Press Conference to Announce “Pros for Vets”

Sen. Steve Russell will be joining with a group of professionals including military heroes, world-class athletes and entertainers, and representatives of various organizations Sunday to announce the creation of "Pros for Vets", an effort to raise awareness and address the staggering needs of America's veterans and their families.

Participants include such leaders as newly-appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs retired Maj. Gen. Rita Aragon; State Sen. Steve Russell, retired Lt. Col. and Founder of Vets for Victory; retired Major Ed Pulido, wounded Iraqi war veteran and spokesperson for Folds of Honor.

OU and NFL greats Roy Williams of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tommie Harris of the Chicago Bears will be involved in the effort, although they won't be able to attend Sunday's event.

Internationally-acclaimed motorcycle designer and Gulf War veteran Dar Holdsworth will also be involved.

HOO-AH to Steve Russell (Lt. Col., U.S. Army Ret.)

HOO-AH to Oklahoma State Senator
Steve Russell (Lt. Col., U.S. Army Ret.)
for taking a stand for us Vets !!

SENATOR PROPOSES RESOLUTION OPPOSING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S POSITION ON ‘RIGHT WING’ EXTREMISTS AS POSSIBLE NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS

Senators Take Exception to Characterization of Veterans, Pro-Lifers, etc. as ‘Right-Wing Extremists’

Responding to a report of the Obama administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterizing returning veterans and others who uphold traditional American values as “right wing extremists” and a threat to American security.

The nine-page document from the DHS titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," has caused an outcry from veterans groups, Republican lawmakers and conservative activists.

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," said the report, which also listed as suspect gun owners and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The outcry resulted in a demand from the head of the American Legion to meet with Ms. Napolitano, a request the DHS chief said she would honor next week when she returns to Washington from her current tour of the U.S.-Mexican border.

Sponsored by Senator Steve Russell, a retired Army Colonel and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, Senate Resolution 42 demands that President Obama’s Administration ‘retract this report and apologize to America’s returning war veterans.’ “To suggest that we would terrorize the very nation we risked our lives for should give all Americans pause,” said Russell.

“Yesterday afternoon I participated in a rally with thousands of good, law-abiding, God-fearing Oklahomans who voiced their concerns about the Federal government’s expenditures of our hard-earned dollars,” said Russell, referring to the Tea Party rally that was held on the steps of the State Capitol. “According to the Department of Homeland Security report, these people would also be considered threats to the national security.

“It is vital that we take a stand and express, in our constitutional right to peaceful assembly and our extreme displeasure and disagreement with the Administration on this important matter,” Russell continued.

“Taken at face value, this report from our Department of Homeland Security would qualify the vast majority of Oklahomans as threats to our national security,” Russell added. “If upholding traditional American values such as the sanctity of life, the right to bear arms and defending your country is extremist, then I stand so accused,” Russell concluded.

Senate Resolution 42 further states that the Oklahoma State Senate supports America’s military veterans, who have risked their lives preserving the nation instead of attacking it, and believes that the traditional American values under attack by the Obama Administration should be respected and revered by the federal government.

The Resolution will likely be heard in the Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Passes Bill to Provide Military with State Income Tax Exemption

For background see: Senate Finance Comm Passes Bill to Provide Military with State Tax Exemption

Tax relief could soon be on its way for Oklahoma military families following unanimous approval of legislation by the State Senate Thursday to provide an income tax exemption for serving military personnel. Sen Steve Russell, a retired Army infantryman and combat veteran, is author of Senate 881 and believes his bill would not only help military families, but the state’s economy.

“There are 32,000 who serve at our state’s bases and we have approximately 54,000 Oklahoma residents that were recruited from here and are serving somewhere. However, only 9,000 of them claim Oklahoma residency, so what that tells you is that the first chance they get to leave Oklahoma because of our tax burden they do and they become Texans, Floridians, Nevadans, or whatever it may be,” said Russell, R- Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma has the second highest military recruitment in the nation per capita, but as Russell pointed out during his debate many military personnel change their citizenship at the first opportunity because of the state’s tax rates.

