Whatzup Politics (2009)
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Legislators Consider Writ of Prohibition over Concerns about Hiett’s Impartiality
OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Kevin West, R-Moore, and Tom Gann, R-Inola, today issued statements regarding Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, who has been accused of sexual molestation and public drunkenness. The two said they are considering filing a writ of prohibition against Hiett, asking the courts to intervene to protect the public interest.
"Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett’s admission of public drunkenness, alleged sexual assault, alleged harassment and his alleged drunk driving should be enough for any decent individual to disqualify himself from cases at the OCC involving the victims or witnesses to his alleged crimes," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "Multiple news articles report that these complaints include employees and representatives, including attorneys, of public utility companies the OCC regulates.
"Hiett should have removed himself from voting in the August 27 meeting, but instead he cast the deciding vote to approve a $31 million rate increase for Oklahoma Natural Gas customers," they continued. "The victim and witnesses to Hiett's June 9, 2024, sexual assault at a Minnesota conference are allegedly ONG employees. If that is not enough, ONG is being represented by the law firm that hosted a reception in Oklahoma City, where Hiett is alleged to have sexually harassed two female OCC employees and to have driven home drunk. Hiett has not publicly denied any allegations made against him."
West questioned Hiett's impartiality.
"Oklahomans deserve better," West said. "Corporation commissioners are considered quasi-judicial in some of their cases, like utility fuel cases that require a state officer to rule, and legislative in others, like utility rate cases. Under Ethics Rule 4.7, an officer must disqualify him/herself in any case, legislative or judicial, in which 'a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts [would] question his or her impartiality.'"
Gann said, "I spent 15 years in internal auditing, and I can tell you this conflict goes beyond mere appearance—it's a clear conflict in fact as well. Hiett obviously used poor judgement by not disqualifying himself in ONG’s recent rate case as he should have."
There are four fuel cases worth over $1 billion for public utilities currently pending at OCC. They involve ONG (PUD2024-000047), Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) (PUD2024-000040), Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation (PUD2024-000046) and Summit Utilities of Oklahoma (PUD2024-000042). Fuel adjustment cases, also known as purchased gas adjustment cases, are judicial. The lawmakers assert that when cases are judicial, commissioners must behave like judges and follow the Code of Judicial Conduct.
"The OCC is supposed to examine the utility’s fuel purchases and determine whether they were fair, just, reasonable and prudent before allowing those costs to be passed on to customers," West said. "We need commissioners who can use sound judgement and are free from bias. How can Commissioner Hiett make such judgements when his actions allegedly involving people in these cases prove otherwise?"
Similar to State Ethics Rule 4.7, Title 5 O.S Section Rule 2.11 of the Code of Judicial Conduct requires Hiett to disqualify himself in judicial cases in which "the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned." Instead, Hiett voted on July 31 to approve three procedural orders in ONG’s judicial fuel case. On Aug. 27, Hiett voted to approve seven more orders in the judicial fuel cases for PSO, AOG and Summit.
"Like ONG, PSO is also represented in its $554 million fuel case by the same law firm that hosted the reception," the representatives said. "Both State Ethics Rules and the Code of Judicial Conduct are laws, and failure to follow them is a violation of state law."
OCC has hired outside counsel to perform a "confidential fact-finding" investigation into the commissioner's misconduct, but instead of handling "behavior of a criminal nature," like violations of state law, this firm instead promises to refer the latter to the state attorney general's office.
"This seems like a way to slow play the investigation, allowing Hiett to continue voting on these matters in which he cannot remain objective. How convenient," the representatives said.
"Any party to an OCC case with direct knowledge of illegal conduct by Commissioner Hiett who has not yet officially reported it or filed a civil lawsuit against him has leverage over Hiett in their cases before him at the OCC," they said. "The threat always exists that if he doesn’t rule in their favor, the illegal conduct could be reported or a civil lawsuit could be filed. His impartiality is unquestionably tainted."
West added, "The victims of this disgrace and bias in these judicial cases are not the utilities, but the millions of Oklahomans who are being unfairly disadvantaged in the votes in which Hiett has a perverse and legally prohibited incentive to give the utilities what they want. If Commissioner Hiett continues with this reckless behavior, it may become necessary for legislators to file a writ of prohibition requiring the courts to determine whether intervention is necessary to protect the public interest."
Kevin West serves District 54 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Cleveland and Oklahoma counties. Tom Gann represents House District 8, which includes parts of Mayes, Rogers and Wagoner counties.
