From McCarville Report Online:

The Oklahoma Democratic Party appears to be in turmoil today, with the forced resignations of three staff members and some potential major donors said to be reluctant to help fund the administration of new Chairman Ivan Holmes.

Word of the turmoil comes a few weeks after Holmes won the chairmanship in a surprise over Norman attorney Ben Odom, the outgoing vice chairman, in what one party source described as a victory for the “radical fringe element” of the party. Read more…

Murphey Legislative Update
28 May 2007

The House of Representatives recently passed major legislation amending the ethics rules that govern the fundraising conduct of the campaigns of Oklahoma politicians. These reforms include a new limitation on lobbyists’ influence over elected officials. These ethics reforms were contained in House Bill 2210, sponsored by Lance Cargill, Speaker of the House.

Ethics reform is an issue about which I feel strongly. As an observer and participant in the political process, I have seen first hand how some ethics abuses are perpetrated. As a State Representative, I have also noticed how much influence lobbyists have over the legislative process. When I sought election to this office, I campaigned on a platform of ethics reform.

I am a strong defender of the rights of citizens to contribute to the candidate who reflects their point of view. I feel this is the way the average person can counter the tremendous influence lobbyists and special interests exert over elected officials. I am opposed to any attempt to lower the limit on the amount of money that a person can give a candidate for office. However, with the right to contribute to candidates must come the requirement of full disclosure. It is only fair that those who try and influence elections be held accountable if their message is dishonest. In order for people to be held accountable, it is necessary that their identity is disclosed.

An important reform in House Bill 2210 took a step towards requiring more disclosure by requiring certain third party groups to be subject to reporting standards similar to the groups that are in direct support of candidates.

Another reform in House Bill 2210 is the placement of a ban on political contributions inside the capitol building. It is at the capitol where the special interests work to swing the support of officials to their point of view. The average person does not have anywhere near this kind of access to their legislators. At the very least, this prohibition helps place citizens on a more even footing with professional special interests groups. I think this is just a common sense step to ethics reform.

The ethics reform bill also includes a ban on honorarium for lawmakers. I remember how shocked I was to learn that money is sent to lawmakers in the form of honorarium from those benefiting from state appropriations. I believe this is a practice that few in the general public are aware of. I am pleased to say that in addition to returning all political contributions from lobbyists and the pacs that employ lobbyists, I have also maintained a policy of returning all honorarium to the senders.

Not included in House Bill 2210 were earlier proposals by Speaker Cargill that would require monthly reports from candidates for office and greater application of the ethics rules to those who hold office at county level. It is my belief that these reforms did not occur due to the significant costs that would be imposed on the ethics commission, which is the board responsible for enforcement of ethics rules.

I do think there are additional reforms that should occur with our ethics rules. One of the foremost concerns I have is the lack of ability of the ethics commission to provide proper enforcement of the rules. If we are to be serious about enforcing ethics rules, we must take an important step by codifying these rules into law. Until we are willing to do this, the ethics enforcement process is rather ineffective.

It is my personal belief that the in the past the legislature has traditionally underfunded the ethics commission and kept the rules out of law as a way of insuring there would be few teeth in the enforcement process.

I also have some concerns with the way the bill was presented to the legislature. We were unable to get a copy of this bill until approximately 30 minutes before the vote was to occur. In those 30 minutes, I was able to verify that the ethics reforms listed above were in fact in the bill. However, this is far from the preferable process by which important legislation should be considered. Reforming the legislative process to control the last minute consideration of major legislation initiatives should be a priority of the legislature.

The invitation to the June event reads at the end: “Pot” luck refreshments will be served. All are welcome free of charge.” The Oklahoma Political News Service asks, “Will they have brownies too?” Here is an excerpt from the group’s website:

“Coming from a state where a family man, Will Foster, was initially sentenced to prison for 93 years and fined $65,000 after growing marijuana to treat his arthritic pain, the Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma (DPFOK) is a group of concerned citizens seeking to open up for discussion alternatives to current drug policy. We believe that the attempt to use the criminal justice system to discourage drug abuse or the so called “war on drugs” has backfired.”

