Burrage Names Ellis To Deputy Post

Senate Democratic Leader Sean Burrage today named Senator Jerry Ellis to serve as Assistant Democratic Floor Leader. That position became vacant after Burrage was chosen to succeed Andrew Rice as Democratic Leader.

Ellis

“I want to welcome Senator Ellis to our leadership team. Jerry’s core values are Oklahoma’s values—he’s a strong advocate for the working people of this state, a staunch protector of Second Amendment rights, and understands the importance of Oklahoma’s natural resources,” said Burrage, D-Claremore. “Having been raised in Antlers, which is near Jerry’s hometown of Valliant in southeast Oklahoma, I am very familiar with the great job he has done as a Senator for his district. I know he’ll do a fantastic job as part of our leadership team.”

Prior to winning the Senate District 5 seat in 2008, Ellis, D-Valliant, served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Ellis is the Senate Tourism and Wildlife Committee’s vice chair, and also serves on Businesses and Commerce, Agriculture and Rural Development, Rules, and the Appropriation Subcommittee on Natural Resources.

“I’m looking forward to working with Senator Burrage and all my fellow Democrats as Assistant Democratic Leader of the Senate,” Ellis said. “I want to make sure our caucus is there to fight for the rights of all Oklahomans, not just the most powerful, as we undertake issues ranging from taxes to long-term water planning in the 2012 session.”

Burrage said Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, and Sen. Charles Wyrick, D-Fairland, would continue to serve as assistant leaders in the coming session.

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ORA Honors Coffee, Ellis, Chesnut

The Oklahoma Rifle Association has presented annual awards to two legislators and a national magazine editor.

Honored at the ORA's Annual Banquet Saturday night were Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee (right), Senator Jerry Ellis (left), and Mark Chesnut (below), editor of the National Rifle Association's official journal, America's First Freedom.

Coffee and Ellis were honored for their support of the 2nd Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms.

Chesnut, who grew up in Tuttle and attended OSU, was presented the annual Mike McCarville Media Award for his efforts on behalf of the 2nd Amendment. He lives in Jenks with his wife and four children. He previously edited Gun Digest, Bassin' and Crappie World magazines.

Guest speaker at the banquet was Senator Tom Coburn, who said the 2nd Amendment is the one that guarantees all the others.

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Jolley's Education Reform Bill Clears Senate

A measure to provide greater accountability and transparency in public education passed the State Senate with bipartisan support today.

Senator Clark Jolley is principal author of Senate Bill 1111, the “Educational Accountability Reform Act.”

The measure would restructure Oklahoma’s education system to create better transparency and accountability on data and testing, Jolley said. The current Office of Accountability would be restructured into the Educational Quality and Accountability Office.

“There is a problem nationwide with states being forthcoming about student achievement, because those achievement levels can directly impact public office holders,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “By moving testing oversight to an impartial third party, we can get objective numbers and begin to enact reforms that will truly improve student achievement.”

Democrats Jerry Ellis and Judy Eason McIntyre joined Republicans in supporting the bill.

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Ellis Praises Appeals Court Gun Decision

Senator Jerry Ellis said today that Wednesday’s ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a major victory for 2nd Amendment rights and the rights of Oklahomans.

The federal panel’s ruling upheld state law that allowed workers to have legal firearms in their locked vehicles. Ellis, D-Valliant, filed the original legislation when he was a freshman member of the House of Representatives.

“Having a gun for hunting or for protection is simply a way of life for most people in rural Oklahoma. When a major employer in my district started firing people for having their firearms in their vehicles, I was outraged,” Ellis said. “I was elected to the Legislature soon after this happened, and I knew I had to do whatever I could to stop this assault on our second amendment rights.”

Shortly before Ellis’ legislation was set to become law, it was challenged by various corporations who had argued against the statute claiming it was a workplace safety issue. A lower court had ruled that safety rules established by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act trumped state laws, but the 10th Circuit Court disagreed.

“I see this as a major victory for Oklahoma citizens. We’ve succeeded in protecting their second amendment rights, and this has also been a victory for states rights as well,” Ellis said. “When all is said and done, I believe this will have been one of the most important measures I will have passed in my legislative career.”

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House Passes Concealed Carry Legislation

From www.tulsaworld.com ~ The House today easily passed a weakened bill that would allow military veterans and trained law enforcement personnel to carry concealed weapons onto college campuses.