There are currently 16 states including Nevada, Illinois and New York that exempt their military from paying income taxes.

SB 881 would only pertain to Oklahoman residents that are serving members of the armed services, including guardsmen and reservists. Therefore, military retirees or veterans would not qualify for the exemption.

The bill is estimated to cost the state $5 million the first year and $12 million during the second but Russell says the money gained through these individuals claiming Oklahoma residency will far outweigh the costs.

“If this bill became law, we’d actually be gaining revenue by being an acquiring state rather than a donor state. Currently, our serving Oklahomans, because they don’t have such tax relief, change their residency the first chance they get and, therefore, we don’t receive their motor vehicle fees, license fees, excise tax on automobiles that they purchase or any number of other fees,” explained Russell. “For every 10,000 soldiers that we lose there is an impact of approximately $6 million in just such fees that we do not receive because we are a losing state rather than an acquiring state. The flipside of that is that if we were an acquiring state we could have the potential to bring in 40,000 to 60,000 new Oklahomans, which would have a positive impact on the entire state.”

Russell’s bill now moves to the House for further consideration.

Oklahoma State Senate Supports Adoption Bill (SB1029)

State Senator Steve Russell has won support in the Senate for a bill to create more uniformity in adoptions and ensure full disclosure of fees. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was approved unanimously Thursday. Russell, R-Oklahoma City, is an adoptive parent, and said the measure could actually result in lower costs for private adoptions.

Russell noted that a grand jury investigation had exposed instances of financial exploitation of Oklahomans who were seeking private adoptions. “While specific medical and attorney fees are legal and appropriate, a 2006 Grand Jury stated that it was ‘appalled at the nature and types of items allowed to be purchased on behalf of a birth mother’ which included ‘cars, television sets, and vacations,’” Russell said. “Prospective parents could be vulnerable in the language of our current law without a requirement for an itemized accounting of all fees. My bill would change that.”

SB 1029 would also ensure parents have a full disclosure of all state laws dealing with adoption as well as regulations impacting the adoption of children of Native American ancestry.

“Requiring a complete accounting of what every fee is for means there will be far less opportunity to extract money from adoptive parents for inappropriate items. They also will have a far better understanding of exactly what the law requires when it comes to either private or public adoption.”

Russell’s legislation now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

Senate Finance Comm Passes Bill to Provide Military with State Tax Exemption (Video)

Under legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee, Oklahoma military personnel could soon get some tax relief. Senate Bill 881 by Sen. Steve Russell would exempt state military pay from state income taxes.

“Our military service men and women are grossly underpaid and this is one thing we can do to help ease their financial burden,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “They sacrifice so much for our country and for those around the world that can’t fight for themselves. This would be just a small token of our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.”

Oklahoma has the second highest military recruitment in the nation per capita, but Russell points out that a great many military personnel change their citizenship at the first opportunity because of the state’s tax rates.

There are currently 16 states including Nevada, Illinois and New York that exempt their military from paying income taxes.

“We can do more for our military. We often say that nothing is too good for our troops in Oklahoma and now we have the opportunity not just to talk a good talk about our soldiers, but actually do something for them.”

SB 881 will now go before the full Senate.

Bill to Require Full Disclosure of Adoption Fees Heads to Full Senate

A measure to create more uniformity in adoptions and ensure full disclosure of fees has cleared its first major hurdle in the Senate. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was approved by the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Russell, R-Oklahoma City, said that as an adoptive parent, it was an area of law of special concern to him.

In Oklahoma, prospective adoptive parents can utilize public and private agencies as well as attorney-assisted adoptions. Russell said while those are all good options, a 2006 grand jury investigation uncovered a number of abuses that need to be addressed, including some cases of “adoption” fees being used for personal vehicles, computers and other items.

“My legislation requires full disclosure of all fees, so that adoptive parents know exactly what is required up front and what all the fees are for,” Russell said. “We need to make sure we have a uniform standard for adoptions. Under current law, some things, like home studies, can be waived. Procedures aimed at ensuring the safety of the adoptive child should be enforced.”

