2015 RATINGS of OKLAHOMA

Transcription

1 2015 RATINGS of OKLAHOMA Conservative.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman 2 OK Senate Vote Descriptions 5 ACU & ACUF Board Members 3 OK Senate Scores 7 Selecting the 3 OK Assembly Vote Descriptions Winners & Losers 4 OK Assembly Scores 11

2 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Fellow Conservatives, I am pleased to present the American Conservative Union Foundation s ratings for the 2015 meeting of the Oklahoma State Legislature. Like our Congressional Ratings, our State Ratings reflect how elected officials view the role of government in an individual's life. The Oklahoma legislators with the strongest scores voted most consistently with the ideals articulated in the US Constitution: limited and transparent government, individual rights, personal responsibility, and a healthy culture. The 2014 election completed a political transformation that began in 2010 and resulted in voters of almost half the states, 23 in all, entrusting Republicans with the governorships as well as control of both chambers in the respective state, the biggest sweep since the first half of the 20th Century. By examining all our State Ratings (which cover a wide variety of issues) we can see which states have best used their Republican majorities to apply conservative principles, how others have struggled, and in yet other states, how conservatives have stood up against liberal majorities. I know that this guide will provide you with the most comprehensive evaluative tool to learn how your legislators measure up. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union 2

3 ACU BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Thomas Winter First Vice Chairman Carolyn Meadows Second Vice Chairman Jameson Campaigne, Jr. Secretary Larry Beasley Bob Beauprez Kimberly Bellissimo Morton Blackwell Ambassador John Bolton Al Cardenas Jose Cardenas Ron Christie Muriel Coleman ACU FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Millie Hallow Vice Chairman Van Hipp, Jr. Treasurer Tim Goeglein Secretary Kimberly Bellissimo Jose Cardenas Amy Frederick Jonathan Garthwaite Charlie Gerow Colin Hanna Willes Lee Kellyanne Conway Tom DeLay John Eddy Luis Fortuno Amy Frederick Charlie Gerow Alan Gottlieb Van Hipp, Jr. James Lacy Carolyn Meadows Thomas Winter Michael Long Grover Norquist Becky Norton Dunlop Ron Robinson Ned Ryun Fred Smith, Jr. Matt Smith Lewis Uhler Ed Yevoli SELECTING THE VOTES ACU researched and selected a range of bills before the Oklahoma State Legislature that determine a member s adherence to conservative principles. We selected bills that focus on Ronald Reagan s philosophy of the three-legged stool : 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency. This wide range of issues are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment that conveys which of Oklahoma s elected leaders best defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty and Property. To contact ACU, please call H Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC (202)

4 2015 WINNERS & LOSERS AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE EXCELLENCE <10 COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT SENATE HOUSE HOUSE SENATE HOUSE DAHM BRUMBAUGH MOORE n/a Shelton STANISLAWSKI DERBY MURPHEY SYKES GRAU AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE ACHIEVEMENT SENATE SENATE HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE ANDERSON MARLATT BIGGS KERN ROBERTS, D. BICE MAZZEI CALDWELL McCALL ROBERTS, S. BRECHEEN QUINN CASEY McCULLOUGH RUSS BROOKS SILK COCKROFT McDANIEL, R. SANDERS DAVID SIMPSON DUNLAP MULREADY SEARS FORD STANDRIDGE ECHOLS NEWELL STROHM GRIFFIN TREAT ENNS ORTEGA VAUGHAN JECH FAUGHT OWNBEY WALKER JOLLEY FISHER PARK WESSELHOFT HALL PETERSON JORDAN RITZE 4

