After Last Night, Let just hope...

After last night with Scott Brown, U.S. Senate race win in Massachusetts.

Let just hope that the Oklahoma GOP (State & County Party, House Caucus, Senate Caucus) do not drive people away with dumb thing, like not letting the people vote to capping property taxs at 3%.

Let just hope that Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge and the House Republican Caucus, get a CLUE!

Mr. Speaker time to Step Up or Step Down on Property Tax Reform

The state representative who has been most active in pushing for property tax reform today urged House Speaker Chris Benge to “step up on this vital issue or step down and let someone else lead the House” in enacting it.

“I was frankly astonished by the Speaker’s recent statements in opposition to these simple and fair reforms,” said state Rep. David Dank (R-Oklahoma City), who has authored measures that would cap annual property tax increases at 3 percent, and freeze those taxes for seniors over 65.

“Not only are his statements out of touch with the core Republican principle of limited government we were sent here to espouse, they are factually incorrect,” Dank said.

He said his property tax reforms would result in no revenue reductions to schools or counties, and would have no impact on the state budget. Benge was quoted as claiming they would “reduce revenue.”

“How is a 3-percent annual increase a reduction?” Dank said.

“The simple truth is that we have a built-in annual tax increase for literally thousands of Oklahoma homeowners during a severe recession.

At the current 5-percent rate of increase, when you compound it, that amounts to doubling everyone’s property taxes every 13 years. That’s just wrong and I am baffled that a Republican Speaker is opposed to alleviating it.

“Speaker Benge needs to step up on this vital issue by allowing the House to vote on it or step down and let someone else lead the House to make it happen,” Dank said.

“It is especially troubling that he continues to oppose sensible property tax reform when the Senate Republican Caucus has made it a centerpiece of their 2010 legislative agenda.

Honestly, either he just doesn’t get it or he is carrying water for those special interests who think the higher the taxes--the better. I know I am not the only one in the House who is terribly disappointed with Speaker Benge.”

Dank said many of his fellow GOP House members have told him they are eager to support the two property tax reforms. He said several Democrats have also voiced their support.

“I am convinced the votes are there in the House and Senate to send these reforms to a vote of the people,” he said. “Right now, one man is standing in the way.

“When I discussed this initially with Speaker Benge he told me that if we put these two measures on the ballot to let the people decide--they would pass,” Dank said. “I told him that was the whole idea. We’re here to represent the taxpayers—not the special interests.”

Dank’s twin measures “are not tax cuts, but tax restraints,” he said. “All we are asking is that we slow the annual growth in property taxes and freeze these increases for seniors, who are often on fixed incomes. These measures would not reduce ad valorem revenues by one thin dime. They would have zero impact on the state budget. The Speaker is simply wrong on that.”

Dank said he would be happy to work with Benge on repealing a number of questionable tax credits which are costing state coffers millions in annual revenue.

“Unfortunately Speaker Benge was the House author of a bill that authorized some of these costly transferable tax credits that drain millions from the state budget without any transparency, accountability, and without creating a single job,” Dank said.

Dank said if the Legislature fails to act on his twin property tax reforms, a much more drastic limitation similar to California’s Proposition 13 is likely to be introduced by initiative petition.

“People see school districts giving large raises to superintendents and counties trying to raise executive salaries at the same time they are pleading poverty and threatening to lay off front line workers.

Taxpayers have simply had enough,” he said.

“These sensible reforms would allow reasonable revenue growth and curtail those abuses.

I call on Speaker Benge to bring them to the floor early in the 2010 session or return to the ranks and allow us to choose a Speaker more in tune with the people’s will.”

OMG Ed Kelley get something right !

See Incumbent Protection Act of 2008

The Oklahoman Editorial
Money games:
Reform bill leaves a bit to be desired
Tue May 27, 2008

BEFORE leaving the Capitol last week for their summer vacations, members of the Legislature took a step to help bolster their re-election chances down the road.

Members in the House and Senate gave easy passage to House Bill 2196, which bans them from receiving campaign contributions from lobbyists, or from companies and groups that use lobbyists, during the legislative session. That's laudable, because as House author David Dank says, it "puts some important distance between giving money and passing legislation.” Goodness knows that distance has too often been lacking.

Our problem with the measure is that it also prevents legislative candidates from raising campaign cash in this way during the session. Making challengers cool their heels for four months places them at a real disadvantage, one that's exacerbated by the fact incumbents, simply as a result of their position, almost always have more money at their disposal.

Dank, R-Oklahoma City, has argued that challengers won't be handicapped by this change because they often begin their campaigns far, far in advance of when the primaries are held. Indeed some do, but it's also true that many do not. For them, the four-month fundraising moratorium will be a heavy burden.

If lawmakers were really interested in fostering reform, they would have approved a portion of Dank's bill that sought to forbid the transfer of funds between political action committees. Instead that language was removed, so this shady practice will be allowed to continue.

The governor is likely to sign HB 2196 because it's touted as ethics reform. Who's not for that?

State Legislature Sends Henry Bill Banning Lobbyist Contributions During Legislative Session

The Oklahoma State Senate voted 47 to 0 in favor of an ethics reform bill today, sending House Bill 2196 to Gov. Henry’s desk. Earlier in the day, the House of Representatives voted 90 to 6 for the bill.

