“We can push polarizing legislation that grabs the attention of bloggers and talk radio, or we can pursue legislation that propels Oklahoma firmly into the 21st century.”

Were the Governor’s remarks yesterday at his state of the state address motivated by this OKPNS post? Hmmm.

EXCLUSIVE: Candid Emails Reveal Depths of 1804 Repeal Conspiracy; Ambush Planned for Rep. Terrill

Video: GRAPHIC — Criminal Horse Abuse at Oklahoma Prison Rodeo

The McAlester News Capitol reported last week that Governor Brad Henry will be in McAlester this week. The governor will be in town to introduce wind mill entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens at a town hall meeting he’s hosting to pitch wind power.While addressing our nation’s ever increasing energy needs is important, there is another issue in McAlester that we would like to see have the Governor’s attention as well, and that is the horrible animal abuse and cruelty that occurs at the annual Oklahoma Prison Rodeo. The shocking and disgusting video actually shows a horse with TWO BROKEN LEGS that was beaten and left to suffer after it’s injuries.

OKPNS is asking that you call the Oklahoma Governor and the Director of the Prisons and ask them to stop sponsoring this cruel prison rodeo. It is an outrage that tax payer money is used to pay for this brutality. For more information, go to PrisonRodeoAbuse.com

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry
Telephone: (405) 521-2342

Justin Jones, Director, Department of Corrections
3400 Martin Luther King Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111-4298
Phone: (405) 425-2505
Fax: (405) 425-2578
Email: justin.jones@doc.state.ok.us

Marty Sirmons, Warden
P.O. Box 97
McAlester, OK 74502-0097
Phone: (918) 423-4700
Fax: (918) 423-3862
Email: marty.sirmons@doc.state.ok.us

Related:

Tulsa World:Speaker denies requests for prison studies

OKPNS (5/21/08) Who’s to Blame for Monday’s “Prison Disturbance” (Riot)

OKPNS (5/27/07) GOP Leaders: What is Henry Trying to Hide with Veto of Audit? Funds?

Governor Henry kissing his mother. Too bad the mother of Kevin Young’s victim can’t kiss her son

Boy, we’ve seen this before. From the Associated Press:

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Brad Henry has granted clemency to Kevin Young, sparing him from execution. Young, 43, was scheduled to die Aug. 21 for the May 1996 killing of 56-year-old Joseph Sutton at a gambling room inside a northeast Oklahoma City steakhouse.

Henry commuted Young’s death sentence Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole/ During the clemency hearing, an apologetic Young told parole board members he has become a Christian.

Michelle Byte over at GetRightOK.com alerted us to a new website she’s started. It’s called www.appointgaryjones.blogspot.com. She says the site will have a link for reader’s to send a message to the governor and she will post “stuff I find elsewhere.” She also plans to occasionally write a few of her thoughts on the site.

“This website is all about doing what is right in this case, and to right the wrong that was done to Gary Jones and to the Oklahoma voters.”

The Oklahoma Political News Service, an opinion AND news, blog/website, first told you yesterday afternoon -HOURS before the Oklahoma mainstream press – that Governor Henry had finally made a decision regarding the proposed casino next to Remington Park.

Sources tell OKPNS that Henry was always opposed to the project, but was conflicted due to his close friendship with Greg Pitcher, chairman of the Shawnee Tribe’s economic development arm.

Murphey Legislative Update
2/21/2006

One of the most important issues before the legislature this year is Governor’s Brad Henry’s proposal to issue $663,362,000 of new bonded indebtedness.

I feel strongly that state government should avoid long-term debt. I believe it is irresponsible for politicians to saddle citizens with millions of dollars of debt and debt interest and then allow the bill to come due in the future when they are no longer in office. This places debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren. It also makes it difficult to reduce the size of government because government will be forced to keep taxes high in order to pay the debt and interest.

What seems particularly egregious about the Governor’s proposal is the fact that in a year when state government will have approximately $250,000,000 new dollars to spend, there is a move to incur millions of new debt.

Of additional concern is that the Governor’s proposal attempts to use this debt to fund non-capital items. Traditionally, government bonds are issued for capital projects such as the construction of buildings. However, in his budget proposal, the Governor appears to be seeking the authority to spend a sizable percentage of this debt on non state-owned capital items. This is money that will disappear into government bureaucracy, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for years to come.

It is also important to remember that the Oklahoma Constitution prohibits the government from going into debt. However, years of creative interpretation by the judiciary have made it possible for those who advocate for public debt to open up a Pandora’s box of spending.

If we are serious about rolling back big government and enacting important pro-growth reforms such as eliminating state income tax, this is an issue we can not afford to ignore. As it stands now, the job of reducing the size of government has been made difficult enough because of inappropriate spending by politicians of the past, such as raiding the teachers’ retirement system and leaving us with $7,000,000 of unfunded retirement system liabilities. I believe that members of the legislature must understand that it is our responsibility in representing the people to draw a clear line in the sand and defeat this attempt to mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren.