PINK SLIPS an Aroused Electorate Boots Six Incumbents, Forces 10 More Into Runoffs
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• An Independent JournAl of CommentAry • JULY 2018 • VOLUME 50 NUMBER 7 • $5.00 PINK SLIPS An Aroused Electorate Boots Six Incumbents, Forces 10 More Into Runoffs. Did Leadership Get The Message? PRIMARY ANALYSIS Begins on page 6. Observations www.okobserver.org VOLUME 50, NO. 7 Veto[ed] Referendum Teachers and schools weren’t the only winners when the Oklahoma PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton Supreme Court invalidated a proposed veto referendum aimed at repeal- EDITOR Arnold Hamilton ing $430 million in Legislature-approved tax hikes that primarily ben- efited public education. ADVISORY BOARD The decision also served as a political lifeboat for statehouse Repub- Andrew Hamilton, Matthew Hamilton, Scott J. Hamilton, Trevor James, licans. Ryan Kiesel, George Krumme, Think the primary was a gut-punch for the GOP’s near supermajority Gayla Machell, MaryAnn Martin, – six incumbents beaten, 10 more forced into runoffs? Bruce Prescott, Robyn Lemon Sellers, Imagine the potential carnage if a hyper-motivated electorate turned Kyle Williams out in a general election to thwart what almost all would know was a OUR MOTTO right-wing Republican effort to un-do the first teacher pay raises in a To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the decade. Comfortable. It was clear from nearly two hours of oral arguments before the full OUR CREDO court June 11 that justices had serious problems with the proposed SQ So then to all their chance, to all their 799, spearheaded by Dr. No, former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, and his anti- shining golden opportunity. To all the tax minions, Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite! right to love, to live, to work, to be Sharp questioning foretold the 6-2 ruling – most justices unsettled by themselves, and to become whatever thing their vision and humanity can what they viewed as a sloppily prepared petition destined to confuse, combine to make them. This seeker, rather than enlighten signers and, ultimately, voters. is the promise of America. With the high court’s rejection of SQ 799, Coburn and Co. had less - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe than a month – only until July 18 – to submit a new petition and col- lect 41,000-plus valid signatures to force a statewide vote. A tall order FOUNDING PUBLISHER indeed. Helen B. Troy [1932-2007] As of press time, the anti-tax group still hadn’t announced its plans, if any. No doubt statehouse Republican powers-that-be hope it will all FOUNDING EDITOR Frosty Troy [1933-2017] go away. The headwinds in evidence during the primary seem likely to remain strong into November – but even more so if Dr. No and his ideologically [ISSN 0030-1795] The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 is published on the first Wednesday of each month by AHB Enterprises LLC, 13912 Plym- 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 • JULY 2018 Observerscope The Observer family is highly Join us July 12 for a remarkable Dart: To GOP’s gubernatorial motivated and engaged, but just in Observer Newsmakers on immigra- wannabes Mick Cornett and Kevin case a “friend” asks, the deadline tion, featuring two Dreamers and Stitt, refusing to even consider is Aug. 3 to register to vote in the attorney Melissa Lujan, 6-7 p.m. at federal Medicaid expansion. If ig- Aug. 28 runoff. Visit LetsVoteOK. OKC’s Full Circle Books. See back norance is bliss, they must be the com to get on the rolls. cover for details. happiest guys on the planet. Laurel: To OK primary voters, ap- Laurel: To AARP and other con- Registered Republicans who care proving medical marijuana despite sumer advocates, finally persuad- about public education, beware: world-class fear-mongering. Even ing the Corporation Commission Superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s statehouse foes wisely accepted to give OG&E ratepayers the sav- runoff challenger Linda Murphy is the result – no special session to ings they were due from last year’s darling of the OCPA/school choice tinker with the rules. federal tax cuts – $18-plus on July crowd. bills and $4.44 per month thereaf- Big Pharma and the prison in- ter. Laurel: To OKC Community Col- dustrial complex sank more