive to separate citizens from their property. "Unfortunately, the more forfeiture laws legislatures enacted, the less attention police seem to pay to major criminals." writes James Bovard.
Norman officials want to charge $560 for electronic copies of public documents. The Oklahoman reports, "Rep. Mike Reynolds, an Oklahoma City Republican who has authored bills on the state's Open Records Act and frequently seeks public documents electronically, said such a charge is "outrageous," and would have a chilling effect on anyone who wanted to keep tabs on their government by requesting public records."
March 13th Posts
Congressman Ron Paul, 1988 Libertarian nominee for president, announces bid for the presidency. "The Republican Party has floundered in its effort to shrink the size of government and restore our constitutional republic," he said. "Instead, in recent years our deficits have exploded, entitlements are out of control and our personal liberties are threatened. We have embarked on a dangerous and expensive foreign policy, acting as the world's policeman and nation builder.""Liberty once again must become more important to us than the desire for security and material comfort. Personal safety and economic prosperity can only come as the consequence of liberty. They cannot be provided by an authoritarian government. To expect the government to take care of us from cradle to grave undermines the principles of liberty," he said.
March 8th Posts
All elections shall be free and equal. No power, civil or military, shall ever interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage... - Oklahoma Constitution, Section III-5
Jim Russell thinks the "Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (and the governor) spent $450,000 of taxpayer money to thrill some 7,000 students", rather than spending the half million dollars to properly educate them in a letter to the Oklahoman.Performance Audits:Currently, performance audits can only be called by the head of an government agency. So that does not happen often. Senator's Kenneth Corn's SB 18 calls for the creation of independent citizen advisory board and says, "Citizens demand and deserve accountability of public programs...Oklahoma state government and other entities that receive tax dollars must continuously improve the way they operate and deliver services so citizens receive maximum value for their tax dollars; An independent citizen advisory board is necessary to ensure that government services, customer satisfaction, program efficiency, and management systems are world-class in performance".
Mark your calendar:
2008 LP National Convention in Denver, Colorado, May 23-26 (that's
2008). Current presidential candidates include George Phillies, Christine Smith,
Steven Kubby, Doug Stanhope and more. March 7th Posts
Past OKLP Chair, Richard
Prawdzienski, writes in a Gazette Commentary: "Oklahoma has one of
the nation's toughest ballot-access laws, and our state legislators
refuse to let ballot reform bills out of committee." "Do they fear that if we had third-party candidates on the ballot, it might cause their party to lose the election? Or, are they afraid that having more than two political parties might make us think?"
"Why are majority parties keeping the alternate national parties away from Oklahoma voters? Is it the American way - or the Oklahoma way - for a majority to silence a minority?"
John Fund,
Wall Street Journal writer (who will speak at the March 17 Americans
for Prosperity Conference in OKC), comments on the recently
released "Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern
American Libertarian Movement", by Reason
magazine senior editor Brian Doherty. "Scores of books have been written on the role of communists and socialists in the U.S., dour chronicles of welcome failure. But very few writers have devoted much attention to the role of libertarians, a more appealing and optimistic group of thinkers, political activists and ordinary citizens who believe that respect for the individual and the spontaneous order of market forces are the key to progress and social well-being." Mr Fund notes that, "some 15% of voters hold broadly libertarian views and can be a swing factor."
School Choice for South Carolina? "In recent weeks several thousand residents have rallied at the state Capitol and advocates have lined up bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Legislature for creating a $1,000 tax credit for middle-class parents and a $4,500 state "scholarship" for poor kids in failing public schools that can be used to attend any school."
March 6th Posts
A resolution to cap growth of
state spending
at 6% plus inflation passed a House committee. The current 12% plus
inflation cap allowed almost 30% growth of state government spending in
the last two years.James Huff, of Oklahomans United for Separation of Church and State, writes that there would be no oversight of distribution of taxpayer money with the state Office of Faith Based Initiatives (OFBI). HB 2101 seeks to help ex-inmates return to society (good), but without legislative oversight of funds (not good).
In letters to the
Gazette, Mack Paul writes, "Arguments favoring decriminalization of
drugs have come from all points of view on the political spectrum
including very conservative individuals. Conservative economist Milton
Friedman; George Shulz; the secretary of state under Ronald Reagan; and
columnist and founder of the National Review William F. Buckley Jr.
have all spoken for decriminalization of all drugs, not just
marijuana." And J.D. Collins thinks "Seventy year of pot prohibition
and decades of government-sponsored research trying to justify this
policy" have not amounted to much good.
