Business Court Bill Passes House Committee

Legislation that encourages common sense practices in Oklahoma's judicial system by creating special business courts passed a vote of the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee today.

House Bill 2106, by House Speaker Lance Cargill, would create a specialized court docket to handle commercial and corporate disputes. "Oklahoma needs a dedicated forum that can efficiently resolve business cases and not leave small business owners in limbo for years waiting on the legal system," said Cargill (R-Harrah). "This will make Oklahoma more attractive to businesses of all shapes and sizes, to entrepreneurs looking to start a business, and to large corporations looking to expand. All these businesses will grow our state's job market and help us build long-term success."

HB 2106 is a key plank of the Entrepreneurial Society platform, part of the 2007 House Republican Year of Ideas Agenda. The measure passed with bipartisan support.

Cargill said the complex nature of most business cases, whether commercial or corporate, requires expertise and familiarity with specific areas of business law, creating a significant burden on regular trial courts. A specialized business docket will enhance the consistency, predictability and accuracy of decisions on business law issues, he said. "It's about looking out for small business owners instead of punishing them with burdensome bureaucracy," Cargill said. "And it's about promoting a legal system that makes it possible for clear, fair verdicts to be passed down in a timely fashion. Small business owners have created a majority of the jobs in this state. We owe them this much."

HB 2106 now moves forward for a vote of the full House.

Entrepreneurship Bill Moves To House Floor

A House committee on Wednesday approved legislation to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles facing Oklahoma's aspiring business owners and sent it to the House floor.

House Bill 2105, by House Speaker Lance Cargill, will create the Second Century Entrepreneurship Center, a "one-stop shopping" location for entrepreneurs. The measure, a key plank of the House GOP Entrepreneurial Society platform, passed a vote of the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee.

Sex Offender Bill Passes Committee

A key portion of the House Republican "Safe Families" platform passed out of committee Wednesday and is now headed to the House floor. House Bill 1051, by Speaker Lance Cargill, would prevent student-aged sex offenders from attending the same school as their victims. The measure was approved by the House Education Committee.

Gumm Seeks Senate Leadership Post

The race is already on to become the next Democratic leader in the Oklahoma Senate, the Tulsa World's Barbara Hoberock reports.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, confirmed Tuesday that he is soliciting support for the Senate leader's post. The names of three others also have been mentioned.

NTU Honors Inhofe

U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe today received the “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).

The NTU said it honored Inhofe for his continued efforts to protect and support the taxpayers of Oklahoma and the nation. Inhofe was ranked 4th among senators and was the highest ranked member of the Oklahoma congressional delegation for the year 2006 for his commitment to reducing federal spending, taxes, and debt, the NTU said. Inhofe was one of only 61 members in both the House and the Senate to receive the NTU’s "Taxpayers’ Friend” award this year.

Tax Cut Speed-up Bill Due House Hearing

A bill that would compress three years worth of tax cuts into a two-year time frame is headed to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, its sponsor said today.

House Bill 1388, by Rep. Randy Terrill, would speed up the implementation of tax cuts approved in the 2006 legislative session. Under the bill, Oklahoma's income tax rate would be cut to 5.5 percent in 2008 and 5.25 percent in 2009, if revenue growth allows. When fully implemented, the measure would save working Oklahomans an additional $68 million per year.

Under current law, the rate is not scheduled to fall to 5.25 percent until 2010. When first introduced, House Bill 1388 would have cut the tax rate to 4.65 percent, but the state's revenue forecast has changed since then, leading Terrill to alter his bill.

Iraq Facts The Media Ignores

Courtesy Mgroup, Inc., Norman ~ Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in Iraq? Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people? Did you know that 3,100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 new schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq? (A Navy Seabee is shown helping build a new school.)

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 universities, 46 institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating? Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have five 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment. Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft(under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion? Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers? Did you know that there are 5 police academies in Iraq that produce over 3,500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1,100 building projects going on in Iraq? They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities. Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October? Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations? Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004? Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

Concealed Carry By Judges Wins Senate Approval

A bill allowing judges to carry concealed weapons in their courtrooms passed the Senate Tuesday.

Senator Brian Crain's Senate Bill 145 passed 39-6 and now goes to the House for action.

Under the bill, judges would be required to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon just as other citizens do; but unlike other citizens, judges would be allowed to carry their weapons in their courtrooms and in courthouses.

There have been some instances of state judges using weapons to defend their courtrooms. Tulsa County District Judge Tom Thornbrugh, startled when a defendant on trial attempted to escape during a break, produced a firearm and guarded the jury room until the defendant was subdued. Judges in other locations have been known to carry weapons into their courtrooms, and some have expressed concern about courthouse security.

Zearley To Head OPEA

The new executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association (OPEA) is Sterling Zearley, north regional director of state parks in the Tourism and Recreation Department.

Zearley follows Gary Jones, whose employment was terminated last summer after questions arose about his personal use of a credit card, OPEA's poor financial condition and more than $50,000 in federal tsx liens filed against OPEA for failure to pay payroll taxes.

OPEA was founded 32 years ago; it as about 10,000 current and former state employees as members.

'Scum Of The Earth' Bill Advances

Legislation increasing the penalty for battering pregnant women, known informally as the "Scum of the Earth" Bill, has passed out of a House subcommittee.

"A society that tolerates people who beat up pregnant women has serious problems and I'm glad my colleagues agree," said Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, D-Oklahoma City. "We must end the plague of violence against women and this bill is an important step in that process."

House Bill 1897, by Hamilton, would make physical abuse of a pregnant woman a felony. Under the bill, anyone convicted of beating a pregnant woman would face a minimum sentence of three years in prison. Anyone attacking a pregnant woman in an attempt to cause a miscarriage would face a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and abusers convicted multiple times would face at least 10 years in prison.

House Plans To Advance Immigration Reform Bill

House Republicans leaders said Monday they will advance the nation's most meaningful immigration reform law this week when a House committee takes up House Bill 1804, an omnibus reform measure.

"Our immigration reform effort is about upholding Oklahoma's rule of law and respecting immigrants who come to our country legally," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). "We must do more to make sure that Oklahoma's social safety net is not strained to the breaking point by illegal immigration."

Rep. Randy Terrill, author of House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer & Citizen Protection Act of 2007, said the measure is scheduled to be heard by the full House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in room 412-C at the State Capitol. The measure is a key part of the House GOP's Safe Families platform in the Year of Ideas Agenda.

World: Edmondson Says Burrage Has Conflict, Democratic Party Chair Agrees, Says Senator Should Abstain From Vote On Waste Bill

UPDATE: Democratic Party Chair Lisa Pryor added her criticism of Burrage in a post on the party's official website over the weekend. She wrote, "I was incensed when a State Senate Committee this week passed a measure that declared that animal waste is not hazardous. (Thank you Senator Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, for voting no on the measure.) Let's hope SB 709 gets the boot in front of the full Senate. Let's make sure that anyone who personally benefits from or directly represents the poultry producers does the right thing and abstains from this vote on the floor. (Read about SB 709 here. )" Attorney General Drew Edmondson says that Claremore Senator Sean Burrage had a conflict of interest in voting for a bill declaring that animal waste is not hazardous.

Edmondson and Burrage are Democrats. Newly-elected Burrage is a member of Taylor and Burrage, a Claremore law firm with Tyson Foods Inc. as a current and former client. Former Senate President Pro Tem Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, is also a member of the firm. The Tulsa World has the full story. Burrage thus far has had little comment on the growing ethics controversy over his committee vote, nor has Senate President Co-Pro Tem Mike Morgan expressed an opinion. Burrage did say he "feels fine" about his vote even though it apparently is in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution in Edmondson's belief. It's the first time in memory that a top Democrat and the Democratic Party's chair have joined in criticising a fellow Democrat.

Taylor Turns Back On In-House Chief Candidates

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor, the Tulsa World reports, has decided to look outside the Tulsa Police Department to find the city's next police chief, in effect turning her back on three in-house applicants, Deputy Chief Bill Wells, Major Rob Turner and Major Paul Williams. They were certified as meeting at least the minimum qualifications and were each interviewed by the mayor twice.

Gun rights advocates are watching Taylor's actions in the selection of a new chief given her involvement in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pro-gun control group, a coalition of mayors. Taylor was an original member of the group, but makes no mention of it on her website and apparently avoids discussing it in Tulsa. She has, however, appeared in other cities (Chicago included) with some of the nation's most vigorous gun control mayors to help push Bloomberg's agenda.

A national head-hunting firm was hired by Taylor to conduct a nationwide search for a new chief, prompting criticism by some in the Tulsa law enforcement community.

Image courtesy David Arnett, Tulsa Today

Leisure Reading: CHICAGO OR BUST

Recommended for your weekend leisure reading is Susie Dutcher's feel-good post, "Chicago Or Bust" on the family blog, Dutch, Reformed. No politics, no government, no controversy...just a great slice of family life.

Surfing The Weekend Blogs

Information the MSM (main stream media) often ignores, or elects not to report, often is found in the thousands of blogs that now populate the Internet. Special interest blogs abound and offer details on specific issues not found elsewhere.

Among the best of those special interest blogs is Gun Law News, a daily recitation of all things 2nd Amendment. I can't imagine how much time these folks devote to gathering all the information they do, but it is there, regular as clockwork.

Locally, there's Mark Shannon and Ron Black, who always have weekend posts to contemplate, unlike many blogs that tend to take weekends off. (Black adds he always posts on weekends unless he's in a "tree stand somewhere." For any liberal reading this, that is code for hunting.) As you've noticed, The McCarville Report Online tries to keep up 24/7, understanding as we do that readers log on every day of the week and expect to find new material when they do. Granted, our weekend posts are fewer in number, often more gab than news and more laid-back than frenetic.

We spend a lot of time monitoring other blogs, and try to confine our "Links" listings on the right side of this page to those (national and local) that offer insight, opinion and information likely not found elsewhere and we list liberal blogs as well as conservative ones.

Some of those we list offer personal insight on the day's large issues. Kevin Calvey's blog from Iraq is an example, as the former Oklahoma House member shares his thoughts on what's going on from his tent in Baghdad.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Family Ties: The McCarville family, as I've relayed here in the past, sent numerous sons to serve in our nation's conflicts. The Canadian branch of the family also had sons in uniform in World War II. Among those who donned the uniform were Fred and Rex McCarville of Prince Edward Island, Canada, who joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1941 and served aboard HMCS Columbia, which participated in the hunt for the German Navy's giant battleship, the Bismarck. Both survived the war. I am regularly reminded of my family's military history as grandson Colby Ryan McCarville Stuck (yes, that's his legal name) prepares for shipment to a Navy Seabee unit in Iraq.

Henry Steamed: Word circulates that Governor Henry was steamed this week when a Senate committee failed to approve his 3-year-olds-in-school proposal. The committee vote was 8-8 and under new rules adopted in the evenly-split Senate, the proposal now can't be reconsidered for two years.

Earthquakes: No, not the political kind...the kind that shakes the earth. In the 29 years prior to last December, my part of town had experienced 9 recorded quakes. Since December, we've had 8, ranging from a 1.3 to a 3.0. I felt none of them. Some say they were caused by the rejuvenation of an old oil field in southeastern Oklahoma County. Others say it's just the natural result of central Oklahoma sitting on numerous fault lines. The late Mother McCarville, convinced that man landing on the Moon caused a change in the climate, might have offered a thought about the earthquakes related to Hillary Clinton's quest to be president. Such was Mother's thought process.

Number 45: Ann and I marked 45 years together this week. She is a daily reminder that I married far above my own station.

Well Trained: Some in Fresno, California, question how a gunman who was shooting at cops died. Well, let's see: This guy was on the run, firing at officers. He even stopped his car several times to pop off rounds at his pursuers. Then he stopped a final time to fire again and the officers who surrounded him opened fire. The bad guy's problem was he faced 19 officers. They fired 80 rounds in all. The critics say that's overkill in the extreme; what they don't understand is that cops are taught to fire until the threat no longer exists. That means, usually, emptying your weapon. If I'm in uniform, I'll be damned if I'm going to fire once and then approach the bad guy to see if he's going again to try to shoot me. Nope, I'm going to fire until I know the bad guy is down and out. I pay particular attention to such things these days as grandson Michael completes the extensive process of becoming an Oklahoma City police officer.

Ivan Holmes, Ben Odom: These two gentlemen apparently will face off to see who will be the new chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. I have no horse in this race, and observe that Holmes helped Lloyd Fields in his successful campaign to unseat incumbent Labor Commissioner Brenea Reneau, no small feat, and that Odom has paid his dues both as party official and candidate. I've known Ben for years and find him unfailingly courteous and about as partisan a "progressive" Democrat as exists.

Jerry Buchanan, Tom Daxon, Gary Jones: These three gentlemen want to be chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party. Daxon is the incumbent seeking reelection. Buchanan is the Tulsa County GOP chairman. Jones is the former chairman who quit to run for auditor and inspector. I have no horse in this race, either, and observe that Buchanan is not as well-known to the party faithful across the state as the other two, Daxon has a long record of party service and Jones has the backing of core conservatives. I've known Tom for 30 years, Gary for a few years. Both, in my experience, are quality individuals.

Terry Nichols: I was asked yesterday about Terry Nichols' claim that FBI agent Larry Potts was somehow involved in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Could that be true? I was asked. How am I supposed to know? It is true that I, along with others, spent days on the site after the bombing and spent almost three years after it trying to figure it all out. We didn't, and never will. I do observe, with some sadness, that those who believe several conspiracies had to have been involved, often get their facts wrong and misstate even the things proven or not proven by the evidence, chief among them that there were two primary explosions, not one. They cite seismographic evidence to support this claim even though it does not exist. One seismograph a short distance away recorded the blast at one time, and a second one miles away recorded it a short time later. Hardly proof of two blasts. I do believe there existed a Phillipine terrorist tie to Nichols that he has never explained. I do fault law enforcement (FBI) for its handling of the videotapes recorded that morning by cameras in the area. I do believe some information was withheld by the FBI when it should have been made public. And I do believe the FBI conducted a less than thorough investigation and developed tunnel vision while conducting it. I do believe the FBI ignored, or failed to fully investigate, the reports by many eyewitnesses of what they saw that morning, and where they saw it. I continue to be completely baffled by the thought that Timothy McVeigh, having perpetrated a horrific crime, would drive off in a vehicle from which he had himself removed the license plate; that invited the attention of law enforcement and sure enough, that is what resulted in his capture. And, finally, the theorist claims that some in the news media have ignored the questions because they have some sort of agenda is first-rate poppycock.

How Time Flies: I was reminded recently that it was 30 years ago about this time that my first article for Oklahoma Today appeared in print, a piece about the Ponca City Grand Prix. That was followed in a few months by a piece about Barney Oilfield racing in Oklahoma City shortly after the turn of the century.

Could Not Resist: This photo cries out for the best caption. "Does Bill know?" was the first in my mind. "Does Cindy know?" was another. "Pick your poison." was a third. John McCain, for whom I have admiration for his military service and sacrifice but who leaves me absolutely cold as a politician and presidential candidate, is in the news this week by dissing the former defense secretary. Hillary Clinton, who leaves me absolutely cold, period, is in a hissing match with Barack Obama this week.

Are The Wheels Coming Off 'Bipartisanship'?

Governor Brad Henry's reaction this week to the death of his 3-year-olds-in-school measure has prompted Republican Senate President Co-Pro Tem Glenn Coffee to explain his understanding of "bipartisanship" in an open letter to the governor. Capitol sources said today they sense the wheels may be coming off "bipartisanship" this session. How deep the rift is, they say, depends on how irritated Henry (he reportedly was "steamed" at midweek) is and how he reacts to Coffee's letter.

Henry's measure, one he touted repeatedly, died on an 8-8 party-line vote in a Senate committee. Under the new Senate rules adopted when Republicans reached parity with Democrats, the bill cannot be reconsidered for two years.

Wrote Coffee: "I don’t define 'bipartisanship' as just agreeing to see everything your way and voting for a measure because you think it is the right thing to do. I don’t believe bipartisanship is compromise, as some people would suggest, especially if it means compromising my own principles just to get agreement. I do believe bipartisanship means to collaborate (to work jointly with others in an intellectual endeavor). I feel like you and I began such an effort when you invited me to your office to get my assistance on this measure and two others that had been sent to the Rules Committee. In an effort to work in good faith, I agreed to reassign one of those bills to another committee. Senator Morgan reassigned the other two. Two of the three measures made it out of committee with bipartisan support and are headed to the floor for consideration by the full Senate.

"I certainly understand your frustration. When you served as a member of the majority in the Senate, those of us in the minority watched most of Governor Keating’s agenda items die in committee. In fact, every one of us in the minority had to live with our own bills being killed in your committee and others. I learned as a member of the minority that you have to let those things go. It taught me to not take it personally, but rather to work to get the issue done in other ways – often in a Democrat authored bill. As a regular victim of your veto pen, I have had to relearn this lesson many times. This taught me not to worry about getting the credit, but rather to focus on the policy over politics.

"I didn’t see Governor Keating complain when you and members of your party killed his agenda items. Instead, he worked hard to find common ground, as he would walk up to the fourth floor to meet with legislators to reach a solution together. As I pledged to you when we met recently in your office, I am committed to just such a process."

Richardson Scores With Democratic Bloggers

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson gained the support of three prominent Democratic bloggers and activists in Oklahoma today.

Calvin Rees, Tim Reese and Jane Luttrell of DemoOkie.com lined up behind Richardson Friday.

“Richardson is right for Oklahoma,” said Calvin Rees, co-owner of the blog site, routinely visited by hundreds of party activists across the state. “Richardson’s progressive ideas and experience in the United Nations and as Governor of New Mexico have prepared him for the job,” Rees said.

Tim Reese said, “Richardson should be very popular in Oklahoma. His experience as Secretary of Energy gives him insight into stimulating domestic production of oil and gas which makes us less dependent on foreign oil.”

Jane Luttrell said it was easy to give her support to Richardson. “I like Bill’s ideas and his stance on the issues. I plan on working very hard for him this upcoming presidential cycle.”

Both Rees and Reese were General Wesley Clark delegates to the Democratic National Convention in 2004. They indicated while they still like Clark, they believe Richardson would make the best candidate in 2008.

Richardson served as Energy Secretary and U.N. Ambassador during the Clinton Administration and is presently Governor of New Mexico. For more information on Richardson's campaign visit http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/ .

Democrats Allege Cargill 'Shakedown'

Some Democrats say House Speaker Lance Cargill is conducting a shakedown of Capitol lobbyists by meeting with them privately to ask for donations for his pet project, 100 Ideas, and party political action committees.

They cite a meeting Cargill conducted at a Republican consulting firm's offices with lobbyists.

Cargill said the meetings were "proper and ethical."