than lege student journalists and advi- half-a-million into last-ditch effort Loose cannon GOP Rep. Mike Ri- sor Scott Carter, sending sand- to sink SQ 788. Bad investment. tze paid a hefty price for allegedly wiches and food to Annapolis Support for medical marijuana embellishing his military record – Capital Gazette the day after late soared, winning by nearly 14%. forced into HD 80 runoff after re- June’s mass shooting. The true ceiving just 36.6% of primary vote. Oklahoma Standard. Dart: To Western Heights He is not a DAV member or Purple schools, docking pay from about Heart recipient. We mourn the sudden passing 20 teachers and support staff that of Chris Venters, OKC attorney refused to limit their walkout to Stillwater Central Railroad and animal rescuer extraordinaire one day. Good luck attracting top- breathed new life into the East- whose brilliant prose occasionally flight candidates to fill vacancies. ern Flyer, requesting proposals graced our pages. He was 68. to launch Oklahoma City-Tulsa Congratulations to our friend, passenger service. This is a no- Nooooooo! Time reports 88% of KOSU’s Rachel Hubbard, and hus- brainer – a smart way to leverage coffee-growing land in Latin Amer- band Matt Smith on the birth of the economic power of state’s two ica may be unusable by 2050. their son, Dixon. urban centers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters includes Hitler’s persecution of Jews; the expansion of this coun- try through decimation of Native American tribes; and almost five centuries of the Inquisition which left over a million women dead at the hands of the Dominican Fri- ars in their effort to eradicate her- esy and witchcraft [Exodus 22:18: “Suffer not a witch to live.”] The LGBTQ folk have long lived in the shadows of society but have recently been recognized by a con- servative Supreme Court as wor- thy, full-fledged citizens who have the right to marry whomever they please. They have also proven to be good parents. In the Declaration of Indepen- dence, Thomas Jefferson penned these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are en- Editor, The Observer: Republicans. dowed by their Creator with cer- Based on the outcome of the There is no rational basis for dis- tain inalienable rights, that among marijuana issue, I would say the crimination on account of race or these are life, liberty and the pur- Oklahoman and the Southern Bap- sexual orientation. Discrimination suit of happiness.” tists have lost most of their clout against Republicans is at least ra- SB 1140 stands in opposition to on political issues in our state. tional. Jefferson’s words. Surely the right What a blessing. Nathaniel Batchelder to practice one’s religion does not Royse Samples Oklahoma City include the right to discriminate. Cache Nathaniel Batchelder is director Groups that cannot extend servic- of the Peace House. es to the entire community should Editor, The Observer: cease to offer services. I have a number of relatives who Editor, The Observer: While democratic ideals may live in Canada. They are very hap- SB 1140, which makes it legal for never be fully realized, they re- py with their medical care system. religious groups to refuse services main a worthy goal. One has had both knees re- to gay couples, has been signed by Glen Thomas placed. Another one, a cousin who the governor and is now law in our Oklahoma City is my age, has undergone exten- fine state. This law flies in the face sive, ongoing treatment for pros- of democratic ideals. Editor, The Observer: tate cancer. The justification for this law has Aw, shucks, I couldn’t have done Both of them are glad they live in to do with the right to practice reli- it at that tender age. Too shy. Too Canada and not the U.S. because gious beliefs. The religious beliefs uncertain about who I was. of the difference in medical care argument is an old one and has But high schoolers did it in the systems. been used for millennia to subju- “March for Our Lives,” saying their Robert S. Kennedy Jr. gate and marginalize women, in- piece in front of thousands. Harrah cluding the circumcision of young Good for them and us. girls in many countries. The reli- So good that it convinces me Editor, The Observer: gious beliefs argument was used that we should lower the voting Most Republicans support a bak- to justify slavery as the Bible of- age from 18 to 16.