The Miami News-Record

Oct
24

2017

Page
A001
Clip
resized PHOTOS BY KAYLEA M. HUTSON-MILLER / MNR
60% Democratic Gubernatorial candidates Connie
Johnson and Drew Edmondson listen as event
moderator Jason Nichols asks a question on Sat-
urday, Oct. 21, during a four-county Democratic
party event in Vinita. A third candidate, Scott
Inman, was unable to attend due to a family
emergency.

Learning about the issues

impacting the state
Democrats hear Oklahoma Gubernatorial
election gathered in Vinita
from governor on Saturday, Oct. 21, to
candidates answer questions posed by
Kaylea M. Hutson-Miller
their constituents.
news@miaminewsrecord.com In an hour-long forum
setting, Connie Johnson and
VINITA Two of the Drew Edmondson answered
three leading Democratic questions compiled by Jason
candidates for the 2018 Nichols, current mayor of
Tahlequah and himself a
Democratic candidate for
the U.S. House District 2
race.
A third candidate, Scott
Inman, was unable to attend
at the last minute due to
an undisclosed family
emergency.
The gathering, which
Rep. Ben Loring took place at the Craig
(D-Miami) provides a County Community Center
three-minute introduc- in Vinita, was organized by
tion for Scott Inman, chairmans of the Delaware,
who was unable to Ottawa, Craig and Mayes
attend Saturdays
event due to a family Democratic parties.
emergency. Loring said Ray Claggett, chair-
having Democrat in the man of the Craig County
governors ofce would
be game changing for SEE ISSUES, A11
the party.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Clip
Oct 2017 Page resized
24 A002 50%
The Miami News-Record
Edmondson visits Miami on campaign to Take Back Oklahoma
Dorothy Ballard
dballard@miaminewsrecord.com
MIAMI Drew Edmond-
son, a Democratic candidate
for the 2018 Oklahoma Gover-
nors race, says he wants to
take back Oklahoma.
Edmondson and members
of his campaign staff came
to Miami Friday to share
his gubernatorial platform
during a luncheon at the
Miami Regional Chamber of
Commerce and to meet with
community members along
with area leaders.
A private practice attor-
ney, Edmondson retired
from politics in 2011 after 16
successful years serving as
Oklahomas Attorney General.
While remaining an active
citizen, he said his ultimate
return to the political arena
was not planned, but became
JIM ELLIS / MNR
Former Oklahoma
Attorney General Drew
Edmondson paid a visit to
Miami Friday in conjunc-
tion with his gubernatorial
campaign visiting the
News-Record following
a luncheon at the Miami
Regional Chamber of
Commerce to discuss his
motivations for running,
visions for the state.
an evident necessity.
After 2010, I really thought
I was done with politics and
practicing law and taking
trips, said Edmondson. But
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
the way I put it is I can read,
and my wife can read. We
looked every morning in the
paper about whats happened
in education or health or some
other facet of government
that were interested in. Linda
would read me the story, and
I would say, Do you want me
to run? Do you want me to do
something about this? and she
would say no, and then read
another story the next day
and finally we agreed that it
needed to be done.
Edmondson said he initially
hoped that someone sharing
his vision for what needs and
can be done for Oklahoma
and with state-wide name
recognition and the ability
to raise money would come
along. Instead, he said he was
forced to recognize while
some had the political stature
and funding acumen in place
for successful campaigns, they
would not implement the
changes needed to help the
state progress. Others he sees
as having the right vision, but
lacking the required experi-
ence and influence.
There are a number of
people who are well known on
the other side of the ticket, and
they are not going to make
the fundamental changes that
need to be made in order to
move this state forward, said
Edmondson. You can listen
to their speeches, and theyre
talking about cutting more
instead of putting resources
back in place to invest in
Oklahoma.
The candidates on my
side of the ticket are both very
honorable people and very
articulate about their posi-
tions, but I differ from them
in that I have run state-wide,
said Edmondson. I have won
in November in a state-wide
race and twice with over 60
percent of the vote including
over 60 percent in places that
are perceived to be Republican
strongholds like Tulsa.
Making his decision, the
former Oklahoma Attorney
General announced his plans
to run for the Governors