Anastasia Pittman Joins Odom In Democratic Race

Norman attorney Ben Odom, candidate for chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said today his running mate for vice chair will be newly-elected Rep. Anastasia Pittman of Oklahoma City.

"I couldn't be more excited by Representative Pittman's decision to seek the Vice Chairmanship of our Party," said Odom. "She represents a new generation of Oklahomans who are eager to see progressive changes."

Pittman, Odom said, was elected by running what many observers and political pundits called a brilliant campaign in the summer and fall of 2006.

"My decision to run for Vice Chair became clear after I considered the support from other Democratic leaders, the timing, and the opportunity to move Oklahoma Democrats forward," said Pittman.

"Representative Pittman is truly a dynamic new leader for Oklahoma," said Odom. "I am certain that she will bring enthusiasm to the Democratic Party the same way she has to the Legislature."

Pittman, who hosted a talk show on KTOK-AM 1000, has been politically active as the publicity chair and national secretary for the Metro Federation of Democratic Women's Club, the Oklahoma County Credentials and Education Committee, and the 5th District Resolutions Committee.

Henry Praises Approval Of Biofuels Measure

The state Senate Energy Committee today unanimously approved an ambitious plan by Governor Brad Henry to help position Oklahoma as a global leader in biofuels. Senate Bill 510 would establish the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center (OBC) to coordinate research and development of biofuels at Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and the Ardmore-based Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

“Renewable energy is an important part of the nation’s energy future, especially in light of the fact that more than half of our nation’s oil supply comes from foreign sources,” Henry said. “Oklahoma’s expertise in energy and agriculture issues makes us ideally suited for a pivotal role in biofuels development. The Oklahoma Bioenergy Center would help diversify our state’s economy, protect our environment, create high-paying jobs and contribute to a revitalization of rural Oklahoma.”

Biofuels research supported by the OBC would include development of feedstocks (primarily cellulosic biomass), collection and transportation, conversion technologies and distribution. Because the center would provide a particular boost for the state’s rural and agricultural economy, it would also feature an education component to help interested farmers and ranchers make the transition to energy crops and adopt best management practices.

SB 510 is authored by state Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant).

House GOP Accountability Bill Passes

A centerpiece measure in the Oklahoma House Republican majority's plan to ensure greater state government accountability and efficiency passed the House floor Thursday. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

"In this centennial year for Oklahoma, we have an opportunity to take the politics out of the state budget process and save taxpayers more money. This measure will go a long way toward achieving that goal," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah), author of House Bill 2100. "It's time to add an independent voice to the process so we can cut down on waste, duplication and inefficiency in state government. We'll see tremendous savings from this plan over time."

House Bill 2100 would create a comprehensive effort to crack down on government waste and inefficiency by establishing an independent panel to review state agencies every eight years, with the first set of recommendations presented to the Legislature by December 1st, 2008.

Cole To GOP House Members: Pay Up

From Hastings Wyman's Southern Political Report ~ Making sure that the Republicans, now in the House minority, have enough money for their 2008 comeback effort is a top early priority for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole in his role as the new chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

And Cole has quickly made it clear that he wants House Republican incumbents to pay up and help whittle down the substantial debt the NRCC incurred during the 2006 election, in which the GOP lost 30 seats — and majority control — to the Democrats.

The NRCC has already made some progress toward that goal, according to a report the committee filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The document showed the NRCC in January reduced its debts to $10.9 million, down about $3.5 million from $14.4 million in red ink reported at the end of December.

Edwards' Fundraising Reported

The Oklahoma Democratic Party's blog reports presidential candidate John Edwards raised more than $170,000 in two recent fundraising events. Read the post here.

Clinton-Obama Battle Dominates Blogs

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are engaged in a heated exchange that is the rage on the nation's blogs today. It began when David Geffen, Hollywood mogul who helped Bill and Hillary Clinton raise money in the past and who is now Obama's finance chairman, said the Clintons lie with ease and otherwise denigrated Hillary's personality and campaign. The battle portends a bruising Democratic presidential race almost a year in advance of the primaries.

Holmes Enters Democratic Party Chairman's Race

Ivan Holmes announced his candidacy Wednesday for chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. He'll face current vice chairman Ben Odom, Norman attorney, who announced earlier.

Holmes, a retired journalism professor from Northeastern State University and a former Oklahoma State University Regent, said he wants to build a grassroots effort similar to the campaign he ran successfully for Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields.

Henry's 3-Year-Old School Program Fails

Governor Brad Henry’s controversial plan to create a state-funded pre-kindergarten program for three-year-olds is dead for the next two years following a tie vote in the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee.

The bill, SB 518, died on an 8 to 8 vote Wednesday. Under the Senate’s new power-sharing agreement, a bill receiving a tie vote on “final action” in a committee is dead for the next two years.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee said the bill’s defeat does not signal the end of bipartisanship in the evenly divided Senate. It is just an example of a policy difference between the two parties on a specific proposal.

“I am proud of the eight members of the Appropriations Committee who took this brave stand and said our state should not commit to this expansion of government at a time when we are facing a tight budget,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “But Senate Republicans continue to look forward to working with Gov. Henry on areas where we can find common ground, like fixing the Teacher Retirement System.”

Coffee said there is also significant division among early childhood education advocates about whether Henry’s plan is an effective one.

Republican Floor Leader Owen Laughlin, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the estimated $15 million cost for the pilot program would be better spent on existing public education programs.

“We would be better off using this money to help pay for existing mandates the Legislature has placed on our public schools,” said Laughlin, R-Woodward. “I am concerned that this program could grow year after year, siphoning funds away from common education.”

Appropriations Committee Co-Chairman Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, noted that funds simply are not available to create new programs this year.

FEMA Approves 20 More Counties For Assistance

Governor Brad Henry announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved 20 additional Oklahoma counties for public assistance in the aftermath of winter storms that hit the state earlier this year. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management requested last week that the counties be added to 22 counties that had already been approved for such federal aid. The new counties are Alfalfa, Canadian, Comanche, Dewey, Garvin, Grant, Greer, Jackson, Jefferson, Kay, Lincoln, Osage, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tillman, Tulsa, Washington, Washita and Woods.

Dorman Praises College Credit Card Protection Bill

A bill that would protect college students from credit card solicitors today earned the praise of Rep. Joe Dorman (pictured).

House Bill 1307, by Rep. Ben Sherrer (D-Pryor Creek), would prevent state universities from releasing students' personal information to commercial solicitors without the student's prior consent. The measure would require on all enrollment forms an option for the student to consent to his or her personal information to be released by the university upon request. If the student does not opt in to the release, his or her personal information could not be released by the university.

In 2003, Dorman authored a measure that would have prohibited consumer credit sales to any person younger than 22 unless the applicant had a stable, steady income and parental consent to incur the debt. Though the measure died in committee hearings, Dorman has steadfastly championed protecting students from debt peddlers for years.

Dorman said the onslaught of credit card solicitations facing college students is too hard for many young students, especially those from poorer families, to resist.n"Our students get very little or no instruction at all regarding personal finances in high school and many have no experience handling money on their own," said Dorman. "The opportunity to have major purchasing power just by signing your name is both enticing and too often devastating to these kids. Representative Sherrer's bill is an opportunity to protect our children's futures; it's as simple as that."

Studies have shown that American college students carry credit card balances of nearly $3,000 and half of those students have at least four credit cards in their wallet. In Oklahoma, a student's personal information is automatically subject to the state Open Records Act with no requirement to obtain the student's consent, and credit card lenders and banks are inundating students with access to easy money.

A 2003 study by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education found that 92 percent of state university students owned at least one credit card by the end of their sophomore year and carried an average balance of $2,607. The study also found that two of the most significant factors influencing the students' decisions to sign up for the cards were on campus pre-approved solicitations from credit-card issuers and general mail solicitations from banks and other financial institutions. According to the study, most issuers did not ask the students about their expected salaries upon graduation or appear concerned about the students' ability to repay their debt. The study reported that approximately 30 percent of students who had the ability to pay off their debt still reported anxiousness that affected their ability to concentrate on studies or take part in extracurricular activity, while the same number reduced their academic load and took a job to pay off the debt. About 57 percent of students with less ability to pay off the debt reported the same concerns. Nevertheless, he said, "the trend nationwide is for universities to find new ways to generate revenue. There are far better ways to do it than to mortgage the futures of the very lives they have been entrusted to protect."

Anti-Predator Bill Would Protect Kids

Oklahoma children may soon be protected from online sexual predators when they use library computers.

House Bill 1715, by Rep. Paul Wesselhöft, prohibits children 12 and under from accessing the Internet at their local library unless filters have been installed or the child is under adult supervision.

"It may surprise many parents to know how accessible children become to online predators when using the Internet at a local library," said Wesselhöft, R-Moore. "It is often easier for a child to access computer chat rooms at a library because a parent is not in the area overlooking their child's activity. This is very disturbing to me."

According to ProtectKids.com, one in five children who use computer chat rooms have been approached by pedophiles. Eighty-nine percent of sexual solicitations to a minor are made in either chat rooms or instant messages.

Nonpartisan County Elections Measure Clears Panel

Legislation that would make county offices in Oklahoma nonpartisan passed a vote of the House Elections and Redistricting Subcommittee on Wednesday. House Bill 1452, by Rep. Rob Johnson, would allow all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to cast a ballot in their local county elections.

House Panel Approves GOP Ethics Reform Package

House lawmakers Wednesday advanced a comprehensive ethics reform measure containing strong provisions cracking down on questionable campaign fundraising tactics such as"bundling" and "splitting."

"Oklahomans deserve an honest and open government," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah), author of House Bill 2110. "The reforms we're offering are fundamental changes that will benefit citizens, instead of more posturing by power players to protect incumbents. This is about making the Capitol more open and more accessible to the public than ever before."

HB 2110 passed the House Elections and Redistricting Subcommittee on Wednesday with unanimous bipartisan support. Cargill said HB 2110 contains an eight-point plan to strengthen the public's trust in state government:

1. Ban Political Contributions at the Capitol: "There are plenty of places to hold political fundraisers," said Cargill. "Our state Capitol isn't one of them. There was a time when lobbyists were known to disperse checks to lawmakers shortly before a critical vote. We can erase this image with this simple reform."

2. Require monthly reports of contributions: Cargill said HB 2110 will provide more frequent reports for citizens' review, so that the public won't have to wait for months for information. Cargill said that if the purpose of campaign finance reporting is to reveal who, and to what degree, someone is interested in the outcome of a race, then that information needs to be made available on a more frequent basis.

3. Require disclosure for lobbyist "bundling": Lobbyists often collect several checks from different sources and deliver these bundled checks to a candidate. These coordinated efforts can involve significant amounts of money, and the public has a right to know about them.

4. Ban Honoraria: Currently, state officials can receive an honorarium for a public appearance if it is performed in their official capacity. Cargill said state officials shouldn't receive compensation outside their salary for duties related to their office.

5. Prohibit professionals from soliciting political contributions from their clients: Cargill said it is unfair for those with professional clientele to solicit contributions from those to whom they owe a duty of trust. Cargill said that attorneys, for example, shouldn't be allowed to shake down clients for contributions, many of whom may be subject to the mercy of their legal representative.

6. Require filing of contributor forms for out-of-state donors: Out-of-state political organizations routinely funnel money into Oklahoma races, and often those who are donating don't even know where the money is really going. Cargill said it is important to know the identity of donors who wish to affect politics in a state that is not their own. HB 2110 will require the filing of a contributor card -- with an express statement of intent to donate in Oklahoma -- to ensure the legitimacy of out-of-state donations.

7. End donation "splitting": Cargill said that some campaign organizations attribute partial pieces of the same contribution to different races in an attempt to get around the individual reporting requirements or contribution limits.

8. Require annual ethics training: Cargill said that HB 2110 would require each chamber of the Legislature to conduct annual ethics training for all members, employees, and lobbyists.

"Through better education and preparation, we can prevent missteps and provide clear guidance for all involved with the process," he said.

Was Hansen Lawsuit An Attack On Wes Lane?

A malpractice lawsuit filed against former Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane's wife in the midst of last year's contentious election in which Lane was upset by Democrat David Prater has been dismissed because the plaintiff and her attorney failed to pursue it.

The action, or lack of it, by Sandra K. Ditto and her attorney, David Thomas, has fueled speculation the lawsuit was filed only to hurt Lane's reelection bid. The dismissal came because Ditto and Thomas failed to have Lori Hansen served with a summons within 60 days of the filing of the case as is required.

The lawsuit against Lori Hansen was dismissed in January. It accused Hansen, a former doctor, of operating on Ditto in October 2004 while under the influence of prescription painkillers. Hansen retired in 2005 and has denied the allegation in the lawsuit.

Support Troops, Ponca City Mother Urges

Mary Anne Potter, a Ponca City mother whose daughter now serves in Iraq, offers poignant thoughts on military service in a guest posting on Army Captain Kevin Calvey's Iraq blog today. To read of Mrs. Potter's personal reaction to her daughter's wartime service, click on the link to Captain Calvey's blog on the right side of this page.

Cargill Cites 'Fiscal Realities,' Urges Budget Caution

Speaker Lance Cargill issued the following statement Tuesday after the State Board of Equalization revealed that Oklahoma will have half the available so-called growth revenue for the upcoming fiscal year as originally anticipated: "We must protect the promises that have been made on tax relief for hardworking families, and we should proceed with caution as we work out the details of the state budget for the upcoming year. The budget must be brought in line with the fiscal realities we face."

Governor Brad Henry said the Equalization Board's decision to slash the amount of money lawmakers can spend this year in half is no reason to panic. In December, the Equalization Board certified about $277 million in growth revenue, but lower projections on income taxes, sales taxes and oil and gas taxes led them to reduce new funding to $114 million today. Henry says his budget priorities will remain the same, saying education, health care, research investment, transportation and corrections are issues important to him and to legislators.

Henry says lawmakers should move quickly to provide emergency funding associated with $3,000 teacher pay raises and for overcrowded prisons. Henry also says he's disappointed that the new figures will cut funds going to roads and bridges from $170 million to $137.5 million.

Trafficking Bill Given Green Light In House

State lawmakers voted Tuesday to crack down on criminals who kidnap and sell human beings. House Bill 1021, by state Rep. Marian Cooksey, would make human trafficking a felony punishable by five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Anyone caught trafficking children age 14 and younger would face 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Those convicted of human trafficking could also be ordered to pay restitution to their victims.

Lawmakers Question Askins' Budget Increase

Two lawmakers who have served as key staff members in the lieutenant governor's office said Tuesday they question the budget increase sought by new Lt. Governor Jari Askins.

"With state revenues being less than expected, I don't feel this would be an appropriate time for a large spending increase for the lieutenant governor," said Rep. Marian Cooksey (R-Edmond), who served as Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin's deputy chief of staff from 1995 to 2003. "There is already enough to fund the needs of the office right now."

Askins, a Democrat, is seeking a more than 34 percent increase in her office and staff budget. Askins has already received a pay raise from $85,000 annually to well over $100,000. Currently, the lieutenant governor's office employs about half a dozen full-time employees who assist with clerical duties, logistics and communications.

"As public servants, it's our job to be fiscally responsible and to act as good stewards of the taxpayers' money," said Rep. Colby Schwartz (R-Yukon), who served as legislative and constituent liaison for Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin from 1999 to 2001. "I'm proud of the work I did under Lieutenant Governor Fallin. I know we ran a tight ship with a frugal budget, and I think Lieutenant Governor Askins should be able to get by without a large spending increase."

The budget increase sought by Askins came to light after the governor included the dollar amount in his executive budget - though he told journalists last week he felt the lieutenant governor's office was "a waste of taxpayer dollars." The governor later explained his contradictory comments as an off-the-cuff mistake, but the gaffe shed light on the large spending increase.

Henry Laments Loss Of Poteau Soldier

Governor Brad Henry made the following statement regarding the death of Sgt. Buddy Hughie of Poteau, 25-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan on Monday after he came to the aid of two Afghans hit by small arms fire: “Our state and nation mourn the loss of a true American hero. Sgt. Buddy Hughie served his country with honor and courage. He did not have to deploy to Afghanistan, as he had already served there in 2002, but Sgt. Hughie did so because he felt a strong sense of duty. He lost his life after coming to the aid of two Afghan soldiers who had fallen to small arms fire. Sgt. Hughie’s life was tragically cut short, but he was a testament to the best of Oklahoma and the best of America. During this difficult time, Sgt. Hughie’s family and friends are in the thoughts and prayers of his fellow Oklahomans.”

Hughie was a member of the 1st Batallation, 180th Infantry.

House Panel Approves Faith-Based Prison Help Bill

Lawmakers in a House committee Tuesday moved forward with legislation to encourage state prisons to partner with faith-based organizations to help reduce repeat offenders.

“We must be tough on crime, but also tough on the causes of crime, and it’s clear that government can’t do the job alone. We should take advantage of faith-based and volunteer programs that are already working,” said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). “Oklahoma’s prisons should be preparing inmates to function in society when they are released. Prison shouldn’t be a place where inmates are just warehoused, where they lift weights and mark time and commit more crimes once released.”

Authored by Cargill, House Bill 2101, the Transformational Justice Act, passed through the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Subcommittee Tuesday with overwhelming bipartisan support. The measure is similar to legislation that passed the House last year but died in the State Senate. HB 2101 is also a key portion of the House Republican majority’s Safe Families legislative platform, part of the Year of Ideas Agenda.

Henry Names Charlotte Edwards To Lottery Board

Gov. Brad Henry has announced the appointment of Charlotte Edwards of Oklahoma City to the Oklahoma Lottery Commission's board of trustees and the re-appointment of Tom Kemp of Norman to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Senate confirmation is required for both.

Kemp's term would expire January 14, 2013. Edwards' term would expire January 1, 2010. She would replace Ron Norick, Oklahoma City's former mayor, who resigned.

Dark Horse Richardson Tops Edwards In Straw Poll

Dark horse Bill Richardson has topped John Edwards 35-30 percent in The McCarville Report Online's straw poll of possible Democratic candidates for president. New York Senator Hillary Clinton finished in third place at 13 percent. Others were Barack Obama, 10 percent; Wesley Clark, 4 percent; Dennis Kucinich, 4 percent; and Joe Biden, 3 percent. Richardson reportedly plans to campaign in Oklahoma next month. There's nothing scientific about our online polls and given the conservative bent of most readers (and most Oklahomans!), our poll results often skew conservative. Nonetheless, they do often seem to reflect wider sentiment. Our previous poll of Republicans ended with non-candidate Newt Gingrich the winner; today's new poll pits Gingrich versus Richardson.

Clerks Control Guns, Shoot Armed Robbers

Three Oklahoma City pawn shop clerks repelled an attempted armed robbery with a barrage of gunfire, shooting two would-be robbers and scaring off a third.

All three would-be robbers were later arrested by police, two of them in a hospital emergency room where they sought treatment for multiple gunshot wounds.

