OCPAC - Multiple Mary—Does Fallin have Two Faces?
John Michener
Online version: http://eepurl.com/bmk5Tr
1. Speakers May 13: Freshman Legislators
2. Multiple Mary—Does Fallin have Two Faces?
3. Protect Life Petition
4. Try Uber for Free
1. Speakers May 13: Freshman Legislators
The following freshman representatives have agreed to speak this Wednesday: Chad Caldwell, Travis Dunlap, Chris Kannady, James Leewright, and Kevin Wallace. We have asked each one to reflect on how his first-term experience at the marble pork-pen compared to his expectations and to talk about what happened to an important piece of legislation he supported or fought against.
2. Multiple Mary—Does Fallin have Two Faces?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
seems to be trying to regulate Oklahoma power plants out of business through
its desired restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions. Interestingly, the EPA has not required cows
to stop farting.
On April 29 Gov. Fallin issued an executive order stating that Oklahoma will not file a State Implementation Plan with the EPA and instructing the Oklahoma attorney general to “take such action as is necessary to enforce the rights of the State of Oklahoma and its citizens from such federal actions as may impact the freedoms of its people.” And the crowd went wild! This was a great move by the governor.
But then Governor Fallin must have gotten up on
the wrong side of the bed two days later, because a different Fallin showed up
for work to veto SB 676, the Oklahoma Clean Air Act, which would have complemented
her executive order nicely by including the legislature in the review process and
mandating that any federal clean air standards be reviewed by the Oklahoma
attorney general.
Mary’s executive order was great, and it sent the right message. However, an executive order can be rescinded at the stroke of a pen. The legislature wanted to make sure that Oklahomans stay in control of their rights and freedoms. It made no sense to veto this bill unless the governor has future plans of rescinding her order or submitting her own State Implementation Plan to the EPA. We cannot risk enabling out-of-state environmentalists to put Oklahomans out of work and to give the rest of us a 20% increase in our power rates.
What else will the governor be two-faced about?
3. Protect Life Petition
Last Wednesday we heard about the growing coalition of Oklahomans who are petitioning our state legislators to use the power that they already have to drastically reduce or end elective abortion in our state. Please sign the petition at www.ProtectLifeOK.com.
4. Try Uber for Free
After reading our story about Uber and Lyft last week, one of its first drivers in Oklahoma City contacted me to offer our readers a free trial. In the app, use the promo code UBEROKC, or you can click this link: https://get.uber.com/invite/uberokc.
The views expressed in this email are the personal opinion of John Michener and do not necessarily reflect the views of OCPAC, its leadership team, or its members. We currently meet on Wednesdays at noon at Old Surety Life, 5201 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City. To become a member of OCPAC, follow the instructions in the online newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bmk5Tr.