SoonerPolitics.org

Do We Need The State To License Music Therapy?

5/30/2016

There's an axiom in politics:

"Whatever you subsidize will magically grow,
and justify the existence thereof".

Even if there was no need for the subsidy to begin with, there will soon be a new lobby group to represent those who are making a career out of the legislation that the state carves out for them.

The autism advocacy lobby is pushing for several government interventions, unfunded mandates, and insurance requirements. The Music Therapy trade groups are pushing for insurance companies to pay for music therapy treatment, administered by a professional Music Therapist.

How did Oklahoma ever manage to survive without the state licensing professionals to administer music as therapy?

Have you ever turned to music as a means to impact your own mental or emotional health?
Has your parent ever sang to you when you were troubled or needed to calm down and rest?
Have you ever cranked up some rock'n tunes to get 'pumped up'?
Have you gotten 'in the mood for lov'n with something romantic on the stereo?

Here's what one Music Therapy trade group is telling their membership...

"The growing need for music therapy services for adults with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities), including ASD (autism spectrum disorder), calls for more research, forums, and publications in our field."

The Failure To Override The Abortion Veto

5/30/2016

Bob Donohoo, of the Oklahoma John Birch Society, provides this journal of the Thursday effort to criminalize performing selective abortions by an override of the governor's veto.

"Several people have asked that I publish the numbers showing Oklahoma State Legislature support for the Pro-Life bill, SB1552, and the activities of this last Friday to override Governor Fallin's veto. Based on conversations with several legislators and others allow me to give an account as I understand it.

On Thursday there were several senators and representatives working together to see if they could delay the vote on the budget bill in the House long enough to get an override of Governor Fallin's veto in the Senate and over to the House. At that time the thought was that the Senate needed about three more votes for a successful override and it appeared achievable. Several senators were diligently working on gathering the final support. In the House there were about 10 representatives on board with doing what they could do to delay to budget bill vote but they had yet to fully socialize the idea with other representatives. There was also the challenge of getting the leadership of both chambers to allow a veto override vote to occur at all.

Incumbent Politicians Face Tough Scrutiny

5/30/2016

With just weeks to go before the Oklahoma primary elections, several civic and political activists are beginning to score the incumbents' voting records and other objective criteria related to their political duties.

Legislative Scorecards

There are several groups actively compiling these indices.

The Oklahoma Constitution has been publishing since the late 70s. Their Conservative Index is the most established such index in continuous publication. The scoring is based upon a balance combination of tax, freedom, moral, & cultural factors.They will go to print soon with their 2016 Index.
Sooner Tea Party Rino Index. This group has published more recently on several factors including tax & freedom.
OCPA Impact Scorecard focuses on how Oklahoma state legislators voted on key bills related to issues of economic freedom, free enterprise, individual opportunity, limited state government and federalism.
OK2A Score. Legislators are graded A-F, based on their voting record for bills relating to the second amendment.
RIED Report. Legislators were scored based on their voting record for bills dealing with business, industry, job creation and economic growth issues deemed important by the private sector.
RIED Report. Legislators were scored based on their voting record for bills dealing with business, industry, job creation and economic growth issues deemed important by the private sector.

Libertarian Sheriff Candidate Strips Live On C-Span

5/29/2016

What was turning out to be an incredibly successful National Libertarian Party Convention, turned into a freak show of sorts.

While delegates were awaiting the returns of the second round of Vice Presidential Nomination balloting, they decided to hold the nominating speeches for National Party Chairman. James Weeks was one such candidate for the top spot in the organization.

Mr. Weeks took to the podium when his name was called and he gave the nod for the music to start. That's when the morbidly obese young man began hopping around the stage and as his fat body giggled, he began to unclothe himself. C-Span was carrying the event live and without any 'delay' mechanism to prevent uncensored graphic nudity from going live throughout the world.

Gary Johnson Survives To Win Libertarian Nomination

5/29/2016

Former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson (the 2012 nominee) survived a strong insurgency by Austin Petersen, this morning, to become the party 'standard-bearer'. Going into the convention, Johnson's 'insurmountable lead' began to see real slippage. Petersen's strong debate skills and Johnson's unpopular positions(with the party delegates) on a few issues; led to a strong push for a new face to lead the party.

Candidate Petersen endorses Johnson, after the results were announced.

The first round of balloting resulted with Johnson was 1st with 49+%; falling short of the 50% requirement. Austin Petersen was 2nd with just over 21% and John McAfee was 3rd with 14%. Politicos saw this as a referendum of sorts, on whether Johnson should continue to lead. About 10% of the very minor candidates' supporters sided with Johnson on a 2nd ballot, resulting in a 56% tally for Johnson.
Austin Petersen quickly made a public endorsement of Johnson, before the convention body.

Legislature Gives Welfare Cash To Big Business, But Not Working Poor

5/29/2016

The electric corporations will keep getting perhaps $45 million in state checks while paying no taxes at all; but the working poor family will quit getting their $200 annual EIC refund.