March 4th Posts
"Broadly speaking, Democrats want to protect you from the physical threats posed by habits such as smoking, overeating, and crossing the street while listening to an iPod. Republicans are more interested in protecting you from the moral threats posed by temptations such as drugs, gambling, and pornography. Between them, they've got you covered, body and soul." - Jacob Sullum in "Who's Your Nanny?"
Sat.,
March 17th:
Americans for Prosperity Regional Grassroots Conference: Senator
Coburn, John Fund (of the Wall Street Journal) and many of our own
Representatives and Senators will speak in a Panel Discussion. Learn
about how to influence government, meet other activists, and as State
director, Stuart Jolly said, "This is going to be fun!!" Time is 3-6 pm
at the Bricktown Sheraton. See the conference flyer here.
Stuart Jolly, state director of
Americans for Prosperity, spoke to the OKC Libertarians last month.
Read about it here.
And plan to join the OKC Libertarians for a potluck on Tuesday, March
13th.Richard Robinson
writes in the Gazette about the $557 million Crosstown Boondoggle: "You
can reroute heavy trucks off onto Interstate 240 (which can handle the
capacity) and re-deck the current bridge with state-of-the-art
materials for a fraction, instead...[t]he corporate welfare leaches
want this project because of the sheer amount it's going to cost,
funded, of course, by us - the unsuspecting taxpayers."
March 3rd Posts
"Public schools that faced competition from charters increased their students' achievement test scores relative to public schools that did not face such competition. And they appear to have done it without rasing spending per pupil." - Harvey Rosen, Public Finance, pg. 75
Tulsa
Libertarians Meet Wednesday, March 7th, to plan the future of the Tulsa
Libertarians. Dinner at 6:00 and program at 7:00 at Panera Bread (6981
S. Lewis). The Oklahoma Transparency Bill (SB 1 by Sen. Brogdon), which will create a searchable database of state government spending, passed 45-0 in the Senate.
Only two school districts
(Oklahoma City and Tulsa) have granted charters of the 13 districts
that can. A bill that passed committee would allow
charters to be granted by the state Department of Education,
hopefully giving parents a better chance for school choice. More on the OKLP charter school info page.
Rep.
Ryan McMullen, D-Burns Flat, wants to create an independent,
politically balanced redistricting commission. His HB 1937 is awaiting
a hearing in the House Rules
Committee along with our ballot access reform bill.Senator Corn spoke about the need for redistricting reform at the Common Cause Annual Meeting. OKLP Vice-Chair, David Splinter, wrote about redistrcting in their latest newsletter here (pdf).
March 2nd Posts
"Presidents' Day got me thinking. I notice that when historians choose the Greatest presidents, they tend to choose war guys, or those who increase the size of the government. (Surprise, surprise: these are often the same.) I prefer, on the other hand, presidents like Jefferson and Harding, politicians who actually decreased the scope and budgets of the federal government while in office." - Paul Jacob, Common Sense
Tima Petty writes,
"If the governor was truly concerned about the education of the state's
children he would propose more accountability for the job the teachers
are doing." (OKLP thinks more accountability for schools by allowing
parents' school choice is the way to improve education.) Although the government did not extend its reach to 3-year-olds this year, it is trying to tighten its grasp on 17 and 18-year-olds. The compulsory education bill, which would make it more difficult to allow high school students out of school, passed the Senate.
Building a
Bigger Safety Net: With help from a private grant, Infant Crisis
Services to quadruple its space. Learn how to volunteer at the
Infant Crisis Center. See the center's history and finances, along with
many other charitable organizations, on Guidestar.March 1st Posts
Ballot Access News
editor, Richard Winger, writes about OKLP's loss yesterday
in the State Court of Appeals in our case to give Oklahomans more
voter choice. The Court decision says, "The Libertarian Party of
Oklahoma claims that the statute has a substantial effect upon its
associational rights, as shown by the following historical 'facts'." These 'facts' include:
(1) In 2004, Oklahoma was the only state with just two choices for president.
(2) Oklahoma does not permit 'write-in' voting for alternative candidates.
(3) Oklahoma require a burdensome number of signatures, 5% of last major vote (while the median number is less than 1% for states).
