State of Oklahoma Archives: on Government Reform
James Lankford:
Introduced Prevent Government Shutdowns Act
Since 2013 the federal government has experienced 4 shutdowns that cost the taxpayer nearly $4 billion. Congress' failure to do the core aspects of their job shouldn't drive our nation more into debt and cause lapse in essential services.
To force Congress to do their job, James introduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act that keeps programs funded at existing levels and requires members of congress to stay in D.C. until a funding agreement is reached.
Source: 2021 Oklahoma Senate campaign website JamesLankford.com
Jun 21, 2021
James Lankford:
For the People Act makes voting easy, cheating easy
Lankford went after S. 1--the For the People Act--and the Equality Act, saying the former "makes voting easy, cheating easy, and verifying elections impossible" and the latter a violation of religious liberty. S. 1 is a wide-ranging election
reform bill that includes some provisions already in Oklahoma law, but others that are not. It generally loosens restrictions on registration and voting, and opponents say it infringes on the states' constitutional mandate to oversee elections.
Source: Tulsa World on 2022 Oklahoma Senate race
Jun 20, 2021
James Lankford:
Opposed bipartisan commission on Capitol insurrection
Lankford said he will vote against the House-backed formation of an independent, bipartisan commission to examine the Jan. 6 pro-Trump insurrection. Lankford said the proposal passed with bipartisan support in the House is too "political."
"I think it's a bad idea," Lankford said. "The commission they say is going to end by December -- there's absolutely no way that commission would end by December. It would go on for years and years and they would stretch it out for political reasons."
Source: Public Radio Tulsa on 2022 Oklahoma Senate race
May 27, 2021
Kevin Stitt:
Government's job is to get out of the way & cut red tape
Another key to a strong economy is letting businesses grow without fear of government overreach. We must continue our focus on cutting red tape. By working together to get rid of excessive regulation, we'll unlock
Oklahoma's full economic potential for workers, business owners, farmers, and families. The government's job is not to slow things down. It's to get out of the way!
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Oklahoma legislature
Feb 1, 2021
Abby Broyles:
Justice Dept. breaking public trust in stock investigation
Inhofe had little to say after being notified that he was no longer being investigated by the Department of Justice for stock trades made on his behalf earlier this year not long after some Senate members were briefed on the COVID-19 threat. "It's
clear that the most political Department of Justice in the history of the United States is guilty of breaking public trust if not the law itself by clearing these senators," Abby Broyles said in a statement.
Source: Tulsa World on 2020 Oklahoma Senate race
May 31, 2020
Kevin Stitt:
Add photo ID & notarization requirement for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:SB1779: An Act relating to elections; prohibiting absentee ballot harvesting in certain elections.Oklahoma Policy Institute analysis: Just a day after the
Oklahoma Supreme Court removed barriers to absentee voting, the Oklahoma Legislature is quietly advancing a bill to make it harder to vote by mail.
SB 1779 would require voters to include a photocopy of identification, which would put Oklahoma as one of only three states with similar requirements. In 2021, it would reinstate the notarization requirement--the very one struck down by the
Supreme Court.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 88-1-11 on Mar/15/20; Passed Senate 43-0-4 on May/15/20; Signed by Governor Kevin Stitt on May/21/20
Source: Oklahoma Policy Institute on Oklahoma voting record SB1779
May 21, 2020
Stephanie Bice:
Add photo ID & notarization requirement for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:SB1779: An Act relating to elections; prohibiting absentee ballot harvesting in certain elections.Oklahoma Policy Institute analysis: Just a day after the
Oklahoma Supreme Court removed barriers to absentee voting, the Oklahoma Legislature is quietly advancing a bill to make it harder to vote by mail.