5 OKLAHOMA SENATE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. SB 127 Medicaid Director Appointment. This bill allows the Governor to appoint the Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, a position that administers Medicaid, the program that has accounted for the biggest increase in spending in recent years. ACU supports making state government agencies more accountable to the taxpayers and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 10, 2015 by a vote of SB 383 Beer Sale Deregulation. This bill allows beer to be sold in non-liquor stores by eliminating the distinction between regular beer and non-intoxicating beer, which is beer with a 3.2 percent or less alcohol content. ACU supports a free market in the sale of beer and other products and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 11, 2015 by a vote of SB 788 Religious Freedom. This bill exempts individuals from being required to perform or solemnize a marriage that is in violation of their religious beliefs. It also exempts a church or church-controlled organization from being required to perform a marriage ceremony that violates its religious beliefs ACU supports the free exercise of religion and, although this is a modest bill, supported the bill as a step in the right direction. The Senate passed the bill on March 11, 2015 by a vote of SB 468 Oil and Gas Property Rights. This bill concerns ordinances that interfere with both oil and gas production and rights pertaining to the ability to access and control minerals, classifying these ordinances as a taking for which property owners should be compensated. ACU supports strengthening property rights and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 12, 2015 by a vote of HB 1749 Paycheck Protection. This bill prohibits the automatic deduction of union dues from state employee paychecks. ACU opposes the government acting as a collection agency for union dues and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill the bill on March 26, 2015 by a vote of HB 1721 Dismemberment Abortion. This bill makes it unlawful to perform a dismemberment abortion unless necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the mother. The procedure is described as dismembering a living unborn child and extracting him or her one piece at a time from the uterus. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and educating patients and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 8, 2015 by a vote of SB 71 Cash for Chicken Egg Producers. This bill adds chicken egg producers to the Quality Jobs Act program that hands out taxpayer-funded cash payments to companies that, in the government s view, create jobs with good salaries and benefits. ACU opposes these giveaway programs to favored businesses for example, choosing chicken egg producers over other agricultural businesses and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 14, 2015 by a vote of HB 1566 Medicaid Reform. This bill directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to request care coordination proposals from private companies to care for the aged, blind and disabled population under Medicaid. ACU supports reform of a program that is rife with waste and fraud and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 14, 2015 by a vote of SB 782 Charter Schools. This bill eliminates the minimum population restriction for charter schools, allowing them to expand to every school district in the state. The bill also allows any school district to be a charter school sponsor. ACU supports the expansion of school choice and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 16, 2015 by a vote of HB 1409 Abortion Waiting Period. This bill provides for a 72 hour waiting period before voluntary and informed consent can be given for an abortion. The bill also provides for educational material on pregnancy and abortion be given to a patient. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and educating patients and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 21, 2015 by a vote of HB 1044 State Employee Incentives. This bill rewards state employees who save the taxpayers a minimum of $5,000 with a bonus of up to 20 percent of the money saved. ACU supports incentives for government to spend less money rather than more and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of HB 2014 Firearms on School Property. This bill allows the local board of education to authorize school personnel to carry a firearm onto school property if they have an armed security guard license or a valid reserve peace officer certification. ACU supports the founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of

6 13. HB 1828 Construction Regulation. This bill sets up a new bureaucracy, the Construction Industries Board, to control who would be allowed to practice building or construction in the state. Every individual must register with the board, which will set up requirements, including continuing education programs. The Board will also have the power to revoke registrations, putting people out of work. ACU opposes this heavy-handed approach to government regulation that restricts competition and opposed this bill. The Senate defeated the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of SB 41 Concealed Carry. This bill clarifies the concealed carry law to say that public property would be open to those with a concealed carry permit even when the property is being used for a private event. ACU supports our founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 4, 2015 by a vote of HB 2237 Taxpayer Funding of Cultural Centers. This bill adds another $25 million in state funding to a failed ten year project to build an American Indian Cultural Center in Oklahoma City and then turn the building over to the city. ACU opposes throwing good money after bad in a boondoggle that now costs the state $2 million per year to maintain the building and $5 million per year in debt payments and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 21, 2015 by a vote of HB 1847 Child Passenger Restraint Law Expansion. This bill raises the age a child must be put into a child safety seat from the age of 2 to the age of 8 or until they reach 4-foot-9 in height. In addition, parents could be fined if the government decides they haven t used the restraining device properly. ACU opposes government replacing the parent in managing children s lives and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 22, 2015 by a vote of SB 839 Taxpayer Funding of Museums. This bill authorizes $25 million in bonds to finance an Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture. ACU opposes increasing the public debt to finance a project that should be paid for with private funds and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 19, 2015 by a vote of

7 OKLAHOMA SENATE SCORES OKLAHOMA SENATE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 64 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 78 LOWEST REPUBLICAN SHAW 53 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 28 HIGHEST DEMOCRAT GARRISON 50 OKLAHOMA SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 127 SB 383 SB 788 SB 468 HB 1749 HB 1721 SB 71 HB 1566 SB 782 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 1828 SB 41 SB 839 HB 2237 HB 1847 ALLEN R E E E ANDERSON R E E BARRINGTON R Bass D E - - E E E BICE R n/a 88 BINGMAN R E BOGGS R BRECHEEN R BRINKLEY R BROOKS R E BROWN R 36 - E E E + + E + E E E E 7 9 n/a 88 n/a CRAIN R E E E DAHM R DAVID R E E FIELDS R Floyd D FORD R FRY R n/a 65 Garrison D 9 - E - E E E - + E ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 7

