By Ron McWhirter

We believe the most important product of this publication is our annual Oklahoma Conservative Index which rates members of the Oklahoma Legislature. We published our first scorecard in the summer of 1979, and with this summer issue we present the 44th edition of the ratings. ...

By Steve Byas

“A good first step,” is what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the recent agreement he reached with ten Senate Republicans on restricting firearms for American citizens. The proposal includes funding for school-based mental health and supportive services, but also provides penalties for “straw purchasing,” an “enhanced review process” for young gun buyers, and protection for victims of domestic violence. Neither of Oklahoma’s senators signed on. Of course, S...

By Linda Murphy

DEI- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion; CRT- Critical Race Theory; Queer Theory; and SEL- Social Emotional Learning are all part of “Transformational Education” School Choice Options are not exempt from the infiltration of the radical agenda that many parents are trying to escape. From Part 1: “This Radical transformation in education is aggressively supported and driven by the Federal government, State government agencies, outside organizations, elected officials, global corporations, ...

By John Michener

It is official! According to the majority opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in the Dobbs case, “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion.” ...

By Tim Bakamjian

The coverup of the numerous adverse effects from the Covid-19 vaccines is one of the biggest scandals in recent memory. Almost all national and local media won’t report it. Nor will any elected representatives except for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc), who has held numerous hearings highlighting the harm received from taking the Moderna and/or the mRNA-based Pfizer vaccines. ...

By Shane Smith

Pondering the COVID pandemic from a two-year vantage point, I constantly wonder: Why did so many people fall for it?” Why did they accept such an extreme and unprecedented loss of freedom? Why did they accept the destruction of small businesses in their communities? Why did they accept the closure of their children’s schools? Why did they wear the mask? Why did they take the vaccine? ...

By David Deming

There is a political movement that seeks to end all fossil fuel use. The primary rationalization for this goal is the theory that the continued buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in global warming and degrade the natural environment. When he campaigned in 2020, US President Biden promised “we are going to get rid of fossil fuels.” Subsequent to his election, Biden followed through in a number of ways. He shut down construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and cancelled...

By State Rep. Tom Gann

Is Oklahoma being sold down the river for CANOO? It would appear so. Leadership at the Capitol in Oklahoma City are scheming to compete for a “Mystery” company everyone says is a lithium battery manufacturer that would supply CANOO, an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer coming to Oklahoma. CANOO is an EV startup company which had to use a shell corporation to get listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The use of the shell corporation allows companies to avoid certain transparency requirements....

By Ron McWhirter

Today, we are confronted by many political issues that make one wonder if every day is April Fool’s Day. When we hear crazy things, we must first think to ourselves, “Is this April 1?” If the answer is no, then perhaps we have slid into an alternate universe. There is a lot of foolery going around today. It seems that common sense has gone out the window, and we have to deal with issues that should never have surfaced. That is how I feel as I examine some of the legislation moving through...

By Steve Byas

When I received a postcard from a group calling itself the Sooner State Leadership Fund, trashing Governor Kevin Stitt, picturing him as commuting the sentence of a murderer, it brought back some bad memories for me. When I was running for state representative back in 1996, I was enjoying a 12-point lead in a poll taken by the Oklahoma Republican Party. The party had done polls in about a half-dozen legislative races, and the results all confirmed the polling – except mine. Rather than wi...

By Charlie Meadows

Perhaps the best thing that came out of the Communist Chinese virus attack on America and the rest of the world was how the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) adapted to the shut down in April of 2020. There were no restaurants open to have our meetings, and the timeline for vetting candidates couldn’t wait. ...

By Linda Murphy

Across the nation and the state, parents have become increasingly aware of the need for their involvement in what is being taught and planned for future implementation in public schools. Highly controversial ideology has been found in particular programs, curriculum and teacher training, and at times, only in a single classroom. Shining the light on the issues involved often brings public awareness. Exposing the problems is necessary before they can be cleaned up and replaced with more...

By Tim Bakamjian

The rapidly growing nationwide movement for expanded educational freedom got no help from the Oklahoma legislature this session. Senate Bill 1647, authored by Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) failed to advance on a 22-24 vote. The measure required 25 votes to pass the Oklahoma Senate. ...

By Johnathan Small

As the Oklahoma legislative session progresses, it is worth noting not only what bills advance, but which bills do not – and why the latter were rejected. As always, education is a big issue with voters, but close observers of the Oklahoma Legislature may have already noticed an unexpected pattern. While the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate has voted on significant education legislation, the GOP-dominated Oklahoma House of Representatives has not. It’s worth asking why. To cite ju...

By David Deming

There’s a video currently circulating on social media that has been the subject of much discussion. In it, a 27-year-old “mixed martial artist” named Bryce Mitchell who competes in a sporting event called the “Ultimate Fighting Championship” asserts loudly and clearly that he doesn’t support US intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war because “I don’t know what’s going on over there.” This viewpoint seems to have resonated with a lot of people, people understandably sick and...

By Shane Smith

On the evening of April 5th, amid an atmosphere thick with the smell of burgers, beer, tacos, and tension, a crowd of fervent supporters of Larry Heikkila’s mayoral candidacy crowded into the overflow room at Red Rock Canyon Grill, eyes glued to the overhead monitor as updated vote totals rolled in for both Breea Clark and Larry. Norman’s new mayor would be chosen that night, and victory, so it seemed at the time, teetered on a razor’s edge. ...

By John Michener

Following Governor Stitt’s signing ceremony for Senate Bill 612, a limited ban on abortion, we received numerous communications like these: “I am so grateful for what the governor did,” “You must be so happy that all your hard work has paid off,” “You must be dancing in the streets!” We are hopeful that the time is nearing when murder by abortion will be abolished, and should the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) reverse its Roe v. Wade opinion, and should pro-life...

By Ron McWhirter

In a December 15, 2021 media release, the Oklahoma Democratic Party denounced a bill being filed in the Oklahoma Legislature which would ban the “1619 Project” curriculum in Oklahoma schools receiving state funding. “House Bill 2988 is another attempt to silence and rewrite our history. The Oklahoma Democratic Party denounces this harmful bill that shuts down discussions on slavery and those who have been impacted by its history.” Alicia Andrews, the Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic...

By Steve Byas

The recent 5-1 decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, reversing the decision reached by Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman against drug manufacturer Johnson and Johnson, is a huge victory not only for that pharmaceutical company, but is also a huge victory – even more so – for the people of Oklahoma. ...

By Linda Murphy

There is a battle for the mind, will, and emotions of children. Most of us are aware of that and are cautious about what children are exposed to. We want to be sure that what they see and hear is appropriate and beneficial to them. When students go to the library at school or read books from the classroom library, we expect that the books have been approved by adults who use wisdom and discretion in choosing books that are within the values and norms of the community. ...