Although Oklahoma legalized
tattooing last November, stringent regulations may force many shop
owners to close their studios today. A lawsuit points out that Oklahoma
tattoo studios are having unconstitutional
restrictions placed upon their rights to engage in trade.Oklahoma
State University students and Stillwater residents to plant a community
garden in the yard of the last piece of property the school wants to
protest against OSU's use of
eminent domain.
Feb. 26th Posts
"If the problem were really just that individuals have insufficient incentive to obtain education, a subsidy would internalize the externality, and public schools would be unnecessary." - Dr. Randall Holcombe
Tuesday, March 13th: OKC
Libertarians visit the home of Lance Schmitz for a potluck. Lance
serves as the Pastor of Compassion and Social Justice at Oklahoma City First Church of the
Nazarene. Meeting details here.
Utah voucher program
passes!!! "Under the program, every family in Utah will receive a
voucher worth between $3,000 per child (for the lowest income families)
and $500 (for those with the highest incomes). Parents will be able to
redeem these vouchers at whatever private school they deem best for
their kids...[However] the maximum value of Utah's school vouchers is
only about half of what the state's public schools spend per pupil.
This puts the private sector at a considerable disadvantage,
particularly in its efforts to serve poorer families." Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a
school-reform conference in Texas that he supported education
reform and Michael Dell blamed problems in public schools on the
lack of a competitive job market.Freedomworks says the, "National Assessment Governing Board...reports that high school students are earning better grades, but that actual standardized test scores continue to decline. Can you spell grade inflation? "
Charlie says
Feb. 25th Posts
Tulsa Libertarian
Chair, Joe Cristiano, discusses health care and more. Oklahoma Defense of Freedom Project's Executive Director, Michael Hammer, discusses the Real ID Act in Oklahoma on the last program of Libery Talk Radio. Listen here (mp3).
Dick Armey speaks on "The Unraveling of the Republican Revolution" in this Cato Podcast (mp3).
Feb. 24th Posts
"...no debts shall be hereafter contracted by or on behalf of this State, unless such debt be authorized by law...and provide for the collection of a direct annual tax to pay, and sufficient to pay, the interest on such debt as it falls due...No such law shall take effect until it shall, at a general election, have been submitted to the people..." - Section 25 of Article 10 of the Oklahoma Constitution
Rep. Jason Murphey criticizes Governor's proposal to issue $663 million of new bonded indebtedness. "I believe it is irresponsible for politicians to saddle citizens with millions of dollars of debt and debt interest and then allow the bill to come due in the future when they are no longer in office."More on how the how courts have allowed for this creative interpretation pf the state Constitution in the 2005 Common Cause newsletter (pdf, Higher Ed Bond Issue). "A 1998 declaration of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, which, by a 5-4 vote held that bonds that fail to meet a constitutional test do not impose a legal obligation on the State for their repayment." As a result, we pay about a 0.25% highter interest rate than if the bonds were legal obligations, instead of "moral obligations."
Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre writes, "...a study by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center showed Oklahoma's overall graduation rate in the 2002-03 school year to be 71 percent, the graduation rate reported by our state Department of Education was 86 percent. That's a difference of 15 percent."
More about how Oklahoma policymakers are overstating the educational progresss by setting low, undemanding standards for public school students in OCPA's Study: Hot Air.
Feb. 23rd Posts
3.4% - Average annual increase, since 1965, in U.S. spending when one party controls the presidency and Congress. 1.5% - Average when control is divided. - Harper's Magazine
In letters to the Oklahoman:Roy W. Dowdell says, "Let people pay for their own baby-sitting and start school at 6."
(Note: The plan to expand government pre-K to 3-year-olds is dead for the next two years.)
Deanna Homer writes: "Eleven states have already legalized medical marijuana for medicinal purposes. When will Oklahoma join these states and help lead the federal government toward more compssionate legislation?"
Ruth Dennis says, "states with no individual income tax experience the highest gains in total tax revenues."
Feb. 20th Posts
Post some good ideas
on the grassroots Okie 100 ideas site (or on Speaker Cargill's 100
Ideas site).Volunteer Society: Sonic donates $3 million to the University of Central Oklahoma.
Senator Leftwich's bill to end the confusing straight ticket voting passes committee.