- by Oklahoma Watch: -
Warren Vieth & Mark Lash are reporting that the Legislature rushed through a late bill to kill subsidies to working poor families, but decided that 'corporate welfare' is fine. Even corporations who employed no Oklahomans, paid no taxes, or reported any income, would be eligible for government money payouts of tax dollars paid in by families of modest incomes.

In the late night hours of late May, the legislature killed any state funds being sent to struggling poor families who are trying to get off welfare and return to self-reliance. This modest program(Earned Income Credit) was designed by former governor, Frank Keating, as a way to ease the process of weaning single working parents off of TANF, Medicaid, 'food stamps', and other much more costly welfare programs. It encourages single parents to reenter the workforce as their young children go to school.

Accommodating The Growth Of Liberty

5/28/2016

Part 3 in a series on Libertarian Party Growth

By guest columnist, Alex Allen

Are Conservatives Welcome in the OKLP?

That has been a question raised: are disenfranchised conservatives, looking for refuge from the Trump storm, welcome in the libertarian party?

Craig Dawkins, a fellow blogger on his site “Liberty thoughts,” is not in any haste to welcome them in:

Conservatives don’t need a welcome sign. They need to embrace a new ideology that acknowledges the value of every human being and seeks to promote equality under the law, accepts differences in race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and to stop trying to use government to impose upon individual freedom. In short, they need to fully embrace the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP).

So in the end this is quite simple to resolve. Conservatives should embrace the NAP and join the cause for liberty. But can they do that?

Alex Allen is a prodigy in the area of political instincts. As a millennial Okie, he has quite often put old party hacks in their place by the sheer power of his sensible perceptions.One year ago, he wrote 'An Ode To TC Ryan' which had the Republican leadership in Oklahoma all abuzz during the SRLC. His scolding of the "fat balding white guys in the GOP" left the guilty to sit in silence and shame.
What very few of them knew at the time was that Alex had not yet graduated from high school. When the GOP remained hell-bent to reject the key liberty message, Alex switched to the Libertarian Party.
I reached out to Alex numerous times, and today he has again showed his mastery of sensible and workable solutions for prospering as a party organization. Here is an excerpt of his latest prescription for a party to attain maximum impact and healthy respect for the various perspectives which exist among the people who cry out for a liberty solution in our state & nation.

Alex Allen publishes his articles entitled "big Blog of Justice & Freedom"

A Battle For Control Of the Libertarian Party

5/28/2016

Part 2 in a series on Libertarian Party growth.

Secular Libertarians vs Christian Libertarians

In the midst of an explosion of interest in the Oklahoma Libertarian Party, there is a struggle beginning to take shape.. Several secular Libertarians are becoming very concerned that an insurgency of the Religious Right may overtake their ranks and corrupt their political party & movement.

Ironically, the more secular Libertarians of Oklahoma lately have been expressing far more concern about the Christian population joining their membership than other faiths, particularly the Muslim demographic. While Muslim orthodoxy seems far more intolerant of religious diversity. It leads some to believe the real concern is for maintaining power and control of the party structure and platform message?

In a previous post, we discussed the ideas of some which expressly urged "Liberty Republicans", particularly of the "Religious Right"; to stay away. Some 'Liberty Republicans' have even characterized this overture as blatantly rude. For this reason we are attempting to familiarize readers to the terms; Christian Libertarian & Secular Libertarian. We will begin this study with a trip to Wikipedia...

Oklahoma Republicans Not Welcome, To Some Libertarians

5/27/2016

Part 1 in a series on Libertarian Party Growth

With the overt help of some Republican Lawmakers, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party is back in the election business. Several Libertarian candidates will appear on the 2016 primary & general election ballots. Their April state convention was one of the biggest in recent history and the recently lowered thresholds for voter support means that they could stay on the election rolls going into the next round of state elections, in 2018.

But some noted Libertarians are trying to take down the figurative 'Welcome' sign. They fear that social conservatives disenchanted with Donald Trump may come into the Libertarian Party in overwhelming numbers and turn their party into a vehicle of the Evangelical Right.

A Grand Lake Political Debate

5/24/2016

House District 5 Candidate Forum to select a replacement for Rep. Cox

By Elaine Nickelson
Representative Doug Cox (R-Grove) is term-limited and there are three candidates vying in the Republican Primary for his position.

On Monday evening, May 23, the Republican candidates took part in a forum with questions fielded by Pastor Robert Carter, Chair of the Delaware County GOP. Approximately 80 people attended the event at NewSong Church located between Grove and Jay.

Each gave opening remarks and then answered the same questions presented.

- photo: Elaine Nickelson

They are:

Josh Russell - A 1997 graduate of Grove High School served four years’ service in the United States Marine Corps; attended Northeastern A&M College in Miami, completed a general studies degree; married to Rebekah and has two children. Russell has served as children’s minister at Grove Christian Center for 13 years and works in his family’s printing business in Grove.
Josh West - A 1995 graduate of Grove High School and attended Missouri Valley College on a football scholarship in Marshall, Missouri; served in the United States Army and in 2003 was injured during a mission and medically retired in 2005. West's military honors include the Purple Heart and Bronze Star; married with four children. West is employed as a field supervisor for Simmons.
Joe Wilhelm III - Joe Wilhelm is a 2007 graduate of Grove High School and is a 2012 graduate of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. Wilhelm is employed as a music teacher and is an assistant band instructor with the Grove Public Schools.

