We attended the OKC Freedom Rally Or More Accurately, Five Hours Spent in a Journalist Internment Camp

I gotta say, candidate Jackson Lahmeyer put on a splash at the OKC Freedom Rally on Saturday. He must be getting financed because he rented the Embassy Suites Conference Center and the turnout was large by 2:00 pm. Around 2500 capacity it seems and the campaign claims that 2250 tickets were already sold as of Thursday.

The list of headliners is large, Lahmeyer, General Michael Flynn, and large number of pastors and motivational speakers. There is definitely a spiritual tone to the crowd.

I say tone because I and the other media folks didn't get to see much. Upon arrival some us were greeted by a pit bull of a supporter, short man in a suit. Pretty rude actually until the Lahmeyer campaign folks rescued us and escorted us to a big room with a dozen or so chairs that was being used as a stock room for someone selling t shirts in a booth in the hallway. 

More Trump Index Legislation

The list of legislation passed this year is as staggering as always. As we dig through the legislation you have to wonder about a system designed to allow thousands of laws to be passed each year and the ever growing pile of laws that sometimes are used to protect society, sometimes used to bleed taxpayers dry, and most usually designed to benefit those that are bribing, uh... giving donations.... to the legislators. Here are a few more bills that are just despicable and run contrary to President Trump's vision of America.

HB 1849 is a bill that would have granted a sales tax exemption for PTA type groups. Sales taxes add to the cash that schools receive already in one way or another, if not direct taxation then it frees up property tax going to other tax consuming entities. Governor Stitt also saw a problem and he vetoed the bill saying it further complicates an already complex tax code.

SB 273 requires any person charging a fee for the preparation or assists in the preparation of lien notices on personal property to register with the Oklahoma Tax Commission and submit a $50.00 annual registration fee. Okay, liens protect bankers and tradesmen and suppliers working on private property, so that much is good. What isn't good is the financial impact statement claims that a mere 31 people will be required to buy the $50.00 annual permit, bringing in a whopping $1,550.00 per year in revenue while it costs the Tax Commission around $120,000 to implement the new scheme.

So 31 individuals are impacted, x $50 = $1550 for a cost of $120,000 to implement the scheme. Based upon those projections, seventy seven years later, in 2098, the state will have recovered the cost of implementation..... Were the members of the legislature that voted for this smoking crack laced weed when they did this?

HB 2365 diversity program for vendors/suppliers. So women, minorities, Indians, and a few other non white categories get a leg up on everyone else in bidding for state business? Yeah there are a few bones thrown to veterans and “small businesses” which they define as less than 500 employees and 25 million in annual revenue. Small huh?

HB 2396 sex trafficking education This requires colleges and universities to offer sex trafficking prevention and prevention education to freshmen. Using non profits, no doubt paid by same edifices of higher education, greasing the skids while indoctrinating incoming college students. I think I would be smart enough coming into college not to need indoctrinating nor information that helps me stay away from the bad white men that they must be concerned about.

HB 2367 allowing underage teens to sign rental contracts if they are declared “unaccompanied” , homeless, or a victim of domestic violence or abuse. DHS or the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or any of their myriad of contractors are allowed to declare these children able to sign a rental contract which means taxpayers paying the rent for the child. Good lord, the crack smoking sons of a bidens must be completely insane. Parents ought to be controlling these kid's lives, not the DHS or some drug program. This is all about getting taxpayer money shelled out and bureaucrats expanding their power and the size of their departments. The bill claims that the “authority” of the parents or guardians isn't released, does that mean the state comes after the parent to pay the rental costs each month? Who in the hell thought it is a good idea to give a 16 year old a way to disrupt parental control? Chances are the kid needs his ass whipped with a belt not set up in their own party pad.

SB 267 teacher double dipping bill This bill allows retired teachers to begin working for public schools again while receiving retirement payments from the state teacher retirement fund. Why? This just encourages teacher to retire early as possible then to come right back to work and be paid for teaching again. If they want to teach, why retire? Only one reason, to be paid retirement while working and fil their greedy hands with more taxpayer money. There is no reason at all to have such a wide open pig trough for the best paid state workers in Oklahoma. They want to come back to work? Okay, stop paying the retirement until they actually retire. Jesus Christ, a ten your old can understand this is insane. Retirement is supposed to be for a lifetime's work when people are to old or unable to work. All this does is increase the cost of public education and build a massive obligation that grows and grows. Education already gets over 55% of all state revenues, enough! The education most schools provide is a disaster and the idea is to give them even more money?

Time to Hold the Oklahoma Legislators Accountable Again

    

Once again it is that time to select the legislation that was passed or attempted to be passed in the Oklahoma Legislature that best shows the underbelly of Oklahoma Politics.  The annual Trump Index compares these bills to how President Trump would have supported the issue.

Our philosophy has always been that this isn't a pat on the back for the legislators for what they did right.  They are expected to do what is right; the Trump Index is a list of what they did wrong.

If you have a bill that you would like to be considered please email it to soonerteaparty @gmail.com, give us the number of the bill and tell us why President Trump wouldn't have supported such legislation.

Below are some of the bills that are being considered for inclusion in the 2021 Trump Index.   As long as their is a floor vote the bill can be considered but there doesn't have to be both House and Senate votes, one will do fine as the House and Senate Trump Indexes are usually different.

2021 Trump Index bills already under consideration

House Bill 1002, by Rep. Carol Bush, R-Tulsa , extends statute of limitations on child abuse crimes would also allow up to 30 years for suits against "an entity, institution, organization, agency, firm, business, or corporation" with some responsibility for the injury.

SB838 is a bad bill that sets an even worse precedent. Fire, police, and emergency medical services are among the most basic functions of a municipal government and are already funded through sales taxes. But municipal lobbyists want to free up those sales taxes for pet projects and need a new revenue stream in order to do that. SB838 will give it to them, allowing cities and towns to raise property taxes by up to 5 mills on top of county property taxes. Property tax increases don't just harm homeowners and business owners: they harm renters when those expenses are passed on to them. A No vote is correct

HB 1647    This is the bill that attempted to get the non profit soft on crime pre trial release programs on the same level playing ground as the bail bondsmen have to work with.  If a non profit wants to help turn thugs loose upon society then they need to be accountable and track each criminal they help turn loose and report if they show up for court or commit another crime while out on their supervision.  The total cost to the defendant being supervised is also required to be reported along with how much has been paid.  A Yes vote is a correct vote.

HB2645 This bill severely restricts existing Open Carry and concealed carry rights by expanding the places where guns are not allowed.   A No vote is correct

HB 2273 This bill makes it a felony to film a cop or out one for bad behavior.  A No vote is a correct vote.

SB 644  this bill gives county employees special gun carry rights that are not allowed to regular citizens.  A no vote is a correct vote.

SB 608  is another Oklahoma film credit bill that gives tax credits to those filming in the state.   A No vote is a correct vote

SB 320 releases criminals for medical reasons.  A No vote is a correct vote.