Weekly Opinion Editorial
BROUGHT AND PAID FOR
by Steve Fair
The Oklahoma legislature went sine die (adjourned with no appointed date
for readjournment) on Friday. It was a
session marked by new legislative leadership in both chambers. After several sessions of contention between
the state House and Senate, it appears collaboration improved between the two
chambers. Senate President Pro Tem
Lonnie Paxton, (R-Tuttle) and House Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert,
(R-Bristow) appeared to sing off the same sheet of music, but Governor Kevin
Stitt isn’t on the same sheet. Stitt set
a record for the number of vetoes in a session- 68. That is twice more than the previous session.
Oklahoma lawmakers overrode 47 of the 68 vetoes- a state record. Two more vetoes were overridden by the Senate,
but were not voted on in the House. One veto was approved by the House but not
voted on by the Senate before adjournment.
Legislators also took time out of overruling to pass a resolution
formally removing Allie Friesen as head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental
Health. Friesen has been embattled since
a state audit showed a $28 million dollar budget shortfall and struggled to
make payroll. Three observations about
the 2025 session:
First, special interests control the Oklahoma legislature. Legislative candidates are recruited,
funded and equipped by trade associations, state agencies, and special interest
groups. Bear in mind- the listed groups
represent people and have a right to lobby.
But also remember, a legislator’s allegiance/loyalty is primarily to
those who got them into office. Once
elected, elected officials tend to kowtow to those they came to the dance
with.
The number of independent, critical thinking lawmakers has dwindled to a
handful. Group think and conformity now guide
state lawmaker votes. They punch the button,
not based on convictions and values, but on fraternity. The predictability of how a lawmaker will
vote is based on their crew/clique/pack/circle/caucus and any individualistic
thought is not tolerated. Rarely do any
wander off the reservation and vote independently. Citizens should make it
their mission to find out who funded their elected official’s campaigns. Those are who they listen to- not to the
people in their district.
Second, Stitt should have fired Friesen.
Instead of the legislature spending time with the issue, the governor
should have done his job and sent her packing.
After the audit was released, it was clear Friesen was in over her
head. The governor called the removal a ‘politically
motivated witch hunt,’ and that he had tasked Commissioner Friesen with
bringing accountability and transparency to the agency. Stitt claims the mismanagement of the
Oklahoma Mental Health Agency goes back more than a decade. The truth is Stitt has been in office 6 of
those 10 years, which means much of the dereliction has happened on his
watch.
Third, Oklahomans are confused about their state government. Who can blame them? Republicans hold super majorities in both
chambers and the governor is a Republican.
Yet the legislature and the governor fight like cats and dogs, debating
who is the most conservative?
Positioning, posturing, self-promoting braggarts on both ends of the
political spectrum play to their base, while average Oklahomans have no voice
because they don’t have a lobbyist at the Capitol. The average citizen doesn’t know what to
believe. Special interest groups ‘spin’
the message, demonize opponents and demand loyalty from their blind kiwis. They shout down free speech, quote scripture
and sing O How I Love Jesus, while showing no respect for an opposing opinion. It is no wonder Oklahoma has a deplorable voter
turnout record. The average Oklahoma
voter is disgusted with that garbage and too busy working to care about their
state government anymore.
Some of Stitt’s vetoes were political and should have been overridden. Others that were overturned were bills special interests wanted. After all, they paid a lot of money to get it done. Voters should find out who their legislator and governor work for because it’s likely it ain’t for them.
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