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Congressman Josh Brecheen Hosts 106 In-Person Town Halls During First Term in Office
Washington, D.C. – As the summer district work-period ends, Congressman Josh Brecheen has now hosted 106 in-person town halls during his first term in Congress.
Congressman Brecheen has held town halls in Adair, Antlers, Atoka, Bartlesville, Beggs, Broken Bow, Caddo, Checotah, Chelsea, Chouteau, Claremore, Coalgate, Commerce, Dewey, Durant, Eufaula, Fairland, Fort Gibson, Grove, Hartshorne, Haskell, Heavener, Henryetta, Holdenville, Hugo, Idabel, Inola, Jay, Kansas, Krebs, Locust Grove, Madill, McAlester, Miami, Morris, Muldrow, Muskogee, Nowata, Okemah, Okmulgee, Oologah, Panama, Pocola, Poteau, Pryor, Ramona, Roland, Salina, Sallisaw, Stigler, Stilwell, Tahlequah, Talihina, Tishomingo, Verdigris, Vian, Vinita, Wagoner, Warner, and Wilburton. Congressman Brecheen held an in-person town hall in every county in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District in both 2023 and so far in 2024.
“It is important that Members of Congress host live, in-person town halls so we can be held accountable to our constituents,” said Congressman Josh Brecheen. “It has been an honor traveling across the district and hearing personal stories from constituents, receiving feedback, and taking in new ideas for legislation.”
Constituents are encouraged to follow Congressman Brecheen’s official Facebook page and sign up for our newsletter to hear about future in-person town halls.
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Rep. Jim Grego
Capitol Greetings September 3, 2024
This past weekend was a whirlwind of activities with several festivals in the area. It unofficially marked the end of this summer. Last week was also a whirlwind with the runoff elections, several races where very surprising to say the least. Now we head into the fall general election hoping it won’t be full of surprises as well.
Roads are once again in the spotlight with the Department of Transportation winding down the Highway 63 bridge project near Pittsburg. This, I still believe, is the worst State Highway in the entire state. With so many needs, where do you begin? Eliminating a couple of one-lane bridges is a start, and hopefully they will continue this work on the worst highway in Oklahoma. The Highway 69 project in McAlester is continuing and hopefully will be completed in the near future. I've reached out to the Department of Transportation for an update on this project, and should have more information to share in the future.
All of southeast Oklahoma will feel the loss of one of our great philanthropist with the passing of Ruyana Fugitt last week. The Gary and Ruyana Fugitt Foundation contributed to numerous entities over the past several years. One of their passions was for our libraries with a donation of $2.5 million to the renovation of McAlester’s Public Library. Hopefully their work will continue for many years to come.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
-END-
Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.
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Humphrey Opposes Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today issued the following statements about the recommendations of the Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force, which was created by Gov. Kevin Stitt via an executive order signed April 30.
"I recently was notified about the work of Governor Stitt's Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force, which was charged with evaluating and making recommendations to allow immigrants to have visas, permits and documentation to pursue the American dream, contribute to our workforce, and for Oklahoma universities and industries to recruit and legally retain global talent without fear of unnecessary deportation or separation from family safely and legally.
"I lack the vocabulary skills to properly express my anger on this order. The American dream is swiftly being stripped from our children by our own U.S. and state governments. The Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force plan appears to do just that: steal Oklahomans’ American dream and give it to illegals. Your state government is greatly concerned about illegals attending college while our own children can no longer afford to obtain a college education. Governor, how about a task force to lower college tuition for Oklahomans? Does Oklahoma really need to recruit illegals to colleges and industries? Why is Oklahoma ignoring our own children and our own workforce? We have thousands of Oklahomans in prisons. Statistics show an inmate trained in an industrial skill is approximately 66% less likely to return to crime, but we offer little training for inmates. We very likely have the worst prisons in the nation, but let’s ignore our prisons and concentrate on bringing more illegals into our state. Couldn’t we establish a task force to teach students the importance of work and earning a living? How about offering Oklahomans incentives to attend college, technology training or to enter the workspace? Governor, don’t incentivize illegals to come to Oklahoma, attend our schools, take our jobs, and hijack Oklahomans’ dreams. Instead, let’s work to stop Oklahoma students and our labor force from leaving our great state to improve earnings.
"Republican’s platforms claim less government and promoting more local government. Yet, I have watched as Republican leadership has grown government more and more while vastly reducing local services. This task force is recommending creating an Office of New Oklahomans to promote interagency coordination and collaboration on issues impacting non-citizens. Once again, we see government growth in action. The task force recommended a new office but failed to report how they intend to fund this new agency to sponsor illegals. If we are going to create a new office, what if we create an office to identify illegal use of state resources? For instance, how much does it cost to educate illegals? How much does incarceration of illegals cost our state? How much do illegals cost our state in terms of medical or human services resources? What is the true cost of illegals on our state budget?
