Here are excerpts from recent editorials in Oklahoma newspapers:
Stillwater News Press. April 15, 2018.
Cory Williams told teachers and anyone listening, “be the change you want to see.” He said he first ran for office only because he thought he could do better for the state than his opponent would have. On Friday, he took his own advice, again. But, in an unexpected fashion.
The District 34 representative to Stillwater had been hosting multiple Facebook Live sessions during the teacher walkout. He encouraged educators and others to file for office during the April 11-13 period. Williams waited until the very last day to file, and at some point, it might have been a long time ago, he had change of heart. Williams decided that rather than run for re-election in the House of Representatives, he would try to impact change away from the Capitol and run for district attorney of Payne and Logan counties.
The decision meant that Trish Ranson, a Democrat, will face Aaron Means, a Republican in the November election. It also means Stillwater will have a freshman at the Capitol. On the local level, it means opposition in the DA peace for either incumbent Laura Austin Thomas or Jill Tontz, both Republicans.
Selfishly, Cory was fun to cover from his position at the House because he’s a good orator and unafraid to stir things up. We don’t agree with all of his stances or policies, but he led the state in areas of challenging the oil and gas, earthquake relief and criminal justice reform. The last, but not least reason, is one of the main reasons he’s running for DA and likely makes him one of the most interesting. In a state where many DA’s have been opposed to anything less than “tough on crime” measures, Williams is the antithesis. This will also be an interesting race.
It will be far from the only one. A lot of people did what Williams asked and decided to try and be the change they wanted to see. There’s a reason for that.
Of a failed compromise revenue bill in November we wrote, “if they don’t come up with a real plan to raise revenue they will be saddled with this failure, which may lead to regret if districts throughout the state keep turning blue in the next election cycle .”
How prophetic that is remains to be seen, but it appears several people have stepped up to challenge the status quo. There all Democratic incumbents or challengers in races for all but 12 districts. There are 11 districts without a Republican filing.
How far would a little compromise have gone? How much has it cost?
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Tulsa World. April 17, 2018.
Forces from the United States, the United Kingdom and France launched more than 100 missiles against the Syrian chemical weapons program on Friday, an appropriate and apparently effective response to an April 7 gas attack by Bashar Assad on his own civilians.
Dana W. White, chief Pentagon spokeswoman, said the strikes “successfully hit every target,” which officials said included a chemical weapons research and development site, a storage facility and a chemical weapons bunker.
The attack was the first response to a reported chlorine gas attack by Syria on rebels and civilians in Douma, Syria. The U.S. says it suspects that sarin gas also was used in the April 7 attack.
The Syrian government denies U.S. charges of responsibility for the Douma attack, but we’re skeptical of those claims to say the least.
The U.S. is considering new economic sanctions against Russia, Syria’s major ally. Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteed a 2013 international agreement for Syria to get rid of all of its chemical weapons. Other actions against Assad’s other major backer, Iran, are also possible.
The multilateral missile attack steps up allied responses to the contemptible use of nerve gases, especially against civilians. A year ago, the U.S. attacked a Syrian airbase with Tomahawk cruise missiles after a previous chemical attack.
We hope Syria and its allies are getting the message. The U.S. does not want to be involved in another prolonged war in the region, but we won’t allow Assad to flout international law and basic human standards.
Perhaps Friday’s attack will demonstrate to him that he simply can’t afford to do what his conscience shouldn’t allow him to do anyway. If not, he’ll regret defying the mightiest military coalition in the world.
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The Oklahoman. April 17, 2018.
While no votes will be cast for months, 2018 is already guaranteed to significantly change the composition of the Legislature. The combination of term limits and lawmakers choosing not to run again guarantees it. The number of lawmakers facing challengers also suggests further turnover is possible.
What remains to be seen is whether new faces translate into an ideological shift or better state management.
In the House, 12 seats are open due to term limits. Another seat is vacant. But many seats are open because the incumbent either chose not to run again or sought another office.
The rigors of the job have played a role in many lawmakers bowing out early. Legislators have been in session more or less constantly since February 2017 due to multiple, prolonged special sessions.
Responding to union pressure, lawmakers approved more than $600 million in tax increases and other revenue measures this year, directing most of that money to large teacher pay raises and increased school funding. That brings to more than $1 billion the total amount of tax increases approved in the past few years, which shows claims that Oklahoma lawmakers have pursued an agenda of tax cuts and spending austerity are exaggerated.
But those tax increases angered many conservative Oklahomans, who wanted lawmakers to first reduce waste in government (such as excessive school administration) and use the money for teacher raises. And the tax hikes did nothing to endear legislators to those who benefited most from them. During their recent strike, many teachers were highly critical of the lawmakers who had just given them a substantial raise.
This combination of factors led lawmakers like Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, to step aside (in West’s case, after only a single term). He had championed better fiscal management over tax increases. West said, “Ultimately, I could not in good conscience continue to serve as a state representative. I fundamentally disagree with the direction the Republican caucus is headed inside the Capitol, and I have been disappointed in decisions that were made that I believe are detrimental to our state.”
But some lawmakers who supported tax increases are also headed for the exits, such as Sen. A.J. Griffin, R-Guthrie. In announcing her departure, Griffin said being a legislator is “not the only way to serve our state. It’s not even the most important way to serve our state.”
The Oklahoma Legislative Compensation Board voted recently to cut lawmakers’ pay by 8.8 percent starting next year, lowering annual pay to about $35,021. Lower pay undoubtedly impacted some lawmakers’ decisions. But it clearly didn’t deter many candidates, who filed last week in large numbers. That said, it remains to be seen if the number of candidates represent both quantity and quality.
This year’s elections, including GOP primaries, often involve a competition of visions between those advocating fiscal responsibility and prudent management, and those touting additional tax increases and prioritizing greater government spending. The outcome of those races, determined by citizens across Oklahoma, will determine the course of government for the immediate future, and possibly for years to come.
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