Analyzing and sketching some past U.S. presidential election controversies and Electoral College challenges
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Oklahoma City, December 31, 2020 – Here is some Speed Dial History … Not comprehensive, but historical context in preparation for the week ahead.
The most recent presidential election cycles are not the first ones in which there was deep controversy centered around voting, voter eligibility, the processes of election, and the role of the Electoral College decisions in the various states.
Allegations of wrongdoing and fraud did not begin in this Century. Such assertions did not start with Donald Trump and Joseph Biden.
In the overview that follows, I am leaving out a trio of important and divisive elections where the popular vote was close but the Electoral College result was overwhelming. Those are: Abraham Lincoln’s first victory in 1860 (defeating three credible foes), Harry Truman’s upset plurality victory in 1948 and the Richard Nixon-Hubert Humphrey-George Wallace contest in 1968. The clarity of the Electoral results in those three is, for some analysts at least, ratification of the intended function of the Electoral College, as designed originally and amended over time.
Here are some of the other presidential election controversies over the course of U.S. History.
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
The first really controversial election for chief executive of the United States was the first seriously contested race, a contest pitting separate camps among some seriously divided Founding Fathers.
Vice President Thomas Jefferson ran against incumbent John Adams. The two men each had served the nation’s first president, George Washington – Adams as America’s first vice president, and Jefferson as the nation’s first Secretary of State.
Close allies in the Revolutionary war days, Adams and Jefferson became bitter enemies in the course of the Washington presidency and its aftermath.
From the rivalry between Jefferson emerged America’s first political parties – Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans (forerunner of the Democratic Party), and Adams’ Federalists (forerunner of the Whigs and in a round-about way the Republican Party). The campaigns that formed the early post-Washington era in the United States were bitter.
In that election of 1796, when the original Electors in the ‘College” cast two votes, Adams won a miniscule-looking popular vote, and secured the Electoral College 71-68.
Adams became President and Jefferson Vice President under those provisions.
Process controversies soon intensified.
In 1800, as Vice President (and president of the U.S. Senate) Jefferson in one step of the process choose ‘his’ electors (from Georgia) rather than Adams’ or any of the other candidates. The record has no formal objection registered, but enemies of the Sage of Monticello included his actions in their lists of his faults.
In the end result, his victory itself created controversy that dogged him until his comfortable reelection in 1804.
To be sure, most Americans were ultimately relieved that Aaron Burr, with whom Jefferson was at one point tied in the Electoral vote, was defeated for the presidency. (Alexander Hamilton despised Burr so much that at a critical moment he broke ranks with many Federalists to support Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party.)
One practical outcome of the early post-Washington contests were changes in the Electoral College system (by means of the Twelfth Amendment).
Too long to summarize adequately is the 1876 election. In brief: Democratic nominee Samuel Tilden defeated Republican Rutherford B. Hayes narrowly in the popular vote, but Hayes won the Electoral College 185-184 after the “Compromise of 1877” was forged, ending the post-Civil-War era of strong federal (Republican) control of the Reconstruction South.
“Gilded Age” elections in the Nineteenth Century were highly contentious and featured clashes between partisan political "machines" in states where one party or the other exercised dominance over the election process itself.
Benjamin Harrison lost the popular vote in 1888 but won the Electoral College. (Grover Cleveland became the first person to win the popular vote nationwide three times ... but only won the presidency on his first and third tries, making him the Twenty-Second and Twenty-Fourth chief executive.)
The 1888 election year leading to Harrison’s one term featured one of the highest turnout of eligible registered voters in American history -- 80 percent.
In 1912, Woodrow Wilson for the Democrats fell far short of a popular majority but gained an overwhelming Electoral College victory as he defeated both former President Theodore Roosevelt and incumbent Republican William Howard Taft. TR ran for the Progressive Party, much better known as the “Bullmoose” Party.
TR’s attempted return to national office fell short, but his candidacy split the Republic base asunder even as he gained the backing of voters who might otherwise have supported Wilson. TR ran a strong second (27 percent of the popular vote), but Wilson had nearly 42 percent popular support. Each of them thumped incumbent President Taft (23 percent) in the popular vote. Bottom line was Wilson’s overwhelming Electoral College win.
(Taft later returned to national office as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.)