The shoot-out began when the three would-be robbers entered Joe's Pawn & Bargain Center in northeast Oklahoma City. One produced a gun and held it to one clerk's head; two others began smashing a display case.

One clerk pulled his concealed 9mm semi-automatic and shot one robber in the shoulder and arm. Another clerk pulled his concealed handgun and shot a second robber, with bullet fragments hitting the robber in the back of the head.

The gunfire sent the robbers fleeing on foot. In-store video of the gun battle was aired on KWTV-Channel 9.

Can New Orleans Be Saved? 'Big Uneasy' Angers Many Citizens As Crime Rate, Murder Soars

By Reuters ~ New Orleans, the "Big Easy" city famous for its good times and relaxed attitude, has become the Big Uneasy in recent weeks as its murder count has soared and anger grown at local leaders unable to stop the violence.

Annual Mardi Gras celebrations unfolded without incident this weekend, but fear of the rampant blood-spilling and its threat to the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina are constant topics of conversation.

The homicide total for a still-young 2007 climbed to 27 on Saturday with the death of a man shot at a nightclub on Friday. He was one of nine people shot in separate incidents in a seven-hour span on Thursday and Friday, and the third of them to die.

Local leaders, worried crime may scare away tourists who are the life-blood of the economy, stressed that the shootings did not take place at Mardi Gras events and assured visitors violent crime is largely restricted to "hot spots," or impoverished neighborhoods where visitors seldom go.

"The truth is that crime traditionally has gone down during Mardi Gras," Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy said.

New Orleans has had one of the United States' highest per-capita murder rates for years, but the current violence has added to insecurities in a city worried about its future. Only about 200,000 of the pre-Katrina population of 480,000 is back and much of the city is still damaged and abandoned. Recent news stories have said a growing number of those who returned are leaving because they are fed up with the slow recovery and the crime.

"If they don't get crime under control, if they can't convince people it's safe to be here, it doesn't matter how much money they get from the federal government, nobody's going to stay," Tulane University criminal justice instructor Ronnie Jones said.

Before Katrina struck on August 29, 2005, there was little public pressure to do something about the number of murders, which peaked in 1994 with 425 killings. But Katrina hit hard the poor neighborhoods where the murders usually occurred, and brought the criminals closer to wealthier, often mostly white, areas, Jones said.

Several thousand people marched on city hall last month to demand that Mayor Ray Nagin and other officials take action. The basic complaint was that too many criminals are arrested and then returned to the streets due to poor police work and lax prosecutors and judges.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune found that 3,000 arrested suspects were released in 2006 because prosecutors failed to indict them within the required 60 days. In January 2007, 580 were released for the same reason, the newspaper said. That compared to 187 in the eight months of 2005 before Katrina brought the criminal justice system almost to a halt, the paper said.

Police blame inept prosecutors for the revolving door; prosecutors say their hands are bound by poor police work. Both say a big problem is that Katrina destroyed New Orleans' police lab, forcing them to borrow facilities to process evidence.

Even before Katrina, a local study found that in 2003-2004 only 12 percent of those arrested for murder went to prison.

The situation is so bad that federal agencies including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration are helping the local police. The U.S. Attorney's office has stepped into cases previously left to local courts and prosecuting them in the less lenient federal courts. The larger problem is that New Orleans has too many social problems - drugs, poverty, broken families, poor education - all present before Katrina.

A recent murder encapsulated the difficulties. After a 17-year-old was beaten up, his mother gave him a gun and told him to get revenge, and he killed the boy he fought with. When police went to his home to investigate, they found the mother with cocaine and a family photo on display of the son with a gun in one hand and a fistful of cash in the other.

"For us to correct this, we have to look at the root of the problem. The root of the problem is our education system," Police Superintendent Warren Riley said in an interview.

Sex Crime Victims' Bill Clears House Committee

An Oklahoma House committee on Monday unanimously approved a measure to protect sex-crime victims in schools from having to attend the same school as their assailant.

The bill won strong bipartisan approval on Monday in the House Common Education subcommittee. It now heads to the full Education committee before moving to the House floor for a vote.

Speaker Lance Cargill said he authored House Bill 1051 after a constituent’s 14-year-old daughter was raped by a classmate. After the crime, the perpetrator was allowed to attend the same school as his victim. Current state law does not allow a school district to prevent a student sex offender from attending the same school as their victim.

“Unfortunately a loophole in state law allowed this, and we must make sure it never happens again,” said Cargill (R-Harrah). “No victim of rape should have to confront their assailant day after day in school hallways.”

House Bill 1051 is identical to a measure authored by Speaker Cargill last year (HB 2381) that died in the State Senate under Democratic control. Not a single vote was cast against the bill in the House last year. But Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada), who chaired the Senate Education Committee at the time, would not grant the bill a hearing.

“With additional conservative voices in the Senate and two new co-chairs of that committee, I’m confident that we will find a better reception to this measure so that more student victims won’t have to suffer,” said Cargill.

When Speaker Cargill presented his bill last year, the brave 14-year-old girl who inspired the measure told House committee members about the daily trauma she endured. She has since transferred out of the school she was attending.

On Monday, the girl’s grandmother appeared before lawmakers.

“Since our granddaughter went through this ordeal, we’ve encountered many young girls in the same situation,” the woman told committee members. “No other victim should have to endure the treatment my granddaughter did.”

“If anyone should have to move to another school, it should be the assailant, not the victim,” said Cargill.

HB 1051 would ensure that any juvenile offender guilty of a sex offense against another student would be required to transfer to another school in the district. In the case of districts with only one school, the offender would be required to transfer to another school district. The measure also requires the Office of Juvenile Affairs to report to school districts when a student in that district has plead guilty to or been convicted of a sexual offense against another student in the same district. School districts would be required to notify the victim and the parent or guardian of the victim. If a victim requests separation from the offender, that decision would be final and irreversible.

House Panel Approves Military Family Tuition Bill

The families of fallen Oklahoma soldiers could receive free tuition at Oklahoma colleges under legislation approved by a House subcommittee on Monday. House Bill 1063, by Rep. Eric Proctor (D-Tulsa), would provide in-state tuition waivers to the dependents of Oklahoma military members killed in the line of duty.

Tennessee Mother Repels Intruder With Gunfire

UPDATE: Suzanne and her husband will be guests on the NRA's "Cam & Company" show Wednesday night at 8:20 CST. That's at NRA.org and on Sirius Satellite Radio Patriot Channel 144. A woman home alone with her two children in Morgan County's Coalfield (Tennessee) community fired a gun three times to protect herself and her family.

Shortly after Suzanne Carson's husband left for work, Carson said she went back to bed with her 3-year old daughter. When she heard a noise, she got up to check on her 4-year old son, who was sleeping down the hallway.

"As I stood here, I could hear someone at the back door," Carson explained, standing in her home's hallway, at the doorway leading into the kitchen. Carson said she saw the face of a young man trying to open her back door. She said he appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing a dark baseball cap with a yellow logo.

Carson went for a gun, with only one thought. "The first thing actually was my kids," Carson said. She thought, "Ok, I'm going to have to do something to protect them."

Holding the gun, Carson said she yelled for the man to stop. "I could see his arm entering my home," she said. "That's when I fired the first shot."

The kitchen wall took a hit, but it didn't stop the intruder. "He stepped completely into the kitchen, and that's when I fired the other two shots," Carson explained. The shots shattered the glass storm door and ripped holes in the screen.

Carson said the man wearing a thick dark shirt or jacket fled into the woods behind her home.

"I was terrified, absolutely terrified," Carson said. "And I remember screaming the whole time it was going on. "He didn't say anything, not one word," she added.

It scares Carson to even think about what he wanted, this time. She believes he was also outside her home Thursday night, when she was home alone with her children again. "They actually tried to open one of the playroom windows," she explained.

The woman, whose husband taught her to shoot a gun for the first time a month ago, didn't hesitate when the invader tried to enter her home.

"I'm so proud of her for being able to protect herself and the kids," husband B.J. Carson said. "She's truly a hero."

Hamilton Files 'Scum of the Earth Bill'

Women would have greater protection from violence under legislation filed by Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, D-Oklahoma City.

House Bill 1897, by Hamilton, will make physical abuse of a pregnant woman a felony. Under the bill, anyone convicted of beating a pregnant woman would face a minimum sentence of three years in prison. Anyone attacking a pregnant woman in an attempt to cause a miscarriage would face a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and abusers convicted multiple times would face at least 10 years in prison.

"I call this my 'Scum of the Earth Bill,'" Hamilton said. "The number one cause of death for pregnant women is murder, usually at the hands of the father of the baby. Once the woman and her baby are dead, we prosecute their attackers for murder. I want to stop the violence before it gets that far. That's why this bill intervenes earlier, before two people die horrible and needless deaths."

Hamilton said the bill would build on the landmark pro-life laws he authored in 2005 that allowed individuals who kill a pregnant woman to also face charges for the death of the baby. "The pro-life law of 2005 was a good start, but sending a murderer to prison after he's killed won't bring the mother and baby back to life," Hamilton said. "House Bill 1897 allows law enforcement to step in and stop the violence before it gets that far."

House Bill 1901, by Hamilton, would require law enforcement officials to arrest individuals who violate a victim's protective order. Under current law, the police are not required to arrest those who violate protective orders.

Iraq: Colby's Diary

By Colby Stuck ~ CAMP ROBERTS, CA: A large group of us Seabees have been at this Army base for qualification and night firing on the M240B machinegun and training on the Mark 19 grenade machinegun and other devices.

The 240Bravo is awesome; 650-plus rounds per minute. The Mark 19 can launch up to 60 40mm grenades per minute.

We had a little contest to see who could disassemble and reassemble an M240B the fastest. I came in second at 57 seconds; the fastest Seabee did it in 51 seconds. (If you'd like to see a video of this, click here, scroll down to the video of guys in camo and click on the player.)

Our training for shipment to Kuwait and then to Iraq continues in the classroom as well, and we continue to receive the required anti-anthrax injections and other immunizations.

We've been joined at Camp Roberts by another Seabee group, all volunteers, who will be formed into "convoy support teams" in Iraq.

Seabees have rebuilt much of Iraq's infrastructure, as this official U.S. Navy story reports: "Seabees attached to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), Marine Engineer Group (MEG) opened the Kish irrigation facility in Al Hillah, Iraq with local Iraqi contractors who worked alongside them on the project. The facility had been intentionally neglected for three years by the Hussein regime by not allocating funds to renovate the five massive electric pumps. The neglect is suspected to have been used as a way of controlling the predominately Shiite south. With the new repairs completed, water can now be provided to 125,000 acres of land for 400 area farmers. 'The biggest need is drinking water,' said project manager Lt.j.g. Dan Niec of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15 attached to the MEG. The drinking water renovation will alleviate an hour and a half round trip to the next available potable water source. The facility also comes equipped with a back-up generator, should there be a problem with its electrical pumps. The Seabees used funding seized from the Saddam Hussein regime to hire a local contractor familiar with the repair needs and 40 Iraqi workers, who did everything from painting to running electrical wire."

Democrats Outraised Republicans, World Reports

While Democrats hold an 11 percent edge over Republicans in state voter registration, the two parties were neck and neck in candidate fundraising during the 2006 campaign, a Tulsa World analysis of records shows. Democratic candidates raised a collective $20.3 million for all their statewide campaigns, edging out Republicans, who raised $19.8 million.

Keating Endorses John McCain

Former Governor Frank Keating, who considered a run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 himself, today endorsed U. S. Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Appearing on KFOR-TV's "Flash Point" show with Burns Hargis and Mike Turpen, Keating said he knows all the GOP candidates but supports McCain because, in the overall, he is "right on the issues...that matter to me."

Keating also revealed that President Bush asked him to become the "czar of the South" to help put states ravaged by Hurricane Katrina back together; he said he declined.

Keating also said that he plans to head the American Council of Life Insurers in Washington for several more years, but that he and wife Cathy plan to return to Oklahoma to live within a couple of years.

Lisa Pryor Opts Out Of Reelection Bid

State Democratic Party Chair Lisa Pryor says she won't seek reelection.

Pryor was elected two years ago and faced the party's 2004 election debt of $540,000. That has been whittled down to about $160,000, records show.

Pryor revealed her decision to the party's central committee.

Her vice chairman, Norman attorney Ben Odom, announced several weeks ago that he will seek the chairmanship and thus far, he's the only known candidate for the job. Pryor is paid $60,000 per year in her dual role as the party's executive director.

Bryce Baggett Dies

Former State Senator Bryce Baggett of Oklahoma City died last week. The attorney, a Democrat, served in the Legislature from 1958 to 1972 and served on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws from 1968 to 1988.

Family Braggin' Rights

Vets For Victory Capitol Rally Draws Huge Crowd

The Vets for Victory Rally at the State Capitol today drew a huge crowd, with hundreds expressing support for those in uniform. Congresswoman Mary Fallin and numerous state legislators were on hand as retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell and others expressed the need for Americans to support those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places. A state proclamation declaring that the State of Oklahoma will not abandon the troops in the field in time of war was read. Speakers included retired Lt. Colonel Scott Ritter, co-founder of Vets For Victory, retired Army ranger and special ops veteran John Reitzell, and decorated veteran Ed Pulido (pictured). The rally was the first in what is planned to be a series of similar events in other states.

The Gadfly On The Wall

GOP Chairman's Race: Former GOP State Chairman Gary Jones is now in, following Tulsa County GOP Chairman Jerry Buchanan as an official candidate, and Chairman Tom Daxon says he'll seek reelection. The in-party jockeying is intense. Buchanan, some say, is a fresh face; Jones, some say, is a proven quantity; Daxon, some say, will have a tough time winning reelection. Having seen a few such races in the past, I observe the incumbent has an advantage, but anything can happen.

Give 'Em Hell, Jim: Senator Jim Inhofe, whose high horse is always parked nearby, is on it this week and giving FEMA all kinds of hell. He says it should be removed from the Department of Homeland Security, get its act together and once again become a fast-moving emergency disaster relief agency instead of everybody's whipping boy. No disagreement here. FEMA has gone from a go-to agency to a not-here agency.

Speaking Of Inhofe: The senator has enlisted a star-studded helper for his March fundraiser, retired Army General Tommy Franks. Rumors have flown for months that Franks will move to his Kiowa County ranch from Florida to live and, possibly, seek office. If Franks plans a race, it's a smart move to become acquainted with Inhofe's heavy-hitter donors and begin building a party base, both accomplished by this event.

Governor-Lieutenant Governor Team: Seems the press is on to create a team on future ballots. I am reminded of the ill-fated reelection campaign of my late boss, Dewey Bartlett, in 1970 when we teamed up with then-Rep. Ralph Thompson in a team effort. Democrat David Hall upset us by 2/3rds of a vote per precinct and the popular George Nigh won the No. 2 seat. That pretty well killed "team" talk for, what, 37 years now?

Cal Hobson: The former Senate president pro tem has been hired ($65,000 per year) at OU. Our institutions of higher learning seem popular places with former politicians.

Snows Of New Hampshire: Caught a cable news video the other night of snow piled there about eight feet high. Reminded me of winters past, when I ventured into Concord in a presidential campaign. (Have you ever flown in a 1950's de Havilland Otter (later model shown here) with wicker seats and landed in a snowstorm? And I'm asked why I quit flying!)

Moving On: Melissa Gandall, for seven years a primary news anchor (and assistant news director) at KTOK-AM 1000 in Oklahoma City, is leaving the station to join the audio books division of Tate Publishing Company.

Family Ties: Like so many other families, the McCarville clan has lost numerous sons in our nation's conflicts, from the Civil War (we fought on both sides) to World War I to World War II. The latter claimed cousin Tech Sergeant Louis J. "Barney' McCarville, engineer and top turret gunner on "Spare Parts," a B-24 Liberator flying out of a base in England. On July 18, 1944, over Caen, France, his aircraft took an anti-aircraft burst in the bombay door area and crashed into the English Channel several hundred yards off shore. Barney died in the crash, forever 20. Barney, shown with the "Spare Parts" crew, is third from left in the front row.

Criminals Wrack New Orleans As Mardis Gras Opens

NEW ORLEANS ~ With tourists streaming into town for Mardi Gras celebrations, a spasm of gun violence left two people dead and seven wounded - more bad news for a city struggling to rebuild itself and its tourism industry. The shootings occurred in the troubled Ninth Ward, far from the French Quarter.

Vaughn Names Buchanan, Grau To County Staff

District 3 Oklahoma County Commissioner Ray Vaughn, R-Edmond, today announced two staff positions in his office have been filled.

Rick Buchanan, 49, of Edmond, will serve as Chief Deputy. Buchanan has been working in Vaughn’s office for the past six weeks as a part of his staff. Previously, Buchanan worked at Oklahoma County for the past two years within the offices of Oklahoma County Clerk Carolynn Caudill and County Treasurer Butch Freeman. He formerly served in the Administration of Governor Frank Keating as his press secretary and as public information officer at the Oklahoma Department of Tourism. He is a graduate of Northwest Classen High School and Baylor University.

Randy Grau, 31, of Edmond, will serve as Vaughn’s Second Deputy for District 3. Grau formerly held the position of Senior Associate Attorney for the Walls Walker Harris and Wolfe law firm. He also worked as an Associate for the law firm of McKinney and Stringer. He is a graduate of Edmond Memorial High School, Pepperdine University, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He is married to Dr. Renee Grau, who is a Dermatologist at OU Physicians.

"I am very pleased to have both Rick and Randy on my staff," said Vaughn. "Both are extremely capable individuals who live in the District and who will serve Oklahoma County and District 3 proudly. Both are native Oklahomans who share the same political goals and philosophies as I do. I know they will serve the public with integrity and intelligence, while working to make Oklahoma County government more efficient and effective for the benefit of our citizens."

Hobson Joins OU Faculty

Former state Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson, 61, will join the staff of the OU College of Continuing Education as director of Adult Executive Training Programs, the university announced. He'll be paid $65,000 per year, the university said.

GOP Leaders Urge Budget Caution

The Republican leaders of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate said the Legislature must proceed very cautiously on the FY 2008 budget following Thursday’s recommendation by the Oklahoma Tax Commission that tax revenue estimates be significantly reduced compared to estimates made last December.

Tax commissioners officially reduced their estimates for tax collections for the 2008 fiscal year by more than $250 million. Commissioners also sent a letter to the Office of State Finance advising that corporate income tax collections should also be reduced by about $100 million compared to the previous estimate, for a total reduction of more than $350 million.

“This news validates our concerns that the governor was being rash with his spending proposals and that his budget was based on very rosy revenue projections,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “The Legislature must proceed very cautiously. We should treat the Tax Commission’s warning about reduced tax collections very seriously – especially the news that corporate income tax collections are also likely to be far less than officially projected.”

Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, said, “This is exactly why we’ve emphasized fiscal responsibility this year and why we have already laid the groundwork for cutting and eliminating needless government bureaucracy. We call on the governor to reconsider his bloated budget and scrap the billion dollars in new spending and debt that he has proposed. We’ve seen a wide fluctuation in revenue estimates so far. When the Democrats were in control several years ago and there were shortfalls, their answer was to raise the income tax. That won’t happen on our watch.”

Fallin Opposes Iraq Resolution

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK) spoke today on the floor of the House of Representatives, urging her colleagues to reject a non-binding resolution condemning the President's proposed troop increase in Iraq. The resolution does not hold the force of law and does not propose a plan for victory. Fallin warned that the resolution would send mixed messages to terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere.

"Congress has a vital role to play in helping America win its wars, but it can also play an unintended role in losing them if it says or does the wrong thing at the wrong time." Fallin said. "If this resolution passes, it is sending a clear message of weakness, and our enemies are watching."

Fallin urged her colleagues to place the security of the United States above politics when deciding whether or not to support the President's plan. "This non-binding resolution represents nothing more than a political game, but the war on terror is not a game," Fallin said. "We must take extraordinary precautions to protect our nation from those who would do us harm. Some day our children and grandchildren will look back on our decision this week and reflect on their lives. The question we have to ask today is, 'Will our children live in a safer America?'"

Jones To Seek GOP Chairmanship Again

Former Republican State Chairman Gary Jones will announce today that he will seek the post again.

Jones, who lost a close race for state auditor & inspector to Democrat Jeff McMahan last year, apparently will join Tulsa County Republican Chairman Jerry Buchanan in the race for the post, now held by Tom Daxon. Daxon has indicated he will seek reelection, but has not yet made an official announcement.

Jones resigned as GOP chairman to make the race for auditor & inspector.

Governor-Lieutenant Governor Team Measure OKd

The House Rules Committee narrowly approved a joint resolution that would allow the governor and lieutenant governor to run as a team. It it is approved by the Legislature, and by a vote of the people, it likely would impact the 2010 election.

Republican Rep. Gary Banz (pictured) of Midwest City authored the resolution, which passed the committee 5-4.The action comes just after Governor Brad Henry said the office of lieutenant governor is a wasted one, with occupants having to look for things to do.

Historically, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in each party have conducted their own campaigns. In 1970, however, Republican incumbent Dewey F. Bartlett teamed with then-State Rep. Ralph Thompson of Oklahoma City to campaign as the Bartlett-Thompson team. Both were defeated. Thompson is now a U. S. District Judge.

Henry Adds Crutcher, Shirley; Polonchek Named

Governor Brad Henry has named State Health Commissioner Michael Crutcher to replace Terry Cline as cabinet health secretary and Natalie Shirley as commerce secretary.

Cline, former director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, had been Henry's health secretary until he received a presidential appointment.

Shirley replaces Kathy Taylor, who left to become Tulsa's mayor. She is the former president and CEO of ICI Mutual Insurance Group in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1979 and received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1982.

Henry also promoted Amy Polonchek from interim director to executive director of the state Department of Commerce, a post that Taylor also vacated when she ran for mayor.

Inhofe Rips FEMA, Pledges Changes

By U. S. Senator Jim Inhofe ~ When disasters occur, be they man-made or natural, we turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for federal assistance. Most recently, our state suffered historic losses due to ice, sleet and freezing rain. Immediately after the storm, I traveled through some of the most devastated parts of Oklahoma and saw firsthand the extent of damage. Despite quick action by the state, FEMA was inefficient and slow to respond to the request for assistance – this is unacceptable. Oklahomans should expect more from FEMA and if I have my way, we will get it.

After 9/11, FEMA was removed as a stand-alone agency under the jurisdiction of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee (which I chaired) and was integrated under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This transition added an extra level of bureaucracy and removed much of the oversight and autonomy that once kept FEMA operating efficiently. As ranking member of the EPW committee, I can site dozens of examples where FEMA provided better service before it became part of DHS. For this reason, I am introducing legislation that will remove FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security and will return it to its pre-9/11 status as an independent agency led by a presidential appointee.

Oklahomans are all too familiar with FEMA’s shortcomings since 9/11. After wildfires ravaged the plains of Oklahoma last summer and blizzards and ice storms left a wake of destruction throughout the state this winter, Oklahomans rightfully looked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for help. In both instances, we were left frustrated by slow and inefficient responses.

It wasn’t until several of Oklahoma’s elected officials applied heavy-handed pressure to FEMA that our state was able to receive any federal aid for last summer’s wildfires. Due to that experience, when the most recent ice storm hit Oklahoma I was prepared to go directly to the President and demand assistance if FEMA did not respond quickly. Though Governor Henry acted immediately and President Bush shortly followed suit, Oklahomans were left suffering for weeks before FEMA finally took action. Even then, the response was dismal at best and several communities have yet to be afforded relief.

FEMA’s inefficiencies are unacceptable and something must change NOW. My legislation will make FEMA more responsive and more efficient, creating an agency that will serve the American people to a level that is expected when these life changing events occur. Oklahoma will recover, we always do, but we deserve better from the very agencies that are funded by the taxes we pay.

Steve Russell Honored As 'Vet Of The Week'

One of the central players in the hunt for and capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was honored by a resolution as the first "Veteran of the Week" on the House floor.

The resolution, authored by Representatives Mike Reynolds and Paul Wesselhoft and Senator Tom Ivester (D-Elk City), honored native Oklahoman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell for his service to the United States and the protection of freedom.

"Lieutenant Colonel Russell is a hero for his service to America and his sacrifice in the name of freedom, it's as simple as that," said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. "He is one of our treasured native sons, and we are all very proud of his commitment to serve our nation. On top of that, he is as fine a man as you will ever meet."

Each Monday during the legislative session, the House will honor an Oklahoma veteran as the "Veteran of the Week." The program is coordinated by state Rep. Gary Banz, chair of the House Veterans Subcommittee. Each honoree will be given a framed citation and a United States flag that has flown of the Oklahoma Capitol building.

"The 'Veteran of the Week' program is just a small way for the state to honor those who have served our nation with distinction," said Banz, R-Midwest City. "It is always so easy for us to forget who provides our freedoms and liberties, and my hope is that the state of Oklahoma will always find a way to remember our troops and thank them for their dedication and sacrifices."

Russell currently resides in Reynolds' House District 101 and travels across the nation speaking at rallies to support the U.S. efforts in Iraq. He retired from the Army after serving 21 years in Airborne, Light and Mechanized assignments in the Arctic, the desert, the Pacific, and in both Europe and the United States. He served more than 7 years overseas and has deployed operationally to Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Russell commanded the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry 'Regulars' and conducted combat efforts in Tikrit, Iraq from spring 2003 through spring 2004. Russell's unit was heavily involved in the hunt for, and capture of, Hussein and has been featured in both Discovery's 'Ace in the Hole' and BBC Panorama's 'Saddam on the Run' documentaries.

"I am so thankful for men like Lieutenant Colonel Russell and all of our brave Oklahoma military servicemen and women who are willing to serve our country so our ideals, our freedoms and our families are protected," said Wesselhoft, R-Moore, a former U.S. Army Chaplain. "Words certainly cannot express the deepest appreciation we feel toward those who are willing to sacrifice so much. Anytime we are able to bring one of our heroes onto the House floor to just say 'thank you' is one of the greatest highlights of my job in the Legislature."

Russell is highly decorated, and has received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Valorous Unit Award during his service.

On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Russell will speak at the Vets for Victory Rally to support the troops and their mission in Iraq on the south steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Heroic Utah Cop Tells His Story

By Kristen Moulton and Russ Rizzo, The Salt Lake Tribune ~ OGDEN, Utah - Staring down on a gunman's carnage at Trolley Square, Ogden police officer Kenneth Hammond had a choice: retreat to safety with his pregnant wife (both pictured at left) or confront a killer. He chose to act.

Off-duty but armed with a .45-caliber handgun, he exchanged fire with 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic, who had killed five people and wounded four in less than six minutes at the Salt Lake City mall.

Joined by a Salt Lake City police officer who arrived three minutes after the first 911 call, he stalled the gunman until a team of SWAT officers fired on the man. It isn't known whose bullets killed Talovic.

"I went out of romantic-date mode to 'I need to protect' mode," Hammond recalled at a news conference at the Ogden police station, adding that another officer would have done the same - which in his view, makes him anything but a hero.

"I was just the one that was there," said Hammond, 33, a six-year member of the Ogden Police Department and Ogden resident. His boss, Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey, disagreed, calling Hammond a hero "by every definition."

Hammond and his wife, Sarita Hammond, had finished a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at Rodizio Grill on the mall's upper floor. Married just a few months, Hammond was waiting on a bench outside the restaurant for his wife. His badge was in his wallet in a back pocket. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. He heard popping noises that he thought were from construction, but when he looked over the balcony, he saw bodies on the floor below and a man with a shotgun leaving a store. He told Sarina, an Ogden Police dispatcher, to return to Rodizio, "lock down" the restaurant and call 911.

Sarina said that she borrowed a waiter's cell phone to tell Salt Lake police that her husband was an off-duty officer, not a second gunman. She described what he was wearing, hoping to protect her husband from officers' fire.

Hammond drew his .45-caliber handgun, but did not dare put it back in his holster to pull out his badge.

To let mall customers and clerks know he was not a second gunman, Hammond said, "I was yelling and screaming as loudly as I possibly could . . . Officer Hammond, off-duty OPD!" and "Get down! Get down!"

"It was tense for a few seconds," he said. Then he and the gunman traded shots, Hammond on the second floor and the shooter down below. Hammond said he moved to another part of the balcony and lost sight of the gunman. He lay flat, but soon realized the gunman could come up the escalator behind him. No words were exchanged. In fact, Hammond said he couldn't even describe the shooter. "I was so focused on that gun." When he looked down again, he saw a Salt Lake City officer below and shouted out that he was an off-duty officer. "I didn't know him. He didn't know me."

Hammond went down the escalator and together the two officers pursued the gunman. They fired at him and Hammond said there was silence for five to 10 seconds, before he heard rapid gunfire - apparently from the SWAT team - and looked up to see glass falling and the gunman down.

In about nine minutes, the massacre was over.

Shop owner Barrett Dodds had heard the shots and ran to nearby stores and restaurants telling people to lock their doors, then watched the gunman from the second level. "I saw the carnage - dead bodies, blood, broken glass. It was as bad as you can imagine," he said. Dodds also saw Hammond crouched low, hiding behind one brick pillar after the next as he moved toward Talovic, who calmly reloaded his gun between killings. He said he signaled the man's location to the officer.

At about the same time, Dodds watched as Salt Lake officers converged on the gunman, forcing him backwards into the Pottery Barn Kids directly below where he stood. He heard the gunshots, knowing the shooter was dead but not willing to look down. "After seeing all that, I had seen enough."

Hammond's courage and the rapid police response - "textbook work," some called it - won praise from inside and out of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Salt Lake City police Chief Chris Burbank called it "amazing."

"The heroic acts of [Hammond] going in and engaging a subject who was well armed and prepared to engage him, without having the benefits of a uniform, extra equipment or magazines for his firearms, is truly heroic," Burbank said. "There is no question his quick actions saved the lives of numerous other people."

Capt. Roger Winkler, who oversees the SWAT team, said he'd rate the department's rapid response as "as extraordinary, tremendous, wonderful. Every second they kept this guy from walking around, they probably saved another victim's life."

Rodizio manager David Knighton said he planned to offer Hammond and his wife free dinners for a year. "He saved a lot of lives," he said. "We're appreciative for him."

Hammond said the night will be with him "forever." He said he believes it was no coincidence that he and his wife chose a restaurant in Trolley Square on Monday night, that he had his gun with him, that they decided to have dessert when they usually don't. "We were there for a reason. Everything happened for a reason."

House GOP Efficiency Measure Advances

A measure to seek greater government efficiency and accountability for Oklahoma taxpayers passed a House committee on Wednesday. The measure is a key part of the House Republican majority's legislative agenda this year.

"Oklahomans should see results from the government they pay for, and we are making government accountability and efficiency a top priority this year," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). "This measure adds an independent voice to take the politics out of the budget process and save taxpayers money.

House Bill 2100 would spark a comprehensive effort to crack down on government waste and inefficiency by establishing an independent panel to review state agencies every eight years, with the first set of recommendations presented to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2008.

Kiesel Geriatric Care Bill Advances In House

Legislation that could increase the number of doctors specializing in geriatric care in rural Oklahoma easily passed out of a state House committee today. House Bill 1830, by Rep. Ryan Kiesel (D-Seminole), creates the Oklahoma Geriatric Medical Loan Repayment Program. The program would provide educational loan repayment assistance for up to five Oklahoma licensed physicians each year who have completed a fellowship training program in geriatrics, including geropsychiatry.

Each loan recipient would be eligible for $25,000 in annual assistance for up to five years. In exchange, the doctors receiving financial assistance from the state would agree to provide medical care in high-need areas of Oklahoma.

No Cut In Lawmaker Pay, Kern Told

In the private sector, employees who don't do their job face financial consequences and may be fired. Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, hoped to apply that principle to the Oklahoma Legislature by cutting lawmakers' pay if a special session is convened to complete the state budget, but she has been informed that legislation will not receive a hearing this year, she said Wednesday.

Governors Gather To Open Exhibit

Six former governors joined Governor Brad Henry Tuesday night as the Oklahoma History Center opened its exhibit on the lives of the state's 26 governors. Pictured above, in this Tulsa World photo, are (left to right) George Nigh, David Hall, David Walters, Henry, Frank Keating, David Boren, Henry Bellmon. It was Hall's first public event in Oklahoma since he was sent to federal prison in 1975 shortly after leaving office.

Off-Duty Officer's Firearm Saves Lives

An off-duty police officer in Salt Lake City is being credited with helping stop a deadly shooting rampage at a shopping mall. Officer Ken Hammond (left) said his experience helped him react quickly to confront the gunman, who was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with Hammond and officers who arrived after Hammond's wife called 911. Hammond, who was at the mall for an early Valentine's Day dinner with his wife, said he first thought the sound of gunfire was construction noise but drew his gun and told his wife to call 911 when he realized what was happening. The 18-year-old gunman, a Bosnian refugee, killed five shoppers and wounded several others.

Snow/Ice Storm Cancels Global Warming Hearing

From Drudge: The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather. The hearing is entitled “Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet?”

Gain Iraq Terrorist Control By Shutting Off C-Phone Service, Veteran Steve Russell Says

Retired Army Lt. Colonel Steve Russell of Oklahoma City, one of the leaders of "Vets For Victory," said today the way to gain control in Iraq is to shut off cellular telephone service.

Speaking on KTLR-AM 890's "Tailgate Politics Hour" with co-host Kyle Loveless, Russell said the U. S. can worry about controlling the country after the terrorists are controlled; he said their primary method of communication and coordinating their attacks is via cellular telephones.

Russell, who commanded the unit that captured Saddam Hussein, said the war in Iraq can be won.

Russell and other veterans will hold a rally Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the Capitol on the south steps.

Gumm Anti-Protester Bill Advances In Senate

Senator Jay Paul Gumm's bill that would put a larger protective barrier around grieving families of war casualties received a unanimous vote today in a Senate committee. Senate Bill 756 would increase the distance protesters at funerals must be from ceremonies and cemeteries; the measure also would triple the time before and after the ceremony when protests would be allowed. The measure was approved without opposition by the Senate Judiciary Committee and next will be considered by the full Senate.

The bill would strengthen a law already on the books banning protesters at the funerals of those soldiers killed in the line of duty. The original law was enacted as a response to a radical fringe group from Topeka, Kansas that travels the country protesting military funerals.

Benge Says Devil In The Details Of Henry's Budget

After further examination of the governor’s executive budget, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Chris Benge said Tuesday that the fine print reveals worrying details that could leave taxpayers on the hook for a billion dollars in new spending and debt.

Benge said the governor is pushing to expand state government using surplus money instead of paying for existing needs.

“It’s our job to ask tough questions, and this does not seem to be a realistic budget,” said Benge (R-Tulsa).

“I’m troubled by the governor’s push for new spending while racking up unnecessary long-term debt as a fix for spending commitments.”

Benge said that in December, the governor publicly cautioned lawmakers to be careful about overextending the state with new spending and new programs. “We would respectfully ask the governor to follow his own advice,” Benge said. “However, it appears the governor is attempting to point us in a direction that will lead to financial hardship.”

After looking through the governor’s executive budget, Benge said he found that while the governor proposes more than half a billion dollars in new spending and $663 million in bonds, he offers no additional tax relief for the state’s citizens.

Benge said the governor appears to be trying to make up for the lottery’s $40 million shortfall by proposing long-term bond issues. For example, the governor’s proposed $18.8 million in bonds for common education ad valorem reimbursement creates 20 to 30 years of debt for one year of school operational costs, Benge said.

Dank's Sex Offender Bill Passes House Panel

State Rep. David Dank's measure to increase required prison sentences for sex offenders passed a House subcommittee Tuesday. The measure is part of the House GOP's Safe Families legislative platform.

"We must do everything we can to ensure that Oklahoma is a safe place to grow up. Far too many sex offenders come back to our communities where they can prey on the innocent," said Dank (R-Oklahoma City), the author of House Bill 1816.

HB 1816 would increase the penalty for sex offenses against children under 12 to a minimum sentence of 25 years and not more than life imprisonment. No minimum sentence currently exists for such offenses. At a House Criminal Justice and Corrections Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Dank held up pictures of his two grandchildren.

"As a proud grandfather, I'll do whatever it takes to protect my grandchildren," Dank said. "The current minimum required sentences for sex offenders are simply not enough. We know that it is almost impossible to 'cure' sex offenders, and that they will repeat their crimes if given the opportunity. We can't give these predators a second chance to ruin lives."

Dank's HB 1816 is modeled after Florida legislation commonly referred to as "Jessica's Law" that has already been enacted in states across the nation. The law was named after Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped and killed by a registered sex offender who had been living near her. A similar measure passed the Oklahoma House overwhelmingly last year, but it died in the State Senate.

Tax Cut Proposal Clears House Committee

A state House committee voted Tuesday to slash state taxes by more than $400 million over a two-year period.

"In spite of recent tax cuts, there's no denying that Oklahomans are still overtaxed, which creates a barrier to economic growth and job creation," said state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, chair of the House Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee. "We've got to reform our tax code in Oklahoma ifwe want good jobs to stay in the state."

House Bill 1388, by Terrill, reduces Oklahoma's top income tax rate from the current rate of 5.65 percent to 4.65 percent over a two-year period. The bill would cut the tax rate to 5.25 percent in tax year 2008 and 4.65 percent in tax year 2009. The combined tax cuts would save working Oklahomans more than $394 million per year when fully implemented.