Before the bill was passed, 65-36, it was stripped of more liberal provisions that would have allowed anyone age 21 or above with a concealed carry permit to be armed on campus.

Lawmakers argued over whether arming some students would make campuses more safe or dangerous.

Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, who noted the National Rifle Association supports the bill, said, "We're not going to tell a veteran that he cannot defend himself."

Rep. Ray McCarter, D-Marlow, urged fellow members to vote for their constituents rather than worry about what grade they were going to get from the NRA.

"Shame on the NRA for putting us in this position," he said.

Another lawmaker won passage of a related bill that also was watered down before being approved.

House Bill 2232 by Rep. Jerry Ellis originally would have allowed anyone 18 and above to carry a concealed weapon if the person had undergone eight hours of training and received a permit. Ellis, D-Valliant, amended the bill to cover only those age 18 and on active military duty or a member of the National Guard or military reserve. His bill was approved, 91-9.

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Concealed Carry Age Eligibility Bill Advances

By Mick Hinton, Tulsa World ~ A bill that would lower the age at which people can carry concealed weapons from 21 to 18 is headed to the state House for consideration.

"In my district when you turn 18, you already have 16 years of experience with a gun," said Rep. Jerry Ellis (pictured), who added that he was exaggerating to make his point.

Ellis, from southeastern Oklahoma, is the author of House Bill 2232, which was approved 15-1 by the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

The bill was requested by the Oklahoma Rifle Association, the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, said Ellis, D-Valliant.

Charles Smith of Yukon, executive director of the state association, said the reason for passing the bill is simple. "If people can vote and serve in the military at age 18, they should be able to carry a concealed gun," he said.

Rep. Marian Cooksey, R-Edmond, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said she realizes that sometimes, especially in rural areas, fathers teach their sons how to hunt and handle a gun at an early age.

Read all the story at www.tulsaworld.com.

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Rifle Association Honors Ron Black, Jerry Ellis

The Oklahoma Rifle Association honored radio talk show host, newspaper columnist and blogger Ron Black during its annual convention awards banquet Saturday night. The ORA also named Valliant Rep. Jerry Ellis as its "Legislator of the Year."

Black was named recipient of the ORA's 2007 Mike McCarville Media Award for his support of the 2nd Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms. McCarville received the award in 1999, 2004 and 2005; it was named in his honor in 2006.

Black is the host of "Wild Oklahoma," outdoor show heard on stations in Oklahoma City, Cushing and Guymon. A television version begins this fall. He's the co-host of "Energy Matters" on KTOK in Oklahoma City and a regular political commentator on Fox 25 News. Black also is a columnist for the Oklahoma Gazette and operates a popular news blog. Before the station flipped its format, Black was the afternoon talk show host on WKY, Oklahoma City radio station.

Previous award recipients include Cam Edwards of NRA News in Washington and The Oklahoman's former editorial writer, Pat McGuigan.

Ellis, a Democrat, was honored for his work on 2nd Amendment issues in the 2007 legislative session.

The ORA also honored three members of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's aviation division and Kingfisher's fire chief, Randy Poindexter, for their helicopter rescue efforts in last Sunday's flood.

For blogger Mark Shannon's take on the awards, see his comments at www.markshannon.com.

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Jerry Ellis Blasts Texas Water District Request

State Rep. Jerry Ellis, southeastern Oklahoma Democrat, today ripped Texans representing the Tarrant Regional Water District; he said the group "came to Oklahoma with a hostile attitude last week." The water district serves 1.6 million people in north central Texas. In 50 years, their population could triple.

On Thursday, January 11, the Texas group requested three water permits to take 460,000 acre-feet from three water basins in Oklahoma, Ellis said, and they also filed suit to break the five-year water-sale moratorium approved by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2004. The law stopping the sale of water to out-of-state interests expires in 2009.

The three water basins targeted by Texas are Kiamichi (which could lose 310,000 acre-feet, or 15 billion gallons per year, if the Texas lawsuit succeeds), Cache Creek (125,000 acre-feet per year) and Beaver Creek (25,000 acre-feet per year), Ellis said in a news release. The total amount of water sought by the Texans is more than Oklahoma City and Tulsa use combined.

Any out-of-state water sale should require approval of the Oklahoma Legislature, not action by a board or a U.S. District Judge who are appointed and never face the voters.

Ellis said that to allow this issue to be decided by the courts would gut democracy and the result would be communism without a firing squad.

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