seat in May opening with a
brief, yet poignant statement,
Oklahoma isnt broken, were
just broke.
In July, Edmondson then
announced his Take Back
Oklahoma plan, committing
to a governorship that he said
would be a genuine partner-
ship with the people. To that
end, he has been touring the
state this fall to hear directly
from Oklahomans and
incorporate their concerns and
ideas to build a plan for the
states future.
Edmondson says the
Oklahoma way of life is under
attack from outside, corporate
interests and fiscal misman-
agement. He asserts that
change can only begin with
experienced leadership with
the proven ability to success-
fully advocate for the interests
of Oklahomans. Qualities he
says he has demonstrated with
a track record that includes
being one of eight attorneys
general to negotiate a record-
breaking settlement agreement
with the countrys largest
tobacco companies in 1998.
Edmondson then went on
to lead the charge to estab-
lish the Oklahoma Tobacco
Settlement Endowment Trust
(TSET), which constitution-
ally protected those settlement
SEE VISITS, A3
 Clip
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VISITS
CONTINUED FROM A2
funds ensuring it can only
be spent on public health. To
date, the Tobacco Trust balance
stands at more than $1 billion.
In education, Edmondson
negotiated a settlement in 2001
with then Southwestern Bell
to establish the Oklahoma
Educational Technology Trust
(OETT) which has since put
more than $12 million in
technology and training into
Oklahoma public schools.
On rural education and
teacher retention Edmondson
says a series of pay raises are
needed to bring Oklahoma
to the regional average versus
minimal one-time raises.
Right now, the average of
teachers who are leaving the
state to go teach in another state
BALL
is $19,000, said Edmondson.
We gotta bring it up past
$5,000 so good teachers will
stay here in Oklahoma, and
maybe we could attract some
of our Teachers of the Year to
come back.
Along with significant raises
for teachers, Edmondson says
it is critical that the Average
Daily Allowance allocated to
schools per student must also
be increased so that critical
educational infrastructure,
such as facilities, technology,
textbooks, and transportation
can be properly supported.
If all you do is fund a
teacher pay raise, then all the
kids are still using outmoded
textbooks held together with
duck tape, said Edmondson.
We have to also bring up
the level of expenditures per
pupil to the schools to get our
W h d th f t
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
textbooks current and get our
facilities that schools need to
teach.
We need to be investing
in higher-ed, we need to be
investing in common-ed, and
those are the investments that
are going to bring business
and industry to Oklahoma or
incentivize business to expand
in Oklahoma. Quality schools,
quality talent that they can draw
on as employees, and were not
giving them that now.
In funding these endeavors,
Edmonson advocates returning
the gross production tax to a
rate of 7 percent and following
that up by giving voters the
option of putting their personal
income taxes back where they
were.
Im not talking about raising are no lobbyists working the
them over any historic level,
said Edmondson. We did a
h thi h i T
series of tax cuts and the voters
should have the opportunity to
decide whether we ought to be
rolling those back.
Auditing and removing
investment tax credits that have
outlived their usefulness and
remain burdens on the state
is another way Edmondson
believes Oklahoma can get back
on track.
There are laundry lists of
investment tax credits and
things that have been put on
the books to try and encourage
business development and job
growth that either didnt work
or worked and are no longer
necessary, said Edmondson.
They need to be removed.
There are lobbyists in place
trying to keep them, but there
and rural nursing homes in
capitol trying to get rid of them.
So its not a fair fight. Thats
t Ji R i kl St t
going to change. Were going
to get rid of them or else were
going to put them on the ballot
and let the people vote on
them.
Speaking to Oklahomas
ongoing budgetary crisis,
Edmondson said he has a plan
if the legislature fails again with
him in the office as Governor
to once again put the decision
before the people by proposing
a budget plan to that would go
to a vote.
In discussing rural health
concerns, Edmondson said if
the option to accept the Med-
icaid expansion is still on the
table if he becomes Governor
