Ritze, Reynolds Want Judge Ousted

Two lawmakers want a McAlester judge to be removed from office following a controversial sentencing decision, they said today.

House Resolution 1065, by Reps. Mike Ritze and Mike Reynolds, calls for the Oklahoma House of Representatives to petition the Trial Division of the Court on the Judiciary to assume jurisdiction and institute proceedings to remove District Judge Thomas Bartheld, Pittsburg County Judge of the Eighteenth Judicial District, from office.

The resolution cites “gross neglect of duty” as the reason for removal.

“The people in Oklahoma must have confidence in the courts to deliver impartial justice,” said Ritze, R-Broken Arrow. “Clearly, that did not happen in this case and I have heard from many constituents who are outraged.”

“While it would be simpler and better if the governor or attorney general would step up and take this action, we have filed the resolution to ensure the process can move forward regardless,” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.

David Harold Earls, 64, was recently sentenced to a year in prison for raping a four-year-old girl in Pittsburg County. The sentence was the result of a plea agreement reached by prosecutors and the defense attorney.

The sentence and Bartheld have received national attention and criticism as a result of the case.

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Edmondson: Expect Commandments Challenge

Attorney General Drew Edmondson said today he expects a legal challenge to the new law that provides for a Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol.

His comments came after a decision Monday by a federal appeals court in Denver declaring that a Ten Commandments monument at a courthouse in Stigler is unconstitutional because its primary effect is to endorse religion.

Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, is the author of House Bill 1330, which calls for a privately funded monument on the Capitol grounds. Governor Henry signed it into law.

In a statement, Ritze said he believes Oklahoma's monument will withstand a legal challenge because his bill was modeled after a Texas law that withstood a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court.

But Edmondson told the Tulsa World that Oklahoma's proposed monument more resembles the Haskell County monument than it does the Texas case.

The Texas monument was part of an array of monuments dealing with history and the law, Edmondson said. It was placed by a fraternal organization. Such was not he case in Haskell County, he said.

Edmonson added it is premature to say how a defense to an anticipated legal challenge would be handled. The law says an outside group can handle the defense.

He said even if an outside group provided legal services free, if the state looses, the plaintiff's attorneys could collect legal fees. The group or entity responsible for those fees would need to be worked out, he said.

"We are obligated to defend this statute," Edmondson said. "The Attorney General's Office is committed to do that. I think the question is how far does that defense go? Do we stop at district court? Do we stop at the 10th Circuit or do we take it all the way to the Supreme Court? Each step would add to the potential cost of the defense."

Ritze said that the Haskell County case does not affect efforts to erect a monument at the Capitol. He said that the monument is meant to recognize the historical foundation the Ten Commandments have in modern law.

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Sullivan, Inman Named Mouths Of The House

From www.tulsaworld.com ~ House Republicans gave Tulsa's Dan Sullivan their party's "Mouth of the House" award, a tongue-in-cheek honor given annually to a member of each party for distinguished or at least lengthy oratory. Sullivan carried more than 125 bills in the House last session, a record according to some legislators.

Rep. Scott Inman of Oklahoma City, known for his lengthy discourses on legislative hypocrisy, was named the Democrats' Mouth of the House.

Freshman Broken Arrow Rep. Mike Ritze was given the "first annual black helicopter award." Ritze is a licensed helicopter pilot.

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Henry Signs Ten Commandments Monument Bill

Governor Henry today signed into law a measure that allows the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds.

The Senate last week gave House Bill 1330, By Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, and Senator Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, final passage.

The monument is to be placed where there are numerous monuments, the measure said.

The bill passed despite concerns that it could draw a costly legal challenge and could be interpreted as an endorsement of a religion. Brogdon said a private law firm has offered to defend the bill on a pro bono basis if such a legal challenge occurs.

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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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Proof Of Citizenship Requirement Passes Panel

A bill requiring proof of citizenship for those seeking office has been approved by a Senate committee and now goes to the Senate floor for a vote.

The bill, by Rep. Mike Ritze and Senator Anthony Sykes, would require candidates filing in Oklahoma to provide documentation of their citizenship.

House Bill 1329, by Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, and Sykes, R-Moore, requires prospective candidates to provide a birth certificate showing U.S. citizenship, a non-birth U.S. citizenship certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a passport in order to file. U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates would not be able to use either certificate of naturalization or passport. It would also make those documents subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

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Ritze Measure Requires Birth Certificate

Legislation requiring candidates filing with the Oklahoma State Election Board and any county election board in Oklahoma to provide documentation of their citizenship has been approved by the House.

House Bill 1329, by Rep. Mike Ritze (pictured), would require prospective candidates to provide a birth certificate showing U.S. citizenship, a non-birth U.S. citizenship certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a passport in order to file. U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates would not be able to use either certificate of naturalization or passport. It would also make those documents subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

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Senate Gets Ten Commandments Monument Bill

Legislation allowing the placement of a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol is headed to the Senate.

House Bill 1330, by Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow), would create the “Ten Commandments Monument Display Act.” The bill would allow for a Ten Commandments monument to be displayed on the Capitol grounds in accordance with existing U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

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Ritze Proposes Open Firearms Carry

Oklahomans would be allowed to carry a visible rifle, shotgun or pistol without a handgun license under a bill filed by state Rep. Mike Ritze.

“In Oklahoma, carrying a rifle or shotgun in your pickup is an accepted practice and most Oklahomans believe they should have the right to carry their guns openly if they have not been convicted of a crime,” by Ritze, R-Broken Arrow. “I hope my fellow lawmakers will approve this bill in committee. It is an affirmation of their belief in our Second Amendment rights.”

House Bill 1414 specifies that the firearm would have to be carried in a belt holster, a scabbard or a case designed for carrying firearms that is “wholly or partially visible.” Currently, Oklahomans by law may carry an unloaded, visible rifle, shotgun or pistol to hunt, in a class, at a sporting event or in a police or military function without a handgun license.

“I believe House Bill 1414 will make it crystal clear that you can have a hunting rifle in your vehicle under most circumstances,” Ritze said.

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Ten Commandments Bill Wins Panel Approval

Legislation allowing the placement of a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol received committee approval today.

House Bill 1330, by Rep. Mike Ritze, would create the “Ten Commandments Monument Display Act.”

The bill would allow for a Ten Commandments monument to be displayed on the Capitol grounds in accordance with existing U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

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Ritze Wants Ten Commandments Monument

Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, has filed a bill that would allow the construction of a monument of the Ten Commandments on the Capitol grounds.

Ritze has filed House Bill 1330, the "Ten Commandments Monument Display Act."

It calls for private funds to be used to pay for the display and directs the Secretary of State's office to help private entities in picking a location for the monument.

"The placement of this monument shall not be construed to mean that the State of Oklahoma favors any particular religion or denomination thereof over others," the proposal states.

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