LiberTea Rally For Ron Paul Excludes Gerhart?

Today's scheduled "LiberTea Rally For Ron Paul" apparently does not include controverial Sooner Tea Party leader Al Gerhart, but it does include a representative of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee.

Gerhart, known for his intemperate outbursts, attacks on others and extreme positions, recently criticized OCPAC leader Charlie Meadows, indicating a rift in the ranks of the ultra-conservative movement.

The list of speakers for this afternoon's event does not include Gerhart.

The keynote speaker is Adam Kokesh, a veteran of the Iraq War. Other speakers include Rep. Charles Key (R-Oklahoma City), former Senator Randy Brogdon, OCPAC Vice President Richard Engle, and Young Americans for Liberty UCO Chapter Vice President Kyle Platt.

Attempts to reach rally planner Lukus Collins for comment on Gerhart's exclusion were unsuccessful.

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Paul Backers Plan 'LiberTea' Rally Saturday

From The Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee ENews ~ Supporters of Presidential candidate Ron Paul are hosting a LIBERTEA Rally this Saturday, December 17th on the South steps of the State Capitol.

The event begins at 1:00 p.m. with the featured speaker being Iraq war veteran, Adam Kokesh. Also speaking will be Randy Brogdon, State Representative Charles Key and Richard Engle.

As far as I know this is the only organized presidential campaign in the state. For more information log on to www.RonPaulOK.com. I would suggest dressing warm, you may want to watch the weather and bring an umbrella or rain gear as well as a folding chair. ~ Charlie Meadows

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New License Plate Part Of 'Spy Cam' Plan?

[UPDATED] Governor Henry's plan to install more than 220 highway "spy" cameras to record vehicle license plates has been flying below the radar in state government for years and despite a few sporadic news stories, the full extent of the system, and those involved in implementing it, has not become apparent until now.

Read all of The McCarville Report Online's revealing stories by clicking on InsureNet Oklahoma in "Labels" below.

It appears planning for the system has been underway for at least four years.

Henry's budget proposal listed the system as the generator of $50 million in new revenue for the state. But in all the discussions, there's been no public mention that can be found of the tiny barcodes on the new plates.

The new license plates were designed to allow the use of highway "spy cameras" to read them and identify the vehicle as insured or uninsured, state records show.

The plates, first issued last year, contain the small barcode across the bottom on the right that is inconspicuous and not noticed by most owners. The sample plates issued by the state and distributed to the media did not contain a barcode sample; that space was empty. Defenders of the system say today that the barcode is not part of the highway camera plan.

The new plate movement sparked interest more than a year ago when Republican Rep. Ken Miller discussed his House Bill 2013, and what he said was the need for a new plate design, on the House floor. During the discussion, he was questioned by Reps. Charles Key and Mike Reynolds.

At one point in the discussion, Miller was asked if there had been discussion between involved parties and InsureNet and if the new or altered language is the result of that communication. Miller said (paraphrasing) that, “Yes,” there had been communication and while InsureNet submitted suggestions, none of their language was used.

Reynolds asked what would be InsureNet’s interest in changes. Miller says because they (InsureNet) would like to be the carrier (for a new highway camera license-reading system).

Miller said he has never advocated the highway camera plan, that his desire to see a new license plate for the state is not related to the plan in any way, and that the barcode is not a part of the technology.

InsureNet technology assigns a "UC", (Unique Code), to each combination of policy and VIN, (Vehicle Identification Number), which becomes the 'bridge' between insurers and government entities and records. In other words, the code allows instant access to information about the vehicle and its owner.

The use of codes on license plates has raised privacy concerns; in Nevada, gun owners protested a similar plan because they said it would allow others to trace them by using their license plate information. InsureNet assures that privacy is protected, but skeptics remain.

Said Reynolds of the highway cameras last year: “That’s a horrible idea. It’s Big Brother at its finest.”

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GOP Convention Addresses Primary, Leadership

This weekend's Republican state convention in Oklahoma City could generate considerable heat.

With a contested race for chairman and a battle to change the GOP's presidential primary system, interest in the event has grown.

The two issues are intertwined; the group pushing the change from a primary to caucus presidential system includes many of the same who seek to oust incumbent Chairman Gary Jones in favor of challenger Cheryl Williams.

The group includes arch-conservative Republicans, including national committeeman James Dunn; Rep. Mike Ritze of Broken Arrow; Rep. Charles Key of Oklahoma City; and Charlie Meadows, a Guthrie house painter and leader of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee.

