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Revenue Session • An Independent JournAl of CommentAry • FEBRUARY 2018 • VOLUME 50 NUMBER 2 • $5.00 REVENUE SESSION 2018 OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE Now, more than ever, it’s all about the money. Special Report: Pages 10-17. RAIL REVOLUTION All signs point to Oklahoma passenger train revival. Special Report: Pages 18-23. Observations www.okobserver.org Why June? VOLUME 50, NO. 2 Gov. Mary Fallin’s first consequential act of 2018 wasn’t expanding the PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton special session agenda or identifying possible successors to Kirk Hum- phreys on the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents. EDITOR Arnold Hamilton Instead, it was setting a June 26 election for SQ 788, the initiative that will let voters decide whether to legalize medical marijuana. DIGITAL EDITOR MaryAnn Martin This is a watershed moment for Oklahoma – the logical next step, pub- ADVISORY BOARD lic policy-wise, after voters embraced other so-called sin referenda such Marvin Chiles, Andrew Hamilton, as liquor by the drink and pari-mutuel gambling on horse races. Matthew Hamilton, Scott J. Hamilton, We’ve long urged Oklahoma to abandon its punitive, costly approach Trevor James, Ryan Kiesel, George Krumme, Gayla Machell, to regulating marijuana, which has created unsustainable prison crowd- Bruce Prescott, Robyn Lemon Sellers, ing. Once considered a non-starter, legalization now is positively main- Kyle Williams stream. Petition-circulators were able to gather more than enough signatures OUR MOTTO To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the to get SQ 788 on the ballot. Polls indicate a landslide majority of Okla- Comfortable. homans intend to vote for it. There will be rabid, noisy opposition, of course – mostly from law en- OUR CREDO forcement and prosecutors whose operations depend financially on ri- So then to all their chance, to all their shining golden opportunity. To all the diculously hefty fines and penalties that can be imposed for even the right to love, to live, to work, to be simplest, non-distribution violations. themselves, and to become whatever But Fallin’s decision to schedule the SQ 788 vote on primary day in thing their vision and humanity can June – rather than November’s general election – is a sure sign that the combine to make them. This seeker, is the promise of America. times, they are a-changin’, as Bob Dylan might sing. - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe The governor undoubtedly knows that statewide referenda on status quo-shattering issues can disrupt otherwise routine, predictable elec- FOUNDING PUBLISHER toral matrices. She also knows that politicians dislike uncertainty – es- Helen B. Troy [1932-2007] pecially when they’re facing voters after a series of contentious ses- FOUNDING EDITOR sions failed to solve the state’s most pressing problems. Frosty Troy [1933-2017] Most incumbents are old enough to remember 2002 when Democratic state Sen. Brad Henry upset a strong Republican favorite, NFL Hall of [ISSN 0030-1795] Famer and U.S. Rep. Steve Largent, to become governor. The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is published on the first Wednesday of each month by AHB Enterprises LLC, 13912 Plym- CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 outh Crossing, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals postage paid at Edmond, OK and additional entry of- fice. Phone: 405.478.8700. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-Year [12 issues] $50. Send check to The Yes! Please send me a one-year subscription for only $50. Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, This special offer includes my certificate for a free book courtesy Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Online: Visit of Full Circle Bookstore [a $20 value]. See page 41 for details. www.okobserver.net to use a credit card. UPDATE ADDRESSES Please notify us at least two weeks before your move to ensure uninterrupted service. E-mail address changes to subscriptions@ okobserver.net or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. LETTERS TO EDITOR E-mail to [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113- 0275. 2 • FEBRUARY 2018 Observerscope Dart: To Corporation Commis- sioners Dana Murphy and Todd Hiett, rejecting AG Mike Hunter’s request OG&E be ordered to im- mediately pass along Trump-tax savings to ratepayers. Murphy and Hiett are wholly owned subsidiar- ies of the state’s utilities. We mourn the passing of our friend Harley Venters, one of the founders of Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma. West Point grad, for- mer legislator and judge, yellow dog FDR Democrat – a giant who will be sorely missed. Laurel: To U.S. Sen. Susan Col- lins, R-ME, and Democratic sena- tors, working around-the-clock to reverse the Trump FCC’s destruc- tion of net neutrality. A fair and Join us March 22 for An Evening Dart: To Sen. Nathan Dahm, R- open internet is a vital firewall with Dan Rather, a fundraiser cel- Broken Arrow, proposing legisla- against the oligarchs. ebrating The Observer’s 50th year. tion that would declare Oklahoma See back cover for details. wildlife to be property of “Almighty Don’t miss our Feb. 8 Newsmak- God.” Really? We need a law for ers, featuring Sen. Kay Floyd and Dart: To the Oklahoman, serving that? Dahm’s proof not all squir- Rep. Emily Virgin discussing the as an unabashed public relations rels live in trees. 