8 OKLAHOMA SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 127 SB 383 SB 788 SB 468 HB 1749 HB 1721 SB 71 HB 1566 SB 782 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 1828 SB 41 SB 839 HB 2237 HB 1847 GRIFFIN R E HALLIGAN R E HOLT R JECH R n/a 88 JOLLEY R JUSTICE R LOVELESS R 45 E MARLATT R E E Matthews D 11 X X X X X X X X n/a 20 n/a MAZZEI R 25 + E + + E E NEWBERRY R E E E Paddack D 13 - E - E - E E + - E E 4 11 n/a 11 n/a Pittman D E E - E + E E QUINN R SCHULZ R E E E + - E SHARP R SHAW R SHORTEY R E E n/a 73 SILK R n/a 88 SIMPSON R n/a 88 SMALLEY R Sparks D E E E E E STANDRIDGE R E STANISLAWSKI R SYKES R E THOMPSON R E n/a 63 TREAT R Wyrick D E YEN R n/a 71 Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2015 percentage was not rated. ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 8

9 OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. HB 1749 Paycheck Protection. This bill prohibits the automatic deduction of union dues from state employee paychecks. ACU opposes the government acting as a collection agency for union dues and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 18, 2015 by a vote of HB 1721 Dismemberment Abortion. This bill makes it unlawful to perform a dismemberment abortion unless necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the mother. The procedure is described as dismembering a living unborn child and extracting him or her one piece at a time from the uterus. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and educating patients and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 26, 2015 by a vote of HJR 1002 Legalizing Direct Shipment of Wine. This resolution allows a voter referendum to permit wineries the ability to sell and ship wine directly to consumers who have visited the winery in person and purchased wine on the premises. ACU supports a free market in the sale of wine and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on March 9, 2015 by a vote of HB 1828 Construction Regulation. This bill sets up a new bureaucracy, the Construction Industries Board, to control who would be allowed to practice building or construction in the state. Every individual must register with the board, which will set up requirements, including continuing education programs and have the power to revoke registrations, putting people out of work. ACU opposes this heavy-handed approach to government regulation that restricts competition and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 10, 2015 by a vote of SB 71 Cash for Chicken Egg Producers. This bill adds chicken egg producers to the Quality Jobs Act program that hands out taxpayer-funded cash payments to companies that, in the government s view, create jobs with good salaries and benefits. ACU opposes these giveaway programs to favored businesses for example, choosing chicken egg producers over other agricultural businesses and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 7, 2015 by a vote of SB 782 Charter Schools. This bill eliminates the minimum population restriction for charter schools allowing them to expand to every school district in the state. The bill also allows any school district to be a charter school sponsor. ACU supports the expansion of school choice and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 14, 2015 by a vote of SB 383 Beer Sale Deregulation. This bill allows beer to be sold in non-liquor stores by eliminating the distinction between regular beer and non-intoxicating beer, which is beer with a 3.2 percent or less alcohol content. ACU supports a free market in the sale of beer and other products and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 15, 2015 by a vote of SB 41 Concealed Carry. This bill clarifies the concealed carry law to say that public property would be open to those with a concealed carry permit even when the property is being used for a private event. ACU supports our founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of SB 468 Oil and Gas Property Rights. This bill concerns ordinances that interfere with both oil and gas production and rights pertaining to the ability to access and control minerals, classifying these ordinances as a taking for which property owners should be compensated. ACU supports strengthening property rights and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of SB 788 Religious Freedom. This bill exempts individuals from being required to perform or solemnize a marriage that is in violation of their religious beliefs. It also exempts a church or church-controlled organization from being required to perform a marriage ceremony in violation of its religious beliefs. ACU supports the free exercise of religion and, although this is a modest bill, supported the bill as a step in the right direction. The House passed the bill on April 22, 2015 by a vote of HB 1566 Medicaid Reform. This bill directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to request care coordination proposals from private companies to care for the aged, blind and disabled population under Medicaid. ACU supports reform of a program that is rife with waste and fraud and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 28, 2015 by a vote of HB 1409 Abortion Waiting Period. This bill provides for a 72 hour waiting period before voluntary and informed consent can be given for an abortion. The bill also provides for educational material on pregnancy and abortion be given to a patient. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and educating patients and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 30, 2015 by a vote of

