On May 8th, ​House Speaker Jim Barker was unexpectedly ousted during the 1989 legislative session by dissident Democrats joined by House Republicans. He was the only sitting House speaker to be removed from the office. He was succeeded by Steve Lewis, D-Shawnee.

  The following year, Speaker Steve Lewis (D- Shawnee) steered the HB1017 plan to fix the education funding issue once & for all. The bill levied a half-cent sales tax, a 1 percent corporate tax and a personal income tax increase. In 1990, the new taxes raised $230 million for the 1017 fund. In 2009, the taxes raised $602.3 million, including several new taxes that voters approved in 2004 on items such as tobacco and tribal gaming.

​  It finally passed and the RINO governor signed it. The following 2 years, the education unions and many PTA groups targeted fiscal conservatives for defeat. Speaker Steve Lewis ran for US Senate against Don Nickles in '92. The education PAC did defeat some conservatives in 1990 general elections but  failed in almost all their attempts to take on conservative legislators in '92.
   Steve Lewis lost the 1992 US Senate bid and has not held elective office since. He is still a lobbyist at the capitol.

  Tulsa legislator, Ken Walker represents a midtown district and he was targeted by the public schools lobby. He narrowly lost in the late hours of tabulating. Walker had scored decently in conservatism indices, but he frustrated many activists with some of the legislation he authored. Opinion writers (including myself at times) ripped Ken for some of his recent bills. He would have required all drivers to find and activate their car's flashers when traveling in all school zones (I called him 'Flasher Ken'). He wanted to mandate that all flags purchased by government funding be  procured from only USA manufacturing. He was proud of his 'Merry Christmas' bill. Ken is as nice a guy as you'll find at the capitol. 
  The public schools lobby was quite effective. In the Democrat primaries they were almost 100% successful. In the Republican primary they had some pockets of success. Especially in open seats and in less conservative districts.

  ​I will make some speculative conclusions and point out some thoughts for the Oklahoma Libertarian Party (OKLP) to consider.

1. The vast majority of the voters in the LP primary were not Libertarians. Nearly 3000 voters cast ballots, this week. Only 800 registered Libertarians exist. Probably 80% of the ballots were cast by Independents.. That means the non-affiliated voters chose your nominee for you. 
2. Most active Libertarians who took the US Senate race seriously, supported Dax Ewbank. They did so because Dax earnestly campaigned for the right to represent the party. Murphy did not want to be the nominee. He said so, himself.

  Robert Murphy was recently asked to work for the Gary Johnson presidential campaign, so he wanted the voters to support Dax as the nominee.
  Perhaps Murphy should have formally withdrawn? Perhaps he may still have that legal option, in Oklahoma campaign law?

  The Tulsa County Election Board now says that Sheriff Regalado never did file the important document which declares his personal family financials (assets, net worth, etc.) when he first sought elective office. Rarely does an opponent ever bother to look at the other candidates' documents. But this campaign has too many questions and it's looking more shady in the last days of the race.

 When a citizen decides to run for public office, he files 3 initial reports:

• Declaration of candidacy
• Declaration of campaign organization
• Declaration of personal financials

  Twelve days ago, Vic Regalado claimed to have $51k on hand. But two days ago his struggling campaign borrowed $25k from Victor Regalado & his wife. The question is; "Where did the money come from. A modest policeman's income did not make anyone so wealthy that this kind of liquid cash is common to have. Even with his wife teaching school, the questions still need an answer.
  When you compile this with all the shady money which the Attorney General is investigating, and Regalado himself says is the subject of a multi-county grand jury; there appears a serious indifference to state law.

  The candidate's Personal Financial Report is not a new law or regulation. And if Regalado had used a novice campaign company to run his campaign, we might understand the possibility of a simple mistake. But Regalado's campaign is run by the largest and perhaps most expensive campaign company in Oklahoma. It seems improbable that this document would be even accidently left  not filed. If a novice candidate like Regalado was subjected to this oversight by his campaign company, he has a very good reason to expose them and shelter himself from this embarrassment. But if he colluded with his handlers to slip past the requirement, then a real investigation needs to be under way.