"The task force communicates with one-hundred dollar words, but let me enlighten with the five-cent meanings. The task force recommends empowering employers to help navigate visa types, legal requirements, costs, and credentialing processes, helping international talent to get connected with employment opportunities. That means the government is going to make it legal to give illegals your job. The task force recommends optimizing efficiency for an international talent navigation credentialing processes. That means legalizing policies to allow illegals to work in Oklahoma. The task force recommends issuing driving privilege cards to non-citizens. This means giving illegals a driver’s license.
"I believe Oklahomans want illegals deported, but our state government chooses to focus on how to improve the lives of illegals. Oklahoma has massive government problems. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has numerous allegations of state facilities allowing physical and sexual abuse of children, placing children in abusive homes, and illegally removing children from homes. The Department of Corrections is likely the worst correctional department in the nation with countless human rights' violations ranging from stabbings, overdoses, murder, covering up rape, locking inmates in cages, withholding food and water, and no bathroom privileges. District attorneys allegedly are using fraudulent illegal fees to fund their offices. Oklahoma is reported to be a red state, but we are one of the most over-regulated states. What is being done about dark money destroying our state’s elections? Many of our state agencies are entangled in alleged misconduct or illegal behavior. With all these issues directly affecting Oklahomans, why concentrate on how to improve the lives of illegals?
"I understand this is a difficult subject. There are many good, hard-working people illegally in Oklahoma. I personally know of families I would be proud to see become citizens. We might discuss having a family sponsor an illegal immigrant for the purpose of work or even citizenship. Helping people who have proven to be good neighbors and hard workers is a very different conversation than giving illegals a driver’s license, helping them attend college, giving them jobs, and promoting illegals to come to our state. The border crisis has created a national catastrophic disaster, and Oklahomans must do our part to combat the invasion of our nation. I encourage Oklahomans to obtain a copy of the task force report and see if it makes you as angry as it did me."
Justin Humphrey serves District 19 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw and Pushmataha counties.
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Lowe conducts interim study on incarceration alternatives for juvenile offenders
OKLAHOMA CITY – House Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, is holding an interim study on the Youth Justice System to explore the rehabilitative nature of the juvenile justice system and how alternatives to incarceration can be utilized and implemented.
“I am very excited to hear the stories of family members who have experience with the youth justice system, as well as those dedicating their lives to improving the outcomes of these children,” said Lowe. “I am a strong believer in rehabilitation over incarceration, and I think this study will reveal the benefits of rehabilitative programs for the youth offenders of Oklahoma.”
The study was requested by Oklahoma Policy and will take place Tuesday, August 27 at 1:30pm in Room 206 at the State Capitol. Representatives from Oklahoma Policy will speak at the study alongside family members of youth offenders, two youth justice service providers, and a representative from the District Attorney’s Council.
Written by
Rep. Jim Grego
Capitol Greetings August 27, 2024
“Windmill weary” is the newest catch phrase I have coined, describing a condition where one sits through many presentations about future plans for windmill farms in Southeast Oklahoma. This was the thought going through my mind as I sat through yet another presentation about a proposed farm. Bear in mind that even industry experts might agree that each proposed windmill farm has about a 20% chance of becoming a producing farm.
An interesting note I read was from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who was quoted in a Farm Journal magazine confirming that these projects are being funded in part through the federal government’s “Inflation Reduction Act.” The federal government is paying 50% of the cost of instillation plus a 40% tax credit, which basically pays for 90% of these projects. This explains why there is one cropping up on every corner.
I made a trip to Shidler, Oklahoma, recently for the grand opening of Project Bantam, which is the largest “direct air capture” of carbon dioxide gases in the United States. Bantam is injecting CO2 into the ground in voids left by oil and natural gas removal. This sounds locally familiar as a couple of years ago a Tulsa company made its way to Latimer County with the intent of leasing “void space” in the Arbuckle formation. Hopefully, this project can move forward as this is a brand new industry.
Hoping everyone has a happy and safe “Labor Day” weekend as it tends to signal the end of summer. I also hope you waited until Aug. 29 to buy your Labor Day weekend groceries, and you noticed the price of most consumables dropped by 4.5% as our elimination of the state grocery tax took effect. I am proud to have played a small role in this historic largest tax cut in Oklahoma’s history.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.