Feb. 19th Posts
In today's Oklahoman,
OKLP Secretary Robert Stock wants to ask Lincoln a couple questions and
Eddie Rich writes, "When the states lost their rights, we all became
slaves to the federal government." Thomas DiLorezo's, author of The Real Lincoln, writes how when "Chief Justice Roger B. Taney...issued an opinion that only Congress, not the president, can suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Lincoln had declared the writ null and void and ordered the military to begin imprisoning thousands of political dissenters." Listen to Mr. DiLorenzo discuss how other Constitutional rights were denied here.
Not the World's Policeman: Laurence M. Vance writes that American military is now in 144 countries and 15 territories, according to a Department of Defense quarterly report. Libertarians advocate a foreign policy of Non-Interventionism. According to Congressman Ron Paul, "I believe our founding fathers had it right when they argued for peace and commerce between nations, and against entangling political and military alliances. In other words, noninterventionism."
Agree
with them or not, a goup of students planning on protesting a
tobacco-sponsored rodeo are demonstrating how voluntary
persuasion can be used instead of government coercion to effect
change.Feb. 18th Posts
"Summing up, this is an additional $591 billion in annual income that will be foregone in the absence of further trade reform." -The annual Economic Report of the President, pg. 174.
The Gazette reports that
Oklahoma Libertarians oppose
a mandate for HPV vaccines. Although we recognize the significant
health benefits of the vaccine, we support voluntary means rather than
coercive mandates. Senator Connie Johnson said that having achieved the
goal of raising public awareness, she has determined that legislative
action is not
necessary. Listen to Sen. Johnson's comments :mp3. Letters to the
Oklahoman say expanding government daycare for 3-year-olds helps the
teachers' union, whose leader is a "cheerleader for ever higher
taxation." Read Roy Bishop's (president of OEA) plea for more
government spending and citizens' outcries here.Read more letters opposing Gov. Henry's plan to expand the Nanny State. OKLP instead suggests educational tax credits, including for personal and business donations to scholarships (including for pre-school).
Lou Dobbs says: "We're fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money." He suggests treatment rather than incarceration as a way to win the failed drug prohibition. "Treatment not only lowers recidivism rates, it is also cost-effective. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on addiction treatment programs, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in the cost of drug-related crimes. With some outpatient programs, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12:1."
The Senate Rules Committee rejects Sen. Brogdon's bill that would allow only registered voters to circulate initiative petitions failed, while Sen. Leftwich's measure to eliminate the confusing straight-party voting was approved.
Feb. 13th Posts
Minnesota may join 11 states that have enacted medical marijuana
legislation. "GOP legislators in January received a letter from a group
called Republicans for Compassionate Access. The letter urges party
members to support legislation for people 'whose only crime is
attempting to alleviate, with their doctor's approval, the pain and
suffering caused by life threatening illnesses.'" Sen. Johnson introduced SB 875 to form a task force to study the possibility of Oklahoma following. A proposed non-binding resolution to allow medical marijuana in Oklahoma is on the Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign site. Half of state candidates responding a 2006 OKLP survey said they support medical marijuana for those receiving a doctor's prescription.
Today, the Oklahoman reports on a recent study of medical marijuana published Monday in the journal Neurology. "These results provide evidence that there is measurable medical benefit to smoking cannabis for these patients," said Dr. Donald Abrams... "This is a valid medicine and I want safe access to my medication," said Diana Dodson, a 50-year-old grandmother of five.
Feb. 12th Posts
"First, many public goods are successfully produced in the private sector, so government production is not necessary. Second, many of the goods government actually does produce do not correspond to the economist's definition of public goods." - Dr. Randall G. Holcombe, Florida State University
United Way
giving recently broke a record, with "Oklahomans gave more than $16.4 million to
help fund the United Way's partner agencies."State Rep. Randy Terrill wrote, "Oklahoma needs to move toward a fair tax structure that shies away from taxing earnings, investment and savings." in the Oklahoman.
Charlie
says Sen. Johnson's SB 464 is halfway good measure to delay
implementation of the federal Real ID act. "Real ID, will eventually
lead to a radio frequency chip in everyone's drivers licenses, which
will be able to track you at all times. This is Orwellian Big Brother
at its optimum. The only reason I say it is only half way good, is that
the legislation doesn't call for the complete withdrawal of Real ID
such as Maine has just done."More information about Real ID at RealNightmare.org. The Oklahoma Defense of Freedom Project is also working on this important issue.
