Amber Integrated Releases Survey on Upcoming Primary and General Elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma-based public affairs firm Amber Integrated has released two surveys measuring attitudes about the current political environment and the upcoming primary and general elections in Oklahoma.

The first of these surveys was conducted from March 24-27, 2022 and included a pool of 455 likely GOP primary voters in Oklahoma.  It has a margin of error of 4.59% at a 95% confidence interval. 

The second of these surveys was also conducted from March 24-27, 2022, and included a pool of 500 likely general election voters in Oklahoma. This survey has a margin of error of 4.38% at a 95% confidence interval. 

Toplines and crosstabs for both surveys are available here.

Some key observations from both surveys are below:

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 30, 2022) – Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB2, the Save Women’s Sports Act, into law today. Watch the full bill signing ceremony below: 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Attorney General John O’Connor is joining 20 other states, led by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, in a multistate action against President Biden’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continued use of the unlawful mask mandate on public transportation. Attorney General O’Connor argues that the mandate exceeds the authority of Biden’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Biden administration continues to use a failed interpretation of a quarantine statute—that has been ruled against in court several times—to authorize the CDC’s rule. The continuation of the CDC’s unlawful mask mandate harms the states. It also interferes with state law in places like Oklahoma, which has imposed laws banning forced masking in public schools. The mandate also runs against reason, as now even the states with the most stringent COVID-19 policies are beginning to lift indoor mask mandates. 

“The CDC's mask mandate is a blatant misuse of power,” said Attorney General O’Connor. “This mandate reflects the priorities of federal bureaucrats who are entirely out of touch with the American people. The Biden Administration must end this unconstitutional mask mandate for public transportation.”

Oklahoma City, OK (March 29th) – Today, former Trump national security official and U.S. Senate candidate Alex Gray has received the endorsement of Governor Pete Wilson. This marks the eleventh high-profile endorsement since Gray announced his candidacy earlier this month. 

Wilson served the state of California as a United States Senator from 1983 until he was elected the 36th Governor of California in 1991. He has been a national leader in the fight against illegal immigration and to secure our borders for decades. A close friend of President Ronald Reagan, Wilson has been a conservative icon for decades.

“No one understands better than Alex Gray that America's national security urgently depends upon strict control of our borders, and the careful vetting of immigrants to assure enforcement of our immigration laws.  His four years of service to President Trump in the White House included his critically important role as Chief of Staff of the National Security Council.  He knows that anything less than constant rigorous enforcement of our immigration laws threatens a clear and present danger to America’s safety.

In the Senate, Alex Gray will champion the rule of law to uphold America's sovereignty and demand the safety of our citizens.” said Governor Wilson in a statement endorsing Alex Gray.

“Governor Wilson has been on the frontlines of the battle to control our border and enforce our immigration laws for decades. He was a fighter for conservative values in the Senate and as Governor, with many of his policies anticipating the America First movement of President Trump. I could not be more proud to have his support in my own bid for the U.S. Senate,” Gray said in response to the endorsement. 

Lankford Responds to Biden Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) responded to President Biden’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2023:

“A president’s budget is simply a wish list for the upcoming year. Biden’s wish list is more taxes, more spending, and no genuine proposal to solve our skyrocketing debt. The lack of focus on lowering our debt and deficit perpetuates our nation’s growing inflation rate and cost of living. Everyone in the nation sees the fiscal problem and understands this moment requires serious debate and real solutions to our economic future

“It’s time to fix the broken budget process, cut unnecessary spending on earmarks, and put the needs of the American people first.”

“More spending is not the answer”: Hern slams Biden’s bloated budget proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 28th) – Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his budget proposal to Congress for FY 23.

“Inflation is the number one issue facing our country,” said Rep. Hern. “Instead of addressing this problem, Biden’s budget proposal only increases the economic pressures that are suffocating American families. More spending is not the answer; we will never spend our way out of an inflation crisis. An immediate return to fiscal responsibility is the only solution, but that’s not what we got today.

“The Biden Administration began their attack on American energy on Day 1. Today’s budget announcement continues that war, ensuring prices at the pump continue to rise and further increasing our dependence on foreign oil. Biden is following through on his campaign promise to end fossil fuels, a move that will destroy jobs in Oklahoma. Biden also made the campaign promise to only raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans; however, the tax increases proposed in this budget will realistically impact ALL Americans regardless of their tax bracket.”

Rep. Hern continued, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: DC doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. I’m proud to be writing a federal budget for FY 23 with fiscal conservatism at its heart. My budget balances in just a few years – something Congress hasn’t been able to do since the 90s. It’s not too late to return to fiscal responsibility.”

The Republican field for Congress in the 2nd District continues to grow. I received a video announcement from Rhonda Hopkins, who becomes the ninth declared candidate to my knowledge.

Hopkins is a past candidate for office, having run for CD2 in 2020 (getting 7.4% in a three-way primary), and State House District 86 twice (GOP nominee in 2016, primary candidate in 2018).

In her video announcement, posted below, she focuses in on the issue of social security, criticizing both Congressman Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Senator James Lankford (both of whom are running for Senate this year, Lankford for reelection and Mullin for the Inhofe special election).