he would eagerly accept.
That is absolutely critical
to keeping rural hospitals alive
business, he said. I dont know
if that will still be an option,
but if it is, we will accept the
Medicaid expansion.
Edmondson concluded by
saying communities like Miami
should have every potential to
grow with support from the
state.
I think Miami, Ottawa
County has a great future. The
tribes are partners in economic
development and road build-
ing and water projects you
have tremendous assets here,
said Edmondson. There is no
reason why Miami shouldnt
be growing just like there is no
reason that the state shouldnt
be growing. The only difference
is the state has been the victim
of mismanagement.
To learn more about
Edmondson, his platform and
background visit his official
campaign site at https://drewfo-
roklahoma.com/.
 Clip
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The Miami News-Record
ISSUES
CONTINUED FROM A1
Democrats, said a record
number of people attended
the forum, despite severe
weather moving into the area.
Nichols said officials
decided not to stick to the
original 90-minute time set
for the discussion, in order to
allow participants to return
home before inclement
weather began.
At the beginning of the
session Rep. Chuck Hoskins
(D-Vinita) recognized
several people in the audi-
ence, including Jori Cowley, a
senior at Vinita High School,
and Melvina Shotpouch, a
long-standing member of the
Delaware County Democratic
Party.
Hoskins presented Shot-
pouch with a gift, a copy
of Artistics Tastes: Favorite
Recipes of Native American
Artists, saying Shotpouch and
her family were always willing
to help at various events.
Hoskins pointed out
Cowley, one of the younger
members present, is working
to start a Young Democrats
organization within Vinita
High School.
Cowley said she, and
others, are working to start
a political science club at the
school, with subgroups con-
nected to the various parties.
I want everyone to be
represented, Cowley said
She was excited to hear
Johnson speak on the issues.
I think women need to see
a strong voice in government,
Cowley said. Its inspiring
to see a woman, with a really
long [political] career.
Cowley said it was inspir-
ing to meet Johnson, saying
the candidate appeared
very humble and was very
approachable.
Cowley, 17, hopes to
pursue a political science
degree next year at University
of Oklahoma. She eventually
hopes to attend law school
and pursue a career in poli-
tics/public service.
Rep. Ben Loring
(D-Miami) stood in for
Inman during the opening
remarks.
Loring told the crowd
putting a Democrat into the
offices on the second floor
of the state house would be a
game changer for legislation
and provide Democrats with
the necessary veto power in
order to help bring the state
out of the current straits.
Hoskins agreed. He said
the Democratic party needs
to back the right candidate
who can challenge Lt. Gov.
Todd Lamb, the anticipated
Republican candidate.
In Oklahoma City, we call
Lamb Marys Little Lamb,
because hes followed Mary
every step along the way
until this year, Hoskins said,
reminding those in the room
Lamb has yet to promote a
viable alternative plan to Gov.
Mary Fallins ides.
He has over $2 million in
the bank that $2 million
will buy a lot of television
ads, Hoskins said, reminding
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
voters they need to consider
not only supporting candi-
dates with their votes, but also
financially.
About the issues
During the evening, the
two candidates spoke about
their views on a variety of
issues, primarily centered
around the states current
budget woes.
In the first question of the
evening, both candidates
were asked about their feel-
ings concerning a potential
sale of the Grand River Dam
Authority by state officials.
While Edmondson said
emphatically he is opposed
to the sale with no ifs, ands
or butts, Johnson used her
time to talk about the dangers
of selling state resources to
special interests.
After the forum, Johnson
clarified her answer saying
she is against selling off state
assets like GRDA to
special interests. She said
often the details of the sales
become buried in contractual
language, with the people of
the state ultimately becom-
ing the primary losers in the
dealings.
Oklahoma is literally
broke, Johnson said. We or at least revisited by voters.
are literally not only rob-
bing Peter to pay Paul, but
were robbing our state of its
resources. I believe Okla-
homans need to take back
the government and begin
holding elected officials
accountable.