Franklin D. Roosevelt won a total of four elections for the Democrats in the 1930s and 1940s. His third campaign in 1940 ignited fierce controversy when he broke the George Washington precedent (the self-limitation of two four-year terms). Later, the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution would make the two-term limit explicit.
In 1960, the race between Republican Richard Nixon (ending his two-term stint as Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice president) and Democrat John F. Kennedy. A competitive campaign included the famous (or infamous) Cook County returns. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s electoral work of a lifetime included jokes encouraging allies to “vote early, and often, the Chicago Way ...”.
For many years, results in Illinois were never really considered final until the LATE RETURNS came in from Cook County (a reference to deceased Democrats who somehow managed to vote). It was the discovery of 100,000 or so “late” votes that awarded Illinois and the presidency to JFK, winning him the Electoral Vote 303-219 -- and a popular vote edge of just more than 112,000.
In defeating President Gerald Ford, the Republican, in 1976, Georgia’s Democratic Governor
Jimmy Carter won a majority of the popular vote with just over 50 percent and a 297-240 edge in the Electoral College. BUT a switch of a few thousands votes in a handful of states would have elected Ford to a full term via the Electoral College.
(Trivia: The last voters in the continental U.S. in 1976 lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Voting machine failures resulted in LONG lines at the high rise campus precincts -- students from both parties waited patiently for hours. The final votes were cast after midnight, but before dawn).
Incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush (Bush I) in 1992 lost to Bill Clinton, the Democratic governor from Arkansas. He was elected president with a plurality of the popular vote and a 370-168 margin in the Electoral College.
That year, a strong independent candidate (billionaire businessman H. Ross Perot of Texas) garnered a lot of popular votes but no Electoral votes. While many analysts gave Perot primary credit for Clinton’s victory, post-election analyses made it clear that Perot also received many otherwise Democratic votes.
For Campaign 2000, the race of Texas Governor George W. Bush’s race Albert Gore (Clinton’s two-term vice president) is well remembered. Rare but not unprecedented history (see above) repeated itself in the 271-266 Electoral victory for the Texas Governor even though he lost the popular vote by half-a-million.
Everything that year hung on Bush II’s victory in Florida, which came as Central Time Zone returns from the Panhandle shifted the state to the Republican (gains for Bush that were eroded as Dade County votes were tabulated).
After weeks of contention, a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court put an end to the long post-election legal fight in the eponymous “Bush v. Gore” decision.
Forgotten by many today were intense-at-the-time controversies surrounding the 2004 election – in some ways a continuation of deep divisions unleashed in the 2000 result.
Bush II had a comfortable but not overwhelming popular vote win. Nonetheless some intelligent people who happen to be Democrats were (and a few remain) convinced that former Secretary of State John Kerry actually would have won the Electoral College if not for what they asserted was a process suppression of some votes in the Buckeye State.
Controversy over the election continued right up to the final and official Electoral College tally before Congress.
In January 2005, when two Democrats (one in the Senate, one in the House) objected to certification of the Ohio results. Their efforts were rebuffed, although some members avoided voting until final ratification of the Electoral results.
Throughout his two terms, George W. Bush was referenced by some Democrats and media pundits as president who was "selected, not elected" by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000, and then winner of a fraudulent reelection in 2004.
2016 set the stage for 2020
Eventually the United States of America got to 2016.
And then came 2020.
A pop song that still has currency after several incarnations on the Broadway stage and in both animated and live-action cinema contained a core truth about love, but it also applies to the struggle for power.
This is a “tale as old as time” but I’ll abstain from designating the beauty or the beast in any one election.
America is a special place, and it has proved durable despite difficult circumstances.
The nation usually gets past “these things.”
But after the year 2020, who can say?
Early in the New Year 2021, multiple objections to certification of the Electoral College Results may arise in Congress.
Odds favor the Democrat, Joseph Biden, but the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, cut short his customary Florida vacation, and returned ot the nation's capital. Trump has advocates in Congress who have promised to rock the boat. And Trump has emboldened “Alternative Electors” in a few states.
At some point on January 6, things will get clearer. Or not.
Analyzing and sketching some past U.S. presidential election controversies and Electoral College challenges Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Enjoy live views of the Oklahoma City Zoo’s popular red pandas with return of the Zoo’s online panda cam. Animal lovers worldwide now have the opportunity to enjoy endless hours of watching the Zoo’s endangered red pandas this winter from home.