Here's her video announcement:

It wasn't that long ago that the Oklahoma Legislature was faced with the reality of massive financial crisis with state employee retirement systems. We had some of the worst-funded state pension systems in the nation. Following the leadership of individuals like then-State Rep. Randy McDaniel, the Legislature took steps to remedy that situation.

This past week, however, the State House approved a measure by State Rep. Avery Frix (R-Muskogee) that would take a dramatic step backward into the failed policy of the past. Frix has a history of pandering to government unions on this issue, and this vote coincides with the launch of his campaign for Congress.

When a previous bill of Frix's came up in 2020 which raided pension assets for a transparently political election-year state workers' retirement boost, State Sen. Marty Quinn (R-Claremore), who is also running for the same congressional seat as Frix, had this to say:

Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, said he was “not going to crawl under a rock and ignore the financial mistakes that continue to be made by this body and other bodies so that people can ‘like’ me.”

“Why are we taking the same financial destructive path of previous administrations?” Quinn asked. “You know what I’m talking about. A system that was one of the fifth-worst systems in the entire United States, almost $16 billion underfunded, giving away COLAs in election years. We’re doing the same thing. Just a different group of people.”

Short

HOUSE VOTES TO ROLL BACK OKLAHOMA PENSION REFORMS

House lawmakers voted to roll back a 2014 pension reform that was projected to save taxpayers $3.8 billion over 30 years and instead provide state workers retirement benefits that are not available to the typical private-sector worker in Oklahoma.

House Bill 2486, by state Rep. Avery Frix, eliminates a defined-contribution retirement plan, similar to a 401(k) plan in the private sector, and instead places most state government workers in a defined-benefit plan.

In a defined-benefit plan, state government employees receive a guaranteed, specified amount in retirement payments, while in a defined-contribution plan they contribute and invest in funds over time to save for retirement.

Lawmakers voted in 2014 to shift all new state government employees (aside from teachers or those working in hazardous positions, such as police and firefighters) into a 401(k)-style retirement plan. That law was authored by current Oklahoma State Treasurer Randy McDaniel, who then served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

When she signed the reform into law, then-Gov. Mary Fallin noted, “The system as it stands today is not financially sound or sustainable. Moving future hires to a 401(k)-style system helps to ensure we can pay our current retirees and employees the benefits they have already earned.”

In a 2014 interview, McDaniel said the cost of defined-contribution plans is predictable for state government, and also noted that defined-benefit plans involve moral hazard that causes politicians to rapidly inflate the system’s unfunded liability by increasing benefits without covering the cost.

“An issue that is overlooked in the mathematical data is the issue of political incentives to harm the system by making unsustainable financial promises,” McDaniel said. “Unfortunately, those incentives are real, and they greatly impact the situation we face today. It’s easy to make promises when someone else is going to have to pay for those promises at some point in the future.”

GOVERNOR STITT APPOINTS JOHN NASH AS SECRETARY OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 28, 2022) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today he has appointed John Nash as Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Brig. Gen. Ben T. Robinson.

“John Nash’s background as a loyal member of the armed forces combined with his leadership and business skills will ensure we are serving our veterans with honor and supporting the brave Oklahomans who have risked their lives to defend our freedom,” said Gov. Stitt.

Nash enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at age 17 before graduating from McLoud High School. He was later commissioned as an officer through the University of Oklahoma’s Army ROTC program, where he also was a member of the men’s basketball team and the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

Nash graduated from a variety of military schools including Airborne School and Ranger School and served in multiple leadership and command roles at various levels in the Army. He served for over a decade in a variety of special operations, national security and diplomatic roles including multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq and other theaters.

“I am humbled by Governor Stitt’s appointment to serve Oklahoma as the Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs,” said Nash. “As a member of our country’s armed forces, it is an honor to be able to support our veterans and members of the military in this new role.”

FORMER AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL DAVID FRIEDMAN ENDORSES ALEX GRAY FOR SENATE

Oklahoma City, OK (March 28th) – Today, former Trump national security official and U.S. Senate candidate Alex Gray has received the endorsement of Ambassador David Friedman. The former ambassador to Israel is the tenth significant endorsement of frontrunner Alex Gray.

Friedman served as the ambassador to Israel during President Trump’s entire tenure. He was highly influential in peace talks on the Arabian peninsula and was a key figure in negotiating the Abraham Accords.  

Friedman has the following to say in endorsing Gray, "From his service in the Trump White House, Alex Gray understands the need for a strong U.S.-Israel partnership and the importance of American leadership on the global stage. He played a key role in implementing President Trump's national security agenda, and will be a tireless advocate for an America First foreign policy in the U.S. Senate."

“Our relationship with Israel is paramount in securing America’s interests across the world. Ambassador Friedman was on the frontlines promoting those interests and is one of the greatest promoters of the U.S.-Israel partnershipin history. His support is a huge boost for our campaign, and continues the pattern of President Trump’s closest and most loyal supporters backing this effort. I look forward to continuing the progress we made in the Middle East during President Trump’s tenure when I am elected to the Senate and serving as a leading voice for the U.S.-Israel partnership,” Gray said in response to the endorsement.