Reporting Two Campaigns As One
  And further studies into the campaign reporting of donations and expenditures seems to indicate that the Regalado campaign is reporting the two separate campaign numbers in the same report. In April, the special election ended and a new campaign began a week later. But some public reports are showing hat the Regalado team is treating this as one big campaign that started in December.
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  Regalado has already admitted to breaking state laws in his official duties by not reporting injuries and deaths at the jail in the manner prescribed.  He admits that his donors are under a multicounty grand jury investigation for breaking campaign financing laws. And now we see that his very first obligation in seeking office was partly ignored in that he failed to reveal his financial matters properly.
  This leaves one to wonder if Vic Regalado actually lent his struggling campaign the $25k this week, or if that money came from some other secret source?
  Either way, he just spent that $26k on TV ad buys for the final days. Mostly for ads suggesting that Luke Sherman lacks integrity.

  The state's longest running index of the legislature's voting habits has registered the largest drop in perhaps it's history.

  The average legislator in the state House& Senate is now scoring just under 48% in the Oklahoma Constitution's Conservative Index. That means the chamber with a 71:30 ratio of Republicans to Democrats, sides more with the Liberal voting behavior. In Short, Oklahoma has a Liberal House Of Representatives, according to the latest report (published today at Oklahoma Constitution).

  The Senate has a 39:9 Republican ratio and still sides with Liberalism by the same numbers as the State House.

  The previous accumulative score of the heavily Republican House & Senate was in the 60+% conservative range. But this past session saw a disaster of political compromise and failure to hold to the conservative principles of the Republican Party Platform(any score under 50 is in liberal territory). This year's average legislator score would have been even more liberal if the Democrats had voted for taxes they normally favor. Instead, they refused to go along with Republican tax hikes until and unless the Republicans pass a massive new medicaid expansion and fully embrace Obamacare.
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  This year's session of the House & Senate resulted in massive new state tax liabilities to the Oklahoma citizens. Some of it was through new taxes and fees, but there were also sizable cuts in hat taxpayers may write off or hold exempt from taxable obligations.

  The publishers of the Oklahoma Constitution have just released their 2016 numbers, rating the conservative representation of our current legislators. Many polished politicians talk a good game. But how do they actually vote? And how often do they miss key votes?  You need to look at these numbers before you go to the polls.
   Here's their report...

  The Tulsa Area Republican Assembly held their endorsement Convention Tuesday night, in Tulsa. While many local primary races were eligible to receive endorsements, the rules did not allow for the local group to formally endorse in races for congress.
  That didn't stop the  convention from passing a motion to hold an unofficial "straw poll". The results were predictably in favor of Congressman Jim Bridenstine for a 3rd term in congress. The unanimous result was just one more affirmation of Republican support. Last night the House Freedom Caucus sent several of their members from across the nation to be a part of Jim Bridenstine's Freedom Rally, at the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom.
  Former US Senator, Tom Coburn, also added his formal endorsement recently. Tulsa Mayor, Dewey Bartlett, has also been a Bridenstine ally for Tulsa.
  The Primary election will be held next Tuesday, but early voting is open this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at each county. In Tulsa County voters can go to the downtown Tulsa Election board office, or at Hardesty Regional Library, near 97th & Memorial Drive. (Thurs-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-2)

  I can fully support Officer Luke Sherman for sheriff. In fact I strongly urge Tulsa metro voters to fix this terrible condition by bringing Sherman's excellent team in to restore all the promises Vic Regalado has so far not kept.
 
  This race is very meaningful to me for all the years of advocacy I've devoted to mental healthcare. I hosted one candidate forum and served as a panelist on another. I know where these men stand and I know whom I stand with.

  When I called the candidates together for NAMI Tulsa's Forum On Mental Health & The Sheriff's Office, they all made their best effort to convince the full auditorium that they "got it" and have a plan for meaningful and cost-saving reforms to benefit the county and our most vulnerable mentally ill.

  Don Newberry (not to be confused with State Senator Dan Newberry) is the Republican Assembly's endorsed candidate for County Court Clerk.  Don has years of experience in the courthouse and a part of the County Assessor's team.  Newberry received more than 82% of the convention vote in that Republican primary race.
  The Primary election will be held next Tuesday, but early voting is open this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at each county. In Tulsa County voters can go to the downtown Tulsa Election board office, or at Hardesty Regional Library, near 97th & Memorial Drive. (Thurs-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-2)