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Post-Election Audits Confirm Accuracy of June Elections
On Monday, State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax announced that post-election audits conducted following Oklahoma's June Primary Elections confirmed the accuracy of the state's voting system with a 100% match of the certified election results.
"Oklahomans can be proud that our state has a voting system that is accurate and secure. Post-election audits and manual recounts in Oklahoma have proven it over and over again," Ziriax said. Post-election audits were first authorized by the Legislature in 2019, and are now a routine part of the election process.
Following the June 18 Primary Elections, Ziriax directed 76 of 77 counties to conduct manual tabulation audits of ballots in randomly-selected races across the state. The audits were open to the public and included Election Day precincts, in-person absentee ballots and mail absentee ballots. (Ziriax exempted Carter County from the audit requirement because the county election board had just completed a countywide, candidate-requested recount of a sheriff's primary. The recount exactly matched the unofficial results in that race. Details are included in the audit report.)
The post-election audit report is now available on the State Election Board's website.
Ziriax noted that recent independent reviews of Oklahoma's election system have shown it to be safe and secure – including a Governor's Task Force study and an analysis by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency.
URL GUIDE:
Post-Election Audits: https://oklahoma.gov/elections/security-integrity/post-election-audits/2024-post-election-audits.html
Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Analysis: https://oklahoma.gov/elections/security-integrity/loft-rapid-response-evaluation.html
Governor’s Task Force Study: https://oklahoma.gov/elections/security-integrity/election-security-task-force.html
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Senate Pro Tem Treat Comments on Oklahoma Grocery Tax Cut Taking Effect Thursday
OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today announced the long-awaited reduction in Oklahoma's grocery tax will take effect Thursday.
The tax cut, which was approved during this year's legislative session, marks a significant step toward easing the financial burden on Oklahoma families. It also represents the largest tax cut in state history.
Starting this Thursday, August 29, the 4.5% state sales tax on groceries will be eliminated, allowing Oklahomans to keep more of their hard-earned money. The tax cut is part of a broader effort by the state legislature to address rising costs and promote economic relief across the state.
“The grocery tax cut will provide immediate relief to families struggling with the increased cost of living and inflation,” Pro Tem Treat said. “This legislation reflects our commitment to making life more affordable for all Oklahomans. The grocery tax is a regressive tax that impacts everyone every time they buy groceries. While this tax cut represents the largest tax cut in state history, it also supports the well-being of our citizens. I am proud to have supported this tax cut for many years and am proud to finally getting it across the finish line.”
According to reports from earlier this year, average Oklahomans spend nearly $300 per trip to the grocery store, putting the state in the top 10 in the nation for highest grocery bill per week.
Senate Bill 1283 passed with large bipartisan support in both the Senate and House. The reduction in the grocery tax is expected to save Oklahoma families hundreds of dollars annually.
To learn more about the grocery tax and how it is being implemented, click here.
Vote Tuesday for Josh Blaylock, LeFlore County Commissioner District 2
Paid for by Josh Blaylock for County Commissioner, District 2.
My name is Josh Blaylock. I am running for Leflore County Commissioner, District 2. I am currently the Interim County Commissioner. I have worked for the county since 2019. I have run equipment for the past 22 years.
I am a member of Covenant Church in Poteau. I am active in Covenant Outdoors, as well as help with Royal Rangers student groups.
I am a Monroe Fire Department board member, where I previously served as a volunteer firefighter and fire chief. I was a member of the Leflore County Firefighter Association, where I served as Vice President for several years.
I am a fourth-generation farmer in Leflore county and look forward to working with our area farmers.
As your county commissioner, I will work towards gaining funding for the county through grants and other opportunities as they arise. Along with maintaining county roads I also work alongside the other county commissioners in the county on maintaining and improving the hospital, the 911 center, the jail, and other projects.
I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of District 2.
I am asking for your vote on August 27th.
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LOCAL OFFICIALS PARTICIPATE IN REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN MILWAUKEE
Five local Republicans were chosen as part of the Oklahoma delegation to attend and participate in the Republican National convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earlier this summer.
Delegates included State Senator George Burns, former State Senator Mark Allen, and former County Assessor Gaylon Freeman.
Nikki Allen and Patty Burns served as Alternate Delegates.
In addition, Mark Allen was hand-picked by the Trump campaign to be one of only two delegates from Oklahoma to serve on the National Republican Platform Committee, which also met in Milwaukee one week prior to the convention starting.
The RNC convention began just two days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, who attended each night of the convention proceedings.