SB 1779 would require voters to include a photocopy of identification, which would put Oklahoma as one of only three states with similar requirements. In 2021, it would reinstate the notarization requirement--the very one struck down by the
Supreme Court.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 88-1-11 on Mar/15/20; Passed Senate 43-0-4 on May/15/20; State Sen. Stephanie Bice voted YES; Signed by Governor Kevin Stitt on May/21/20
Source: Oklahoma Policy Institute on Oklahoma voting record SB1779
May 15, 2020
Kevin Stitt:
Reclaim executive powers: more accountable than agencies
Our state Constitution vests supreme executive power in the Governor, but too often that executive power has been delegated by statute to boards that are not directly accountable to the citizens of Oklahoma. State government today is much larger than it
was 112 years ago. As a result, accountability for those in power is spread too thin and, at times, it seems as if no one is really in charge. Let's not wait for another crisis to start making this necessary reform across our largest agencies.
We will also reimagine state government so that our customers--Oklahoma taxpayers--are the primary focus. This is why I have placed a special emphasis in my administration on the digital transformation of state agencies. I am calling for the
Legislature to fund a $20 million grant program where agencies can apply to receive funds to bring their services into the 21st Century and to make government more customer-centered and efficient.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Oklahoma legislature
Feb 4, 2019
Kevin Stitt:
Set aside more of the budget surplus
When we look at states where the economy depends on the price of oil, they place a strong emphasis on saving during the good years. One thing we know is true, oil prices are going to go up and oil prices are going to go down. I am setting a goal for
Oklahoma to have $1 billion in our savings by the end of FY20. We must set aside an additional $250 million from revenue growth. Being conservative with our budget surplus will protect Oklahoma from having to cut core services in the future.
The balance of Oklahoma's Quick Action Closing Fund is $4.3 million. By comparison, the latest legislative report for the Texas Enterprise Fund indicates the state has awarded $609 million from its Quick Action Closing Fund, resulting in 94,347 jobs.
In Arkansas, their fund has awarded over $120 million, resulting in 26,684 jobs. You can help me sign on the dotted line for new opportunities to grow Oklahoma and demonstrate to the nation that Oklahoma is not afraid to compete with our neighbors.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Oklahoma legislature
Feb 4, 2019
Drew Edmondson:
Advocate of open transparency; the public has right to know
We start by cracking down on those who broke it--the lobbying industry and corrupting political donations and establishing new transparency rules.
And I'll establish an Office of Open Government within the governor's office to facilitate the public's right to know.ÿ The Fallin administration's practice of stonewalling the public ends with me.
Source: 2018 gubernatorial campaign website DrewForOklahoma.com
Jun 23, 2018
Chris Powell:
No opinion on making voter registration easier
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Make voter registration easier"?
A: Neither.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Oklahoma Governor candidate
May 15, 2018
Joe Maldonado:
Make elections and voting fair
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Make voter registration easier"?
A: Make it fair and not change the rules according to who is running.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Oklahoma Governor candidate
May 15, 2018
Drew Edmondson:
Blames revenue shortfall on corporate donors and lobbyists
Edmondson said he will "put Oklahomans first and take on the outside interests and partisan politicians who are trying to hurt our way of life." He said the legislature had a chance to set Oklahoma back on solid financial footing but the state has been
hit with its 4th straight year of revenue shortfall. "If they aren't willing to stand up to their corporate donors and their lobbyists and do what's right, I'm prepared to put a plan before the people and let them vote," he said.
Source: Sequoyah County Times on 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial race
Mar 7, 2018
Kevin Stitt:
Step Up Oklahoma: Fix broken government; level playing field
I support some of the Step Up Oklahoma's governance ideas, such as budget-line itemizing and a budget stabilization fund. I also endorse total tax reform once we have addressed our broken government. Any effort to modernize our tax code
must be for the purpose of spurring a free market and leveling the playing field so that we are no longer incentivizing certain industries over others at a cost to Oklahoma.
Source: The Oklahoman Kevin Stitt OpEd: 2018 Oklahoma Governor race
Feb 7, 2018
Gary Jones:
Increased audits despite budget cuts
Gary has sought to expand government accountability and improve the delivery of government services. Besides being a CPA, he is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Despite a steady decrease in appropriated funds to conduct various
audits of public entities, under his leadership the State Auditor's Office has increased the quantity of audits it conducts without sacrificing the quality of the work product and he's doubled the number of CPAs on staff.