Edmondson said resources
like GRDA belong to the state
and thus its citizens.
If we sell them [the
assets] we get rid of the goose
that lays the golden eggs,
Edmondson said. Its not in
the long term interest of the
state.
Edmondson said he had
similar feelings about the sale
of oil and gas saying those
who own the surface land are
entitled to payment, but the
ultimate assets, the oil and
gas, belong to the citizens.
Because of this, Edmond-
son said, one of his first acts
as governor would be to
raise the Gross Production
Tax Rate from 2 percent to 7
percent.
He added if the legislature
would not act, as governor, he
would move to see it on the
ballot to give you, the people
of Oklahoma, the opportunity
to vote on where it should be.
Both candidates discussed
their solutions to the budget
woes facing the state.
Edmondson said changes
needed to be made to the
number of votes it takes in the
house and senate to pass a tax
increase saying the issue,
decided by State Question 640
outlining the need for super
majority, needs to be repealed
moment, the two candi-
It was a bad idea when
it was adopted, and its even
worse today, Edmondson
said.
Like Edmondson, she too
would like to see the super
majority vote requirement be
changed.
Johnson continually
returned to the need to legal-
ize the production of hemp
based products, as well as the
need for medical marijuana,
saying both would provide
a new revenue stream for
the state. She called herself
the mother of the medical
marijuana movement.
Both candidates talked
about the need for changes
involving the states educa-
tion division, as well as the
department of mental health.
Johnson said she would
like to see adequate treatment
services provided for people
addicted to drugs, specifically
opioids a growing addic-
tion within the state.
Edmondson said he would
like to see the states smart
on crime plan put into place,
which would increase the
number of drug, alcohol
and mental health facilities
across the state and reduce
the number of non-violent
people being incarcerated.
Both candidates agreed
that the states budget has
most departments operating
at the lowest level possible.
We have whittled it down
to the nub, Johnson said.
Every state agency is at the
bare knuckles level.
In one contentious
dates exhibited opposite
opinions concerning school
consolidation.
Johnson said she is in favor
of consolidating schools, and
developing a regional educa-
tional system, in order to save
funding in administrative
salaries.
We would not only
save money, but enhance
educational opportunities for
our students, Johnson said.
Schools are important to
our communities but not as
important as decent books,
teachers having decent
salaries.
Edmondson said he
disagreed.
I oppose the forced con-
solidation of schools, he said.
It should be local citizen,
local school board decision.
He said officials in some
school districts have gone
the route of consolidation,
in order to best serve their
students.
However, he said, we
know in come communities,
if you kill the school, you kill
the town.
Edmondson said as
governor he would find
ways to support communi-
ties making the hard choice
to consolidate the school
systems.
But I will not be the one
who closes or forces closure
on any school in Oklahoma,
he added.
In the end, Johnson said
she would be the candidate
who works hard for each
and every citizen of the state.
I believe government is
by the people and for all the
people and not for special
interests, Johnson said.
Edmondson said, as the
only leading Democratic
candidate who has suc-
cessfully run for statewide
office, he believes he is the
best option for beating the
Republican candidate in
November 2018.
 The Miami News-Record
House Democratic leader
Oct
27 to resign, drop from
2017
Page
A002
governors race
Clip Sean Murphy
resized news@miaminewsrecord.com
71%
OKLAHOMA CITY
Oklahoma House Dem-
ocratic leader Scott Inman
announced Wednesday
he is dropping out of the
governors race and plans to
resign from his House seat
early next year, citing the
stress of the campaign on
his personal life.
The stresses and strains
of my career, the time away
from my family, and the
choice to wrongly pri-
oritize my lifes decisions
have brought me to this
moment, the Oklahoma
City attorney said in a state-
ment. I can no longer ask
my wife and children to
sacrifice for me. It is time
for me to reprioritize what
is important in this world.
Inman, 39, did not
immediately respond to
phone and text messages
seeking comment.
In his statement, Inman