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Key: Parties Should Pay For Primaries

Rep. Charles Key says political parties ought to have to pay for their own presidential primaries in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Republican filed a bill that would make any political party with a contested presidential primary election pay a proportionate amount towards that election date’s cost. The state spends approximately $3 million on primary elections, he said.

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Key, Reynolds Applaud Bailout Opposition

A pair of state legislators praised congressional lawmakers for opposing a mammoth bailout of financial lenders, saying the plan undermines the free market and public trust.

“My dad always said a good deal today will still be a good deal tomorrow, so I see no reason to rush this bailout plan through Congress without careful review,” said state Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. “As it is now written, the plan will simply incentivize bad business practices and lead to further disruption of our economy.”

“This bailout plan is nothing more than an attempt to protect poorly run businesses from the consequences of bad management decisions using taxpayer money,” said state Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City. “For free markets to work, private businesses must be allowed to succeed or fail based solely on their ability to turn a profit and not their ability to exploit political connections.”

Reynolds and Key said it is “morally indefensible” to force financially responsible Oklahoma businesses and families to foot the bill for national lenders “who couldn’t pass an economics 101 class.”

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Key Moves To Strip Edmondson Of Council Role

Republican Rep. Charles Key today fired a shot across the bow of Democrat Attorney General Drew Edmondson, saying he has filed a bill that would strip the attorney general from membership on the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council.

Key's news release said the bill would "reform the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, removing it from under the Office of the State Attorney General and making the council an independent body with expanded membership.

"I believe that it is imperative that we have complete independence between the Office of the Attorney General and the District Attorneys Council. As it is configured today, the attorney general sits in the council as a voting member," said Key, R-Oklahoma City. "Under my proposal, the attorney general is removed from the entire process."

House Bill 3230, by Key, not only removes the District Attorney's Council from the attorney general's office but also increase the council's membership to include a certified public accountant and a member of the press appointed by the governor, a professor of law appointed by the speaker of the House, a county commissioner appointed by the Senate president pro-tempore, and a retired judge appointed by the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

"By bringing professionals from accounting, media, legal education, local government and the bench, I believe these various perspectives will strengthen the DA's council," said Key.

Key said House Bill 3230 would allow DA's council be more active in pursuit and prosecution of corruption: "All we have to do is look at the key role that the federal government has repeatedly played in rooting out fraud in state government, such as at the Oklahoma Health Department in 2000 and the state auditor, state inspector and Gene Stipe today, and ask these questions: Where were the DAs and attorney general? Why is it that local DAs are not on the forefront in fighting corruption in state government?" said Key. "It is time to separate the influence of the attorney general from the DAs."

Key's bill, he said, would also make the District Attorneys Council's budgeting process independent from the attorney general. "This measure speaks to the need to provide complete independence for the district attorneys across Oklahoma from the office of the attorney general as well as provide greater representation from the public," said Key. "The citizens of Oklahoma elect each district attorney from their respective district to serve them to the best of their ability, and I believe that it is a good public policy for these independently elected officials to be able to govern themselves independent of the influence of the attorney general. We ought to be able to clean our own house."

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Key: Edmondson Guilty Of 'Grotesque Abuse'

"Our attorney general is treating the constitutions of this country and this state like so much tissue paper to sneeze on," Rep. Charles Key said today in response to the recent indictment of three citizen activists under fire in the TABOR controversy.

The October 2 indictment of Paul Jacob, Susan Johnson, and Rick Carpenter, who worked on a petition drive to put a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) measure on the 2006 ballot, is "a grotesque abuse of Edmondson's office," Key said.

The measure would have limited the growth of state spending. Jacob, president of Citizens in Charge; Johnson, president of National Voter Outreach; and Carpenter, president of Oklahomans in Action, are charged with willfully flouting a residency requirement for persons gathering signatures for the petition. If convicted, the three could be imprisoned for ten years.

Key suggested that the four-term attorney general take the time to read the U.S. Constitution and the Oklahoma State Constitution: "Apparently Drew Edmondson is more schooled in power politics and trampling the rights of the innocent people than in his basic obligation to uphold the law," said Key, R-Oklahoma City. "Four times now Mister Edmondson has taken an oath of office to 'support, obey and defend' the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma-and to discharge his duties to the 'best of his ability.'

"You shouldn't make that vow if you're not acquainted with the documents you are vowing to defend. But how you can read them without seeing the parts about the right of citizens to petition their government and the right of Oklahoma citizens to act to bring an initiative question to ballot? And how can you defend these constitutionally protected rights by grasping at some trumped-up technicality to try to destroy innocent people for their good-faith efforts in helping Oklahoma citizens to exercise those rights?"

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