Rep. Murphey: Vote walking
Each year, members of the House cast votes impacting almost every aspect of life: from public safety to education to the expenditure of billions of…
Jason Murphey
Rep. Murphey: Voting no on the State budget
Recent legislative efforts for new taxation, coupled with the expansion of the Legislature’s own appropriated budget, remind me of a presentation I gave several years…
Murphey: Tax proposals expose growing transparency problem
Last week I described the new tax plan brought forward by leaders of the House of Representatives. Their plan would have created a services tax….
Murphey: The immorality of new taxation
Over the past few days Oklahomans have been rightly alarmed by the late session, last minute tax increase attempts. This includes a tax increase proposal…
Murphey: Smoke, mirrors, the politics of fear and tax increases
I detest the politics of fear. I especially dislike those practices which leverage the fears of society’s most vulnerable. The fears are leveraged for the…
Murphey: Governor signs earthquake bill
House Bill 3158 has now been signed into law by the Governor. Undoubtedly one of the most important proposals of this legislative session, it seeks…
Murphey: How to review state finances
Every so often, I field this question from those who are interested in state government: “How can I see the state finances?”
Common Core and budget mistakes make the case for transparency reform
As you read my article last week, I suspect you were rather horrified to realize the enormity of the Legislature’s mistake; they provided the scantest…
Did the State adopt common core — again
I am receiving numerous emails regarding the state’s recent action to adopt new English and math standards for common education. The writers are specifically concerned…
My advice to the next Speaker of the House
A lawmaker recently stopped by my office. We were elected in the same year and reflected on the performance of the numerous Speakers of the…
A best practice for contacting your legislator
Last week I wrote about the challenge lawmakers face as they sort through their thousands of emails and attempt to find correspondence from their constituents….
Please vote no! Thank you!
“Please vote no! Thank you!” I stared at these five words, the only words in an email that someone had taken the time to send…
Benefits of refusing lobbyist funding
I took a pledge in 2006 to refuse personal gifts and campaign contributions from lobbyists and their employees. When I took that pledge, I knew…
Murphey calls for Legislative pay decrease, makes donation to pro-life organization
GUTHRIE – State Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, continued his mid-March tradition of providing a yearly donation of $8,241.92 from his legislative salary to the Guthrie-based…
Highlighting the good news on the earthquake issue
As I write this article, state officials are responding to the seismic activity from two weeks ago. It appears that this effort will seek to…
Update – Legislative action on earthquake issue
Imagine the following absurdity: a police officer pulls over a speeding motorist and issues him a ticket. The motorist responds, “You don’t have the authority…
The day of reckoning – Part 1
It is now reasonable to forecast the following: fiscal year 2017 will become the first year in recent state history when the amount of state…
The benefits of a down budget year
A few days ago, a state agency head appeared before one of our House Appropriations Committees. He described his agency’s efforts to cut cost: “We…
Getting our Congressman back
It’s difficult to listen to the local news without experiencing a barrage of doom and gloom regarding state government’s ongoing budget malaise. Lost in this…
The impending threat to the Transportation Improvement Plan
Thank you to all of those who attended the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s town hall and hearing at Waterloo Road Baptist church this past week….