Experience a virtual visit to the OKC Zoo’s red panda habitat at Sanctuary Asia from your smartphone, computer or tablet to watch Thomas, 7, and his daughter, Khyana, 18-months, as they play and connect with their caretakers and enjoy their favorite weather season, winter.
Now through Sunday, February 28, 2021, get an exclusive real-time look at the Zoo’s adorable red pandas online by visiting okczoo.org/pandacam .
The red panda cam (https://ift.tt/2AkQ7Hp) will stream live daily with optimal viewing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. of either Khyana or Thomas. Because red pandas are solitary by nature and Khyana has reached an age of maturity, she and Thomas do not share habitat space.
Khyana and her twin brother, Ravi, were born at the Zoo’s Sanctuary Asia habitat on June 2, 2019, to parents Thomas and Leela.
Both Leela and Thomas arrived at the OKC Zoo in 2018 as part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan™ (SSP).
SSP programs were developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help oversee the husbandry and breeding management and, as a result, the sustainability of select animal species within AZA-member zoos and aquariums, including the OKC Zoo.
Many of these programs help enhance conservation efforts of these species in the wild as well.
This year, Leela and Ravi, relocated to other AZA-member zoos as part of the SSP program to help further contribute to the conservation of their species.
In October 2019, Khyana underwent an amputation of her hind, left leg, due to a congenital deformity. She continues to thrive and is extremely active, always exploring her surroundings. Khyana is also eager to engage with her caretakers through training sessions.
Known for being great climbers, red pandas spend most of their lives in trees, even sleeping in branches. Red pandas grow to be about the size of a typical house cat. Their bushy, ringed tails add about 18 inches to their length and serve as a type of blanket keeping them warm in cold mountain climates.
Though previously classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail, red pandas are currently considered members of their own unique taxonomic family — the Ailuridae. The red panda is listed as an endangered species. Only an estimated 10,000 remain in the wild, and their habitats in remote areas of the Himalayan Mountains, from Nepal to central China, are being threatened by deforestation, agriculture, cattle grazing and competition for resources.
Click on the Zoo’s red panda cam (cut and paste the link given above) for all the cuteness you can stand! The Oklahoma City Zoo is open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no public access on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/tickets .
Zoo tickets are limited each day to maintain social distancing among guests.
Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free.
Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a ZOOfriends member. Starting at $45, memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org and provide access to the OKC Zoo for an entire year plus, additional benefits and discounts.
To learn more about Zoo happenings, call 405-424-3344 or visit okzoo.org .
Oklahoma City Zoo hosts live Red Panda Cam online now through February 28 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Oklahoma City, December 30, 2020 – Just a few years after the American Revolution had secured independence for the United States of America, the nation was deeply divided.
In Philadelphia, the Constitutional Convention was deadlocked. The original governing document of the United States had not worn well.
Initially intending merely to make the Articles of Confederation workable, the delegates were embarked on a search for a new framework for democratic, republican and federalist governance.
Divisions in early America were many, including those centered around the scourge of slavery. But honesty leads the historian to reflect: The most divisive issue for the delegates was not human bondage, but practical politics.
Bigger states wanted a national Legislature based on population; smaller states insisted the former colonies be equal – one-state-one vote on national laws and policy.
The venerable Benjamin Franklin rarely spoke at the Convention, but he was worried about the enterprise. On the morning of June 28, he gained recognition and rose to speak.
According to James Madison’s notes, Franklin told his brethren the delegates seemed “to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it.” He recounted deliberations, as delegates cast about for one model or another of governance from past or present, finding none “suitable to our circumstances.”
Despite his reputation as a skeptic in matters of faith, it seemed odd to him “That we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?”
Franklin took the group, which included both friends and rivals of his long and storied life, back to the days of that War for Independence, the work of the Continental Congress, and remembrance that “In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.”
Franklin wondered: “Have we forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”
He moved that “henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business.”
In discussion, delegates admitted a lack of funds – the means with which to pay a preacher – had caused the lack of prayer. They fussed among themselves for some time, and never got around to passing the motion before adjourning for the day.
But perhaps the point had been made.
Deliberations in Philadelphia became more productive.
A Legislature of two houses – one apportioned equally by state (with two votes for each in the upper chamber) and the other by population (the lower chamber) emerged in the Constitution Madison wrote. A new Constitution of separated powers was sent to the people -- not perfect, but a start.