Hat tip to the “alert” tipster who forwarded us this tip.

The Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma Presents: Sen. Andrew Rice, June 13th.

Sen. Rice will speak on the new program “Smart on Crime—Treating Those with Drug and Alcohol Problems.”

Pot luck refreshments will be served. All are welcome free of charge.

From the “100 ideas” newsletter:

“Stuart Jolly of Edmond thinks that we should reduce the number of school districts to one per county. That way, as Stuart puts it, “we can pay every teacher what they deserve and put more money in the classrooms where it should be and not in the administration.”

Videographer John Angier II of Okie Campaigns, provides us video highlights of Speaker Cargill’s press briefing held at the Capitol last Friday. Cargill praised the 2007 legislative session’s accomplishments of passing a fiscally conservative budget, tax relief, and immigration reform.

From The McCarville Report Online:

Former Republican Congressman Ernest Istook improperly spent nearly $7,000 in campaign funds on personal items, including a trip to the 2004 Sugar Bowl, according to a Federal Election Commission audit of Istook’s 2004 reelection campaign.

The FEC audit, which was provided by Istook to The Oklahoman, uncovered numerous other financial violations, the newspaper reported. Read more…

Check out his site -

“There will be no way that I allow my family, my friends, and my character be attacked like they have in the past.”

[Are] we sure this is not Ron writing for Denise Bode – when has he been attacked?

Here is another clip -

“Prediction: My opponents and/or their supporters WILL go negative on me because they have no other choice. My record for this District stands on its own merit and they have no alternative. As a matter of record, they have already begun to go negative.”

NEGATIVE? Who has gone negative, this is such a joke and for him to look like a victim.

Always seems funny to me [that] those that don’t want things to get negative are those that have something to hide.

Click here to view.