2018 session and its impact on arm of Step Up Oklahoma. It’s per- Oklahoma women. Six-7 p.m. at fectly OK to editorialize in favor, Keep an eye on Feb. 13’s SD 27 OKC’s Full Circle Books. See page but not to uncritically cheerlead in special election in historically 13 for details. the news columns. GOP northwest Oklahoma. Demo- crat Amber Jensen has a real shot Trumpism, writ large: Only 30% We’re rarely at a loss for words, to flip the seat also sought by Rep. of people surveyed in 134 coun- but – good grief! – 11 OKC Pub- Casey Murdock, R-Felt. tries last year approved of U.S. lic School superintendents since leadership, down 20 percentage 2000? E-l-e-v-e-n! Capital lead- Laurel: To our friend and labor points since Barack Obama left of- ers [?] should hang their heads in leader Tim O’Connor, honored fice. – Gallup shame. with the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Ray Ackerman Lead- Note to our Observer family: Laurel: To Sen. Ron Sharp, R- ership Award. Bravo! Please give us a month’s heads- Shawnee, proposing legislation to up when moving. It costs us every prevent state Department of Edu- Statehouse Republicans breath- time postal service returns an un- cation from overruling local school ing easier after recent reports of deliverable copy. Fastest, easiest boards in order to create charter state revenue growth just got a way to update your address is to schools. Didn’t Republicans used face-full of cold water: Chesapeake email [email protected]. to be for local control? Energy is laying off 400. Wasn’t Trump’s tinkle-down tax plan guar- Tulsa U.S. Rep. Jim Briden- No one needs a tracking device anteed to create jobs? stine’s nomination to lead NASA is to determine Rep. Mark McBride’s in trouble, despite narrowly receiv- whereabouts at the Capitol: As The happiest guy in America? ing Senate committee support. He chief water carrier for billionaire Must be George W. Bush. His di- would do for space and scientific fracker Harold Hamm, he’s always sastrous presidency now looks discovery what Scott Pruitt has in middle of statehouse’s big oil, Mount Rushmore-esque compared done for EPA. anti-renewable cabal. to Donald “Shithole” Trump. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters that the average benefit cost for state employees was 15.57% lower than the market’s average. That makes total compensation 21.12% lower than what other workers were paid in the state fiscal year which ended June 30, 2016. Many people are struggling in Oklahoma’s current economy, but state employees deliver criti- cal services to our most vulner- able citizens – children, seniors, people with disabilities – and citi- zens who have business with state government. They are forced to ac- cept new responsibilities when co- workers seek better employment opportunities and vacant posi- tions are not filled. The fact is that many are eligible for the services they provide the public, such as food stamps. Editor, The Observer: “redirection” would bring desper- This is a crying shame in a state The Ten Commandments are ately needed decency to our ailing that should make special interests taken from the Old Testament writ- world. pay their fair share of taxes, which ten well before the life of Christ. Imagine the drastic change in the they now avoid through tax incen- Is it not Christ who is revered by very complexion of our lawmakers’ tives that nobody is tracking. The the vast majority of our churches? debates regarding [for examples] state Legislature can’t even tell us Don’t lawmakers proudly empha- Medicare, Medicaid, Social Secu- how much these giveaways cost size their Christian faith, most es- rity, food stamps, nuclear arms, taxpayers, but many are quick to pecially when campaigning? Why prisons, torture and DACA! As let partisan politics stand in the then the agitation over placing the ordinary citizens we might insist way of paying reasonable wages to Commandments on public monu- that lawmakers be loyal to a faith struggling state employees. ments? It seems to this writer most of them profess. A just and Phyllis Bryant that principles condemning lying, peaceful civilization could evolve. Bethany stealing or killing are [or should On its own, that would be some be] self-evident.
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