On September 17, 1787, the nation began to consider the Constitution. By March 1789, it was ratified. Thirteen months later, in spring 1790, Ben Franklin died.
Representing American interests in France, Thomas Jefferson was not at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The author of the Declaration of Independence, a slave owner, had planted seeds for the destruction of slavery in his greatest work.
Later, after the seminal presidency of George Washington, John Adams -- passionate foe of slavery – would be the second president, for but one term.
Jefferson was the third president, for two terms.
In power, the two revolutionary allies became bitterly estranged.
Adams was the nationalist and an advocate of central power, and Jefferson the libertarian foe of centralization.
Jefferson, target of some of the most vicious personal attacks printed in the newspapers of his day, had nonetheless settled into a mature frame of mind, believing, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.”
Saddened over their divisions, Adams wrote on January 1, 1812, wishing the Sage of Monticello a Happy New Year. Slowly, across the miles, they reconciled in their latter years, exchanging warm, even tender, letters discussing the weighty matters of their day.
And then came the time that comes to us all.
Late on the Fourth of July, 1826, John Adams, 90, passed from this world (https://ift.tt/3pyFDKz) into the next.
In words of tribute to his friend and foe – they didn’t call themselves ‘frenemies’ as is the parlance now -- Adams said in his final moments, “Thomas Jefferson still survives.”
Actually, five hours before, the southerner, at 82, had died on his estate, but the system of human government Thomas Jefferson helped establish has endured, thus far.
It remains even as his memory is denigrated in the halls of academe and among powerful players in the contemporary version of the political party he founded.
I read somewhere that nothing is inevitable – neither the rise and fall of great nations, nor the dawning of another day.
Fully cognizant of their faults, I believe there is eternal and inevitable wisdom in that generation of men who, without surrendering their own integrity, trusted one another when it mattered.
I know not what the future will bring, but on the eve of New Year’s Eve 2020, I second Mr. Franklin’s motion.
Cognizant of my debts to Franklin, to Jefferson, to Adams and to more than I can count, I plead:
Let us implore the assistance of Heaven, humbly seeking wisdom and help from the Father of Lights, asking for His blessing on this land and our peoples, living still in the midst of trouble and peril, in hope and in aspiration.
Franklin, Jefferson and Adams still survive.
NOTE: This is adapted from a longer commentary first posted on CapitolBeatOK on July 2, 2013.
At the end of 2020, Remembering Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY. – Gardeners who have been putting off doing their landscaping chores are getting a helping hand from birds.
David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Extension consumer horticulturist, said wild birds are grateful for the lack of upkeep.
“This is the time of year when tidy gardeners are raking leaves, removing dead plants from flowerbeds and doing a general cleanup,” Hillock said. “However, seed heads of coneflower, black-eyed Susan and other native wildflowers provide a smorgasbord for birds. In addition, native species of grasses make good forage after they go to seed.
“Letting other dead plants stick around can provide protein-packed snacks for birds in the form of insect larvae,” Hillock added. (Visit Oklahoma State University Extension services online: https://extension.okstate.edu/).
Trisha Gedon, OSU Agricultural Communications Services, stated in a press release, “Gardeners can save themselves some sore muscles by letting leaves lie instead of raking. Fallen leaves are important because they rot and enrich the soil. They also provide a place for bugs to gather and birds to forage.”
Gedon suggests for gardeners who simply can’t take a complete hands-off approach, they should consider composting only some of the leaves while leaving the remainder scattered across the landscape.
Hillock said other options include raking leaves into flower beds or mulching them to nourish the lawn. Fallen leaves also provide a habitat for lots of little critters such as salamanders, snails, worms and toads.
“The epic ice storm in October broke many tree limbs in the landscape. While large limbs do need to be taken care of, consider building a small brush pile that will shelter birds from bad weather and predators,” he said. “This brush pile also can serve as a home to rabbits and other small wildlife. These critters can be fun to watch through the window.”
“Messy is definitely good to provide food and shelter for birds during the cold winter months,” says Tod Winston, Audubon’s Plants for Birds program manager.
“If you’re digging in the garden and come upon these squirmy little coppery-brown dudes, and you don’t know what they are — those are moth pupae,” Winston said. A healthy layer of undisturbed soil and leaf litter means more moths, which in their caterpillar phase are a crucial food source for birds.”