In other action, Oklahomans serving in the military would be exempt from state income tax under a bill approved by a House committee today. House Bill 1446, by state Rep. Fred Jordan, would exempt the military pay of Oklahomans from state income tax. The bill applies to active duty personnel, as well as reserve and National Guard members. The bill would benefit nearly 20,000 individuals.

Inhofe Praise Parental Consent Measure

U.S. Senator Jim M. Inhofe today praised the inclusion of his legislation requiring parental consent for non-emergency intrusive physical examinations in the Head Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 (S.556). Inhofe has introduced his legislation (S.174) to amend the Head Start Act in the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. “Young children attending Head Start programs should not be subjected to these intrusive physical exams without prior knowledge and consent of their parents,” Inhofe said. “As a father and a grandfather, I believe it is vital for parents to be informed about what is happening to their children in the classroom. I am pleased that after my continued efforts there will finally be definitive language in federal law prohibiting these exams without parental consent.”

McPeak Files Prescription Help Measure

A measure that would provide assistance for Oklahoma's senior citizens to purchase much-needed prescriptions has been filed by state Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner. His House Bill 2037 would direct the Department of Human Services to establish a program to assist Medicare Part D beneficiaries by paying the amount between $2,000 and $5,000 (the so-called "doughnut hole") that is not covered by the program for prescription medications.

Federal Judge Slaps 'No-Gun' Nagin Again

The National Rifle Association (NRA) and law abiding gun owners won yet another victory this morning against New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and former police chief Warren Riley. Judge Carl J. Barbier, presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, granted NRA’s motion for contempt against New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Warren Riley for “failure to provide initial disclosures and to compel answers to discovery” during NRA’s injunction against the City for their illegal gun confiscation of law abiding citizens following Hurricane Katrina in 2006.

“Once more, Mayor Ray Nagin and former police chief Warren Riley are held accountable for considering themselves above the law,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “These men have had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, every step of the way in this process to return the lawfully owned firearms to their own citizens, and Judge Barbier rightly found them in contempt of court for their complete lack of respect for the rule of law.”

Furthermore, Judge Barbier concluded the delaying tactics by the City’s attorney, Joseph Vincent DiRosa, Jr, to be “wholly unprofessional and shall not be condoned”. Mr. DiRosa admitted in Court that he had “no good reason” to explain his actions and has been ordered to pay partial legal fees to NRA’s attorneys for their wasted time and money.

Tommy Franks To Campaign For Inhofe

Retired General Tommy Franks, reported to be ready to move from Florida to his southwestern Oklahoma ranch (Kiowa County) and possibly seek federal office, is the featured guest at a March fundraising event for Republican U. S. Senator Jim Inhofe's 2008 reelection campaign. (For the background on General Franks, click on his name in the labels below.)

Inhofe's campaign sent this email to supporters: "We are pleased to invite you to attend a March 8th reception with special guest Gen. Tommy R. Franks, U.S. Army (Ret.), benefiting Senator James M. Inhofe and his upcoming campaign for U.S. Senate. A private reception for members of the Champion Host Committee will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Petroleum Club, 100 N. Broadway, downtown Oklahoma City. Champion Host Committee members are asked to give $2,000. General Reception MVP Sponsors ($1,000) will be recognized along with the Champion Host Committee on the invitation. The general reception ($250 /person) begins at 5:30 p.m. Please click here for event details and contributor information. A formal invitation will be in the mail soon, but if you wish to be recognized as a Champion Host or MVP sponsor please contact Karma Robinson at 405/810-1819 or via e-mail at karma@jiminhofe.com. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, March 8th. PS: Like many of you, Senator Inhofe will be attending the Big 12 Men's and Women's Basketball Championship games, and so we have set our time between the Thursday's afternoon and evening games. Business or Basketball attire is appropriate."

Obama Stumbles In Stump Speech

Illinois Senator Barack Obama, candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, stumbled in a stump speech today when he said American soldiers who died in Iraq "wasted" their lives. Here's his quote: "We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged and to which we have now spent $400 billion and has seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted."

Here's one report: "Obama wrapped up a three-day swing in the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, ending at a University of New Hampshire rally where he assailed the 'trivialization of politics' where 'it is all about who makes a gaffe.'

"In this case, that would be Obama, the Illinois Democrat.

"During his first press conference as a presidential candidate at Iowa State University, Obama, discussing his opposition to the Iraq war, said the war 'should have never been authorized, and should have never been waged, and on which we've now spent $400 billion, and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.'

"He immediately realized he made a mistake, he later told a reporter. Even the most severe war critics in Congress have been very careful to praise U.S. troops and say nothing that could upset mourning families."

Developing...

Senate Democrats Prove Mary Easley Lives In District She Represents; Official Locator In Error

Senate Democrats today produced proof that Senator Mary Easley, contrary to an "official" Legislative Service Bureau (LSB) locator that shows her home address in another Senate district, does indeed live in the district she represents.

The "conundrum," so described by the executive director of Oklahoma Senate Democrats, Owen Shackelford, presented itself when, following our series of stories last week about Easley's residence being listed as outside her district, Shackelford and others began digging into the district line question. Easley herself, inexplicably, refused to discuss her place of residence last week. Her reticence, perhaps, could have been fueled by the controversy during last year's election when she was accused of moving out of the district into Owasso. The move to Grand Lake Towne apparently was her second in recent months.

Shackelford today produced Easley's voter registration card, which shows she registered at 106 South Cherokee Lane, Ketchum, Mayes County, last October 2nd. But Easley herself lists the address officially as 106 South Cherokee Lane in Grand Lake Towne, a separate entity. To make matters more confusing, Easley's voting place is the Langley (another town) town hall. And Ketchum is in another Senate district and another county (Craig County, even though her voter ID card shows Mayes County).

Working with Shackelford and his associate Ward Curtin, The McCarville Report Online examined about a dozen maps and consulted with the Mayes County Election Board. Curtin and Shackelford located the state's official list of Senate and House district counties and towns within them, prepared and maintained by Republicans in the State House, and the list notes that Ketchum is in Craig County, Senate District 29 (John Ford), and that nearby Grand Lake Towne is in Mayes County, Senate District 18 (Easley).

A detailed map located by Curtin shows the county dividing line to be just north of South Cherokee Lane in Grand Lake Towne and the distance apparently is quite close; that could account for the "official" state locator site giving the wrong Senate District when asked.

TMRO asked the Legislative Service Bureau for clarification or an explanation as to why their "official" locator gives the wrong Senate district for 106 South Cherokee Lane in Grand Lake Towne, but have had no response. (In working this story today, we also encountered another instance in which an address clearly in one Senate district shows as being located in a different Senate district.)

The confusion over Easley's address, and it being shown in a Senate district other than her own, raises questions about the accuracy of the LSB locating system, to which many turn for "official" information. The LSB legislative locator is designed to provide specific Senate and House district numbers for anyone who inputs a street address.

Florida House Speaker Co-hosts IdeaRaiser Event

Florida Speaker of the House Marco Rubio will be co-hosting an IdeaRaiser Friday in Tahlequah.

The IdeaRaiser, focusing on rural health, will feature the Florida speaker, who initiated Florida’s successful 100 Ideas program in 2005.

100 Ideas Oklahoma Executive Director Thad Balkman said organizers and participants were looking forward to hearing from Rubio. “We are all looking forward to the opportunity to hear from Speaker Rubio, particularly about Florida’s initiatives and success stories in health care,” said Balkman.

The rural healthcare IdeaRaiser will be held at Northeastern State University in the Ceder Room of the University Center. Registration will begin at 4 p.m.

In addition to Rubio, co-hosts include NSU President Larry Williams and his wife, Pamela, Oklahoma Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry and the Cherokee Health Science Center. Local legislators State Sen. Jim Wilson and State Reps. John Auffett and Mike Brown have been invited to the event, which is open to the public.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP to info@100ieasok.org as space is limited.

Rubio started the Florida 100 Ideas program in September 2005. By the end of January, the Florida House had passed nine of the 100 ideas chosen by Florida’s 100 Ideas board. Ideas passed include adopting a uniform statewide building code and ensuring that insurance companies expedite payments for damages and consider expanding the short-term, no-interest bridge loan program.

Copper Thieves Targeted, Reward Offered

Pastors, community leaders and state lawmakers today to offered a $1,000 reward for the capture of the copper thieves who have dismantled numerous heat/air units in northeast Oklahoma City.

The group offers the reward to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves, who have targeted churches in Oklahoma City.

"These thieves are creating thousands of dollars in damage to steal $100 worth of copper," said Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. "And to make things worse, they are targeting some of the most important institutions in our communities, our churches."

One church in northeast Oklahoma City has had four units dismantled three times by the thieves, according to a local pastor.

"It appears these criminals have some technical expertise andknow how to quickly dismantle a heat/air unit to steal the copper," said Rep. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City. "We hope that information will help people in the community identify these criminals and turn them in to the police."

The group announced the $1,000 reward at a press conference at the Voice of Praise Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. Community officials also endorsed legislation that will make iteasier for police to identify and track down copper thieves.

100 Ideas Donors To Be Identified

The Tulsa World's Mick Hinton reports today that, "Thad Balkman, the executive director of the 100 Ideas Initiative launched by House Speaker Lance Cargill, said a list of its financial supporters would be released 'on a quarterly basis.'"

Internet Users Grow As Reporting Force

From Breithart.com: As picture-taking mobile telephones and digital movie cameras grow ubiquitous, Internet users worldwide are being recruited as citizen news reporters. In December Yahoo launched YouWitnessNews, a website that posts offerings from users after the submissions pass muster with professional editors.

Founded almost two years ago, news website NowPublic.com taps into legions of people that post pictures, videos, or commentary online. NowPublic boasts more than 60,000 contributing "reporters" in more than 140 countries and promises to quickly locate potential witnesses or news gatherers close to breaking events from natural disasters to terrorist attacks.

Why Did 9/11 Happen? Author Offers Thoughts

New York Times columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman, in his book Longtitudes & Attitudes, offers this thought: "September 11 happened because America had lost its deterrent capability. We lost it because for twenty years we never retaliated against, or brought to justice, those who murdered Americans. From the first suicide bombing of the U. S. Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, to the bombing of the Marine barracks at the Beirut airport a few months later, to the TWA hijacking, to the attack on U. S. troops at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, to the suicide bombings of two U. S. embassies in East Africa, to the attack on the U. S. S. Cole in Yemen, innocent Americans were killed and we did nothing. So our enemies took us less and less seriously and became more emboldened. Indeed, they became so emboldened that a group of individuals--think about that for a second: not a state but a group of individuals--attacked America in its own backyard. America's enemies smelled weakness all over us, and we paid a huge price for that."

Henry: No. 2 Office A 'Waste of taxpayers' dollars'

Governor Brad Henry today told print journalists in Norman that he strongly supports having Oklahoma's top chief executives elected as a team, saying the office of lieutenant governor is a "waste of taxpayers' dollars.''

"That office is a bit useless and a waste of taxpayers' dollars because of the way it is set up,'' Henry told reporters, editors and publishers attending the Oklahoma Press Association's Midwinter Convention. He said lieutenant governors have to search for things to do.

The Democratic chief executive, re-elected in a landslide in November, said the governor and lieutenant governor should work together as a team and said that rarely happens when the two officials are from separate parties. He did not mention former Republican Lt. Governor Mary Fallin. He stressed his comments should not be connected to Democrat Lt. Governor Jari Askins.

Easley's Ethics: Where's The Senate Leadership?

From blogger Ron Black: "If you have been following The McCarville Report, and I know you have been, you've seen the continuing saga of State Senator Easley and her magical, moving residence. You see, in Oklahoma, you have to actually live in the district you are elected to serve. The Oklahoma Constitution is rather funny that way. Senate leadership, however, is so concerned about appearing bi-partisan and willing to love and kiss on each other, that no one is willing to come forward." (Click on Ron's name to read his entire (lengthy) rant on the subject.)

And Jeff Shaw at Bounded Rationality in Tulsa blogs that issues like the Easley residency are important to integrity.

ABA Supports Employer Gun Control Issue

From The Associated Press And Other Sources: MIAMI, FL ~ Employee parking lots have become an unlikely focus in the fight over gun rights. The nation's largest lawyers group is taking on the biggest gun rights organization over employers' rights to bar workers from leaving guns in their cars while on the job. The controversy began in Oklahoma.

The American Bar Association says the issue is workplace violence and how to reduce it.

The ABA, meeting in Miami, is expected to go on record early next week supporting the right of employers "to exclude from the workplace and other private property, persons in possession of firearms or other weapons."

Roughly 1,000 people are killed at work each year and guns are used in 80 percent of those incidents, the ABA says, citing federal estimates.

The National Rifle Association says the question is whether employees can protect themselves on their drive home. The NRA has embarked on a state-by-state campaign to get legislatures to enact laws that require employers to allow their workers to bring guns on company parking lots.

"When you get off work at 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock and you're driving home, you have the right to protect yourself if you're accosted on the highway," said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president.

The issue has its roots in two unrelated episodes, the firing of employees in Oklahoma and a shooting rampage in Mississippi. In 2002, forest products giant Weyerhauser Corp. fired eight employees after guns were found in their cars on company lots in southeastern Oklahoma. Federal courts have upheld the firings. In response, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law preventing business owners from prohibiting guns inside locked vehicles on company property. Houston-based ConocoPhillips Inc., which employs more than 3,000 people in Oklahoma, filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block the law. The issue is pending in the courts.

The NRA, meanwhile, began a boycott of the energy company's Conoco and Phillips 66 products and stepped up efforts to get other states to adopt laws similar to Oklahoma's.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Easley's Ethics: This week's revelation that State Senator Mary Easley has moved (again) out of the Tulsa district she represents and is being paid mileage for trips from Grand Lake Towne to the Capitol begs several questions. The first is How can she do that? The second is Does this mean that if I'm a member of the Senate and move to, say, LaJolla, California, that I can claim mileage from LaJolla to the Capitol? It's the principle, of course. Attorney General Drew Edmondson says questions about Easley's residence and mileage reimbursement are not ones that would come to his office. He says those questions would go to the Election Board or the Ethics Commission. One would think they also would go to the leadership of the Senate but, like Easley, there's been no comment this week. Republican Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee raised the question of Easley's residence in last year's campaign but she was elected even though she then lived in Owasso, also outside the district. Coffee says she clearly is in violation of the law. A constitutional scholar says she's violating the Constitution, which requires senators to live within their districts while in office. The leaders of the Senate, the Election Board and the Ethics Commission (and Edmondson, the state's chief law enforcement officer) ignore the Easley circumstances at the risk of (further) imperiling the stature of the Legislature. The Senate, in particular, now appears unwilling or incapable of keeping its house in order. Perhaps a registered voter who actually lives in Senate District 18 will file a lawsuit challenging Easley's residency outside the district.

Demo Dark Horse: I make New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson the dark horse in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Smart. Been-there-done-that on the national level. Right on most issues in the conservative South. Savvy. Hispanic. He'll appeal to conservative-to-moderate Independents and Republicans, but that will mean he won't appeal to moderate-to-liberal Democrats. If he can raise the money...if he can tailor his message...if John Edwards continues his goofy ways (have you heard about his two female obscenity-writing, Catholic-hating blogmasters?)...if Obama wilts under the media spotlight....

Randy Glasser: Thanks to those who have emailed or called to thank me for writing the story about the murder of former Mustang resident Randy Glasser in Midlothian, Texas a week ago. It was a senseless crime perpetrated by a cretin with a baseball bat. I ache for Randy's family, in particular his parents Rich and Pat and his brother, Rick, who, despite their grief, kindly noted my story in comments now posted below the story.

Party Posts: Ben Odom, vice chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, is running for chairman and he apparently isn't bothered by the prospect that current chair Lisa Pryor may seek reelection. She says she'll make her intentions known next week. Tulsa County Republican Chairman Jerry Buchanan says he's running for chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party and he apparently isn't bothered by the prospect that current chairman Tom Daxon may seek reelection. Daxon indicates he'll run again. Former Chairman Gary Jones apparently still contemplates seeking the office again (and he says that's the only thing he's thinking about seeking).

Newt: He's not even a candidate (yet), but former U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich appears the favorite of those who voted in our online GOP presidential poll. He took 40 percent of the vote, leaving five others in his dust.

Vets For Victory: I'll be in the crowd on the south steps of the Capitol next Saturday morning when Vets For Victory holds its rally in support of our troops.

Woe Is He: Troubles mount for former State Rep. Mike Mass, Hartshorne Democrat under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a federal grand jury. Revelations in the probe have prompted officials to reopen a bankruptcy filing by Mass and his wife, settled and closed a year ago when it was concluded they had no assets that could be attached to settle debts. Seems now there are questions about that conclusion.

Feds Reject Bloomberg-Taylor Anti-Gun Crusade

The federal government will not file criminal charges against any of the 15 out-of-state gun dealers accused by New York City Mayor Bloomberg and his coalition of mayors, including Tulsa's Kathy Tayor, in a federal lawsuit of selling guns illegally, the New York Daily News reports.

In a stern rebuke to Bloomberg's high-profile crusade against guns, the feds warned the Bloomberg administration that it could face "potential legal liabilities" if it continues to conduct sting operations that fall within the jurisdiction of federal agents.

The letter from the U.S. Department of Justice scolding the mayor’s infamous 2006 gun sting operation and advising that Bloomberg's administration could face 'potential legal liabilities' over such stings was called a "significant victory" against the Big Apple mayor's anti-gun antics by the Second Amendment Foundation.

"This new development,' said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb, "adds insult to injury for Bloomberg. We were adamant early on that this vigilante attack on gun dealers by Bloomberg and his posse of private investigators went way beyond his legal authority. Now it appears the Justice Department believes likewise."

The National Rifle Association's Chris Cox said, "NRA has always maintained that Mayor Bloomberg overstepped his boundaries and possibly broke the law in conducting these sting operations, and we expressed our concerns to ATF immediately. NRA is grateful that ATF has reviewed the matter and concluded that no further action is warranted against these firearms retailers. The NRA hopes that Mayor Bloomberg heeds the ATF's stern warning that he and his administration could face potential legal liabilities if they continue their disregard of current federal law and the safety of ATF and other law enforcement officers. If Mayor Bloomberg was serious about reducing crime, he would focus on prosecutions for violent criminals in his city, instead of resorting to media stunts and press conferences."

The NRA's Cam Edwards, writing for Town Hall, has an excellent column on this issue.

100 Ideas Advisory Board Members Named

The 100 Ideas Initiative, a statewide project launched a month ago to seek the best ideas for Oklahoma second century, has announced members of the project’s advisory board.

“Our advisory board members represent the best and brightest of Oklahoma’s various professions and backgrounds,” said Thad Balkman, Executive Director of 100 Ideas. “But one thing they all share in common is a thirst to bring innovation and new ideas forward for Oklahoma’s second century. I look forward to their participation in the idea gathering and selection process over the course of this year.”

