MELTDOWN Pandemic, Oil Price Collapse Wreak Havoc on State’S Budget
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• An Independent JournAl of CommentAry • APRIL 2020 • VOLUME 52 NUMBER 4 • $5.00 MELTDOWN Pandemic, Oil Price Collapse Wreak Havoc On State’s Budget. How Should Lawmakers Proceed In Uncharted World Of Virtual Policymaking? Cover Story Pages 12-14 Observations www.okobserver.org Not A Prayer VOLUME 52, NO. 4 If you look up “incorrigible” in the dictionary, you’ll find Gov. Kevin PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton Stitt’s mug shot. [email protected] When he assumed office in January 2019, the hail-fellow well-met EDITOR Arnold Hamilton mortgage broker seemed to understand he didn’t know what he didn’t [email protected] know. He publicly engaged groups of all political stripes. He even be- came the state’s first governor to greet those gathering at the Capitol for ADVISORY BOARD Andrew Hamilton, Matthew Hamilton, Muslim Day. Scott J. Hamilton, Trevor James, Alas, just as it’s impossible for a leopard to change its spots, so it is Ryan Kiesel, George Krumme, for Stitt – a reality that became clear in the midst of a pandemic claiming Gayla Machell, MaryAnn Martin, more lives every day. Bruce Prescott, Bob Rogers, Robyn Lemon Sellers, Kyle Williams First, the governor whiffed on a golden opportunity to unite all Okla- homans against the viral enemy. Instead of inviting a wide swath of faith OUR MOTTO groups to participate in a prayer service televised statewide, Stitt sur- To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the rounded himself with only his kind of people: evangelical Christians. Comfortable. It was a Who’s Who of the sort of faith leaders that predominate the OUR CREDO southeast Tulsa area from whence Stitt came to the Capitol: Transfor- So then to all their chance, to all their mation Church’s Michael Todd, Life Church’s Craig and Amy Groeschel, shining golden opportunity. To all the BattleCreek Church’s Alex Himaya, just to name a few. right to love, to live, to work, to be themselves, and to become whatever No Methodist or Episcopalian. No Catholic or Presbyterian. No Jew or thing their vision and humanity can Muslim or Hindu. No one representing Oklahoma’s no-religion citizenry. combine to make them. This seeker, We’ve seen this movie before. Remember that Stitt’s cabinet is white is the promise of America. male dominated – remarkable in an era when most political leaders seek - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe to assemble teams that reflect the broader communities they represent. FOUNDING PUBLISHER The left-out faith groups subsequently scheduled their own unity ser- Helen B. Troy [1932-2007] vice, but you’d hardly know it. It wasn’t carried by the state’s big city TV stations that afforded Stitt’s brand of evangelical Christianity a one- FOUNDING EDITOR Frosty Troy [1933-2017] hour, primetime infomercial. As if Stitt’s prayer service faux pas were not enough, the governor’s [ISSN 0030-1795] lawyer in the tribal gaming suit followed up with an insulting letter to The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is published on the first Wednesday of each CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 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.org 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.org 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 • APRIL 2020 Observerscope Our monthly Newsmakers series The pandemic is hitting Oklaho- Dart: To Donald Trump, slapping at OKC’s Full Circle Books will ma higher education particularly his name atop a Centers for Dis- be on hiatus until the COVID-19 hard – $21 million in fiscal costs ease Control postcard giving basic threat passes. In the meantime, related to COVID-19. That’s on medical advice during the pandem- check out Observercast for timely top of a 26% funding cut over the ic. A thinly-disguised re-election interviews and policy discussions. last decade, offset only by a few pitch, paid for by taxpayers. See back cover for details. crumbs last session. What is it with Okies and guns? Dart: To U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, Dart: To Gov. Kevin Stitt, playing Firearms and ammunition sales unable to get his stories straight politics by modifying his executive skyrocketed amidst the COVID-19 about his pre-pandemic stock sell- order to explicitly cite abortion as threat – up 400% in one week at a off. He claimed he was meeting