While gardening enthusiasts take advantage of the break, they should consider visiting local nurseries for native shrubs and trees. Fall and early winter weather is more comfortable to work in than the overwhelming summer heat.
“When at the nursery, consider native dogwood, hawthorn, sumac and other flowering shrubs as additions to the landscape,” Hillock said. “They produce small fruits that not only feed the bird population during the cold months, but also provide a wonderful pop of color in the winter landscape.”
To find species suited to your yard, enter your ZIP code in Audubon’s native plants database
(https://www.audubon.org/native-plants).
“If you plant trees or shrubs this fall, they might not bear fruit this year — but come next winter, you and your backyard birds will be glad you did,” Winston said.
OSU Extension offers additional information regarding landscaping and gardening to attract birds on its website
(https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/landscaping-and-gardening-for-birds.html).
Birds can help with gardening chores this season Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Rural Oklahoma road sign marks spot where Paul McCartney asked for directions to Route 6612/30/2020
OKLAHOMA CITY – Toby Thompson didn’t mention it to a lot of people after he met Sir Paul McCartney and his then-girlfriend Nancy Shevell on Aug. 5, 2008, on the original stretch of Route 66 that adjoins his property a couple miles east of Arcadia.
"Announcing that you’ve just spoken with one of the Beatles is like saying you saw a UFO,” Thompson said.
But he did mention the event to his neighbors, Jim Ross and Shellee Graham, who are all about Route 66.
Ross is a Route 66 historian and author of several Route 66 guidebooks. His wife is an author and photographer who collaborated with him on some of the books.
Graham, who designed the 30-by-36-inch sign, said the idea had been “percolating” in her mind for several years before she approached Calvey.
Twelve years later, a sign was erected on the Oklahoma County road to commemorate Thompson’s big moment and provide a photo opportunity for fans of the Mother Road and the Fab Four.
“I don’t often get requests for special signs,” said Kevin Calvey, who is the District 3 Oklahoma County commissioner. “But when I was approached about doing this sign, I was certainly interested. I think Route 66 is just cool anyway, especially the Oklahoma part.”
Calvey said that besides being a Beatles fan, he’s interested in anything that will help improve tourism and civic pride.
“When you retire, it gives you time to think about things that have been on the back burner,” Graham said.
Thompson said he was in a ditch, tackling weeds in a culvert, when McCartney pulled up in a 1989 Ford Bronco which he drove along Route 66 to celebrate his 66th birthday.
“I went up to the passenger window and asked if I could help them,” Thompson said. “They said they were trying to get back on Route 66, and wanted to know how far it was.”
After assuring them they were near the end of the original stretch of road, which is now a diversion from Historic Route 66, Thompson popped the question.
“I said, ‘Are you who I think you are?’ And McCartney said, ‘probably,’” Thompson recalls. “And I told him it was an honor to meet him,” Thompson added.
Thompson regrets that he wasn’t planning on seeing the music icon and was not dressed for that special moment.
“I looked like hell,” Thompson remembers. “I had mud all over me. I was wearing shorts, a pair of socks that were calf-high, a pair of work boots, a T-shirt and a safari hat I got from the San Diego Zoo. So, I looked like a goofball hillbilly.”
He’s also sad that he didn’t have any paper on him to ask for an autograph.
But today, Thompson says he is happy about the sign and that he was invited to be on hand for the installation on Nov. 16.
The county sign tech, Buck Brockaw, an old friend from high school, wanted
Thompson to show him just where the conversation happened.
Thompson, 63, is a retired agricultural equipment sales representative and a Beatles fan from way back. His favorite single is “Let It Be.”
Ross, who has lived on the original stretch of road for 23 years, said it became a county road in 1952, after it was bypassed by Route 66.
“It’s a really durable road surface,” he said. “The west portion consists of asphalt over concrete, paved in 1929. The eastern portion was paved in 1928. It’s two different projects that meet.”
In 1999, Ross wrote the nomination to have the road placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because it’s so well-built, he said, it’s survived nearly 100 years with only occasional patching of small holes in the asphalt.
The sign is on the east side of the road, two-tenths of a mile from the Intersection of the original highway with Hiwassee Road. Calvey said he plans to hold an official dedication, “when COVID-19 calms down.”
Rural Oklahoma road sign marks spot where Paul McCartney asked for directions to Route 66 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
2020 comes to a close on Thursday. It has been a year to remember. In the not so distance future, there will be books written and movies made about 2020. Americans have become more acquainted with Zoom and on-line video meetings than they wanted to. They have eaten at home more.