Members of the board include: Carols Bermudez, Newalla resident and owner of Sonshine Services; Kirk Humphreys, former Oklahoma City mayor and real estate developer; Jonathan Small, resident of Edmond and a CPA; Daniel W. Pullin, Associate Vice President and Executive Director for the University of Oklahoma’s Center of Economic Wealth; Xavier Neira, Vice President Special Projects, Rooney Holdings, Inc.; Christopher B. Howard, Associate Vice President of the University of Oklahoma’s Honors College; veteran of the War on Terror; Rhodes Scholar and founder of the Impact Young Lives Foundation; Stuart Ericson, resident of Muskogee and a former lawmaker, now an attorney; Jason Ramsey, Policy Analyst OSU/A&M Board of Regents; Melissa McLawhorn-Houston, resident of Norman and a licensed attorney and Chief of Staff for the Office of Homeland Security; Tom Langdon, Edmond resident and vice president of Stephens Inc., an investment banking firm; Devon Shannon, Lawton resident, stay-at-home mother and wife of State Rep. TW Shannon; Tom Cooper, Tulsa resident and chairman and chief executive of the Warren Professional Building Corporation.

Along with House Speaker Lance Cargill, former Oklahoma governors George Nigh, David Boren and Frank Keating are serving as co-chairs of the 100 Ideas Initiative.

“I am honored to have these outstanding Oklahomans helping us find the best ideas from the best minds in Oklahoma as we seek citizen input from across the state,” said Cargill.

Executive Director Balkman said that 100 Ideas has partnered with the Oklahoma Community Institute, an organization focused on improving community planning and leadership and that 100 Ideas will share information about the project’s partners on a quarterly basis, beginning in the spring. Later this year, the advisory board will help review the ideas to select the best 100, to be published in a book.

IdeaRaisers are planned for February 13 in Tulsa at the Greenwood Cultural Center and February 16 in Tahlequah. In addition, future IdeaRaisers will address aviation, classroom education, public safety and transportation.

The first IdeaRaiser, held January 30 in Oklahoma City, attracted over 100 participants offering ideas on improving bioscience research and technology in Oklahoma.

For more information about 100 Ideas, visit the 100 Ideas web site online at www.100ideasok.org

The Newt Gingrich Drumbeat Begins...

Many conservatives have voiced dissatisfaction with the Republican front-runners for the 2008 U.S. presidential nomination, a report says.

When faced with a choice of Arizona Senator John McCain, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as the GOP nominee, many stalwarts are said to be opting for "none of the above," The Washington Post says.

The widespread feeling that none of the top three is really a conservative appeared to be a central issue with many of the 150 alumni of the Reagan administration who attended an annual reunion at the Heritage Foundation this week.

"We are without a viable candidate for 2008 at this point," said Mary Ann Meloy, an official in the Reagan White House.

Activist Phyllis Schlafly says the top three candidates are wrong, ambiguous or suspect on several points.

Arizona Councilman Refuses To Stand For Pledge

MESA, AZ ~ One resident suggested that City Councilman Tom Rawles should be buried in the cement his construction company uses. Others have suggested more dramatic retaliation after he started refusing to recite or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance during council meetings to protest the war in Iraq. He has sat out for the pledge twice so far.

His stand has angered fellow council members and constituents alike in this conservative Phoenix suburb of about 400,000, with several people demanding the first-term councilman be thrown out of office. Police briefly provided him with protection before deciding the threats were no reason for alarm.

"You have disrespected our country and the symbol of it and the men and women who fought for it," resident Mike Thelan told Rawles through tears at a council meeting on Monday. "You have acted like a spoiled little child that has not received what he wants from his parents."

Rawles, a 57-year-old lawyer who long ago decided not to run for re-election when his term is up in June 2008, said he will continue his protest "until the troops come home." He said he doesn't mind that his stand is angering some people. "That's what political speech is supposed to do. It's supposed to infuriate and irritate and challenge and make people think," Rawles said. "They apparently would prefer me just to walk lockstep and mouth ritualistic words to a mandatory ceremony, and that's not my idea of freedom."

In similar protests over the years, two black American sprinters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics bowed their heads and raised their gloved fists in a black-power salute during the national anthem. In 1996, NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the anthem because of what he said was the United States' history of tyranny.

Rudy G's Rough Southern Road Ahead; Gun Control Issue Makes Him A Hard Sell To Conservatives

By Tim Darnell, Editor, Hasting Wyman's Southern Political Report ~ With many SPR poll takers saying that he isn't conservative enough to win the GOP nomination, the firearms industry - whose constituency is populated throughout the South - is saying that Rudy Giuliani is no friend of theirs.

"Recent remarks indicate the mayor is attempting to camouflage his record on guns – a political maneuver now common for politicians seeking national office," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Keane's comments came in a press release issued one day after Giuliani's announcement that he had filed papers with the FEC to create a presidential exploratory committee.

"In June of 2000, then New York City Mayor Giuliani became the lone Republican mayor to sue members of the firearms industry as part of a wave of lawsuits that began in the late 1990's by major metropolitan cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and San Francisco that sought to hold firearms manufactures responsible for the criminal misuse of firearms," the release said. "The Giuliani lawsuit is still pending and being aggressively pursued by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg."

"Giuliani's lawsuit may have gained him praise in Gotham, but will surely handicap him in the rest of the country, particularly during the southern primaries," predicted Keane.

Keane may be right. Few political analysts give Giuliani the chance to carry the South, a region more important than ever to the politically weakened GOP. And while the NRA has suffered some political defeats in states like Florida, it remains the nation's most powerful and potent political lobby, and will definitely have a role in who wins the GOP presidential nomination.

Clear Channel Gig Lucrative For Watts

Four years ago, in February 2003, immediately after leaving Congress, former Congressman J. C. Watts embarked on his career as a Washington-based power broker, forming his own companies and joining the boards of directors of numerous companies. Among the boards of directors he joined was that of San Antonio-based media giant Clear Channel Communications, Inc.

The four years on Clear Channel's board of directors have been good to Watts, a new notice of a shareholders' meeting reveals.

The document lists Watts as the owner of 5,700 "aggregate shares of company restricted stock," the value of which is placed at $214,320.

In addition, Watts is listed under "amount and nature of beneficial ownership" with 19,657 shares of common stock, with 12,532 of those shares "subject to options held by Mr. Watts." While no value is placed on the Watts stock in the company document, the per-share price is established elsewhere in the document at $37.60.

Jabar Shumate Co-Hosts '100 Ideas' Event

Organizers of the 100 Ideas Initiative announced that Rep. Jabar Shumate (D-Tulsa) will be a co-host of the IdeaRaiser slated for Tuesday, February 13th at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa.

Shumate, vice-chair of the Children and Families Committee, is a member of the House’s Education Committee and Higher Education and Career Tech Committee.

The IdeaRaiser will focus on issues facing higher education. It is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at 322 North Greenwood Avenue, in the center’s Gallery. Other co-hosts of the event include OSU-Tulsa President Dr. Gary Trennepohl, Rep. Terry Ingmire and Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the Education Committee.

Constitutional Scholar Says Easley In Violation

An Oklahoma constitutional scholar says State Senator Mary Easley is violating the Oklahoma Constitution if she does not reside in the district she represents. The university scholar, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the Constitution is clear in establishing residency requirements for members of the Legislature.

He provided this citation: "Members of the Senate shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and members of the House of Representatives twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. They shall be qualified electors in their respective counties or districts and shall reside in their respective counties or districts during their term of office. (Article 5, Section 17, Oklahoma Constitution)"

Easley represents District 18. On June 22nd, 2006, she filed a campaign committee statement of organization listing her address as 9909 East 12th in Tulsa. On July 14, she filed an amended statement listing her address as Box 690027. At some point, she moved outside the district to a home in Owasso, a fact that became public in her reelection campaign. From there, she and her husband, Truman, apparently moved to another home outside the district, this one in Grand Lake Towne in Mayes County in District 29. They registered as voters there on October 2nd, 35 days before she won reelection in District 18.

Where Did Mary Easley Vote Last November? Coffee Says Residence 'Violation of the law'

UPDATE: Attorney General Drew Edmondson told KTOK radio today that questions about Easley's residence are not ones that "would come to our office." He said such questions would go to the Election Board or the Ethics Commission. State Senator Mary Easley, who last October 2nd registered as a voter in Senate District 29 while she represents Senate District 18, faces more questions today about her place of residence and whether she voted in her own election last year.

The McCarville Report Online reported Wednesday that Easley, who moved out of her district into Owasso last year, now lists a district "office" in Grand Lake Towne, on Grand Lake in Republican Senator John Ford's district, and claims mileage reimbursement from that Grand Lake Towne address to the State Capitol and back.

Easley thus far has had no comment or offered an explanation.

Today, Tulsa blogger Michael Bates reveals that Easley and her husband, Truman, registered to vote on October 2nd in the Mayes County town but didn't vote there in November's election and are no longer registered to vote in Tulsa County. That begs the questions (1) Did she vote last year, (2) If so, where?

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee told radio station KTOK that Easley's residence outside her district is "a violation of the law."

Bates raised the issue: "McCarville points out that 230 miles is the right distance for a round trip from the Capitol to Owasso -- where the phone book lists her as living, even though it's in (Senator) Randy Brogdon's district -- but too far for the round trip between the Capitol and east Tulsa, where Easley was registered to vote last summer. 336 is what Google Maps gives for a round trip between the State Capitol and Grand Lake Towne, where Easley and her husband Truman registered to vote on October 2. (Records show that neither of them actually voted in that precinct, 490031. They are no longer registered to vote in Tulsa County, so it's not clear where they voted. I can't imagine that they wouldn't vote when her name was on the ballot.) I doubt she changed the mileage for the sake of $50, but she might have changed it in order to keep her stories straight."

Hilliard Wants Easier Voting For Veterans

State Representative Wes Hilliard wants to make sure Oklahoma's military veterans are given the ability to participate in the very rights they fought for and is taking action that would allow them to vote at centers where they live. House Bill 1429, by Hilliard, D-Sulphur, would give veterans the right to vote in state elections from their place of residence.

Where Does Senator Mary Easley Live? She Lists District 'Office' Outside Her Own District

Where does State Senator Mary Easley live?

Is it Tulsa, in the District 18 area the Democrat represents, an approximately 210-220 mile roundtrip from the Capitol in Oklahoma City?

Is it Owasso, outside her district, where she was living in last year's reelection campaign, an approximately 230-mile roundtrip?

Or is it somewhere else farther north (like Grand Lake), shown in a Senate document as a 336-mile roundtrip?

Tuesday's Senate Journal lists mileage reimbursement for Easley and it shows "Tulsa 230 (miles)" and "$111.55" reimbursement. The "230" and "$111.55" are marked out, however, and replaced with "336" (miles) and "$162.96."

Easley's Senate profile contains a relatively new listing for a "district office." That listing is "106 S. Cherokee Lane, Grand Lake Towne, OK 74301." She also lists a Tulsa post office box number as an "office" address. The State of Oklahoma shows the Grand Lake Towne address to be outside the district she represents.

Grand Lake Towne is on the southwestern end of Grand Lake in Mayes County and is at the northeastern-most edge of the district she represents. The Legislature's own system for finding out what Senate district an address is located in shows the address in Grand Lake Towne to be in Senate District 29, represented by Republican Senator John Ford.

Last year, controversy erupted over Mary Easley's place of residence when it was revealed she had moved into Owasso. Senate Republican leader Glenn Coffee said, "Mary Easley now resides at an Owasso address in Senate District 34." He added, "She is clearly skirting state election laws by living at her new address while running for office and voting using an old address,"Coffee said. Easley's move prompted ads like the one at left. Coffee noted at the time that state law requires candidates to live in the district they seek to represent. "Mary Easley has left her district behind," Coffee said. "How can she represent the people of District 18 when she doesn't even want to live there?"

Here's what blogger Michael Bates of http://www.Batesline.com reported last November 2nd: "Mary Easley, who moved out of her State Senate district, SD 18, to Owasso in SD 34, has a new TV ad, now claiming that she lives in a house somewhere in northeastern Mayes County, at the opposite end of the district from her old house in east Tulsa. The ad never mentions the name of the town, but it refers to Cherokee Lane, shows a house that appears to have the house number 106 on it, and then shows a map with an arrow pointing somewhere east of Langley. The only Cherokee Lane I find in the area is in Grand Lake Towne, a tiny municipality just south of Ketchum, just south of the Craig / Mayes County line. There is someone registered to vote at 106 Cherokee Lane: Lucille K. Howard, a 68 year old Republican. But this is silly, I thought to myself. Surely, Sen. Easley listed her true address on her declaration of candidacy. But she listed a P.O. Box in Tulsa -- 690027 -- no way to tell if that's in the district. And where is she registered to vote? As of July 1, just a few weeks after filing for office, she was still registered at 9909 E 12th St, Tulsa, as was her husband Truman. That was their home in the handful of precincts where her old House District, HD 78, overlaps SD 18. (Truman's record lists the P.O. Box as his mailing address, although Mary's does not.) Between November '05 and July 1, 2006, Mary didn't vote, while Truman voted by absentee ballot in the Tulsa city primary, city general, and the 3rd Penny sales tax renewal. But when you do a phone search on AT&T's Anywho service, Mary and Truman Easley still show up in Owasso at 19009 E Knightsbridge Rd. There aren't any listed phone numbers for an Easley near Langley, Ketchum, Disney, or Grand Lake Towne, or indeed on a street named Cherokee anywhere in Oklahoma."

Unarmed Texas Homeowner, Former Oklahoman, Victim Of Home Invader With Baseball Bat

By Mike McCarville ~ At 41, Randy Glasser had it all going his way. He was chief technician at Fresenius Medical Care in Dallas, a serious fisherman and accomplished bowler with a perfect 300 game to his credit.

His home in Midlothian, Texas, at 1813 Millbrook, revealed his Oklahoma ties. The son of Rich and Pat Glasser, former owners and operators of Mustang Bowl who now live in Edmond, Randy grew up bowling as he attended Western Heights High School. He worked for his parents as manager and mechanic at the popular bowling establishment, where I met him while bowling in tournaments with my grandson.

Randy had become friends with Fresenius Medical Care coworker Wendy Lane, who was ending a strained relationship with another man. At a New Year's party, Lane's former boyfriend, John Robert Spencer, a 37-year-old with a raging temper (shown here after being arrested for assault on New Year's eve), had confronted Lane. Randy defended her. Police were called and Spencer was charged with assault; she and Randy filed the police report. On January 30th, Randy called police to report he and Lane, who had moved into his home from her home in Waxahachie a short distance to the southeast, were being harassed by Spencer over the telephone. Police took a report. Randy turned his phone off last Friday night to stop the ceaseless calls.

Shortly before 2 a. m. last Saturday morning, the Midlothian Police Department's 911 operator took a call from Wendy Lane and a neighbor. Lane told the operator Spencer had broken into the home, in the Dallas Metroplex suburb with a population of only 14,000 or so, found the couple in the bedroom and that Randy had tried to defend them. She said Randy, unarmed and with nothing to defend himself, was being beaten with a baseball bat.

Police arrived on the scene at 2:05 a.m. and were confronted by Spencer at the front door.

“Officers were told ‘don’t come in and I’m not coming out,’ ” said Britton Snipes, public information officer for the Midlothian Police Department. “Officers couldn’t see Spencer’s right hand behind a pillar and knew there was an injured person inside.

“Officers told Spencer they didn’t want to hurt him and they didn’t want him to get into any more trouble,” Snipes said. “Spencer told them ‘I can’t get into any more trouble than I’m already in.’ ”

Snipes said at that point one of the three officers on the scene shot Spencer below the left eye with one round from a 12-gauge bean-bag gun. Spencer was subdued and transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

Inside the home, in the bedroom, police found the body of Randy Glasser; he was dead at the scene of multiple blunt force injuries. Snipes said emergency medical technicians were unable to treat Randy due to the extent of his injuries. Spencer is charged with murder.

Snipes said this was Midlothian’s first homicide in at least five years.

Randy was buried Tuesday in Resurrection Cemetery.

You're Doin' Fine, Oklahoma

By Melissa Gandall, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ Americans seem to like Oklahoma, at least those who know enough about the state to care one way or the other. The findings of a Zogby International poll show 31% of those asked said they aren't familiar enough with the state to have an opinion. About 47% of those surveyed say they have a favorable opinion of the state, while 17% have an unfavorable view. Pollster John Zogby says the fact so many people are unfamiliar with the state presents a good opportunity for the State Chamber of Commerce, which asked for the study. Zogby says, "Oklahoma has an opportunity to tell its story." The poll also asked participants to name the first thing that comes to mind when they hear Oklahoma. Most of them said either the musical, Oklahoma or the Oklahoma City bombing.

Gingrich Wins Straw Poll

Former U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich won The McCarville Report Online's poll of Republican presidential candidates. Gingrich topped the six-man pack with 40 percent of the votes cast. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was second at just 16 percent; U. S. Senator John McCain was third at 14 percent. Now you can offer your opinion on who Democrats might nominate as their candidate; that poll is posted on the right side of this page.

Mastin Named Tax Commission Administrator

Oklahoma Tax Commission official Tony Mastin has been named administrator of the agency effective March 1st. He has been director of the Tax Policy and Research Division. Mastin, who joined the agency in 1984, also was deputy director of the Business Tax and Motor Vehicle Tax divisions.

Ben Odom Seeks Democratic Party Chair

Ben Odom, Norman attorney, former congressional candidate and now vice chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, is set to announce he will seek to become chairman when the party meets this spring.

Lisa Pryor is now party chair; there's been no word on her plans. She was elected two years ago after making an unsuccessful bid for the State Senate.

Odom, who has emerged as a key spokesman for the party in the past two years, is a longtime party activist and former radio talk show host in Norman.

Odom sought the Democratic nomination for Congress in 2002 and forced Darryl Roberts of Ardmore into a runoff; Odom, however, withdrew from the race and helped Roberts. Roberts was defeated by Congressman Tom Cole. Odom was state director for Florida Senator Bob Graham's 2004 presidential effort and has been active in numerous Democratic campaigns. He's also held numerous party leadership positions.

"The elections last fall proved that it takes more than money and slick ads to win,” said Odom in his official announcement. “You must have people who believe in your message and will work tirelessly for you. We were united around our candidates and we won up and down the ballot.”

Odom plans to campaign extensively to hear what direction Democrats across Oklahoma believe the party should take for victory in 2008.

“This won’t be a ‘top down’ operation,” said Odom. “I want to energize Democrats statewide who feel that they may have been shut out of the process in the past.” Odom continued, “I believe in the power of putting people in charge. Good leaders don’t lecture, they listen. Together, we will develop the battle plan for victory in the next election.”

Odom, a native of McAlester and an attorney in Norman since his graduation from the University of Oklahoma law school which he attended on a Truman scholarship, has the most extensive resume of anyone who has recently sought the Chairmanship, his announcement said. In addition to serving as Vice Chair, he has been a Congressional District Chair and Co-chair, County Chair, Precinct Chair, State President of the Young Democrats and a club President within the Democratic Party. He has served on the State Central Committee in every decade since the 1970’s.Odom has also been a federal and state candidate for public office and was the 1998 Democratic nominee against then Congressman J.C. Watts. In the 2002 Fourth District congressional primary, he received enough votes to win a second place spot in a run-off election with former State Senator Darryl Roberts. Putting the interests of the Democratic Party ahead of his own, he bowed out of the race and endorsed Roberts, the first Democrat to do so in a federal race in more than 50 years.

“My entire career has been one of devotion and loyalty to the Oklahoma Democratic Party,” said Odom. “Whether it was helping Speaker Carl Albert or President Bill Clinton, I have always and will always do what is best for the Party, and the future of our state and country.”

Odom’s political experience in campaigns is extensive; he served as campaign manager for a U.S. Senate race, legal counsel for President Bill Clinton’s campaign and as Vice Chair of Howard Dean’s presidential Oklahoma campaign. For three years he was the host of “The Ben Odom Program”, a political radio talk show and his own Norman television show “Progress” for 7 years.

Odom is a regular guest speaking up for Democrats on many other television and radio programs and is well known in political circles for his debating skills. Noting the effectiveness of the internet, Odom said he is building a website where Democrats can come together and have a “conversation” about the future of the party. He plans to unveil the site in the next week.

Giuliani's Hostility To Gun Owners Noted

In response to New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani`s filing of a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, indicating that he would enter the 2008 presidential race as a Republican, the firearms industry`s trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), reminded America`s sportsmen and gun-enthusiasts of the former mayor`s record of hostility toward firearms and gun owners. See his record here.

Coffee Takes Gavel In Historic Event

Senate President Co-Pro Tem Glenn Coffee today became the first Republican in history to preside over the State Senate. Taking the gavel as part of the power-sharing agreement with Democratic Senate President Co-Pro Tem Mike Morgan, Stillwater Democrat, Coffee presided over the Senate, which is split 24-24.

Lawmakers Urge Southwest Disaster Declaration

State lawmakers representing southwest Oklahoma today urged Governor Brad Henry to include Comanche and Tillman counties in his request for a major federal disaster declaration.

"Given how much damage the ice storms did in southwest Oklahoma, there's no reason the state shouldn't seek federal aid for those communities," said Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon. "We've had entire communities without power for days and our infrastructure has taken a beating. Our communities need all the help they can get."

Following recent ice storms, Henry requested a federal disaster declaration for much of eastern Oklahoma, but hard-hit counties in the southwest were not included, the lawmakers noted.

"The recent ice storms have done real damage in southwest Oklahoma and I believe a federal disaster declaration is easily justified," said Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs. "The more assistance we can obtain, the faster we can rebuild."

"The ice storm was crippling for local communities and constituents, and many are still recovering," said Rep. T. W.Shannon, R-Lawton. "Some communities, like Grandfield, were without power for a week."

"The ice storm created serious problems across southwest Oklahoma, damaging roads and power lines and forcing schools to close for days," said state Rep. Ann Coody, R-Lawton. "The Lawton school system, which is the biggest in our area, was forced to close for a week because the roads were so bad."

"That much ice causes lots of problems that can take months or even years to address," said Armes. "If Governor Henry will act quickly and request a disaster declaration, we can shorten that time frame considerably."

Armed Okies

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre blogs today about how many Oklahomans are licensed to carry concealed weapons, and how the state's concealed carry law has helped make it a safer place (despite what one person quoted in a story thinks).

Steele To Speak On Medicaid System

Rep. Kris Steele, the state lawmaker who helped lead the successful effort to reform Oklahoma's antiquated Medicaid system, will speak to a conference of lawmakers from around the country about the program's progress.

Medicaid reform legislation authored by Steele (R-Shawnee) was enacted into law last year and has since been praised as a national model for fixing outdated and overly expensive state Medicaid systems and replacing them with systems that empower patients and increase efficiency.

Steele's presentation on the crafting of the legislation and its reforms will be part of the 2007 Legislative Leaders Health Care Forum, to be held February 15-17 in Denver.

"If states are not careful, Medicaid can easily overwhelm their statebudgets, just like it was doing here in Oklahoma," said Steele (R-Shawnee). "That's why we have begun to take steps to reform the system, and in the process we have given Medicaid recipients more choices and more control over their own health care."

In 2005, Steele chaired a bipartisan task force on Medicaid reform,which held a series of hearings at the state Capitol and conducted a statewide listening tour.

Blogger's Thoughts On GOP Hopefuls

From Jeff Soyer At www.Alphecca.com: "I'm certainly not married to the Republican Party since I find many of their current stands repellent to me and at the moment, I have no intention of voting for any of their current crop of front-runners -- Giuliani, McCain, Romney -- either, because of their gun control stances. There's lots I don't like about the Democrats, too, but I wouldn't say it is greater than that of Republicans. So...my vote, and I suspect a lot of yours, you all who are reading this, are up for grabs. The candidate (of either party) who has a proven record of supporting gun rights and the 2nd Amendment and opposing gun control measures will automatically be half-way towards getting my endorsement and vote."

Coburn Opposes Ethics Bill

Oklahoma's maverick U. S. Senator Tom Coburn says he won't run for re-election if an ethics bill that's passed the Senate becomes law.

Coburn's faces election in 2010; he's one of two senators who voted against the bill and says an "innocent mistake" would cost a lawmaker $500,000 to defend himself against action. He said he voted against the bill because the process of drafting and passing it had not been open enough. “Some of the things that happened along the way to the bill didn't allow the American people to really know what was going on,” he explained. The bill passed 96-2. It requires senators to give up gifts and free travel from lobbyists, pay more for travel on corporate jets and more clearly identify pet projects they insert into bills.

The bill now goes to the U. S. House for action.

Calvey Arrives In Baghdad

Former State Rep. Kevin Calvey, an Army captain serving in the Judge Advocate General Corps, reports on his blog he has arrived in Baghdad. Read Kevin's diary by clicking on "Captain Kevin Calvey In Iraq" under the links on the right side of this page.

What Went Wrong In Iraq?

Thoughts from blogger www.Samizdata.net: "De-Ba'athication removed one possible source of security without an immediate replacement, allowing the militias to rush into the vacuum. Rather than moving whole-heartedly towards liberalisation and free-market reforms on the German model after the Second World War, Iraq has retained a large-scale state structure, a bureaucratic model of planning with some privatised tinkering around the edges and has sucked in a vast amount of aid, recycled through a less than transparent contracting process that favoured dependency and inefficiency. Iraqis voted in the referendum for these expectations, and were sold a cart without a horse."

Anchorage Mayor Has Message For Kathy Taylor

From Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich: "This is in response to some recent questions about my involvement in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. I recently withdrew my name from the coalition after initially agreeing to sign on.

"I do support the efforts to strengthen laws and prosecute individuals who dispense or use illegal guns, and getting them out of the hands of criminals. However, upon further review of the coalition, it appears they may have a different agenda than I anticipated.

"I am concerned the coalition is working on issues that conflict with the beliefs we share in Alaska about legal gun ownership, and I'm also concerned gun ownership advocates are not part of the full discussion within the coalition. We cannot afford to risk protecting our Bill of Rights and the rights of legal gun owners.

"Because of these conflicts, I have written to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chair of the coalition, and have asked him to remove me as a supporter of the coalition. We do have a problem in Anchorage with youth violence, gangs and their use of illegal guns. We are working with our gang task force, the Police Department and other means to eliminate the violence.

"We'll continue to fight that problem without infringing on the rights of legal gun owners." - Mayor Mark Begich, Anchorage

Note: Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor is the only Oklahoma mayor who has joined Bloomberg's coalition.

Ahmadinejad Says Holocaust A 'Myth'

An Iranian government-sponsored body set up to probe the veracity of the Holocaust has challenged Europe to hand over documents about the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II. Mohammad Ali Ramin, the head of the "World Holocaust Foundation" created after Iran's controversial Holocaust conference last year, said Austria, Germany and Poland in particular should supply documents.

"They should hand over the proof for the dossier on the organized massacre of Jews in Europe during World War II to the independent international fact-finding committee affiliated to this foundation," the IRNA state news agency quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the creation of the foundation after inviting a number of controversial revisionist Holocaust researchers to a conference in Tehran in December that caused an international outcry.

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly questioned the scale of the Holocaust, described the mass killing of six million Jews in World War II as a "myth" and also called for Israel to be "wiped from the map".

The foreign researchers invited to the conference -- some of whom have criminal records at home -- gave papers claiming the Holocaust never happened on the scale assumed by the vast majority of historians.

Mainstream historians specialising in the Third Reich counter there is ample documentary proof that around six million Jews were killed by the Nazis in World War II although some estimates put the figure slightly higher or lower.

The UN General Assembly last month unanimously approved a US-proposed resolution condemning denial of the Holocaust, in a move diplomats said was directly aimed at Iran's stance.

GOP Leaders Urge Caution After Henry's Speech

While encouraged by the governor's embrace of some Republican proposals and a new spirit of bipartisanship, House and Senate GOP leaders urged caution after the governor laid out his plans to spend hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars in his State of the State speech Monday.

"We appreciate Governor Henry's call for bipartisanship, but we are very concerned by the total level of new spending he has proposed. This governor has proposed mortgaging our children's future with hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending and borrowing. We must proceed cautiously when considering these proposals in the upcoming legislative session," stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee (R-Oklahoma City).

Both Coffee and Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah) said they were encouraged the governor had embraced a Republican plan for a public Website ensuring spending accountability for all state agencies. And they said both GOP caucuses share a commitment to increase teacher pay to the regional average. But both leaders said they were disappointed the governor said nothing in his speech Monday about immigration reform, tax relief or lawsuit reform -- all key parts of the Republican agenda this year.

Cargill and Coffee said they would proceed with caution as they examined the governor's executive budget. They said the governor's tobacco tax and lottery are seeing shortfalls at the same time the governor is proposing an expansion of spending. And they said the governor is trying to make up for the lottery's $40million shortfall by proposing long-term bond issues that would cover the cost of school operating expenses for only one year.

Cargill pointed out that the governor's proposed $200 million in bonds for the Opportunity Fund was an "eyebrow raiser."

"I just hope that the governor isn't biting off more than the taxpayers can chew," said Cargill.

On the issue of the state's prisons, House Republicans are proposing a top-to-bottom audit of the Department of Corrections to break the cycle of supplemental spending. Meanwhile, Coffee said Republicans support innovative solutions such as drug courts, but not at the expense of public safety.

Cargill and Coffee said another point of concern was the governor's plan to earmark the state income tax to pay for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, though the governor notably did not mention the plan specifics in his address Monday. "Fundamentally, it's just wrong to tie spending to a tax that is so harmful," said Cargill. "OHLAP is a wonderful program and deserves our support. The governor's plan does not appear to be the best way to support the program."

Coffee said Republicans also have concerns about the governor's push to expand "Insure Oklahoma."

"Insure Oklahoma has had a dubious track record and a shaky funding source," said Coffee, pointing to shortfalls from the governor's tobacco tax. "I have serious concerns about investing more of the taxpayers' money in the program." As of December, only 1,394 in 72 of the state's 77 counties were enrolled in Insure Oklahoma.

Blackwell Express Disappointment In Democrats

Speaker Pro Tempore Gus Blackwell (R-Goodwell) issued the following statement today after House Democrats voted in lock-step against new House parliamentary and procedural rules: "We're disappointed by the House Democrats' partisan actions today, and I certainly hope it's not a sign of things to come. The House Democrat caucus had input into this new set of rules, with the Speaker giving away a significant amount of power and changes to the amendment cycle at the request of the Minority Leader. Minority Leader Danny Morgan said today he appreciated the bipartisan approach of House leadership,as well as the input that had been offered on the rules. For House Democrats to vote in lock-step against the very rules they helped devise does not bode well for a bipartisan outlook this session."

Fallin Joins Anti-Terrorism Coalition

Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK) announced today that she joined the new Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus. The caucus will help provide members with more detailed information on terrorism so that Congress can create better policy and provide better oversight in regards to terrorist threats.

"We face a very real and very grave threat from terrorism," Fallin said. "I look forward to working with all the members of this important caucus, regardless of their party, to better understand the ideology and motivation behind terror attacks. Together we can help make this country safer from the terrorists and jihadists who seek to do us harm."

There are currently more than 70 members of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus, which is co-chaired by Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-NC), Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL), Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX), and Congressman Ben Chandler (D-KY). The bipartisan caucus will meet twice a month to receive briefings from terrorist experts about the threat to our country from extremism and jihadist terrorists.

The caucus will help Congress start an informed dialogue with the public regarding terrorism so that all Americans better understand the extent of the threat we face. A few of the subjects that will be discussed in the next several months include terrorist use of the internet, terrorist financing methods, and ideological differences between moderate Muslims and extremists.

Kiesel Seeks Rural Health Improvement

Legislation authored by State Rep. Ryan Kiesel could increase the number of doctors specializing in geriatric care in rural Oklahoma, he said today.

House Bill 1830, by Kiesel (D-Seminole), creates the Oklahoma Geriatric Medical Loan Repayment Program. The program would provide educational loan repayment assistance for up to five Oklahoma licensed physicians each year who have completed a fellowship training program in geriatrics, including geropsychiatry.

Each loan recipient would be eligible for $25,000 in annual assistance for up to five years. In exchange, the doctors receiving financial assistance from the state would agree to provide medical care in high-need areas of the state.

Mark Shannon Says He's Out

Mark Shannon, former radio talk show host and local blogger who had considered running for mayor of Edmond, says he won't. Shannon writes he decided he's just not political enough to seek office.

Tulsa Homeowner Kills Invader

From The Tulsa World ~ A man was killed Sunday afternoon when he allegedly tried to break in to a Tulsa home and was shot several times by the resident.

Tulsa Police Captain Eric Dalgleish said that just after 2 p.m. Sunday a man began knocking on and kicking the door at a home at 1131 S. 146th East Ave., apparently in an attempt to break in to the residence. "It appears the subject tried to kick the front door in," Dalgleish said. "The resident didn't recognize the subject, and he retrieved a shotgun from inside the home. He fired at the suspect after the door began to come open. The subject had banged and knocked at the door, escalating into the subject kicking the door in several times."

The resident fired several shots into the door as it opened, hitting the suspect, who then backpedaled and collapsed on the ground next to the driveway where he was pronounced dead, Dalgleish said. Dalgleish said it was unknown how many shots the resident fired at the suspect, but a neighbor, Kris Orman, said he heard at least three shots at the time of the incident. Orman said he was inside watching television when he heard the shotgun blasts.

The man who fired the shotgun and a woman also living in the home told police they didn't know the suspect and also didn't recognize his vehicle, which was parked in the residence's driveway. No weapons or drugs were found on the 39-year-old man, whose name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, Dalgleish said Sunday evening.

The names of the man and woman living in the home also were not released Sunday. If the shooting is ruled justifiable, it may fall under Oklahoma's "Make My Day" law. Such a ruling would be made by the District Attorney's Office, the officer said.

The purpose of the law is to protect the victim of crime who defends home and family against unlawful intrusion from any criminal prosecution or civil action. The law states a person can use force, including deadly force, to defend his or her home.

Iraq: Colby's Diary

(Editor's Note: 20-year-old Colby Ryan McCarville Stuck, graduate of Yukon High School and grandson of Mike and Ann McCarville and son of Alan Stuck of Yukon and Cheryl Anderson of Del City, is a U. S. Naval Reserve Seabee activated for duty in Iraq. He reported for training early in January.)

PORT HUENEME, CA ~ Our training in preparation for shipment to Iraq continues here at the Seabee training center where it is sunny and warm (unlike what you've had in Oklahoma!).

Last week, we qualified with the M-16, firing in the prone, kneeling and standing positions. I could have done better, however I qualified as a marksman. We are doing the "basic combat skills" program and testing ourselves on the CBR course in the gas chamber.

Three days a week, we roll out at 5:30 a.m. for physical training. Our training is almost non-stop, but on Sundays if we don't have courses, we are free.

There's no solid word yet on when we will depart for Kuwait on our way to Iraq, but it may be early in March. We're eager to go.

I volunteered to be cross-trained on the M240B machinegun. The M240 "Bravo" is a serious firearm and one of those our Marines and Seabees in Iraq rely on heavily. Others volunteered to be trained on other specialized weapons in our arsenal. The Bravo is belt-fed and weighs 25 or so pounds and usually is fired from a tripod. (Editor's Note: The M240B also can be mounted atop a Humvee, in a helicopter door, or in most any other configuration we can imagine.)

I also want to take the combat life saver training course so I have some basic skills that could help someone.

While our assignments in Iraq remain unknown to us at this time, I will be part of a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB). From the Navy, here's a rundown on the role our NMCB's play:

A component of the Naval Construction Force (NCF), NMCB provides construction and maintenance support to USMC, Naval Forces and other military units. To provide disaster control effort, provide forces for Civic Action support. Provide military and amphibious assault construction support. Subsequent Combat Service Support (CSS) ashore and defense against overt or clandestine enemy attacks directed toward personnel, camps, and facilities under construction.

PRIMARY MISSION: Construction capability for military operations Build and maintain base facilities Defensive operations, including operating a Chemical Biological or Radiological (CBR) environment.

SECONDARY MISSION: Disaster Control/Recovery Operations, including emergency public works, humanitarian relief and civic action.

HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION: Airfield construction/Rapid Runway Repair (RRR)/Expeditionary Airfields Ammunition Supply Points (ASP) Main Supply Routes (MSR) construction and maintenance Waterfront/Port construction, including pile-driving Forward Operating Bases (FOB) site preparation/Beddown.

VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION: Tension fabric and pre-engineered building (PEB) structures, including K-Span structures Expeditionary/semi-permanent utilities Timber structures (towers and bunkers) Deliberate bridging (Bailey/Timber/Medium Girder).

SPECIALTY CONSTRUCTION: Water well drilling (to 1500 feet) Concrete construction/asphalt paving Quarry and Rock Crusher operations Our mission is to provide and maintain a trained, ready, and immediately available reserve battalion meeting the requirements of the Naval Construction Forces for employment as directed by the Chief of Naval Operations in the event of war, natural emergency, or when otherwise authorized by law.

The Chief of Naval Operations has stated that the mission of a reserve battalion is: To maintain a state of operational readiness to provide a rapid and effective construction support to Naval, Marine Corps and other forces as necessary. To be prepared to conduct ground defense operations when required by the circumstances of the deployed situation. To be prepared to conduct disaster control operations, including public works functions as directed.