Dorman Praises OHLAP Reforms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Joe Dorman
Capitol: (405) 557-7305
Email: joedorman@okhouse.gov
Dorman Praises OHLAP Reforms
OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation that ensures continued funding of a state scholarship program approved today will benefit Oklahoma for years, state Rep. Joe Dorman said today.
“Education is a right that every American should enjoy and the Oklahoma Legislature took a huge step forward today by guaranteeing access to even the poorest of our state,” said Dorman, a Rush Springs Democrat who co-authored the bill.
Senate Bill 820 provides a permanent funding source for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (also known as “Oklahoma’s Promise”) and implements new accountability and performance standards for the scholarship program. The bill passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 98-0 vote. It now goes to the governor for his signature.
OHLAP pays the college tuition of students from families earning less than $50,000 per year who take a rigorous college curriculum, maintain a 2.5 grade point average and exhibit good behavior during their high school years.
However, the program has been underfinanced in recent years. Senate Bill 820 corrects that situation by taking the money needed for scholarships “off the top” of general revenue collections each year.
The bill also contains several major reforms. One of the most contentious reforms is the implementation of a grade-point-average requirement for recipients. Currently, scholarship recipients continue receiving state aid even if they are failing most classes.
The new law will require OHLAP students to maintain the minimum GPA required by the State Regents for Higher Education during their freshman year, with a 2.0 minimum imposed during the sophomore year and at least a 2.5 GPA required for classes taken during the junior and senior years.
“Students should not lose their only chance at a college education because of one bad semester,” Dorman said. “The compromise plan included in Senate Bill 820 provides a safety net. OHLAP was established to help low-income students whose high school grades aren’t high enough to secure an academic scholarship. Those students will continue to have that opportunity under Senate Bill 820 even if they have an ‘off’ semester.”
Dorman noted that he had experienced “one bad semester” in his junior year of college when he become too active in student groups and associations and let his grades slip.
“I was on OTAG and if there had been a grade requirement, I would have lost my access to funding,” Dorman said. “I lost my priorities for one year and placed student government and other events above my classes. I fixed that after the sharp realization of seeing my grades, but this happens too often when students get away from home for the first time. They need to chance to succeed if they mess up once and this bill allows that now.”
The legislation contains other reforms, including limiting scholarship eligibility to U.S. citizens or other individuals who are legally present in the country. Children who are home schooled would be eligible for the program for the first time under the bill if they meet all other requirements and score a 22 or higher on the ACT test. Senate Bill 820 also extends the “good conduct” requirements throughout a student’s college years and includes an “anti-windfall” provision barring scholarships to students with family income greater than $100,000 at the time they start college.
“This is program allows students to live their dream to go to college without facing enormous debt upon graduation,” Dorman said. “Senate Bill 820 will help create a higher-educated workforce in Oklahoma and allow the state attract more employers.
“This bill will do more good than any of the previous laws passed over the last decade to increase economic development. This was a true bipartisan effort to advance Oklahoma’s promise to the next generation for a well-educated citizenry.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421
Contact: State Rep. Randy Terrill
Contact: State Rep. Tad Jones
Capitol: (405) 557-7346
Capitol: (405) 557-7380
House Approves OHLAP Reforms
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 25, 2007) – Lawmakers voted today to provide a permanent funding source for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (also known as “Oklahoma’s Promise”) and implements new accountability and performance standards for the scholarship program.
Senate Bill 820 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 98-0 vote. It now goes to the governor for his signature.
“OHLAP students work hard and play by the rules to qualify for these scholarships. This legislation ensures that the state keeps its promise to those students by paying for their education,” said state Rep. Tad Jones, a Claremore Republican who carried the bill in the House. “This legislation guarantees no qualified student is ever denied an education because of financial problems.”
“Senate Bill 820 keeps ‘Oklahoma’s Promise,’” said state Rep. Randy Terrill, a Moore Republican who chairs the House Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee. “We’re telling Oklahoma students that we will pay their tuition if they stay out of trouble and maintain their grades.”
OHLAP pays the college tuition of students from families earning less than $50,000 per year who take a rigorous college curriculum, maintain a 2.5 grade point average and exhibit good behavior during their high school years.
However, the program has been underfinanced in recent years. Senate Bill 820 corrects that situation by taking the money needed for scholarships “off the top” of general revenue collections each year.
The bill also contains several major reforms. First, the legislation limits scholarship eligibility to U.S. citizens or other individuals who are legally present in the country.
Children who are home schooled would be eligible for the program for the first time under the bill if they meet all other requirements and score a 22 or higher on the ACT test.
“In Oklahoma, home-schooling is a constitutionally protected right,” Terrill said. “It has always been the position of the House Republican caucus that government should not be in the business of discriminating against families who choose to educate their children by other means.”
Senate Bill 820 extends the “good conduct” requirements throughout a student’s college years. Current law applies that requirement only to the high school years.
Under the bill, any student who is expelled from college or suspended for more than one semester would lose his or her scholarship.
“When kids sign up for OHLAP in high school, they promise not to commit any criminal or delinquent acts or have substance abuse problems. We should expect the same from those students when they attend college,” Terrill said. “Your conduct should live up to a certain standard if you want to go to school on the taxpayers’ dime.”
The bill also includes an “anti-windfall” provision barring scholarships to students with family income greater than $100,000 at the time they start college. Currently, the $50,000 income threshold applies only to the time of application.
The means test will not be applied to foster children.
“The bill allows for reasonable income growth between the time you apply for a scholarship and the time you begin receiving aid,” Terrill said. “At the same time, it prevents people from gaming the system by manipulating their income tax returns.”
Perhaps the most significant reform is a grade-point-average requirement. Currently, scholarship recipients continue receiving state aid even if they are failing most classes.
The new law will require OHLAP students to maintain the minimum GPA required by the State Regents for Higher Education during their freshman year, with a 2.0 minimum imposed during the sophomore year and at least a 2.5 GPA required for classes taken during the junior and senior years.
Terrill noted that other state scholarship programs, such as those offered in Georgia and Tennessee, impose higher GPA requirements.
“The purpose of the OHLAP program isn’t simply to produce more college graduates; it’s also to produce a better-quality college graduate,” Terrill said. “Students will perform to expectations. We hope to incentivize better academic performance from OHLAP students.”
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