Source: 2018 Oklahoma Gubernatorial website JonesOK2018.com
Aug 8, 2017
Mike Workman:
Supports automatic voter registration
Workman's campaign issues are all in the right place: he's for income equality, a $15 minimum wage, expanding the Affordable Care Act with the goal of eventual universal coverage, comprehensive immigration reform including a path to citizenship, and
automatic voter registration. He's unapologetically pro-choice and in favor of common sense gun laws, although in Oklahoma he might get farther by advocating the sale of assault rifles to fetuses.
Source: Wonkette.com on 2016 Oklahoma Senate race
Jun 26, 2016
James Inhofe:
Photo ID for voting
Question topic: People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Inhofe: Strongly Disagree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Oklahoma Senate race
Sep 30, 2014
Matt Silverstein:
Not a dime from any lobbyists in campaign donations
Sen. Jim Inhofe banked nearly $787,000 for his re-election campaign from July through September, while Democratic challenger Matt Silverstein topped $100,000 in his first full quarter of fundraising. The senator's haul included more than
$152,000 from political action committees."We still have over a year to go and we will continue to gain steam," Silverstein said in a statement. "We're also proud we haven't taken a dime from any lobbyists."
Source: The Oklahoman on 2014 Oklahoma Senate debate
Oct 25, 2013
Rick Weiland:
Voluntarily limit campaign contributions to maximum of $100
Weiland said, "Mike Rounds has now caved in twice, to big money by boasting he will raise $9 million from out of state big money sources, and also to the extreme right wing of the GOP by supporting Ted Cruz's blackmail scheme [shutting down] the
United States government. I call on him to explain why he has thrown his lot in with Cruz and the extremists when his entire career, until he decided he had to pander to win a primary election,
was in opposition to the kind of big money extremism he has now embraced," Weiland said.At the beginning of his campaign, Weiland issued a pledge to Rounds asking him to agree to limit contributions to both campaigns to a maximum of $100.
Rounds refused the pledge and also turned down Weiland's offer to meet with him to discuss ways in which they could reduce the impact of big money on the race.
Source: AdWatch: Weiland campaign email: 2014 Oklahoma Senate debate
Oct 15, 2013
Matt Silverstein:
Inhofe says he's for term limits, but was in for 26 years
As Silverstein spoke about Inhofe, it was increasingly clear that he was painting him as an unprincipled "creature of Washington" whose seemingly self-serving principles are troubling to voters, while at the same time being increasingly out of touch with
the everyday needs of 21st century Oklahomans."Jim Inhofe has been on the taxpayer's payroll since 1967," noted Silverstein. "He is now asking for 26 years in the US Senate, the entire time saying he supports term limits for politicians."
Source: RedDirtReport.com coverage of 2014 Oklahoma Senate race
Aug 13, 2013
Jim Bridenstine:
First Amendment includes campaign spending
Q: Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?A: No. The First Amendment prohibits any infringement on free speech.
People have the right to spend their own money as they wish to support political campaigns.
Corporations and unions should be able to make direct and indirect contributions to campaigns. However, those contributions and the identities of the entities receiving them must be disclosed.
No corporate or union funds derived from union dues or other payments compulsory as a condition of employment should be eligible as a source of direct or indirect campaign contributions.
Source: Oklahoma Congressional 2012 Political Courage Test
Oct 30, 2012
James Lankford:
Extend indefinitely pledge against earmarks
In 2010, House Republicans pledged not to request any earmarks for one year. That pledge should be extended indefinitely and the earmark process should be abolished from the House rules unless there are significant reforms to the earmark process.
Stop spending so much money! Stop spending what we do not have! The reason the federal government does not have enough money is because it is doing too many things. My grandparents would NEVER have said, "Things are tough, so I think I will make it
easier on me by making it tougher on my grandchildren." But that is exactly what current Washington leaders are doing. Federal government policies should not encourage more personal or national debt.
