| It seems our best & brightest minds in the legislature lost track of a nasty little regulation called the state constitution. Speaker Jeff Hickman had given political cover to some state administrators, who then promptly served State Auditor & Inspector, Gary Jones, with an eviction notice. Jones says he was given 12 months to go find a new home for his constitutional oversight duties. Preston Doerflinger, executive director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services; was one of the couriers of the eviction notice. But Doerflinger (appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin), has his own damage containment team working to shift blame to the 2 legislative leaders. While Senate President Pro Tem, Brian Bingman claims to have been left out of the loop, Speaker Jeff Hickman has an inconvenient paper trail which seems to have given a 'green light' to Doerflinger, to serve the eviction demand. |  |
What Is the 'Seat of Government'?
| The Muskogee Politico reports that yesterday, Auditor Gary Jones told a local Kiwanis group that Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution REQUIRES his office and records stay at the "seat of government"; which the Attorney General's office has always interpreted as the Oklahoma State Capitol building, itself. If that is true, then Attorney General Scott Pruitt is in violation for officing in an adjacent building on the campus. |  |
Now that potentially opens another embarrassing chapter in constitutional law, namely that our Labor Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner were moved out of the capitol years ago. The Superintendent is 1/4 mile away; the Labor Commissioner is 3/4 mile away; and the Insurance Commissioner is nearly 3 miles away.
The Attorney General, himself, is not keeping his office and papers in the capitol building, as prescribed by the constitution and his own interpretation of it.
The Attorney General, himself, is not keeping his office and papers in the capitol building, as prescribed by the constitution and his own interpretation of it.
| The Supreme Court itself is also ignoring this "seat of government" interpretation by moving out of the capitol building and into their own structure next door to the capitol. For this reason I think they are likely to see the campus as the definition. |  |
Can a 'seat of government' refer to a contiguous tract of state land? In other words, a campus of sorts? Sort of like the federal mall in Washington, DC? That would be sensible and rational. Some would argue that the seat of state government is the city, itself; namely - Oklahoma City, OK. But if security of state government and constituent convenience is the intention, then having to run around town seems contrary to that end.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court may need to eventually rule on the definition of the constitutional description; "seat of government". They may reasonable define it as the campus of contiguous state government land which the capitol building, governor's mansion and the judicial headquarters is located on.
