Jim Reynolds Offers Property Tax Measure

Senator Jim Reynolds, Oklahoma City Republican, said today he'll sponsor legislation in this session offering property tax relief to homeowners.

Reynolds’ bill will cap the annual increase in property taxes at 2.5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less, effective January, 2010.

“I’ve talked to too many homeowners in my district and around the state who are feeling pinched every year when they get their property tax assessment,” said Reynolds. “Due to a flaw in current law, County Assessors are raising property taxes the maximum allowable 5% every year, even when real property values may be remaining flat or even dropping.

SJR 5 is similar to a bill Reynolds offered in previous years, cutting the growth of property taxes for all homeowners, including newlyweds, baby boomers and seniors.

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Reynolds Wins As Opponent Withdraws

Senator Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, will retain his Senate seat without further legal battles after his opponent, Democrat David Boren, withdrew his challenge this afternoon.

Boren's had complained that alleged irregularities occurred in the Senate District 43 race.

A hearing on the complaint was scheduled for this afternoon in Oklahoma County District Court, but Boren withdrew the complaint because, he said, he didn't have time to round up witnesses.

In a recount conducted last week, Reynolds gained two votes.

Boren is not related to OU President David Boren.

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Reynolds Wins Recount; Court Action Ahead

Senator Jim Reynolds added two votes to his total over Democratic challenger David Boren on Thursday during the recount of their close contest in Senate District 43.

Reynolds had led by 157 votes.

Boren, who is not related to University of Oklahoma President David Boren, sought a recount.

The recount increased Reynolds' margin to 159 votes, according to unofficial results that must still be certified by the State Election Board.

The election moves into a courtroom on Monday, as a judge hears arguments about possible voting irregularities.

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Senate District 43 Recount Continues

A recount in the contested Senate District 43 election continued today with Oklahoma County Election Board officials conducting the checking of ballots.

Democrat David Boren requested the recount after his apparent loss to incumbent Republican Senator Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, by 157 votes in latest unofficial vote totals.

The district includes parts of Cleveland and Oklahoma counties. Cleveland County officials finished their count Wednesday.

Oklahoma County workers counted more than 16,000 ballots as watchers from the Boren and Reynolds campaigns looked on. The Oklahoman reported that occasionally, a partisan observer would object to a counter’s ruling on a ballot. Sanderson would remove the ballot from the pile. The three-member election board will review the ballots and make a ruling at the end of the day, Sanderson said.

Boren, a nurse who is not related to former Oklahoma governor and University of Oklahoma President David Boren, sat watching the count Thursday morning.

“We won’t know until it’s done,” Boren said. “If you don’t take a chance, you don’t have a chance.”

Boren has alleged voter irregularities in his race. Reynolds, who has served eight years in the state Senate, also alleged voter irregularities, but withdrew his compliant.

A hearing on the voting irregularities is scheduled for Monday in an Oklahoma County District Court courtroom.

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Recount Ordered In SD 43 Balloting

A re-count has been ordered in the Oklahoma Senate District 43 race, which incumbent Republican Jim Reynolds won by 159 votes, according to final but unofficial returns.

David Boren, the Democratic candidate who is not the president of the University of Oklahoma and is not related to him, requested the re-count, alleging voting irregularities. Reynolds also alleged irregularities in the race.

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Democrats Target GOP's Jim Reynolds, Launch $100,000 Television Commercial Attack

The October Surprise of the Oklahoma Senate campaigns has arrived, and it is a true surprise: Democrats are making a run at Oklahoma City's Jim Reynolds, hoping that attacks and a famous-name opponent can defeat the two-term Republican conservative.

Starting today, a hard-hitting, negative television campaign said to cost $100,000 began airing. The commercials target Reynolds in his District 43 (Oklahoma County running south from Tinker and northern Cleveland County) seat.

The commercials say they are paid for by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

Reynolds is the unanticipated target of the large television buy; some had presumed Democrats would target either open seat candidate Jim Halligan (District 21, Stillwater) or Senator Jonathan Nichols (District 15, Norman).

Halligan is seeking the seat of outgoing pro tempore Mike Morgan (D) and polling indicates he will win, thus it's a potential loss for the Democrats.

Nichols, a conservative two-term incumbent, is defending Republican-leaning turf in Norman where Democrats are less likely to cross party lines.

But tracking polls in both parties, we're told, indicated a safe Nichols and a charging Halligan, so the man caught in the Democrat headlights is Reynolds as Democrats fight to stave off what most believe will be Republican control of the Senate for the first time in history.

Reynolds, who has raised about $156,000, shows no major expenditures except for postage and printing and his last report shows he had about $119,000 in cash on hand. His Democrat famous-name opponent, David Boren, has raised and spent less than a fifth of the sum Reynolds has spent.

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Property Tax Slow-down Bill Wins Approval

Senator Jim Reynolds’ bill to slow down property tax increases received the approval of the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday. It next goes to the full Senate.

Senate Joint Resolution 59 would send to a vote of the people Reynolds’ proposal to cap at 3% the amount that property value assessments can grow each year. Reynolds said the current cap of 5% is too high.

“The number one complaint I hear from my constituents is that their property taxes are growing too fast,” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.

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USS Oklahoma Marble Markers To Be Sent

The first shipment of marble markers bearing the names of the 429 men who died on the USS Oklahoma will soon be headed to Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to complete the national monument for the USS Oklahoma which will be dedicated this December.

State Senator Jim Reynolds (pictured), who has been working with USS Oklahoma survivors on this project for the past several years, said there will be a brief ceremony at the South Plaza of the State Capitol this Thursday to mark the occasion.

“This will be a wonderful occasion, and I would urge people to come join us as we continue to work to complete the permanent memorial to the 429 men who lost their lives on the ship named for our state," said Reynolds.

Reynolds said the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and members of various state biker organizations will escort the markers to the state border after leaving the Capitol on Thursday.

“This December 7, it will be 66 years since those brave men died on the USS Oklahoma—the ship with the second highest lost of life of any the day of the attack. This memorial is long overdue,” Reynolds said.

"I hope that those who can will attend this historic event,” said Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones. “Senator Reynolds and USS Oklahoma survivor Paul Goodyear are seeing their vision become a reality. I applaud their efforts, along with all others who assisted along the way.”

The ceremony to observe the send-off of the markers will be held Thursday, October 18, 11 a.m., on the South Plaza of the Capitol. For more information, contact Sen. Jim Reynolds at 405-521-5522. (END)

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