10 13. HB 1044 State Employee Incentives. This bill rewards state employees who save the taxpayers a minimum of $5,000 with a bonus of up to 20 percent of the money saved. ACU supports incentives for government to spend less money rather than more and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on May 4, 2015 by a vote of HB 2014 Firearms on School Property. This bill allows the local board of education to authorize school personnel to carry a firearm onto school property if they have an armed security guard license or a valid reserve peace officer certification. ACU supports the founder s belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on May 6, 2015 by a vote of HB 1847 Child Passenger Restraint Law Expansion. This bill raises the age a child must be put into a child safety seat from the age of 2 to the age of 8 or until they reach 4-foot-9 in height. In addition, parents could be fined if the government decides they haven t used the restraining device properly. ACU opposes government replacing the parent in managing children s lives and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 21, 2015 by a vote of SB 839 Taxpayer Funding of Museums. This bill authorizes $25 million in bonds to finance an Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture. ACU opposes increasing the public debt to finance a project that should be paid for with private funds and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 22, 2015 by a vote of HB 2237 Taxpayer Funding of Cultural Centers. This bill adds another $25 million in state funding to a failed ten year project to build an American Indian Cultural Center in Oklahoma City and then turn the building over to the city. ACU opposes throwing good money after bad in a boondoggle that now costs the state $2 million per year to maintain the building and $5 million per year in debt payments and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on May 18, 2015 by a vote of

11 OKLAHOMA HOUSE SCORES OKLAHOMA HOUSE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 68 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 77 LOWEST REPUBLICAN CHRISTIAN 50 DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 42 HIGHEST DEMOCRATS PROCTOR, RENEGAR 60 OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1749 HB 1721 HJR 1002 HB 1828 SB 71 SB 782 SB 383 SB 41 SB 468 SB 788 HB 1566 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 2237 HB 1847 SB 839 BANZ R 101 E BENNETT R 2 + E E E BIGGS R BILLY R E E + E Brown D 4 - E BRUMBAUGH R CALDWELL R n/a 88 CALVEY R n/a 76 Cannaday D E CASEY R CHRISTIAN R E E E CLEVELAND R COCKROFT R Condit D COODY, A. R COODY, J. R n/a 65 COOKSEY R E + E COX R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 11

12 OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1749 HB 1721 HJR 1002 HB 1828 SB 71 SB 782 SB 383 SB 41 SB 468 SB 788 HB 1566 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 2237 HB 1847 SB 839 DANK R 85 - E + E E X X X X X X X X X X X X 1 2 n/a 80 n/a DENNEY R E DERBY R DUNLAP R E n/a 88 Dunnington D 88 - E E n/a 40 ECHOLS R E ENNS R E FAUGHT R E n/a 88 FISHER R E Fourkiller D E E E E E - E n/a 14 n/a GRAU R Griffith D 45 - E n/a 38 HALL R HARDIN R HENKE R HICKMAN R X Hoskin D Inman D E E JOHNSON R E JORDAN R E JOYNER R E KANNADY R E n/a 75 KERN R E KIRBY R E E E Kouplen D 24 - E E E E LEEWRIGHT R n/a 71 LEPAK R E E n/a 67 Lockhart D 3 - E E Loring D n/a 41 MARTIN R Matthews D E E E E X X X X X X X X X X X 1 2 n/a 20 n/a McBRIDE R 53 E E E McCALL R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 12

13 OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1749 HB 1721 HJR 1002 HB 1828 SB 71 SB 782 SB 383 SB 41 SB 468 SB 788 HB 1566 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 2237 HB 1847 SB 839 McCULLOUGH R McDaniel, J. D 78 - E E E E E McDANIEL, R. R McPeak D 13 - E - + E E E - E E - E n/a 0 n/a MONTGOMERY R 62 + E n/a 69 MOORE R E Morrissette D 92 E E E E E E - E n/a 13 n/a MULREADY R MURDOCK R E + + E n/a 60 MURPHEY R NELSON R E E + + E NEWELL R E NOLLAN R E O'DONNELL R E + E E ORTEGA R OSBORN R OWNBEY R PARK R n/a 88 Perryman D E E PETERSON R PFEIFFER R E n/a 63 Proctor D E E Pruett D Renegar D E E RITZE R 80 + E E ROBERTS, D. R E E ROBERTS, S. R E E E + + E ROGERS R n/a 76 Rousselot D E RUSS R E E + E E SANDERS R Scott D E E + - E E E SEARS R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 13

14 OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 1749 HB 1721 HJR 1002 HB 1828 SB 71 SB 782 SB 383 SB 41 SB 468 SB 788 HB 1566 HB 1409 HB 1044 HB 2014 HB 2237 HB 1847 SB 839 Shelton D 97 - E - E + - E E E Sherrer D 8 - E Shoemake D E E Stone D n/a 41 STROHM R n/a 88 Tadlock D E E E n/a 50 THOMSEN R 25 - E E VAUGHAN R Virgin D WALKER R WALLACE R E - - E n/a 60 WATSON R E WESSELHOFT R E Williams D E E - - E E WOOD R WRIGHT R E Young D 99 - E + + E n/a 33 Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2015 percentage was not rated. ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG 14