Oklahoma Political News Service

Chris Wilson: “2010 Shaping Up to be a Year Where the Political Winds Will Favor Republicans”

C. W. McBlackville — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:03:29 +0000

Wilson Research Strategies founder and CEO Chris Wilson gives his assessment on the upcoming midterm elections: “President Obama’s job approval ratings have already fallen below the 60% approval mark that has generally protected the sitting President’s party in Congress. Based on current trends, Obama is likely to have approval ratings in the mid-fifties if not worse. In [...]

OK Legislators’ Blog: Town Halls, Best Wishes & Interim Studies

C. W. McBlackville — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:37:08 +0000

By Rep. Jason Murphey I will be hosting a series of Town Hall Meetings across House District 31 this week. During the last mid-term interim, I conducted a series of these meetings in order to provide updates about both state and local government events and to provide an opportunity for questions and answers so my constituents could [...]

Organization Says State Stimulus Spending Not Transparent

C. W. McBlackville — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:53:04 +0000

Oklahomans for Responsible Government are doing their best to track the millions of borrowed and printed “stimulus” dollars headed for Oklahoma. From their newsletter: “The state does have a website devoted to stimulus dollars and it has a section on transparency but frankly, the actual transparency is lacking. At this moment, it only shows agencies that have [...]

Video: Sooner Tea Party @ State Capitol

C. W. McBlackville — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:18:35 +0000

Five thousand Oklahomans brandish signs around the State Capitol’s south steps to protest government spending and bailouts. http://soonerteaparty.org Hat tip: magstertv

OK Legislators’ Blog: No Property Tax Reform This Year

C. W. McBlackville — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:00:51 +0000

By Rep. Jason Murphey One of the bills that was lost late in the session this year was property tax reform in the form of SJR-5. This was probably the single most disappointing occurrence of the session. Last April, chances are that you received your property tax assessment. I would also guess that regardless of whether or [...]

Quote of the Day: “60% Approval and She’s Stepping Down?

C. W. McBlackville — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:39:58 +0000

We received this last Friday morning. A reader speculates on why Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor decided against running for re-election. “60% approval and she’s stepping down? Does her husband no longer need special favors? (he runs Alamo/Thrifty rental cars who got a lot of money to open call center in Tulsa). Is it because of the [...]

“Ghost Commissioner” Jeff Cloud Discusses Energy Issues

C. W. McBlackville — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:12:29 +0000

Corporate Commission “Ghost Commissioner” Jeff Cloud on an Aspen Institute junket in Egypt. Ghost commissioner Jeff Cloud was in Norman last week discussing energy issues. Here’s a synopsis from The Red Dirt Report: “Obama’s energy plans, Cloud said, “would devastate the energy industry,” particularly the oil and natural gas industry that is such an important part [...]

OFRG: “Why is the State Spending Nearly Seven-Million Dollars to Help Balance the Budgets of Other States?”

C. W. McBlackville — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:36:16 +0000

Here’s an inaugural article from Oklahomans for Responsible Government’s new newsletter called The Rotunda: “In a year when Oklahoma dealt with a $900-million shortfall in the state budget, why is the state spending nearly seven-million dollars to help balance the budgets of other states? Oklahomans for Responsible Government recently searched through the vendors listed on the state’s [...]

Boren Sponsors “Native American Apology Resolution”

C. W. McBlackville — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:51:27 +0000

From Indian Country Today: “The U.S. government broke hundreds of treaties it made with Indian nations; these were government-to-government treaties ratified by the U.S. Senate,” Boren said. “The impact of many U.S. policies is the source of many of the social and economic disparities that tribes face today. It is time for our nation to face [...]

OK Legislators’ Blog: “Taking Another Stand for States’ Rights”

C. W. McBlackville — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:07:17 +0000

Taking Another Stand for States’ Rights By Rep. Jason Murphey This week, the Oklahoma House of Representatives once again voted to support a House Resolution authored by State Representative Charles Key which sends a message to the federal government regarding states’ rights. This is Key’s second proposal which has been necessitated by a previous version approved in [...]