Feb. 11th Posts
"Public education furthers the government's interests by socializing students to make them better (more compliant) citizens, and by teaching a curriculum that portrays the government as an institution that furthers the public interest." - Dr. Randall G. Holcombe, Florida State University
Sarah Evans is
appalled that the Oklahoma Lottery Commission is forcing some retailers
to push government-run gambling. You give a government one more
monopoly, what does one expect? The Lottery Commission's problem gaming page says, "The purpose of the Oklahoma Lottery is to help raise money to improve Oklahoma's schools." Wouldn't it be more efficient to just raise taxes then? But that might expose the lottery for what it is: a government monopoly to collect money, i.e., a backdoor tax. And it should clarify that the goal is to raise money for "government schools" because private and home-schools are not receiving any of the pay-off. Finally, if the goal is to "improve" schools, more money is not the answer, school choice is.
Chester Ashong asks,
"The government is supposed to protect life, liberty and property. How
does spanking violate any of those rights?" And thinks giving
government more power is a slippery slope: "The government will next
tell residents that it's mandatory a baby's diaper be changed every
hour." Feb. 10th Posts
"CAFE costs about 7 to 10 times as much as a petroleum tax that would induce comparable reductions in oil consumption..." - Robert W. Crandall, in the Journal of Economic Perspectives
If the government is determined to reduce oil consumption there are worse ways to go about it than others. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported "Economists back a fossil-fuel tax to spur alternative energies", rather than more subsidies for special interests, such as ethanol.According to Senator McCain,"Ethanol is a product that would not exist if Congress didn't create an artificial market for it. No one would be willing to buy it. Yet thanks to agricultural subsidies and ethanol producer subsidies, it is now a very big business -- tens of billions of dollars that have enriched a handful of corporate interests - primarily one big corporation, ADM. Ethanol does nothing to reduce fuel consumption, nothing to increase our energy independence, nothing to improve air quality."
In a letter to the
El Reno Tribune, Robert
Stock writes, "Having only one choice is no choice" and asks for
support of HB 1359 and SB 28. A recent OKIES press release shows why Oklahoma's ballot access is 10 times as restrictive per capita as some surrounding states, such as Texas, Missouri, and New Mexico.
Feb. 9th Posts
"Whenever is found what is called a paternal government, there is
found state education. It has been discovered that the best way to
ensure implicit obedience is to commence tyranny in the nursery."
- Benjamin Disraeli
Bill Price, former
US Attorney, says the county manager system "used in states like Kansas
as well as in cities and towns in Oklahoma not only had much less
corruption but much greater efficiency and professionalism at a lower
salary cost to the county." in an Oklahoman article.Florida may eliminate touchscreen voting machines and replace them with scanner-machines that keep a paper record of every ballot. Here in Oklahoma, if passed, SJR 2 would send a mandate on keeping our good old paper ballots to a vote of the people.
OkieDoke says I don't like the idea of giving public school employees the right to take homeschooled children into custody," regarding SB 375.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman proposes a "war on terrorism tax" saying the Pentagon's $622 billion defense budget proposal for fiscal 2008 threatens to crowd out funds for domestic programs.
Feb. 7th Posts
"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." - Thomas Jefferson
Americans had a negative savings rate last year. We must be inspired by the federal government, which now has a debt of $8,700,000,000,000 or $15,700 per Citizen. The administration seems to be patting themselves on the back for only adding another $172,000,000,000 to the debt this year (the OMB estimates $223 billion, meanwhile we pay over 10% of the budget to interest on the debt).Feb. 6th Posts
"Federally imposed standards for drivers' license and birth certificates make a mockery of federalism and the 10th amendment. While states technically are not forced to accept the federal standards, any refusal to comply would mean their residents could not get a job, receive Social Security, or travel by plane. So rather than imposing a direct mandate on the states, the federal government is blackmailing them into complying with federal dictates." - Congressman Ron Paul on the Real ID Act
Senator Johnson introduced
SB 464 to allow Governor Henry
to delay compliance with the national ID creating, states' rights
squashing, big-brother
Real ID Act. The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania urged their General Assembly to follow the example of Maine's Legislature and reject implement the Real ID Act. "Similar measures have been introduced in Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont, Utah, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri and Washington state."