HB 2196 bans campaign contributions from lobbyists and lobbyist principals during regular legislative sessions. The ban applies to contributions to the campaigns of state legislators and candidates for a state legislative office.

House Bill 2196 is authored by Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, and Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

“This is a giant step forward for clean and open government,” Dank said. “It puts some important distance between giving money and passing legislation. We finally succeeded in separating the lawmaking process from campaign cash. I am less worried about Granny Smith sending ten dollars to her legislator than I am with deep-pocket lobbyists giving big bucks to the same people who are considering their bills.”

“Senate Republicans are strong advocates for openness and accountability in state government. Banning lobbyist campaign contributions during the legislative session is a very positive reform that can help improve the faith the people of Oklahoma have in their elected representatives at the State Capitol,” stated Coffee. “I appreciate Rep. Dank’s hard work to develop a bipartisan consensus for House Bill 2196.”

Ok Demo Party Calls on GOP Leadership to Come Clean about Ethics Violations

Oklahoma Democratic Party Calls on House Republican Leadership to Come Clean about Ethics Violations

Dr. Ivan Holmes, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, called on Speaker Lance Cargill and House Republicans to do the right thing by coming forward with the truth about allegations of illegal campaign contributions and expenditures. Revelations about tens of thousands of dollars being funneled from the accounts of Republican lawmakers into the Oklahoma County Republican Party to assist Republican House candidates all over Oklahoma come at a time when the GOP has been plagued by scandal after scandal.

“Despite lip service about family values and morality, the culture of corruption in the Republican Party goes from the State House to the White House. Time and again they have broken the law and violated ethics rules in pursuit of power for the Republican Party, not for the good of Oklahoma or their constituents,” stated Holmes. “It is time they come clean and place statesmanship ahead of partisanship.”

Gary Jones, Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, has confirmed repeated reports that the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is investigating House Republicans for diverting checks written to the Oklahoma State Republican Party to the Oklahoma County Republican Party for use by their targeted House candidates. Sources have named House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, and Rep. Trebor Worthen, R-Oklahoma City, chairman of the House political action committee that raises money for candidates, as the targets of this investigation.

Even former Republican Speaker of the House Todd Hiett has called on Speaker Cargill to come forward with the truth, "Cargill obviously felt like he was on solid ground. I honestly hope he would come forward with the legal ground that supports that action."

“Not only did Cargill and Worthen mislead the voters of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, but they also misled their own legislative members who believed they were legitimately donating to the State Republican Party,” stated Holmes. “I hope Republican Representative David Dank will join me in calling for his House Republican Leadership to step down as he did for other elected officials who are currently under investigation.” Dank announced he will introduce ethics reform legislation similar to legislation introduced previously by Representative Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa, that had been killed in committee by Republican leaders.

GOP Party Chairman Gary Jones and former GOP State Lawmaker meet with Ethics Commission

TRUST ME - This will HURT the Oklahoma Republican Party next year...

And the probe go on...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071220_1_A4_spanc44663

Tulsa lawmaker pushes aid for ethics panel

By MICK HINTON World Capitol Bureau
12/20/2007

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A Tulsa lawmaker said Wednesday that he is going to file a bill to beef up staffing and funding for the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

"It is common sense that we increase funding and add employees so we can have an Ethics Commission that truly is an investigative agency not having to fear the Legislature for their existence," Rep. Lucky Lamons said.

The Democratic lawmaker said more funding is imperative now that questions have been raised about Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill and his leadership team concerning contributions intended for the state party that ended up with the Oklahoma County party and were spent on key House races.

The status of such a probe by the Ethics Commission is unknown because the agency's investigations are kept secret by law.

However, a former Republican state lawmaker, Ray Vaughn of Edmond, confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office on Friday. Vaughn is now an Oklahoma County commissioner. His spokesman, Rick Buchanan, said that would be the only comment Vaughn would have regarding the visit.

Vaughn said earlier that he had given $5,000 to the state party and was disturbed to learn that it went to the county party instead.

Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones also confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office Friday.

Jones noted earlier that the Ethics Commission was raising questions about the contributions being diverted from the state to the county.

Although several checks were written to the state, records showed that they ended up in the Oklahoma County Republican Party's coffer.

Lamons' bill seeks funding that Ethics Commission Executive Director Marilyn Hughes has said is needed for the agency, whose budget has seen only minor increases in several years.

Hughes is requesting an increase of $369,000, which would:

Double the office space for the commission, which is housed in the basement of the state Capitol.


Increase staffing from seven to 10 employees by adding an auditor/investigator, an attorney and a training specialist.


The agency now has only one staff attorney, besides Hughes, and one investigator.

Oklahoma City attorney Ken Elliott, who ended his tenure on the Ethics Commission this week, said more funding definitely is needed.

"I don't think there is a lot of debate about that," he said. "Their office space is very cramped, which creates all kinds of problems for an agency intended to serve the public."

Rep. Dave Dank, R-Oklahoma City, is calling for sweeping ethics reforms.

Dank said he will sponsor a bill that seeks three auditor/investigators.

Dank and Lamons both are calling for a ban on lawmakers accepting political contributions during the February-to-May legislative session.



Mick Hinton (405) 528-2465
mick.hinton@tulsaworld.com