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 45th edition of the ratings. ...

By Steve Byas

“I want to put this man in a box,” said State Representative Mark McBride recently, supposedly a Republican from Moore, in reference to our State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters. Why on earth does McBride want to undercut our state superintendent? Walters is doing what he said he would do when he was running for office last year. McBride, on the other hand, represents one of the state’s most Republican districts. Yet McBride talks more like a liberal Democrat than a R...

By Charlie Meadows

For many years now, Democrats and some Republicans have pushed to remove sales taxes from groceries without success. However, Governor Stitt is trying to help by giving his full support to the effort. As happens from time to time, Governor Stitt seems to promote efforts that go against his highest priorities and this effort to eliminate the sales tax on groceries is a case in point. ...

By Linda Murphy

The State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO has been given a lead position in the creation of a state-controlled workforce education and training system. Corporate executives and their lobbyists from the State Chamber have long wanted to control the way Oklahoma children are prepared in our K-12 public school system. In the early 90’s, parents, and many teachers across the state rose-up in a grassroots campaign in opposition to the Chamber backed Outcomes Based Education (OBE) mandate and...

By Tim Bakamjian

Less than three weeks after announcing his candidacy for U.S. president, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a campaign stop in Tulsa on June 10th. He packed a sweltering hot barn with several hundred supporters, in addition to the almost equal number that listened just outside the building. The event began with former Tulsa Congressman and NASA Administrator (under President Donald Trump) Jim Bridenstine offering a ringing endorsement of his former colleague. ...

By Shane Smith

We citizens of the West have recently emerged from a month-long “celebration” of what is known as Pride, no longer just “gay pride.” And, judging from the footage of many of the Pride parades held across the country, one has to wonder just what is actually being celebrated. ...

By John Michener

Abby Johnson, Lila Rose, and other well-known pro-lifers recently released a “Joint Statement for Building a Post-Roe Future.” Regarding women who carry unwanted preborn babies, they state: “…support from non-profits will not be enough. State and federal governments must take action to eliminate or reduce the significant economic and social pressures that we know drive women to seek abortion in the first place.” ...

By Steve Fair

Recently, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a federal district ruling on whether the City of Tulsa has jurisdiction over Native Americans. Justin Hooper got a speeding ticket five years ago in Tulsa. He pled guilty and paid his fine. Two years later, Hooper, who is a member of the Choctaw tribe, filed for postconviction relief citing the McGirt decision. The Tulsa municipal court threw out the case, as did the federal district court. Hooper appealed to the appellate 10th circuit court,...

By Ray Carter

In a recently unveiled “toolkit,” the National Education Association (NEA) advises teachers on strategies to overturn policies that require educators to use a student’s given name rather than a “transgender” name, and the organization also directs teachers to various LGBTQ+ organizations, including one that has defended prostitution, and another accused of helping pedophiles access vulnerable youth. ...

By Ron McWhirter

On February 9, I was listening to the news on the car radio and was surprised to hear a report that the Oklahoma Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to roll back portions of Oklahoma’s law banning abortions. Specifically, the bill would allow abortions in cases of rape or incest. My immediate thought was that this was a bill to consider for our 2023 Oklahoma Conservative Index rating state legislators. ...

By Steve Byas

During the American War for Independence, Fort West Point in New York came very close to falling to the British, along with the capture of the commander-in-chief, George Washington – not from any overwhelming assault by the Redcoats – but from the traitorous turncoat, General Benedict Arnold. One lets down one’s guard when it is a supposed friend who is going to stab you in the back. ...

By Linda Murphy

Joy Hofmeister’s last month in office, December 2022, brought in a final installment of her plans for transforming Oklahoma’s Public Schools. She led the board as they voted to approve her plans to use Carnegie Learning curriculum. In June the same board voted unanimously to approve a $33.6 million contract for testing students, under a Non-Disclosure Agreement – which means the name of the company could not be revealed. ...

By Tim Bakamjian

Oklahoma 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern (R-Tulsa) was the featured speaker at the April 12, 2023 meeting of the Tulsa County Republican Men’s Club (TCRMC). He updated the approximately 50 attendees on pending congressional legislation, the state of the country, his positions and leadership role, plus his thoughts on what members of the community can do to fight back against the disastrous direction those on the left are steering us. ...

By David Deming

In recent weeks, federal courts have begun to nullify a number of gun control laws on the grounds they violate the Second Amendment. In the Western District of Oklahoma, judge Patrick Wyrick found that prohibiting marijuana users from owning guns is unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit Court concluded that people subject to domestic violence restraining orders cannot be compelled to surrender any weapons they own. A federal district court in West Virginia ruled that the federal law which makes it...

By Shane Smith

In modern-day America, a new religion has emerged, forcing mainstream culture to its knees in a total, bloodless revolution. What is this new fundamentalism? Evidence for its existence can be seen in our schools, in our sports, in hospitals and therapists’ offices, in television and film, and probably most conspicuously in corporate advertising, i.e., in commercials for beer, shoes, food, et cetera. It can be seen in politically correct speech, where we are forced to abide by a bizarre ritual...

By John Michener

On 21 March 2023 the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma (SCOTSOO) held in a 5-4 decision that Oklahoma’s most recent abortion law (63 O.S. § 1-731.4, passed as SB 612 in 2022) “is void and unenforceable.” Under normal circumstances, the voiding of 63 O.S. § 1-731.4 would be no great loss, and in fact, would rightly be celebrated, because this is the statute that contained a license to kill. It gave permission to any woman in Oklahoma to murder her own preborn son or daughter. ...

By State Rep. Tom Gann

Having grown up in Oklahoma and being old enough to remember the time when federal investigators cleaned up the greatest political corruption scandal in Oklahoma history, I was intrigued by a new book detailing the county commissioner scandal and several other scandals in our state’s history that can be found in Bill Price’s biography, At War With Corruption. Many county commissioners went to prison as a result of their dereliction of duty. ...

By Ron McWhirter

In our Fall edition, two of our columnists addressed the possible loss by Gov. Stitt in the November election. One column entitled, “Why Governor Stitt May Not Win Re-election,” explained the various reasons why that might happen. It was also referenced in another column entitled, “The Midterms: Is a Red Wave on its Way?” In that column, as it related to gubernatorial elections, it was noted: “The one outlier could be our own state of Oklahoma, where Democrats have spent more money...

By Steve Byas

“I think if you did some polling statewide, it would be overwhelmingly popular to raise the minimum wage here in Oklahoma,” said Tim O’Connor, president of the Central Oklahoma AFL-CIO, speaking about the latest push to raise the state’s minimum wage, set by law. But popularity is hardly the only thing to consider when passing any law. After all, racial segregation, by law, was popular at one time in America. State Senator Mary Boren (D-Norman) filed a bill last year which would inc...

By Linda Murphy

While most Republicans say they support “limited government,” a plan to greatly expand government has gained support among a group of Republicans in the Oklahoma legislature. The “Community Schools” model of public education was fully embraced and advanced by the Obama administration along with the usual supporters on the political left, who have long wanted to provide unlimited government funding for poverty. During a White House “Jobs Summit,” President Obama said that Randi...