We must also stop the rapid acceleration of federal
regulation to encourage business owners to hire more employees and invest more money. Until we have less federal spending and more private sector hiring, we will not grow our economy and pay down our debt. [Source: jameslankford.com/category/spending ]
Source: Vote-OK.org profile for 2016 Oklahoma Senate race
Dec 17, 2010
Joe Dorman:
Require photo ID to vote, but extend early voting
Dorman voted YEA on SB4: a bill that requires voters to provide photo identification in order to vote on election day, on April 1, 2009, Bill Passed House (71-27).- Specifies that a document containing a photograph of the voter that was issued
by the state, the federal government, a county, a municipality, or a federally recognized Indian tribe may be used to show proof of identity
- Allows for individuals unwilling or unable to provide proof of identification to sign an
oath affirming his or her identity and subsequently cast a provisional ballot
- Provides guidelines for the proper handling of provisional ballots
- Extends the early voting period to begin at 1:00pm the Wednesday preceding a General Election (Sec. 6).
- Dorman voted NAY on HB 1037, which passed the House (59-39) on March 11, 2009, which was identical to SB4 except that Sec. 6 was omitted (no early voting period)
Source: Vote Smart's Synopsis of Oklahoma Legislative voting records
Apr 1, 2009
Scott Inman:
Require photo ID to vote, but extend early voting
Inman voted YEA on SB4: a bill that requires voters to provide photo identification in order to vote on election day, on April 1, 2009, Bill Passed House (71-27).- Specifies that a document containing a photograph of the voter that was issued
by the state, the federal government, a county, a municipality, or a federally recognized Indian tribe may be used to show proof of identity
- Allows for individuals unwilling or unable to provide proof of identification to sign an
oath affirming his or her identity and subsequently cast a provisional ballot
- Provides guidelines for the proper handling of provisional ballots
- Extends the early voting period to begin at 1:00pm the Wednesday preceding a General Election (Sec. 6).
- Dorman voted NAY on HB 1037, which passed the House (59-39) on March 11, 2009, which was identical to SB4 except that Sec. 6 was omitted (no early voting period)
Source: Vote Smart's Synopsis of Oklahoma Legislative voting records
Apr 1, 2009
T.W. Shannon:
Require photo ID in order to vote
Shannon voted YEA on April 1, 2009 on Voter Identification Bill (bill passed House, 71-27). Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass a bill that requires voters to provide photo identification issued by the federal, state or a tribal government or a county-issued voter identification card in order to vote on election day.-
Allows for individuals unwilling or unable to provide proof of identification to sign an oath affirming his or her identity and subsequently cast a provisional ballot.
-
Provides guidelines for the proper handling of provisional ballots.
- Extends the early voting period to begin at 1:00pm the Wednesday preceding a General Election.
Source: Vote Smart synopses of Oklahoma voting & endorsement records
Apr 1, 2009
Brad Henry:
Extend early voting to a full week prior to Election Day
No freedom is more precious than the right to vote. Government of the people and for the people requires participation by the people. Record voter turnouts across the nation last
November were cause for celebration, but long lines and discouraging waits were cause for concern.Early in-person voting has been hugely successful in Oklahoma and other states.
I call on you to help boost voter participation by making it easier and more convenient for our citizens to vote.
Let's extend early voting in our state by four days, allowing voters to cast their votes for a full week prior to Election Day.
Source: 2009 State of the State address to Oklahoma legislature
Mar 2, 2009
Andrew Rice:
Most donations from individuals; most of Inhofe’s from PACs
Q: In terms of fund-raising, does money for your campaign come more from groups and organizations, or is it from individual donors?A: The overwhelming majority is from individuals. The only type of group that could give us money is a Political Action
Committee, and I think it’s accounted for less than 4%. Part of that is the nature of how these campaigns are. When you run against an incumbent, there’s a lot of political action committees that represent different industries, different interest groups
that aren’t going to go against the incumbent because they don’t want to upset the incumbent. Therefore, they may have a bill that’s coming that affects, say, the manufactures, and they want to go see them, and you know. It’s too bad that works,
but that’s the way that Washington works. And so, if you look at his [Inhofe’s] reports, he’s got a tremendous amount of money in PAC money. Probably about half of his money comes from PAC money, compared to a real small minority of mine.
