Reynolds: "Why Is a Liberal, Out-of-State Group Praising Edmondson?”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: State Rep. Mike Reynolds

Capitol: (405) 557-7337

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 26, 2007) – Although the Washington, DC-based Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) claims to be a "progressive 'think-and-do' tank" eager to "reinvigorate the initiative process among state and national progressive organizations...." it’s actions undercut that claims, state Rep. Mike Reynolds said today.

BISC statements imply that it upholds the values of democracy and citizen initiative rights, and is a friend of the rule of law.

"But it seems this is only true when BISC wants to advance its own political agenda through initiatives," said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, responding to a recent statement issued by the Center. "BISC is apparently all in favor of hauling supporters off to prison if they work for initiatives BISC doesn't like."

An October 22 press release issued by the organization applies its BISC-quicked logic to the case of Paul Jacob, Susan Johnson, and Rick Carpenter, leaders in a recent Oklahoma initiative to limit state spending often referred to as a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). If convicted of participating in democracy they could go to prison for up to 10 years.

According to BISC, the Oklahoma three are "crooks [who] have worked in this arena long enough to know the laws. They just thought they could get away with ignoring them. In fact, we have found that most right-wing ballot initiative players operate with complete disregard for state laws meant to ensure an open and honest process of putting issues on the ballot."

BISC's blanket characterization of "right-wing ballot initiative players" immediately suggests an ideological bias, Reynolds said.

But worse, said Reynolds, "BISC is dishonest to claim that the Oklahoma Three 'thought they could get away with ignoring' Oklahoma's law that petition circulators be residents. BISC links to Paul Jacob's statement of self-defense but ignores his explanation of how the state changed the rules, after the fact, on what constitutes residency. At freepauljacob.com, Mister Jacob reports in detail on the effort he and others made to ensure that they were complying with the law, a law that contrary to BISC's assertions does not in fact do anything to ensure an open and honest ballot process.

"If BISC thinks Jacob is wrong on the facts, why don't they answer him?" Reynolds asked. "Why don't they refute him? Their attack is clearly not about facts or objective law. It's sad that political activists who make use of the initiative process themselves refuse to see the glaring injustice and unconstitutionality here, which could be extended to them too one day. And it is an Orwellian inversion to imply that abetting the exercise by Oklahoma citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed citizen initiative rights is in and of itself a form of sabotage of those rights."

BISC Executive Director Kristina Wilfore has even gone so far as to submit a letter of praise to Attorney General Edmondson stressing that the TABOR campaign was funded and enjoining Edmondson to look into the "network of funders" that has supported this and other petition drives.

“BISC is not a credible source of information,” said Reynolds. “It’s on the extreme left, supported by donations from the National Abortion Rights Action League and billionaire George Soros's Open Society Foundation. BISC is about using the initiative process to promote the leftwing agenda of its donors. Contrary to its rhetoric about ‘out of state’ interests, BISC itself provides direct donations to ballot measures in multiple states.

“BISC ideologically opposes TABOR initiatives,” said Reynolds. “In 2006, Nebraska campaign filings show that BISC was paid to train people in blocking a TABOR petition drive. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against three Nebraska cities because they violated the 1st Amendment rights of TABOR petitioners."

“BISC should be ashamed enough of its admitted role in campaigns designed to harass petitioners and block voters from deciding issues like TABOR,” Reynolds concluded. “But now we see their desire to help in the AG’s witch-hunt against the initiative process, to actually throw their political opponents in prison. That's a sad commentary on BISC.”

The state representative pointed to BISC’s own statement that their help in the prosecution of these three individuals by the AG is “a continuation of those efforts” to block TABOR from the ballot.

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