The New York Times bloggers, Nicolas Kristof, & intern, Cassidy McDonald; sat down with Tulsa billionaire, George Kaiser, for an in-depth discussion of what the Kaiser foundation is seeking to change; and what Kaiser wants the change to look like.
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  This compelling interview will perhaps help us understand some of the Kaiser influences in the political process.

 McDonald starts out by telling why Kaiser's German family relocated to Tulsa, and his Jewish roots. Then he tells us some of the basic principles guiding his social agenda. Kaiser is spending massive amounts of capitol to test his theories in Tulsa.

  By 9pm the news was known. Oklahoma Democrats swept two races. Both of the districts had been in Republican hands for several years.
  In both cases the Republicans were tactically outplayed. The Republican machine failed to connect and voter turnout was extremely low.  While the candidates themselves had some strong messaging, their label had lost a significant clarity. We can look to the legislative leadership and the governor for an explanation of what the Republican label still means.
  Tulsa Republicans nominated Tressa Nunley for the post. Tressa is a common sense businesswoman and community volunteer. She's not been politically connected. But she's been serving in the East Tulsa district through her church outreaches and other community efforts. she knocked on pretty much every door and her campaign team had a lot of experience and expertise. But the voters on the right just didn't show up.
 Republican senate nominee, Joe Griffin, is a political veteran and an accomplished communicator. He knows most of the statewide political class.  But that didn't help. His base just lacked the motivation. If a senate race can't stir 4000 voters to cast a ballot, then apathy won the race. But ambiguity might also be the reason the culprit. A House race should always garner 2500 ballots. Perhaps "None Of The Above" was the sentiment of the electorate.

  The mild-mannered statesman from Guthrie has undertaken to begin a series of weekly blogs devoted to provide a narrative of what he believes is the worst legislative session of the 11 he has been a member of.
  Jason Murphey is not the kind of legislator who picks a personal fight or seeks to afflict a colleague's reputation. He is a quiet, soft-spoken intellectual who has chaired the House Govt. Modernization Committee.
   This narrative is not new for Murphey. He has been among the first to break the harsh news of impending deficits, in past years. He warned of the folly of turning to one-time funding sources and mortgaging state assets to pay for boondoggle projects.
   Murphey provides cordial compliments of the leadership even while he expresses disappointment in the chronology the leaders allowed to transpire.  He believes in their best intentions, but his narrative will also detail why they made decisions which they are already regretting.
   Murphey is a key member of the House Platform Caucus. He has been a trusted mentor to the freshmen conservatives in the House. Rep. Chuck Strohm and Rep. Sean Roberts have openly expressed great admiration for how Murphey has guided the members of the Platform Caucus.

 AG, Mike Hunter, has submitted his legal argument to the supreme court, regarding the challenge to the new tobacco tax, brought by retailers and associated distributors.
  The 26-page document makes many novel claims including an attempt to tell the court to bar statements from any legislator.
  The AG claims that the only legislative statement which should be considered is the majority vote tabulations, and that, in itself, should be the testimony that  the House & Senate believed they were in compliance with the constitution.
  The AG further stated that the title of the bill itself said that it's a "smoking cessation" effort. Never mind that the identical language was presented for a vote just days earlier, as a Tobacco Tax measure to raise enough money to allow the state to continue to grow the govt. without making the necessary reforms which are eating away at resources, due to gross inefficiencies.
  This is just one of the 3 major challenges to the revenue raising actions of the legislature and governor. the full court with convene on August 11th, at 9am. They will deal with the tobacco retailer's case, followed by the auto dealers case at 10am, then Gary Richardson's multiple cases at 11am.
​  We've posted the AG's document, below.

  An openly disgusted Tom Coburn is determined to see Markwayne Mullin defeated in the 2018 June primary.  After Mullin released a carefully-choreographed video where softball questions were served up to him & his wife, Coburn took to the media with a strong rebuke of the 2nd district  representative.
 Coburn, himself, had served 3 terms and then honored his own vow to limit his occupancy of the office. the voters then turned to Coburn a few years later when choosing a US Senator.
  The Oklahoman published an article detailing Coburn's focus on replacing Mullin with a candidate who will keep his word to the voters.

  Kyle Loveless will accept a lifetime ban on any government employment or professional lobbying. The Oklahoman first carried the story of a settlement between the Oklahoma ethics Commission and former senator, Kyle Loveless.

Rep. George Faught statement on Tax Increase Lawsuits


The people of Oklahoma spoke very plainly and clearly in 1992 when they passed SQ640, placing strict constitutional limits on the Legislature's ability to raise taxes. The method in which several revenue raising measures were adopted during the final days of the legislative session is troubling, and sets a dangerous precedent for the future.


The tactic of calling a tax a 'fee' in order to get around the Constitution is clearly wrong, and I believe these measures should be struck down. These cases will have a huge impact on future legislatures and their view of raising taxes. I urge the Oklahoma Supreme Court to carefully ponder the impact of this issue, as this tax-raising strategy will be used again and again if not instructed otherwise.
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- Rep. George Faught
Muskogee, OK

  With just one month to go before the Oklahoma Supreme Court holds historic oral arguments in the multitude of legal challenges regarding the legislative assault on the constitution; AG Mike Hunter (a Fallin appointee) is spending our state tax dollars to assemble a legal team to help him make a case against the state constitution.
  What is at stake is the constitutional protections which the voters put in place 25 years ago. Our own state government proved to be untrustworthy when they abused their tax-raising powers. So voters organized a in initiative petition to require a general election vote of the people before revenue-raising bills could be implemented.
​  But in the final days of the 2017 regular session, the leaders of both legislative houses, along with the governor's office; conspired to undermine this article of the state constitution. 
  Hunter was never elected to the high post he now occupies. He was a fellow member ofthe Oklahoma House, along with Mary Fallin, back in the 80s.
  Fallin appointed Hunter to replace Scott Pruitt, when Pruitt was sworn in as the EPA Administrator for President Trump's administration.
  In any other reasonable scenario, the AG would be committing political 'suicide' by trying to make the argument Hunter is advancing.