They have learned to recognize people by their eyes, because masks are the fashion statement of the year. Let’s recap 2020 by month.
In January, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping aside from their royal duties. The next day COVID-19 arrived in the United States when a Washington state man who had traveled from Wuhan, China tested positive. Kobe Bryant and his daughter were killed in a plane crash on the 26th. Britain officially left the European Union on the 31st.
In February, the impeachment of President Donald Trump dominated the news. Impeached by the U.S. House in January on a partisan vote, Trump was acquitted by the Senate February 5th on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. “Parasite” dominated the Oscars, the first time a non-English speaking movie won Best Picture.
In March, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Experts claimed that up to 70 percent of the world’s population could ultimately be infected by the virus. The stock market reacted negatively and had its largest single day point drop in history on the 9th. Americans stocked up on toilet paper (not normally an expandable consumption product), and other staples creating shortages on retail shelves.
In April, armed militia members took to the Michigan State Capitol to protest stay-at-home orders by the governor. Tensions got high as local elected officials across U.S. imposed mask mandates and prohibited certain businesses to remain open.
In May, George Floyd died and the media focus moved to racial injustice and inequality. Protests were held across America, many turning into riots and looting.
In June, President Trump declared himself the ‘president of law and order’ in front of a church across the street from the White House. Former Vice President Joe Biden was ultimately chosen as the Democratic nominee for president.
In July, Major League Baseball started their shortened season, but fans weren’t allowed into the stadiums. The games were played in front of cardboard cut-outs. California Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down churches in the state by banning in person worship, prompting lawsuits from several.
In August, Hurricane Laura struck the Louisiana coastline, killing six and a large swath of destruction. The hurricane season in 2020 was one of the most active with twelve (12) named storms. President Trump accepted the GOP nomination for president. Joe Biden announced his vice president choice -- Senator Kamala Harris, D-California.
In September, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court.
In October, President Trump was diagnosed and briefly hospitalized with COVID. Judge Barrett became Justice Barrett after a 52-48 bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate.
In November, America voted and former Vice President Joe Biden was projected the winner by the media. President Trump disagreed and vowed to expose voting irregularities across the country. The state of Texas (along with 17 other states) sued four states, challenging their seating of their Electors. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Alex Trebek died after a long battle with cancer.
In December, two companies – Pfizer and Moderna -- were approved to administer a vaccine to combat COVID. The arrival of the two vaccines were developed in less than a year after President Trump had initiated Operation Warp Speed. The media gave him zero credit. A mutated strain of COVID shut down the United Kingdom fueling fears a second wave could be more challenging than the first.
On Thursday (December 31) at midnight some Americans will sing "Auld Lang Syne," a poem written by Robert Burns set to a folk song melody. Auld Lang Syne means ‘days gone by’ and is normally reserved for looking back on a year with fond memories.
For most Americans, 2020 can’t be gone soon enough. R.E.M’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It’ might be a better selection.
Happy New Year!
NOTE: A noted Oklahoma commentator whose works appear frequently on CapitolBeatOK.com, an independent news service based in Oklahoma City, Steve Fair is a conservative and Republican leader. He is chairman of the GOP’s Fourth District. Steve can be reached by email at okgop@aol.com. His blog is stevefair.blogspot.com .
Reflections on the Year 2020: Auld Lang Syne Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK News Updates from some of Oklahoma Tribal Nations Independence an Inaugural and the COVID fight12/28/2020
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News Updates from some of Oklahoma Tribal Nations – Independence, an Inaugural and the COVID fight Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
The Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority (CNHSA) has worked with Indian Health Services (IHS) to make COVID-19 vaccinations available to frontline healthcare workers.
Choctaw Nation elders were scheduled to follow in early January 2021.
“The novel coronavirus has impacted all of us in some way,” states Dr. Jason Hill, Chief Medical Officer. “The vaccination will help protect our patients from contracting the virus or spreading it unknowingly to loved ones. CNHSA will be making both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available when supplies arrive from the manufacturer. These vaccines require two doses to achieve an over 94 percent effective rate.”
CNHSA joined the historic movement to fight the novel coronavirus by giving the first doses of the vaccination in Choctaw Nation. Dr. Hill, Chief Medical Officer for CNHSA received the first dose. Top nursing and pharmacy officials also received the vaccine on the first day of its offering.
