Oklahoma Courts Attack Ten Commandments Statue

 

 The Privately-funded gift to the state of Oklahoma was rejected by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on a 7-2  decision. The ruling opinion said;

" the placement of the monument on the grounds of the state Capitol violate Article 2, Section 5, of the Oklahoma Constitution which prohibits the use of public money or property to directly or indirectly benefit a “church denomination or system of religion.”

Rand Paul Commits To OKGOP Fundraiser Event

Presidential candidate, Sen. Rand Paul, with  Rep, JC Watts

  OKGOP Chairman, Randy Brogdon, told the State Committee on Saturday that he received a recent call and offer from presidential candidate, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Rand stated his desire to help the OKGOP with a planned fundraiser event. The date and venue are yet to be announced, but many expect it to occur within the next few months. Former Oklahoma Congressman, JC Watts could possibly join him.

Gary Jones Launches Government Efficiency Column

The Government Efficiency Project

Gary Jones recently stepped in & rescued the OKGOP 2015 Convention
from a near collapse, when the organization's systems shut down & put
the process on a 5 hour delay, with no credentialing solution.

  State Auditor, and former OKGOP Chairman, Gary Jones, is focusing significant efforts to improving the efficiency of the state government in his beloved state of Oklahoma. Some of that significant effort is now turned to communicating these ideas with his thoughtful fellow citizens.

“If you look at it from a business standpoint, what we’re doing now makes absolutely no sense,”

   His writings will now be shared in part with the readers of Sooner Politics Newspaper. This is Mr. Jones' effort to utilize social media and the web to communicate directly with Oklahomans in a way that does not become subject to media misrepresentations or editorial errors.

Scalia: 'A Threat To Our Democracy'

The elder jurist of the Supreme Court Of The United States has issued a dire warning of the US democracy's eminent dangers.
Justice Antonin Scalia was first appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan. This free thinker and brilliant legal mind is now issuing his most dire warning ever published in a dissenting opinion.

Hernandez Caught In Her Own Trap

Hernandez had been a rising star in the OKGOP.

  The News Director of KFAQ Radio, in Tulsa, has listened to the recording of the OKGOP Wednesday staff meeting. The recording was provided by OKGOP Chairman Randy Brogdon, released privately to the station in response to Pat Campbell's direct questions asked on-air, in a Thursday  morning interview. 

  News Director Tami Marler and the morning talk crew all agree that the recording does NOT support Hernandez' accusations of Brogdon, as they were posted to a severely discredited web blog.
Listen to the post-interview discussion
 They further assert that Hernandez has violated her role in leadership by not properly and consistently aiding and assisting the chairman, as the OKGOP rules mandate to her.

The Governor Who Planned Her Wedding At The Playboy Mansion

Oklahoma politics has some sordid tales to tell. We have some colorful governors and legislators. But this governor's romantic life has had some tales of unprecedented scale. Bill Clinton's governor's mansion might not have as much scandal as our current occupant?

Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion party guests included
Joe Fallin and Mary Copeland

  Randy Fellers was a social scene columnist for Oklahoma City The Lost Ogle reproduced an interesting scrapbook on Mary Fallin's younger days.

National Earthquake Report: Oklahoma Needs Leadership

  The National Geological Survey issued a more clear statement about the Oklahoma phenomena of earthquake activity.

David Van Risseghem

   Their unambiguous statement does spare fracking from any significant blame in the recent unprecedented mass of quakes. That is good news for exploration and new opportunities to tap into our rich resources.

Senator Dahm's Annual Uncensored Legislative Report

A brutally frank assessment of legislative matters.

  Every 3rd Tuesday, the Tulsa Area Republican Assembly meets at the Golden Corral Steakhouse, in south Tulsa. This month featured the anticipated senatorial review by the youngest member of the Tulsa County delegation.
  It was a great evening with the one & only Senator Nathan Dahm​. He gave us very useful information on the results of the 2015 Oklahoma Legislature and what to expect in the months to come.  He had the boldness to call some bills 'stupid' and the courage to stand up for bills he is proud of.