  State Sen. Bryce Marlatt was stripped Thursday of three leadership positions pending the outcome of a police sex crimes investigation.

  "Further action may be taken as deemed necessary," Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz communicated in a communication to senate members.

  Oklahoma City police are investigating Marlatt, R-Woodward, as a result of a complaint filed by an Uber transport driver on June 28.

  A female driver told police he "made advances on her during transit," as she described in a police report. She specifically complained he grabbed her forcefully and kissed her on the neck while she was driving in Oklahoma City late June 26.

  "As leader of the Oklahoma Senate, it is my expectation that every member conduct himself or herself in a manner that is above reproach," Schulz, R-Altus, wrote. "Allegations like those contained in the police report concerning Senator Marlatt are very serious in nature and are not tolerated. Effective immediately, Senator Marlatt is relieved of his Senate Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanships, pending the outcome of this active matter that is still being sorted out."

 This recent development was posted in detail at the Oklahoman. We are staying on this matter.

  State Auditor, Gary Jones, went on the record, today. He plainly said that the many Revenue bills passed in the last week of the 2017 legislature are clearly unconstitutional on many points. Dem. Scott Inman, Lib. Rex Lawhorn, and Rep. Gary Richardson are also calling for the revenue bills to be struck down.
  The bills did not;

1. receive a supporting vote of the people of Oklahoma
2. pass by at least 75% support in both houses
3. originate in the House
4. pass the legislature before the last 5 days of the session.

  Jones is known for his strong words, critiquing the legislature and other state govt. leaders. He was in his classic form on the Pat Campbell Radio Show, this morning. Jones did not directly endorse the Richardson lawsuits, but agreed with the heart of his argument.
  What may become difficult for Jones is the idea he's presenting, to raise petroleum taxes to 5% on the gross production, in addition to the income taxes that producers already pay. This is the same 5% that Democrat leaders, like Scott Inman is insisting upon. 
  At any rate, the result of this court case will likely be a special session of the legislature, whereby Gov. Fallin will insist on the legislature passing massive new taxes on a 75% majority. That is only likely if the Democrats support Republican ideas. Until the legislature finds a way to confiscate more wealth from the people, there will need to be a massive cutback in agency funding.

  If a massive cutback is ordered, it is unclear if the State Regents of Higher Education will  be coerced to give back nearly $1 billion dollars that the budget alloted them.

 Congressman Markwayne Mullin says he doesn't have enough influence to make a difference, yet. So he needs to stay in congress longer than the three terms he had pledged to limit himself to. He has failed to get enough influence, so he wants to stay longer.
  Mullin secured the services of a former talk show host (Eddie Huff), for this carefully-crafted video.
  Cindy Mullin said that God did not tell them to seek this 4th term. But neither did they acknowledge that Mark's word is his bond (as his revered biblical text plainly puts it).
​  Mullin further described his original mindset when seeking a 1st term. He describes a gullible, and naive man that he says he was, when he ran as a man of the people. A local businessman who knows so little that he cannot be expected to be effective.
  What Mullin carefully avoided, is the narrative that he has been reprogrammed by "the DC swamp".  The video release is a carefully crafted PR stunt to soften the reality that he is now a liar. But he does not ask forgiveness for lying. Instead he seems to ask forgiveness for being so gullible and stupid, when he was first running for office as a "man of the people".

  In the state's response to the supreme court, AG Mike Hunter tells the high court that Gubernatorial candidate, Gary Richardson should not be allowed to challenge whether the half billion dollars in new taxes, ... get this...

  This unprecedented action to raise over a half billion dollars in revenue in ways that violate no less than 3 constitutional mandates; is being challenged for the sake of each and every current and future resident of the state.

  But Hunter; with a straight face; says that only a person who buys a car can then file a court challenge to the unconstitutional taxes.

​ Never mind that the state will impound that car before the court can even hear the oral arguments. The impounding will happen with 30 days after the sale, because the temporary tag will then expire, making it illegal to even park the car in the driveway.

  There arose a principle, in 1773; when the colonists of the eastern sea board were facing a growing tax burden. That principle is simple..

  The colonists had a growing minority of defiant resistors. They were not angry with King George. No, it was the cowardly attempt of an out-of-touch parliament which decided they could attempt to impose an unprecedented tax on the colonies, to pay for their own irresponsible spending in other parts of the world.
  Parliament had made public-private partnerships with corporate providers. Those corporations had grown so large that the empire could not comfortably survive without the crony capitalists who had purchased influence in the parliament.
   Lobbyists had purchased the seats of parliament using tax dollars appropriated via govt. contracts. Parliament created corporate monsters which demanded to be fed. And their appetites were insatiable. 
  Oklahoma state govt. is very much like the British parliament of 1773. And tax policy ultimately led to the American Revolution, bloodshed, and liberty. We need not repeat the mistakes of an arrogant British parliament.

  Rep. Mike Ritze led a group of private sponsors to present a gift to the Oklahoma Capitol. His 'Ten Commandments' monument was said to honor the history of government lawmaking, by recognizing historic systems of establishing civil order. He chose the legacy of Moses as a first candidate. The Legislature concurred, and we had a political drama ever since.
  Two years ago, the Oklahoma Supreme Court determined that our own state constitution has clauses which forbid this monument on state held land, because it evokes a religious worldview. The federal constitution supports these expressions so long as there is a plurality of presentations where not one sectarian view is favored.
  This week, Dr. Ritze released a statement..