The vaccine will be available for CNHSA frontline employees throughout the next several weeks.
Beginning as early as this month (January 2021), phase 2 of the vaccinations will be made available to Certified Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) card holders 60 years and older that live within Choctaw Nation jurisdiction, along with CDIB card holders that live in the same household.
The details for those meeting the criteria will be announced.
Final phases will include CDIB cardholders of any age and CNO associates as vaccine supplies are available. Further information will be made available on www.choctawnation.com/covid-19 .
NOTE: This story is featured on page 2 of The City Sentinel print edition, January 2021.
www.CapitolBeatOK.com
COVID-19 vaccine given to Choctaw Nation health care workers Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, filed Senate Bill 161 last month, seeking to increase Oklahomans minimum wage requirement.
Senate Bill 161 would require employers to pay their employees a minimum wage of $10.50 per hour, or match the federal minimum wage rate, whichever is greater. Oklahoma’s current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which is equal to the federal minimum wage.
“It’s been more than a decade since hard-working Oklahomans have seen an increase to the minimum wage schedule,” Young said in a press release sent to The City Sentinel newspaper, CapitolBeatOK (an independent news service) and other news organizations.
“During this time, the spending power of a minimum wage paycheck has drastically decreased.”
The last change to Oklahoma’s minimum wage schedule was in 2008 when the rate increased from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour.
In his press release, Senator Young pointed to neighboring states to help make the case for his proposal.
Twenty-nine states have a minimum wage requirement higher than the federal minimum, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. While Texas and Kansas match Oklahoma’s $7.25 an hour minimum wage, Missouri’s minimum wage rate is $9.45 per hour and Arkansas’ minimum wage rate is $10 per hour. Both states have plans to further increase their rates in the coming years.
“Many of our essential workers during this pandemic have been paid a minimum wage. Raising the rate at this point in time would be a well-deserved ‘thank you’ for their dedication and service during an extremely challenging year,” Young said.
“If we truly want to be a ‘Top 10 State,’ we must raise our minimum wage rate to be competitive with other states on a national level.”
Oklahoma State Senator George Young presses for minimum wage boost Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, and 14 other Oklahoma state senators sent a letter on Tuesday (December 22) urging Congress to fight illegal ballots in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The letter to Oklahoma’s congressional delegation asks them to voice their objections, bring arguments and evidence against the votes cast in those states where voting laws were illegally and unconstitutionally changed by executive fiat, or by judicial edict.
“Americans deserve an election process that is fair and transparent. This year’s general election was far from it with voting laws being illegally changed in multiple states at the last minute and ballots being cast with no proof of identity or other necessary qualifications to guarantee they were from legitimate voting citizens,” Bullard said.
“I want to thank my Senate colleagues for joining me in this stand for our nation, our Constitution and the preservation of our republican form of government. We can’t let those who put power above what is right and honorable control this sacred process. We demand that Congress step in and fight for a recount of the ballots in these four states to ensure accuracy and fairness.”
Members who signed the letter included:
• Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro
• Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair
• Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant
• Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard
• Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow
• Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry
• Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain
• Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee
• Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow
• Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt
• Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington
• Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa
• Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman
• Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah
• Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore
Senator Standridge drew both praise and criticism earlier this month when he issued a widely-covered statement supporting a lawsuit from the state of Texas challenging the legality of many pre-election election system changes in key “battleground” states.
(https://ift.tt/37O0zak)
The Texas lawsuit was rebuffed at the U.S. Supreme Court with seven justices saying they would not hear the case, although two members of the High Court voted to consider the case without indicating they would support the lawsuit’s contentions.
The Electoral College members met around the country this month. Democratic nominee Joe Biden won a majority of the votes cast under customary procedures. However, alternative electors supporting incumbent President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, want to submit their votes when Congress meets on January 6 to act on the Electoral College ballots.
Several members of Congress and a few Senators have indicated they might oppose Biden’s election in that meeting.
At a Senate hearing in mid-December, U.S. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said the election processes in some states were flawed and that concerns about fraud are justified. (https://ift.tt/37KZ10O)
However, Lankford and most Republican senators have not said they will oppose Biden when the Electoral count takes place.
NOTE: Patrick B. McGuigan contributed to this report.
Oklahoma State Senators join Sen. David Bullard in urging Congress to ‘fight illegal ballots in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin' Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
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