9nn .ne
ne@ #e
n
@ person or one campaign.
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
said he plans to resign from
his House seat early next
year, before his term ends
in November 2018. Inman
was term-limited and
couldnt seek another term
in the Legislature.
His announcement came
just as House members
in a special session were
considering a key vote
on a plan to plug a $215
million hole in the budget
through a combination of
tax increases on cigarettes, NICK MAREK
motor fuel and alcohol. Scott Inman
Democrats, whose votes
of the governors race leaves
are needed to pass any tax
former Attorney General
increases, have been locked
Drew Edmondson and
up in opposition to the
former state Sen. Connie
plan, holding out for an
Johnson as the two front-
increase in the production
runners in the Democratic
tax on oil and natural gas.
primary.
Inman was first elected
This moment is cer-
to the House in 2006 and
tainly disappointing for
became Democratic leader
me and I am certain it will
in 2009. At the time he
come as a disappointment
was the youngest person to
to those who believed in my
lead a caucus in Oklahoma
campaign and our vision
history.
for Oklahomas future,
His decision to drop out
Inmans statement said. To
you, I would offer that my
time in the legislature has
taught me ideals and goals
are much bigger than one
 Clip
Nov 2017 Page resized
01 004 108%

McCurtain Daily Gazette

Campaign cash pouring in for

2018 Oklahoma governors race
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
Campaign donations are pouring in
for Oklahomas open governors
race next year with a political new-
comer raising the most money dur-
ing the past three months.
Republican Kevin Stitt reported
raising $811,000 in the three months
ending Sept. 30. The mortgage com-
pany founder from Tulsa also added
$800,000 of his own money to his
coffers.
Republican Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb
raised $620,000 last quarter and has
the most cash on hand of any candi-
date, at $2.4 million. Oklahoma City
Mayor Mick Cornett, also a
Republican, raised $592,000 last
quarter, while Tulsa attorney Gary
Richardson raised $25,000 and
loaned his campaign $825,000.
On the Democratic side, former
Attorney General Drew Edmondson
raised $243,000 last quarter, while
state Rep. Scott Inman, who abrupt-
ly dropped out of the race last week,
raised nearly $70,000.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Duncan Banner

Nov
03

2017

Page
A003
Clip
resized
59%

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Weatherford Daily News
Nov Governors candidates
04
2017
release donations for third quarter
Stacie Henderson-Harrington
Page Political Consultant
A of his own money into the
A
Clip s of the Sept. 30
resized deadline for third
56%
quarter reporting,
candidates seeking
election to statewide offices or
the legislature in 2018 took in
more than $10 million dollars,
reports due Tuesday show.
While Lt. Gov. Todd
Lamb holds a strong lead
in fundraising in the race
for governor, two other
republicans made loans to
their own campaigns in an
effort to level the playing
field.
Lamb took in another
$626,066.81 in donations
during the third quarter of
the year to bring his total to
$2,720,112.28, his report
with the Oklahoma Ethics
Commission shows.
Tulsa businessman Kevin
Stitt was
econd,
second,
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
raising $811,147.27 from Richardson said in a news
donors and putting $800,000 release. Thats why my
wife, Lanna, and I made the
race. This brings his overall decision to put $1 million of
total to $1,611,147.27. our own money into this race.
Our state faces some big I refuse to be beholden to the
challenges that cant be solved special interest groups that
by the same group of career have poured millions into the
politicians who got us into governors race. The people
the mess our state currently of Oklahoma are my only
struggles to correct, Stitt, special interest group.
the founder and CEO of Next in fundraising among
Gateway Mortgage Group the six GOP gubernatorial
said during his Monday visit
to Weatherford I never Please see Finances,
ask anyone to do Page 8A
anything Im not
willing to do myself.
I will be matching Students present goo
contributions to my
campaign dollar for
dollar.
Tulsa attorney
Gary Richardson
reported raising
$1,047,436.77
through Sept. 30,
almost all out of his
own poc
pocket. Records
show Richardson
ha
has used $1
m
million of his
own money
to finance his
campaign
with
$47,436.77
reported
a financial
as
Brett Bozarth, center, spoke about dif
a in-kind
and
con
contributions. important during the Middle Schools 9
Were Bozarth is left to right Peyton Foster,
in it to win it, Andy Hoffman and Luke Jett.
 Clip
Nov 2017 Page resized From
04 A 46% A
Weatherford Daily News
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 Guymon Daily Herald

Nov
06
Edmondson makes stops in the panhandle
2017

Page
on gubernatorial race tour
A001 By April Coble
Clip
gdhreporter@gmail.com
resized
52% Budget woes abound, Gov. Mary
Fallin is at the end of her last term
allowed as governor for the State of
Oklahoma, and gubernatorial candi-
dates continue to make the rounds to
discuss their platforms in their bids to
be the next leader of the state.
Former Oklahoma Attorney General
Drew Edmondson made his way to the
Oklahoma panhandle recently to hear
from residents on the struggles faced
in the northwestern portion of the state
when it comes to education, healthcare
and infrastructure.
Edmonson, a member of the EDMONDSON
Democratic Party, is running on the
platform of placing Oklahomans first and nursing home closures.
and his willingness to take on outside One of the major problems resulted
interests and partisan politics harming from our refusal to accept the Medicaid
Oklahomas way of life. expansion, which was a pretty political
In his announcement to run for decision that was made, Edmondson
the governors seat, Edmondson stat- said. It has impacted heavily on hos-
ed, Oklahoma isnt broken, were just pitals, particularly in rural Oklahoma.
broke. He said while large corpora- Also on nursing homes that are very
tions and the wealthy have prospered, dependent on Medicaid reimburse-
it is time for working families and ment.
small main street businesses to get Compounded with a decline in state
their fair share. revenues, reimbursement rates to hos-
Im mainly focusing on education pitals and nursing homes have been
and health, Edmondson said of his cut.
stops in the panhandle. County gov- If you live in Oklahoma City, Tulsa,
ernment has always been important to or even my hometown of Muskogee, if
me. When the state takes money out one nursing home closes, its probably
of the Department of Transportation, not a major problem. In a town that
it not only affects highways, it also only has one nursing home, its going
affects county road building. to work up a real difficulty on families
I think its time to get some leader- who have a loved one in that facility,
ship in Oklahoma City to start moving that have to find another place and
us in the right direction instead of the in all likelihood its going to be a good
wrong direction. distance from where they live. That
Problems Edmondson said the prob-
lems in healthcare in need of resolution
include refusal of Medicaid expansion EDMONDSON
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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Guymon Daily Herald

i- EDMONDSON
c CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
k close, or wants their town to go
e makes it harder to visit and care
for people, Edmondson stated.
- These economic decisions in
n Oklahoma City are impacting
h. heavily on Oklahomans in their
o the hospital, support for schools,
individual lives.
Edmondson also has a focus
- on the state of common education
n government. If we want to keep
in Oklahoma. While Guymons
h.
schools have not yet cut staff or
- headed toward four-day weeks,
0 Edmondson voiced his awareness
r of budget cuts that have led other
of districts in that direction.
Thats a hardship on the kids,
d shortchanging them, (and) also a
n. hardship on parents who are now
a- having to find daycare for one day
a week, Edmondson said, not-
t ing that many daycares now only
t lobbyists and do whats right, Im
charge weekly or monthly, making
y care costs too high or unattainable
for many families.
p Youre paying a large price for
h.
i- that school to only be open four
days a week, Edmondson said.
Edmondson said the purpose of
his tour as a candidate for gover-
nor is to listen to the concerns of
Oklahomans.
What theyre worried about,
? what they think the government
in Oklahoma City ought to be
doing, where they think its doing
e a good job and where they think
i-
d, its failing, Edmondson contin-
ued. I dont think anyone Ive
talked to wants their school to
close or wants their hospital to
away. Theres a quality of life in
the panhandle thats worth pre-
serving. The things that go into
that quality of life like support for
some of that has to come out of
Oklahoma City and out of state
Guymon healthy, then the econo-
my has got to be good and support
for those institutions has to be
strong.
In July, Edmondson released
his Take Back Oklahoma plan,
calling out legislators to get
Oklahoma back on solid financial
footing, stating, If they arent
willing to stand up to their cor-
porate donors and their corporate
prepared as governor to put a
plan before the people and let
them vote to secure these critical
services and put Oklahoma back
on track.
Edmondson promised to make
his governorship a partnership
with the people ahead of his fall
tour.
As attorney general,
Edmondson led the charge to pass
a constitutional amendment that
created the Tobacco Settlement
Endowment Trust, placing the
money received from the 1998
Master Settlement Agreement
with Big Tobacco into a trust fund
to be spent specifically on public
health. Only the trusts earnings
are spent, with a balance of over
$1 billion, while other states have
drained their funds.
We have too many people in
office who are concerned about the
next election when they should be
thinking about the next genera-
tion, Edmondson said. I hope the
legislature grows a backbone over
the summer and comes back to
the capitol with a realistic plan to
fund the priorities that will best
serve our seniors, kids, grandkids
and our Oklahoma. If they dont
do that, when Im governor Ill
take it to the people and well get
the job done through the initiative
petition process.
Edmondson parted with
thoughts about the Oklahoma
panhandle.
Every time I visit out in the
panhandle, I get the feeling that
Im going to carry this area very
strongly because everybody is so
friendly, Edmondson said. Im
running into a lot of people who
are registered in the other party
who think we need a new direc-
tion. It may be different this year.
Thats why Im here.
Edmondson continues his tour
through the state to meet with
Oklahomans face to face. For more
information on Drew Edmondson
and his campaign, visit online at
drewforoklahoma.com.