SB 1029 would also ensure parents have a full disclosure of all state laws dealing with adoption as well as regulations impacting the adoption of children of Native American ancestry.

“Making sure all adoption laws and fees are completely transparent will improve the process and help eliminate the potential for abuse,” Russell said. “This is simply good public policy.”

Russell’s legislation now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

Senate Passes Bill to Provide Military with State Income Tax Exemption

Under legislation passed Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee, Oklahoma military personnel could soon get some tax relief. Senate Bill 881 by Sen. Steve Russell would exempt state military pay from state income taxes.

“Our military service men and women are grossly underpaid and this is one thing we can do to help ease their financial burden,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “They sacrifice so much for our country and for those around the world that can’t fight for themselves. This would be just a small token of our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.”

Oklahoma has the second highest military recruitment in the nation per capita, but Russell points out that a great many military personnel change their citizenship at the first opportunity because of the state’s tax rates.

There are currently 16 states including Nevada, Illinois and New York that exempt their military from paying income taxes.

“We can do more for our military. We often say that nothing is too good for our troops in Oklahoma and now we have the opportunity not just to talk a good talk about our soldiers, but actually do something for them.”

SB 881 will now go before the full Senate.

Soldiers, Widows & Adoptive Families Top Senator’s Agenda

Senator Steve Russell has filed a trio of bills to help ease the burden of some of Oklahoma’s most deserving citizens including soldiers, widows and adoptive families.

“My bills deal with issues that promote good government rather than complicate the lives of Oklahomans,” said Russell. “As both a 21 year veteran of the U.S. Army and an adoptive father, I’m all too aware of the hardships faced by our military families, those trying to adopt children, and those trying to survive after loss.”

Two of the Oklahoma City Republican’s bills deal with tax relief. SB 881 would exempt military personnel from paying state income taxes on their military pay.

“It’s not a question of how the state will survive the impact of this very small loss in revenue, but rather how military families survive their multiple moves, deployments and hardships while defending our freedom. We often say that nothing is too good for our troops in Oklahoma, but nothing is often what they get.”

Oklahoma has the second highest military recruitment in the nation per capita, but Russell points out that a great many service men and women change their citizenship at the first opportunity because of the state’s tax rates.

“Surely we can do better than states like Nevada, Illinois and New York,” challenged Russell.

There are currently 16 states that exempt their military from paying income taxes.

“I know I’m going to face opposition given that it’s going to be a tight budget year, but from what I’ve seen so far, we waste far more than the impact of this relief for our troops. We can cut the waste and offer hope to our troops so that they can remain Oklahomans rather than switch their citizenship to other states, which they often do.”

Russell’s SB 540 would provide an income tax exemption for Oklahoma widows or widowers whose incomes are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

“If we cannot ease the burden of the widow and the orphan, then it seems to me we’ve lost our way as lawmakers.”

Russell also wants to help Oklahoma’s adoptive parents by updating the state’s adoption laws to make adoption an easier and more efficient process. SB 1029 calls for a uniform standard for adoptions within the state.

“Currently, adoption isn’t uniformly regulated in the state. Parents have three options when adopting and that’s through the state, a private organization or through an attorney. The problem is that each of these uses different rules and standards, which causes confusion and problems for many families,” said Russell. “Adoption is a wonderful gift for both the adoptive family and the child. Unfortunately, some have abused the system while capitalizing on the plight of families involved in the adoption process. I want to stop that.”

The freshman lawmaker is hopeful he can carry these bills through to the Governor’s desk.

House District 45 race draws candidates, money

House District 45
race draws candidates, money

A campaign to unseat an incumbent Norman lawmaker is drawing both candidates and money, documents filed with the state Ethics Commission show.

With less than two weeks remaining before candidates can officially file for office, the House District 45 race had already drawn three Republican candidates -- David Hopper, Aaron Stiles and Ron Henderson, who announced for the seat earlier this week. A fourth GOP candidate, Les White, also is expected to announce candidacy for the office.