Source: Judd Morse, Ada Evening News on 2008 Oklahoma Senate Debate
Jul 9, 2008
Joe Dorman:
No campaign contributions to legislators while in session
Dorman voted YEA on HB 2196, Campaign Finance Restrictions (Co-sponsor), Bill Passed House (92-8)Vote to pass a bill that applies additional restrictions on campaign contributions to state legislators:- Prohibits contributions to members of the
state legislature both during and 15 days before or after a regular legislative session
- Prohibits the use of contributions for personal use, & requires that they be used exclusively for campaign purposes
- Requires all contributions and expenditures
in excess of $50 to be reported, including the date, amount, and purpose of the expenditure
- Prohibits contribution made to a political action committee from being transferred to another political action committee
- Prohibits candidates from
transferring contributions to a campaign for another office
- Allows contributions not used for campaign purposes to be retained for a future election for the same office; transferred to a central committee of a political party; or other options.
Source: Vote Smart's Synopsis of Oklahoma Legislative voting records
Mar 12, 2008
Scott Inman:
No campaign contributions to legislators while in session
Inman voted YEA on HB 2196, Campaign Finance Restrictions (Co-sponsor), Bill Passed House (92-8)Vote to pass a bill that applies additional restrictions on campaign contributions to state legislators:- Prohibits contributions to members of the
state legislature both during and 15 days before or after a regular legislative session
- Prohibits the use of contributions for personal use, & requires that they be used exclusively for campaign purposes
- Requires all contributions and expenditures
in excess of $50 to be reported, including the date, amount, and purpose of the expenditure
- Prohibits contribution made to a political action committee from being transferred to another political action committee
- Prohibits candidates from
transferring contributions to a campaign for another office
- Allows contributions not used for campaign purposes to be retained for a future election for the same office; transferred to a central committee of a political party; or other options.
Source: Vote Smart's Synopsis of Oklahoma Legislative voting records
Mar 12, 2008
Chris Powell:
Supports on-line voting & term limits
Powell indicates support of the following principles concerning campaign finance and government reform.- Q:Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for Oklahoma governors?
A: Yes. - Q:Do you support the twelve-year
combined limit for Oklahoma senators and representatives?
A: Yes. - Q: Do you support voting on-line?
A: Yes. - Q: Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
A: Yes.
Source: VoteSmart Oklahoma 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Chris Powell:
No campaign donation limits, and no disclosure
- Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates... Individual?
A: No. - Q: PAC?
A: No. - Q: Corporate?
A: No. - Q: Political Parties?
A: No. - Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: No. - Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Source: VoteSmart Oklahoma 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2002
Frank Keating:
Attract people to Oklahoma to regain Congressional seat
I would like to discuss the result and the challenges of the result of the loss of the congressional seat. In 1908, we had eight representatives, and then it was seven, and then it was six, and now it is five. People move to a place because they see it
as prosperity filled and business friendly. They move away from a state because they don’t see it as prosperity filled and business friendly. Or they don’t go to a state, in sufficient numbers, to permit us to be truly competitive with the states
around us. But this year, our agenda must be to get our congressman back. That is our agenda for the 2001 session. Today, we have one overriding goal: To make Oklahoma so prosperous, so attractive, so energetic,
so reform minded, so desirable for business location for people and companies and jobs, that we will reclaim our congressional seat in 2011 and add one more. That is our agenda for the year 2001. We are going to get our congressman back.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to Oklahoma legislature
Feb 5, 2001
Winona LaDuke:
Supports increased party choices for voters
Q: Why are you running for Vice-President on the Green Party ticket? A: Because people make bad decisions in Washington D.C. Those decisions affect Indian people, and all people, in ways that we are not aware of. I believe in the goals of
Ralph Nader and the Green Party because we have essentially a one-party system where all of us are ruled by corporate interests and we have less and less actual voice in how decisions are made.
Source: Interview in Oklahoma Indian Times
Jun 1, 2000
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021