Note: Colby's diary, from an enlisted man, and Captain Kevin Calvey's diary (link is on the right side of this page), from an Army officer, should over time provide considerable insight into what our troops face in Iraq.

Go-Go Dancers Told To Get Going

By Mick Hinton in the Tulsa World ~ Scantily clad dancers showed up to get the crowd bopping at Friday night's Speaker's Ball.

But the women in short, red miniskirts and tight-fitting tops didn't get a chance to finish their first dance before they were banished for the night.

House Speaker Lance Cargill apparently was as surprised as everyone else when the women started dancing on the four corners of the stage above the crowd at the Cox Convention Center.

Cargill signaled his aides to get the women off the stage, a lawmaker who was at the event said.

The Gadfly On The Wall

Askins Supplied Half of $1.7 Million She Spent: Lt. Governor Jari Askins gave her campaign $880,000. Good for her. She said she saved her money to help fund her race and did so.

But Not E.Z.: E. Z. Million raised a whopping $525 in his Independent race for lieutenant governor. He spent $125. Now that's conservative!

FEMA: The Federal Emergency Management Agency clearly has fallen apart since being placed in the Department of Homeland Security. Oklahoman Joe Allbaugh was the last FEMA director to have authority to act with immediacy and it shows. Allbaugh, we've been told, warned President Bush that putting FEMA under DOHS would clog the pipeline and told him (Bush) he had picked the wrong man (Michael Chertoff) to head DOHS; appears he was right on both counts.

McMahan's Donors: Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan, as reported ad naseum here last year, raised most of his campaign money from office employees and those he regulates. The total is almost half a million dollars. Employees must believe they have the best boss money can buy.

Lobbyist Bill Case: We react with no surprise that former State Rep. Bill Case, defeated in his bid to unseat incumbent Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland last year, is now a registered lobbyist for Bobby Stem and their client American Reserve Life Insurance Company, controlled by the Phillips family interests. Those interests tried to help Case defeat Holland and failed.

83%!: If Governor Brad Henry's approval rating gets any higher, angels will start singing in the Blue Room when he enters. (I hear them tuning up.)

Anti-war Protestors: Disrespectful war protestors in Washington last weekend, Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon among them, defaced the U. S. Capitol by spray-painting anti-war slogans on some steps. Did you ever want to just slap the hell out of someone?

Worst Commercial: Okie Insight has a long-running poll about the worst 2006 political commercial. That God-awful Larry Gatlin spot for Insurance Commissioner candidate Bill Case leads the pack last time I looked.

Barack's Barrage: How long can the national media keep up the Barack Obama barrage? Hillary Clinton's got to be doing a slow burn over all the attention the Illinois senator has received, and at how glowing the comments have been. For a former state legislator with only two years in the Senate, Obama is a pure media creation. His record on substantive issues is thin and his tenure at the national level is short. Even more important than how long the barrage continues is how well Obama will perform in the presidential frying pan that is our primary process.

Newt: Former U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to lead our GOP presidential preference poll handily. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee battling for second place, way behind Gingrich. Nationally, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain appear to be the leaders in most polls.

A Shadow Of His Former Self? Unless my eyes deceive me, former State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Parmley has lost weight...a lot of it. I spotted this photo of Jay (in white, at rear) with other Democrats in Washington and even though he's partially hidden, it appears he's considerably slimmer than when last seen. Jay now works for the DNC in Mississippi.

The Unit: Network television programs hold little allure for me. I watch just one network program regularly and that is "The Unit" on CBS, Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. I am substantially invested in the character (Sergeant Jonas Blane) played by actor Dennis Haysbert, brother-in-law of the president of Langston University, Dr. JoAnn Haysbert. Haysbert is among the finest practicing actors. "The Unit" is an action-drama television series that rings with authenticity; it focuses on a small top-secret special forces team and their missions abroad, in addition to the effect their careers have on their home lives, wives and girlfriends (the supporting ensemble cast is first-rate as well). It premiered in the spring of 2006 as a mid-season replacement. The second season debuted last fall. Based on show producer Eric Haney's book, Inside Delta Force, the show was created for television by David Mamet; executive producers are Mamet and Shawn Ryan.

Buchanan Makes It Official

Jerry Buchanan, Tulsa County GOP Chairman, today announced his candidacy for Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman.

“I’m looking forward to bringing innovation, reform, and a renewed focus on the basics to our party,” Buchanan said. “I look at Republican defeats in 2006 and don’t believe that it’s our principles or values that are outdated. I believe it’s our state party that needs to be brought into the 21st century. We must concentrate our efforts on improving grassroots outreach, strengthening fundraising, and investing in improved communications efforts. We must be results-oriented and set specific timelines for the completion of our initiatives. We must adapt to new technology and be more responsible to our base.”

Buchanan's annoncement said that while he was chairman of the Tulsa County Republicans, the number of new Precinct Chairmen and Chairwomen increased 20% and there was a 12% increase in precincts represented, the most significant growth in 20 years.

“The success we’ve experienced in Tulsa is a result of teamwork, not just my efforts. It’s from the tireless work of engaged activists. When it would have been easier for us to give up and go home, we pulled together to call neighbors, knock doors, spread our message, and mobilize voters. I look forward to working with Republicans across Oklahoma to recreate the successes we’ve had in Tulsa on a statewide scale.”

As the first step in building improved lines of communication, Buchanan also announced he will embark on a statewide listening tour to hear first-hand from Republican activists about their vision for the future of the party.

Visitors to his campaign website at www.BuchananForChair.org will be able to see where he has travelled and join his movement for change within the Oklahoma Republican Party.

Incumbent Chairman Tom Daxon has not yet announced whether he'll seek reelection.

Seniors Scour Internet, Survey Finds

From England ~ Browsing the internet has overtaken DIY and gardening to become the favourite pastime of older people, according to a survey.

The internet is named as one of the favourite pastimes of retired Britons.

The current generation of "silver surfers" spends an average of six hours online each week, research by the insurance company AXA found.

Emailing and online chatting to friends and family was the favourite internet activity of the retired people surveyed, followed by researching information, booking holidays and shopping. Alison Green, a spokesman at AXA, said: "It is encouraging to see British pensioners embracing technology. The report highlights how pensioners are using the internet to support a less stressful approach to life.

"The potentially arduous task of struggling with the shopping is becoming less of an issue as retired people can simply log onto their computers and select groceries at their leisure."

According to the survey, 41 per cent of retired Britons named internet usage as one of their favourite pastimes. DIY and gardening were named by 39 per cent, hobbies by 36 per cent and travel and walking by 28 per cent. Four in 10 retired people said they were regular internet shoppers.

The most popular online activity was emailing (84 per cent), followed by searching for information (83 per cent). The survey found that 45 per cent bought travel tickets online, 35 per cent used internet banks and 28 per cent surfed the internet for news. Two thirds of retired people surveyed said they regularly contacted their children, while 42 per cent said they kept in touch with grandchildren.

The level of internet surfing puts Britain among the top five in the 11 countries surveyed. America came top of the poll with nine hours per weekend, followed by Canada and Australia with seven hours. Spanish and Italian pensioners were the least internet savvy, with an average of just two hours a week.

Democrats Huddle In Washington

Oklahoma's Democratic Party leadership huddled in Washington this week during the party's 2007 Winter Conference. Participating, in addition to Party Chair Lisa Pryor and others, were Kalyn Free of INDN's List and Party Vice Chair Ben Odom, shown here with Illinois Senator and likely presidential candidate Barack Obama. Also attending was former State Chairman Jay Parmley, now a Democratic National Committee representative in Mississippi.

Image courtesy the Oklahoma Democratic Party's website, www.okbluenotes.blogspot.com.

Stem, Case Lobby For Phillips Company

Lobbyist Bobby Stem's firm, Capitol Gains LLC, is now the registered lobbyist for an insurance company associated with controversial Texans Gene and Bradford Phillips, Ethics Commission records show. Former Republican State Rep. Bill Case (pictured), unsuccessful candidate for insurance commissioner, joined Stem's firm in December as a registered lobbyist.

The registration shows Stem (left) and Case now represent American Reserve Life Insurance Company, a company that figured prominently in the criminal investigation that helped force disgraced former Commissioner Carroll Fisher from office.

Enid attorney Stephen Jones has represented Phillips family interests in Oklahoma. In last year's contentious race for insurance commissioner, Jones and his associates donated thousands to Case's campaign and Jones has confirmed to The McCarville Report Online that another client of his is the secretive "Just The Facts America" group based in Austin, Texas and headed by Texas Republican activist Jim Cardle; JTFA is the entity that invested an estimated $300,000 from anonymous donors in television commercials and a website attacking incumbent Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, Democrat appointed by Governor Brad Henry when Fisher resigned rather than face removal from office. Investigations into Fisher showed he accepted gifts from a company tied to Gene Phillips.

A document on file in the state of Kansas reports the following: "On April 11, 2005, Bradford A. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Bankers Life, provided the Commissioner with an organization chart, dated December 31, 2004, indicating that the May Trust is the "Ultimate Controlling Parties" of Realty Advisors, Inc., American Reserve Life Insurance Company, and Liberty Bankers Life. Mr. Phillips also provided documentation indicating that the Trustees of the May Trust are Mickey N. Phillips, Ryan T. Phillips, and Donald W. Phillips." They are the children of Gene Phillips, as is Bradford Phillips. Regulators in other states have found that Gene Phillips exercises considerable authority over the operations of the companies.

Grand jury probes into Fisher's conduct resulted in allegations he accepted bribes from Phillips, his family and business associates while insurance commissioner. The alleged bribes included a $25,000 check from Davister Corp. Jones said Phillips was never an officer, director or shareholder of Davister. But the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission identified the company as being "managed by the same personnel who manage ... other private companies owned by Phillips or his family trusts.''

In September 1999 Fisher personally approved the sale of Tulsa-based American Reserve Life Insurance Co. to a Phillips-related company, authorities said.

Gene Phillips was interviewed twice by investigators from the attorney general's office, the grand jury's legal adviser, and Phillips' business associates, including Ron Akin (an officer of Davister), were subpoenaed to testify before the earlier grand jury. Akin appeared before the grand jury twice. Jones was successful in fighting efforts to force Gene Phillips to appear.

Buchanan To Seek GOP Chairmanship

Tulsa County Republican Chairman Jerry Buchanan is prepared to announce he's a candidate for the chairmanship of the Oklahoma Republican Party, sources tell The McCarville Report Online.

If Buchanan does become a candidate, he will be the first to announce for the post now held by Tom Daxon. Others, including former Chairman Gary Jones, have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Daxon came under fire from some party activists last year; he has not revealed whether he plans to seek reelection.

'Slick As Snot SNO-klahoma!'

SNO-klahoma, with the cold front's sweepin' down the plain, And the piles of sleet beneath your feet Follow right behind the freezing rain.

SNO-klahoma, ev'ry night my honey lamb and I Travel home from work and hope some jerk Doesn't wreck our car in passing by.

We know we belong to the land But it could use more salt and more sand!

And when we say Yeeow! Ayipioeeay! We're only sayin' You're slick as snot SNO-klahoma, SNO-klahoma, Oy Vey! ~ Carla Wilson

Henry Love Fest Continues: 83% Approval!

The Tulsa World reports today that Governor Brad Henry's popularity continues to grow, while the approval ratings of Oklahoma's U.S. senators remain stable and President Bush continues to slide. That's based on the latest Oklahoma Poll.

Henry checked in with his highest approval rating yet, 83 percent, in the survey of 752 likely voters conducted Jan. 19-21 by SoonerPoll.com for the Tulsa World and KOTV-Channel 6. U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn were both at 56 percent, a slight increase for each from the last Oklahoma Poll in October.

President Bush's popularity continues to slide. The poll found that 47 percent said they approve of the job Bush has done as president, with an identical share saying they disapproved. Six percent were undecided.

Bush's approval rating was 52 percent in October and 59 percent in January 2006.

"The bottom line is, he continues to slide," said poll consultant Al Soltow, University of Tulsa vice president for research. "He peaked at 89 percent at the end of 2001, was at 77 percent in (early) 2003, and it's been a steady decline since then."

Despite the drop, Bush remains more popular in Oklahoma than just about anywhere else in the country. A Gallup Poll conducted the week before the Oklahoma Poll put Bush's approval rating at 35 percent nationwide.

This Is One Prepared Groundhog

House Members Get Laptops

The House of Representatives is issuing laptop computers to all 101 of its members to reduce printing costs and make members more accessible to constituents, Speaker Lance Cargill announced today.

The high-tech move has already garnered positive bipartisan reviews.

Rep. Wes Hilliard (D-Sulphur) commended Speaker Lance Cargill for the project, writing, "Because of your leadership, the modernization was allowed to occur. It was time we moved into the future with technology."

Before the change, House lawmakers did not have computers. "Government accessibility and efficiency is a top priority for me this year, and what better place to start with than the House itself?" said Cargill (R-Harrah). "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, whether during the work week or on the weekend. Our goal is to streamline the process at the state Capitol and move away from an archaic, Twentieth-Century model. We need to make the process more efficient and make lawmakers more accountable to the public."

Rep. Skye McNiel of Bristow, a wife and mother of two young children as well as a small business owner, said her laptop will help her keep in touch with the citizens of her district no matter where she is: "This is a huge help for me personally, and hopefully that will mean it's a huge help to my constituents, too," McNiel said. "As long as I'm in office, I want to be as available to them as much as possible, and these laptops will greatly increase my ability to do so."

The House has previously spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to print paper copies of House bills and place them on members' desks during session. Now members can read the bills on their laptops at their desks in the House chamber, or in their offices when the House is in recess.

Harrison Wants Body Armor Proviso

With Oklahoma soldiers preparing for deployment to Iraq, State Rep. Terry Harrison believes lawmakers should ensure those men and women have body armor and the chance to train in it. “With Oklahoma soldiers headed to Iraq, we need to make sure they are thoroughly equipped and trained before they enter a war zone,” said Harrison, D-McAlester.

House Bill 1661, by Harrison, would provide $1 million to the Oklahoma Military Department for the purchase of body armor for Oklahoma soldiers. Since body armor costs roughly $1,500 per soldier, the appropriation would cover the cost of about 667 sets.

Dorman Calls For Fire Funding Change

To ensure that state money for firefighting is not "diverted to other uses," State Rep. Joe Dorman (at left, with firefighters) has called for a revamp of the funding system while addressing the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Winter Workshop in Stillwater.

"There have been problems in years past and it has become clear there's no guarantee money appropriated for fire-service training will actually make it to those programs under the current system," said Dorman, D-Rush Springs. "It's time the Legislature made sure fire funding is used for its intended purpose."

House Bill 1519, by Dorman, will include language that consolidates funding for firefighting programs so it primarily runs through the State Fire Marshal Commission, which will ensure the money is used for training programs as lawmakers intend by legislation.

Iraq Gun Control: Captain Calvey's Companion

Former State Rep. Kevin Calvin, now U. S. Army Captain Kevin Calvey, reports from Ft. Bliss he has a new companion: A Beretta M-9 9mm semi-automatic pistol he'll carry with him to duty in Iraq.

M9 Specs: A semi-automatic, single-action/double-action pistol. The M9 is the primary sidearm of The U.S. military, replacing the .45 caliber model M1911A1. The M9 has a 15-round staggered magazine with a reversible magazine release button that can be positioned for either right- or left-handed shooters.

Light Bulb Control At Work In La-La Land

A California legislator wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent light bulbs as part of California's initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. (Mounting concern in Oklahoma today as another round of global warming falls from the sky and sticks on the ground.)

REI State's Top Development Company

Durant-based Rural Enterprises Inc. is the state's top certified development company for 2006, the U. S. Small Business Administration reports. REI is headed by Tom Seth Smith (pictured). Last year, REI helped secure more than $47 million in small business financing.

REI's top certification involves the federal 504 loan program which provides guaranteed loans to provide fixed-rate financing for property and/or equipment.

Last year, REI expanded its Women's Business Center, holding 35 workshops in 16 cities. The Small Business Administration has increased funding for women businesses; that will allow REI this year to take its services across the state.

McCarville Takes Sooner Games Gold

Mike McCarville, firing his Browning Buckmark .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, won a gold medal in the 2007 Sooner State Games' firearms competition. He insists that even if he had faced competitors in his class (senior division), which he did not, he would have won the same medal. McCarville's grandson, Kevin Aliff (who aspires to be a member of the U. S. 2008 Olympic Air Pistol Shooting Team), won a gold in air pistol and silver in .22 caliber in his division.

Ohio Democrat: 'We Want Our Party Back!'

By Terry Jeffries, via NRA.org from Ohioans For Concealed Carry ~ It hasn’t always been easy being a Democrat, even though we recently have been able to elect several very pro-gun Democrats here in Ohio. Before 1994, we Democrats stood proud of the leaders we helped to elect, but something happened to my party, and I WANT IT BACK!

For a short while, I even considered changing my party affiliation, but after enduring several years of Ohio's Governor Taft and Senators DeWine and Voinovich, I think the Republicans need to take their party back as well.

When my party’s leaders took back control of our federal government, they told me they have a plan to keep it. I know they have a plan because they told me so every day by e-mail, radio, and television. They have polls designed to tell me they’re on the right track, and we all know polls always reveal the truth. The truth is… I'm tired! I'm tired of hanging my head in shame. I want my party back! It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to share a story from my party with others and still keep a straight face, especially when I read things like this Democrat position paper, but if my beloved country is going to be passed down to my children as it has been to me, remaining silent any longer isn't an option. I want my party back!

I want my party to start working for me, a gun owner, again.

If it takes writing responses to people like the above author, I’ll do it. Maybe if enough people in their party start writing, we can all have our parties back, no matter what party we claim. I am a lifelong registered Democrat who has voted in every election since 1968. I will always be a registered Democrat, in spite of my party’s lack of knowledge concerning the Second Amendment because I believe in most of their positions. However, until my party gets its head out of an unmentionable orifice, I will continue to vote against my party. I know very few Democrats who support the vision of our party when it comes to firearms, and whenever I do cross paths with a Democrat who does, their opinion soon changes when I engage them in constructive dialogue about gun control. Misleading polls with vague questions no longer work when the truth is so easy to find by visiting congressional websites that have our candidates’ voting record, and from the article prompting this response, the author is promoting more of the same. There is no gun show loophole; licensed dealers are still required to conduct business the same as they do in their storefront. Private sales are not illegal, and never should be. Assault rifles have been heavily regulated since 1934, and since that date, the only homicide on record with a legally possessed assault rifle was committed by a Dayton, Ohio police officer. None of us want guns in the hands of a criminal, but they will always be available no matter what new law either party dreams of passing.

Demonizing a firearm just because it looks scary does nothing to disarm a criminal; it only serves to defeat my party at the polls.