The winner of the primary election will face incumbent Democrat Wallace Collins this fall.

Those candidates, Ethics Commission documents show, have raised a total of $42,140 for their various races.

So far, Collins leads the group in generating money.

According to Collins' campaign contributions and expenditures report, Collins raised $10,364 this quarter for this re-election bid.

Collins reported carryover funds -- from either a previous report or previous campaign -- of $14,329. He reported $8,464 in personal contributions for the quarter and $1,900 in contributions from political action committees during the same period.

Collins also reported spending $1,725 for the quarter.

Those contributions bring Collins' total to $26,762 -- $18,884 in personal contributions, $6,450 in contributions from political action committees and $1,428 in other receipts.

Total expenditures for Collins' campaign stand at $9,264. Collins listed $23,031 in remaining funds.

Collins said he was pleased by the results.

"Fundraising is always one of those tasks you have to do," he said. "I don't necessarily enjoy it, and I think you always wish you were doing better, but, at the same time, I feel comfortable with where I am."

Collins said he expected contributions to increase after the legislative session.

"I feel like some people are holding off until after the session is over," he said. "Right now I haven't been real focused on fundraising, I've been spending time on the bills and issues which are a passion for me. But starting next Saturday, I'm sure I'll be devoting more time to it."

Collins' contributors included former Gov. David Walters, $100; former House member Danny Hilliard, $250; the Chickasaw Nation, $1,000; former state Senate Pro Tempore Cal Hobson -- $100; and Democratic Party activist Betty McElderry, $300.

Republican David Hopper reported a total of $8,645 raised for his campaign. That figure, Hopper's report said, was from personal contributions made to his campaign from Jan. 1 through March 31 of this year.

Hopper listed $743 in expenditures and $7,910 in remaining funds.

Hopper said he felt comfortable with where his fundraising was.

"I feel like I'm doing fairly well," he said. "I haven't reached my target yet, but I've raised enough money to do what I want to do so far."

Hopper, a former Norman city councilman, said he hasn't had to aggressively raise money for several years and that raising funds for a legislative race involved a different strategy.

"The last time I ran for council I was unopposed," he said. "So it's been about four years since I've really had to raise money for a race. But, like I said, I feel comfortable with where we're at."

Those giving to Hopper's campaign include Thomas Sherman, a banker, $250; G and G Development of Norman, $588; Harold Heiple, a Norman attorney, $500; and developer James Adair, of Adair and Associates, $1,000.

The Stiles campaign reported a total of $4,145 raised during the first quarter of the year.

Stiles also reported carryover funds -- from last fall's report -- of $1,248, personal contributions of $1,845 and $2,300 in loans during the Jan. 1-March 31 reporting period.

Total funds for Stiles were listed at $6,733, including $88 in in-kind contributions.

Stiles reporting spending $575 during the first quarter of 2008 and total expenditures of $1,827. He listed $4,817 in remaining funds.

Stiles' contributors include Republican activist Charlie Meadows, $50; state Senate candidate Steve Russell, $250; Norman physician Karl Langkamp, $150; retired military officer Don Link, $100; and Norman resident Joanne Klusmeyer, $150.

Stiles said his contributions have come from "the voters in the district."

"I think I've got a good message and people are responding to it well," he said. "I've never been a candidate for office before, and I don't have the political background that some of my opponents do."

Loveless is still running ?

Got a email from Kyle Loveless today, In it He said that by month's end, He will have knocked 10,000 doors in Senate District 45.




The Political Consultant-turned-Candidate said, "Meeting people on their terms has confirmed for me that people want true representation on the issues they care about deeply, like lower taxes, empowering parents in their children's education, and illegal immigration."

He also said, That in February and March, He will be hosting a series of town halls across the district.

Senate District 45 encompasses parts of Yukon, Mustang, Southwest Oklahoma City, and parts of Moore.

Also seeking the GOP nomination in the district Jerry Foshee and Steve Russell.