an elective procedure off-limits Norman gun shop. What are panic with pro-lifers when other sena- during the pandemic. His shame- buyers gonna do? Shoot the virus? tors learned of the potential eco- ful action already is being chal- nomic calamity. Turns out he met lenged in federal court. Laurel: To U.S. Rep. Kendra with anti-abortion activists a day Horn, who successfully lobbied earlier. Unemployment claims in Okla- OKC not to cut off past-due water homa jumped a staggering 865.1% customers during the pandemic. Hopes of creating an indepen- the last full week in March – more It would add to health threat if dent state redistricting commis- than the prior 10 weeks combined those struggling to pay their bills sion to begin work next year ap- – due primarily to the pandemic. couldn’t wash their hands. pear dashed. The pandemic put all signature gathering on hold, Laurel: To OETA, nimbly revamp- We mourn the passing of our making it unlikely there’s enough ing its entire daytime schedule to friend Sam Armstrong-Lopez, the time for SQ 810 to appear on the focus on remote learning for stu- superb press secretary for Gov. November ballot. dents whose school year abruptly Henry Bellmon and former OKC ended amid the coronavirus. TV reporter/news director. Gone Laurel: To the state’s mayors – much too soon at age 65. especially Norman’s Brea Clark, The late U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn’s OKC’s David Holt and Tulsa’s G.T. least appealing trait? His insuffer- Oklahomans fell victim to $10.3 Bynum – whose clear-eyed leader- able religious certitude. His most million in imposter scams, iden- ship amid the pandemic contrasts appealing? Unlike our current U.S. tity theft and other fraud last year. sharply with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s senators, he didn’t play political – AARP flailing. games. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters from voters like us. Please look up your U.S. con- gressional representative and sen- ators and tell them that students with disabilities, who often need more, not less help to succeed in school, must have the same educa- tional opportunities as other stu- dents during this crisis. You can get their info on this link: http:// www.oklegislature.gov/FindMyLeg- islature.aspx. Colata Harlan Yukon Editor, The Observer: I keep thinking it just couldn’t be possible Trump and his GOP sy- cophants are this stupid – going by the risk in each county. First it was states. And now coun- ties. Soon it will be by city, neigh- borhood or street because no one ever travels across a state, county, Editor, The Observer: that laws allowing the eviction of city or neighborhood boundary for Kendra Horn is the first bona tenants just because they’re gay, business. fide Democrat we have had from that laws allowing religious dis- Karen Webb Congressional District 5 since crimination to be used to fire or A former Oklahoman now living Mike Monroney – and that was in to prevent hiring based on orienta- in Portland, OR the ‘50s. tion be revoked. We should keep her. A system of laws that sorts out Editor, The Observer: Donald M. Smith some people who do no harm from Fifteen virus cases, down to zero Oklahoma City the rest of our society is not jus- Mimics his actions to Nero tice. His absurd misdirection Editor, The Observer: James Nimmo Indicates his lack of discretion I and other GLBT voters are an Oklahoma City And does not make Trump a important demographic of the na- hero. tional vote and have become more Editor, The Observer: Tom Birbilis so with the enthusiastically re- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, Tulsa ceived presidential campaign of wants to force the federal Office Mayor Pete during the last year. of Special Education and Reha- Editor, The Observer: We need to exercise that strength bilitative Services to issue waiv- I wrote to a member of Congress, when the time comes to insist that ers allowing states to discriminate Katie Porter from California, to the eventual Democratic nominee against students with disabilities ask if the government was provid- and his running mate are not just because of COVID-19. This is ille- ing free coronavirus testing for sympathetic – because I don’t want gal and immoral. You can’t issue undocumented people. Here is her “sympathy” – but who are demon- get out of jail free cards to violate answer: strably on board with supporting civil rights protected by the Indi- “This varies by state.