Rep. Jason Murphey Challenges The Speaker's Concentrated Powers

Chairman Jason Murphey of the House Modernization Committee

Murphey Laments the death of TW Shannon's transparency reforms

Absolute Power

By: Jason Murphey | Sunday, June 14th, 2015 11:39:13 PM | 
  During the last fifteen months I have mostly resisted the temptation to write about my feelings regarding the current state of transparency in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. This may seem perplexing to my regular readers because up until March of 2014, I frequently wrote about the deliberative but systematic transformation of the House away from an institution of opaque process and concentrated power.

Ted Cruz 'Wows' The Crowd At OKGOP Luncheon

Senator Ted Cruz takes time to visit Donna and Steve Byas

  Sooner Politics asked our readers for an attendee's report of the OKGOP Luncheon with Special Guest, Senator Ted Cruz (an announced candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.).

  Donna Byas, (wife of Oklahoma Constitution publisher, Steve Byas), was kind enough to share her review of the event.

By Donna Byas
Oklahoma City, OK -   A great time. Most of us got our picture taken with him, too at no extra charge. What a great deal! Steve and I attended the round table discussion.
   Mark Thomas of Canadian County asked him if he thought he could keep his principles while serving in office (my version of the question). Cruz said yes, he could.

  Steve Byas asked Cruz about TPA/TPP. Cruz spent a good deal of time on this answer. He said he voted for TPA because every President had had TPA until Harry Reid killed it. Cruz said all this does is fast track any trade agreement. Cruz said TPP is still being worked out. They have yet to vote on TPP. Cruz said the big deal with TPP is that it is being kept secret. Cruz has read it and called for it to become public. He said any country can say which portions of the agreement they will and will not abide by. He said there is nothing in it that would cause us to lose our sovereignty. He said he has always been a free trade guy.

   Cruz came across as a very sincere guy, I thought. He shook many of our hands (including mine) as he came into the room. Then, when we went across the street to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame--which was a great and handy place to hold it---Cruz went around to several tables and shook their hands, too. Cruz gave a great speech---he will fight for us, he went to DC and has told the truth and did what he said he would do, he things the US can be turned around and he thinks the GOP will win this time if we do not nominate in the same mold as John McCain and Mitt Romney;

"He's someone I could see sitting in the Oval Office" ~Donna Byas

  When he finished the speech, he got a very, very, very long standing ovation. It went on so long, that after he sat down, he stood up again to acklnowledge it and kind of put his hands in the shape to tell the crowd thanks but that's enough---It was a really long standing ovation. He is a great speaker and he does have charisma.
   He seems very sincere and the real deal. He did so well that I changed my Facebook picture to the picture Steve and I took with him today. I was kind of waffling--heading towards Walker, but Cruz just really made me a believer today. It's the 2nd time I have seen him speak---we went to see Cruz and Sarah Palin and Mike Lee speak for TW in Tulsa during the US Senate race--though we supported Randy Brogdon. Cruz is an excellent speaker. He's someone I could see sitting in the Oval Office, standing in front of the cameras before all of Congress and the US Senate making a State of the Union address, or sitting down eye ball to eye ball with Putin and drawing a line in the sand about some invasion or other nuclear war heads or something. He also is a friend of Israel. I think he said we need to make our enemies fear us and our friends know they have an ally. I think he would do that.
   Oh, and the food was very good. We also had cheesecake again, and Steve said it was very good---as I decided I ought to cut back somewhere. We had some sort of fancy chicken with vegetables---very good. It was well attended. Oh...and all the money went to the Oklahoma GOP which I thought was a stand up, generous, and great thing to do of Ted as he had to miss the Gala because of the NSA vote. So, the OKGOP has twice made money off Ted Cruz's name. He did show up onscreen from DC but being there in person is quite different. I really thought Cruz would have won the straw poll had he been there in person to speak and had Carson not bought 100 votes.
   I had another "Disneyland" kind of day. It is really neat to see Presidential hopefuls come through Oklahoma for a change. Chairman Randy Brogdon organized a really great event.  Cruz thinks he can get the 50 million or so Christian right voters who stayed at home last time to come out and vote for him; Cruz thinks we can turn the US around with Tax reform (he wants the flat tax), he wants to abolish the IRS, Bring back jobs we've lost over seas, and regulatory reforms--get Obama's zealots out of the business of regulation--they strangle small businesses, repeal every word of Obamacare and repeal Common Core--get back to local control of Education, Restore America's leadership was the 3rd plank.

