Has your elected official been co-opted? Part II
Sometimes voters elect officers on a platform of reform and innovation. The new office holder starts out with the best intentions, excited and ready to…
Jason Murphey
Has your Elected Official been Co-opted?
As a newly elected official I was excited, optimistic, and ready to change the world. When I gave a presentation to a local civic group…
I pay property taxes … please fix my road
Imagine paying thousands of dollars every year in property taxes and at the same time watching your roads literally crumble under the strain of increasing…
Two Examples of Courage
With the recent news coverage of the government’s inappropriate use of the IRS, citizens have paid special attention to practices within various federal agencies.
The right kind of leadership
Before this year’s legislative session, pundits opined about the divided Republican caucus in the House. The 2012 session had not been an easy one and…
The Assimilation
As the legislative session came to a close last week, it was my job to filter incoming bills. Lobbyists are notorious for putting dramatic last…
I Will Vote No!
All indications point to this being the last week of this year’s legislative session. The Legislature will go home a week early. This is good…
Saying goodbye to the earmark
Before I print my update for this week, I have attached a press release from the Governor’s office regarding her government consolidation measures which I…
My views on the State budget proposal
On Thursday, the Governor and legislative leaders announced an agreement for the composition of the state’s next budget. Capitol insiders as hard pressed to recall…
Gas Tax Increase – How Your No Vote Fixed the Problem
Frequent readers of these articles will recall the series of updates I have written about the significant progress the state is making in regards to…
Tax Reduction, Workers Comp, Welfare Reform and No Bonds
This is a big week in the Legislature. It is a key deadline week. By this Thursday another set of proposals will fail to advance…
Funding for County Roads
This past week, I witnessed one of the most significant county road funding policy success since taking office as State Representative.
Visualizing TWO BILLION DOLLARS of State Debt Email
You may have seen recent news reports detailing how Britain’s national debt now equals 90% of its entire economy. The Daily Mail published a graph…
Continued opposition to the federal healthcare proposal
Oklahoma legislators have become rather accustomed to receiving emails and calls from those who are intensely worried about ongoing federal overreach. Many of these contacts…
Prepared to explain the vote
Consider the following statement one might hear if they stay around the capitol very long: “If there is one consistent thing about that legislator, it…
Two elected officials who are not playing the game
In 2010, the state electorate gave a vote of confidence to a new wave of state-level office holders. Nearly all of these candidates ran on…
The key to legislative success
Aside from the last week of the legislative session, this is probably the busiest week in the legislative year. Bills authored by those who serve…
Retiring a bunch of the ABCs
Last Thursday was the deadline for House committees to approve bills. Any bills not approved by committee before or on that day must wait a…
The May 23rd vote that changed everything, Part 1
For years, the conservative fiscal values of Oklahomans were upheld because state officials were unable to issue general bonded indebtedness without first receiving approval through…
Giving up absolute power
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”