Legislative Leaders Find A Budget Agreement

5/24/2016

After wrangling for massive new taxes and other relentless fee increases, the 2016 is nearing an end.

The session concludes within 3 days and the budget has been announced. We're posting it up for all to peruse through...

Opinion: 'Big Tax' Bynum & California Liberalism

5/24/2016

image credit: FortySix News

Within just a couple years, GT Bynum could have Tulsa feeling like a taxpayer's hell. It's the only way to sustain the legalized bribery of buying public unions' endorsement in exchange for massive pay raises at the private sector's great expense.

This is looking like a dreary replay of the demise of California, when Republican governors George Deukmejian & Pete Wilson were followed by Liberal Democrat Gray Davis and his massive bribes (albeit a legal form of bribes) of the massive public sector unions.

After just a handful of years, California voters overwhelmingly voted Davis out of office via a recall election. California is still suffering from the bloated government Davis left them and Republicans have been unable to get a foothold in the state ever since.

The Tulsa mayoral race is a discouraging reality show for fiscal conservatives to observe. The voter base of conservatives has been depleted through the enticement of quieter life in the suburbs.
The great leadership of past mayors like Jim Inhofe and Bob LaFortune, are but a distant memory.

Special Convention Coverage: Libertarian

5/23/2016

Sooner Politics will be covering the major convention events of the 2016 election. This week we are providing expanded coverage of the Libertarian National Convention, in Orlando, Florida.

On Friday, May 27th, the Libertarian delegates will gather. 9 Oklahoma delegates will be among them. We look forward to updates and reports from the floor, as they are able to update their fellow Sooners.

Our state team of citizen journalists and leading national contributors will be adding insight, breaking news, and complete analysis.

Follow the news at: http://www.soonerpolitics.org/convention.html_

Sooner Republican Assembly Endorses Slate Of Constitutionalist Candidates

5/22/2016

The Oklahoma City Metro group of Republicans who make up the panelists of the Sooner Republican Assembly met Saturday May 21st, to deliberate and endorse candidates in several key races.

Among their endorsements were;

District 1 Congressman, Jim Bridenstine (incumbent)
District 2 challenger, Jarrin Jackson
District 4 challenger, James Taylor
District 5 challenger, Frank Volpe

No endorsement was made in the District 3 race.

For Corporation Commission: Dana Murphy
For US Senate: James Lankford

Libertarian Front-Runner Chooses Pro-Abortion Running Mate

5/22/2016

Oklahoma Libertarians just hit another big challenge in staying on the Oklahoma ballot after November. Their leading presidential candidate, former governor, Gary Johnson, of New Mexico; just tapped Massachusetts former governor, William Weld; as his running mate. Oklahoma polls as strongly pro-life, but Weld wants no restrictions on abortion. He sees it as a constitutional right.

The Oklahoma Republican legislature just recently handed a gift to the Oklahoma Libertarians by dropping the threshold mandatory election returns to remain a recognized political organization. The historic 10% requirement was lowered to 2.5%, a standard more in line with surrounding states.

Former New Mexico governor, Gary Johnson & former Massachusetts governor, William Weld.

Sooner Politics
Editorial

David Van Risseghem reports the events and adds some perspective.

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David Van Risseghem is the Publisher of SoonerPolitics.org. The resource is committed to informing & mobilizing conservative Oklahomans for civic reform. This endeavor seeks to utilize the efforts of all cooperative facets of the Conservative movement...

"No politician 'checks off every box" in your list of issues. You have to prioritize and use personal discretion regarding every current and future issue that you can imagine. Then you have to also judge integrity & consistency. A candidate's openness to study the issues & courage to think for themselves. Then you need to review their honesty & work ethic. I respect any voter's decision, when they've informed themselves and took voting seriously." - David Van Risseghem

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SoonerPolitics.org is committed to informing & mobilizing conservative Oklahomans for civic reform & restored liberty. We seeks to utilize the efforts of all cooperative facets of the Conservative movement... Content of the diverse columns are solely at the discretion of the dozens of websites who create the content. David Van Risseghem is the founder of this platform.
Sooner Politics News is a platform, not a media site. All our bloggers get their feeds promoted regardless of content. As soon as We suppress or delete even one posting, we become an endorser of whatever We didn't censor..The publisher doesn't (and could not) logically agree with all the content, so we would not expect any rational reader to agree, either. What we do hope, is that readers will think for themselves, and at least be better informed of the issues, events, and values that our citizen journalists work hard to provide for free.. We automate much of the tasks so that our sources' content gets as much exposure as possible. We encourage constructive discussion & debate. The solution is more free speech, not less.