  He is deeply optimistic. His Dad is his hero. Cruz and his wife are members at First Baptist Church of Houston.

Read all of Donna's report, here: https://goo.gl/aaholh

David Van Risseghem

Rep Bobby Cleveland Calls For Reform of OSSAA

  The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) seems to want it both ways. Sometimes they claim to act as a government education institution, yet at other times they insist they are a private club which no government can impose mandates upon.

Congressman Jim Bridenstine's 40th birthday party

  Jim Bridenstine's 40th birthday party had a special guest, today.  Sen. Ted Cruz flew in and shared some great stories of their joint efforts in Washington. Foster Friess also flew in and celebrated.

  I took these photos at the special reception and press conference/photo op. Afterwards we all went over to the Tulsa Air & Space Museum for the 40th Birthday Party. Ted also spoke there.

Tulsa County GOP Prepares For A Presidential Primary Ahead

  Last night (June 8th), the Tulsa County GOP Executive Committee met to plan out several upcoming activities and organizational matters.

  The group of nearly 40 GOP faithful met at Hardesty Regional Library for what will be a monthly tradition. Chairman Ford and Vice Chair Tyree have an ambitious goal of expanding both fundraising and reform for the Tulsa GOP.

OKGOP Luncheon With Special Guest, Senator Ted Cruz

(Oklahoma City, OK) – Chairman Randy Brogdon announced on Friday that presidential candidate, Senator Ted Cruz will be joining the Oklahoma Republican Party Saturday, June 13th at 12:00pm for a luncheon at the Oklahoma Sport's Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

Brinkley Replaced, In Committee Posts

Smalley & Quinn named to replace 

(Senator Brinkley, commemorating Lincoln for an OETA tv production)

  The Tulsa World published the following news update:

  According to Senate staff, Brinkley on Monday resigned from his committee chairmanships and as assistant majority floor leader, citing personal reasons.
  Bingman, R-Sapulpa, appointed Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, as chairman of the Senate Pensions Committee. He also appointed Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, as vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Brinkley Partially Resigns

 

Senator Rick Brinkley has resigned from his senate leadership roles within the current legislature.

KFAQ announces a press release from Senate President Brian Bingman's office:

"Republican Sen. Rick Brinkley of Owasso resigned as assistant majority floor leader, chairman of the Senate Pensions Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee."

 Read the KFAQ report, here. http://goo.gl/KqHY78

David Van Risseghem

Tulsa BBB Charges Brinkley For $1Million In Damages

Read the entire petition at: https://goo.gl/pMb062

Civil Suit

  Lawyers for the Tulsa Better Business Bureau on Friday afternoon, filed a civil suit against their 15-year corporate officer, Senator Rick L. Brinkley. The charges are quite specific and detailed.
  The heart of the suit states that Brinkley created some corporate entities for the local BBB to make regular payments to, as though they were vendors providing services to the local chapter. But in the court filing, the attorneys and their clients contend that the corporate "vendors" were just shell entities for credit card accounts. Those accounts, they contend; were not authorized by the corporate board of the Tulsa BBB. Essentially they contend that Senator Brinkley opened credit card accounts in the name of the Tulsa Better Business Bureau, but used the credit lines to pay several bills unrelated to the Tulsa Better Business Bureau.

The Brinkley Questions

Tulsa County Senator, Rick Brinkley

  The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is currently working a case involving The Tulsa Better Business Bureau and Senator Rick Brinkley. The case involves at least a couple of separate-yet-related issues.
  At the heart of the matter is a dispute about the nature of a nearly $50K transfer of money that happened this past April.