The
Oklahoma Department of Corrections, "which is at 97 percent prison
capacity and has dealt with crisis-level crowding issues for years", is
implementing a program to identify
inmates with the lowest risk of reoffending (pdf). This will help
corrections officials to gear rehabilitative programs to inmates who
can benefit from them most.
Feb. 5th Posts
"...We inherit the concern the concern that democracy is fragile
and that it must renew itself periodically, fortifying the character of
its citizens against the desire to rule absolutely or to follow too
readily."
- Robert Wuthnow, American Mythos
Stuart Jolly, state director of Americans
for Prosperity says we should repeal the business franchise tax in
Oklahoma so we can stay competitive and because it often costs more to
comply with than the actual taxes paid. Read the Oklahoman column here.
Jolly will speak at the next OKC Lbertarians meeting, Tuesday, Feb.
13th.Streamlining Government: An Oklahoman articles says "several lawmakers are aiming this year to make Oklahoma law enforcement work as a single unit, eliminating separate agencies handling drug, murder and traffic crimes."
Jason
Locklear says, "A majority of inmates in Oklahoma prisons are drug
offenders, people who usually don't...commit violent crimes...The real
cost to taxpayers is the money spent to build prisons and continue
housing these inmates so that the state can live up to its "Lock 'em up
and throw away the key" reputation." -letter to the
Oklahoman.
...Gov.
Brad Henry understands. His Smart
on Crime initiative would preserve prison space for violent
criminals while redirecting more non-violent offenders to alternative
sentencing that promotes work, restitution, and substance abuse
treatment. "For too many years, the state has spent hundreds of
millions of dollars warehousing low level, non-violent offenders and
scrambling to find prison space for the truly violent criminals," said
Gov. Henry. "Drug courts have shown that alternative sentencing can
protect the public and result in a more efficient use of taxpayers'
money. It just makes good sense to apply the same model to other
categories of low-level offenders, whether they are juveniles or the
mentally ill."Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill said, "Oklahoma's prisons should be preparing inmates to function in society when they get out, not simply warehousing them so that they commit more crimes once released."...And regarding House modernizations, Cargill said, "Government accessibility and efficiency is a top priority for me...Citizens will see savings in the amount of tax dollars spent on paper. And it should be much easier for them to communicate with their representative...We need to make the process more efficient and make lawmakers more accountable to the public." Sounds good to us, Speaker.
Charlie criticizes
plans to dedicate a percentage of our income tax to OHLAP and the
Governor's proposed expasion of "NANNY STATE warehousing children under
the guise of early childhood education." He asks, "If it is wrong for
me to rob my neighbors with a gun, then is it morally right or wrong
for government to use its force to make my neighbors redistribute their
incomes to me? If I demand such from politicians does that make me a
thief?" Reminds us of ISIL's animated
introduction to the philosophy of liberty.
Feb. 3rd Posts
Given the conventional methods of measuring educational output, teaching to a class of 20 appears no more effective than teaching to a class of 30. This research has tremendous policy implications given the enormous cost of class size reductions..." - Harvey S. Rose, Public Finance
In an OCPA blog, Patrick Gibbons writes that even though "Oklahoma already appropriates 2.15 percent of personal income to higher education -- which is above the national average of 1.87 percent", the new higher education chancellor wants to spend an additional $240 million this year. Also, our increased spending on higher education has not led to higher rates of economic growth....and OCPA says that almost three-quarters of surveyed Oklahomans favor the creation of a searchable website that tracks government spending (such as SB 1 or SB 4).
A recent OKIES press release
shows why Oklahoma's ballot access is much more restrictive than other
states and why reform is vital for real voter choice.
In reaction to U.S. drug agents raids on state-legal medical-marijuana
centers, John
Stossel asks,"Whatever happened to America's federal system, which
recognized the states as 'laboratories of democracy'?" And says "Drug
prohibition -- like alcohol prohibition -- is a silly idea, as the late
free-market economist Milton Friedman often pointed out. Something
doesn't go away just because the government decrees it illegal. It
simply goes underground. Then a black market creates worse problems.
Since sellers cannot rely on police to protect their property, they arm
themselves, form gangs, charge monopoly prices, and kill their
competitors. Buyers steal to pay the high prices."In one short minute, Andy Griffith explains the moral and legal problems of domestic warrantless eavesdropping: watch Andy Griffith vs. the Patriot Act