r
- Family

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 Clip
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Muskogee Phoenix
Edmondson advocates consensus
*XEHUQDWRULDO said.
The 2018 Democratic
FDQGLGDWHFKLGHV gubernatorial candidate
ODFNRIELSDUWLVDQ was in Muskogee Monday
resolutions campaigning for the Dem-
ocratic nomination.
By Mike Elswick Edmondson, former
Phoenix Staff Writer
Oklahoma Attorney Gen-
eral, used the visit to dis-
While reaching across cuss legislative failures,
party lines to reach a con- tax issues, the role of
sensus in solving Okla- special interests and his
homas budget crises has vision for more of a focus
been absent in recent on doing what is right for
years of legislative ses- Oklahomans rather than
sions, Drew Edmondson getting re-elected.
feels there is hope that Even the Republicans
a bipartisan effort to re- who get elected in 2018
solve state issues can be will recognize that the
returned to the Oklahoma way weve been doing
Capitol. things hasnt worked,
He feels they will be
more agreeable to reason-
able suggestions and res-
olutions.
I expect the Legisla-
ture will be Republican
controlled after 2018;
however, I fully expect
the margins to change,
he said.
If that happens it would
be possible for the gover-
r
nor to have veto power
leverage, Edmondson said.
When the tax break
for horizontal oil and gas
drilling and fracking was
rst adopted it was to en-
courage an experimental
6WDIISKRWRE\0LNH(OVZLFN
and relatively new de-
'HPRFUDWLF JXEHUQDWRULDO FDQGLGDWH 'UHZ (GPRQG-
Lets x this mess, he Edmondson said. 6HH CANDIDATE$ son is seen during a Muskogee interview Monday.

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 Clip
Nov 2017 Page resized From
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Muskogee Phoenix
Candidate
Continued from Page 1A
velopment in extracting
oil and gas, he said. That
incentive is no longer nec-
essary as those types of
drilling have become the
norm, Edmondson said.
I do believe the gross
production tax should be
back at 7 percent on all
wells with no 36 months of
free production and then
we start taxing them from
the git-go, Edmondson
said. Theres no reason to mans.
maintain those articially
low tax rates. Weve liter-
ally lost out on billions of
dollars.
Edmondson said cam-
paign stops across the
state this fall are in part
being used to collect input
from voters.
Our legislative leaders
still have a chance to set
Oklahoma back on solid
nancial footing to fund
education, health care, in-
frastructure and services
for our seniors, he said. If
elected, Edmondson said
he would vow to stand up
to corporate donors and
lobbyists to do what is
right is right for Oklaho-
Im prepared as gover- would have no qualms
nor to put a plan before
the people and let them
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
vote to secure these criti- they cannot reach a com-
cal services and put Okla-
homa back on track, he
promise.
We would get things on
said. the ballot, even if it takes
Edmondson said he an initiative petition
would be more than will- and even if they would
ing should lawmakers not not like the way it reads
reach agreement on key when we do that, he said.
issues to put those issues So, if you want to reach
before voters. an agreement, lets work
Im a great believer together on it. Otherwise,
that personal contact al- Ill submit it to the people
ters opinion and by visit- and let them decide.
ing with legislators I can Edmondson said he
have an impact, but more backs passage of a ciga-
importantly, them visiting rette tax.
with each other can have Whether we have a
an impact, he said. budget problem or not,
Edmondson said he that is the number one
thing that drives down Vietnam Campaign Medal
about doing an end run youth smoking is the
around the Legislature if price, and we are way be-
low the national average side after an honorable
on cigarette tax, he said.
Edmondson was born
discharge, he worked as
a Muskogee High School
in Washington, D.C., to teacher.
former U.S. Congressman He was elected to the
Ed Edmondson and June State Legislature in 1974
Edmondson. He graduat- and graduated from Uni-
ed from Muskogee Central versity of Tulsa Law
High School and attended School in 1978 and four
what was then Northeast- years later became chief
ern State College in Tahle- prosecutor for the Musk-
quah on a scholarship. ogee County District At-
Edmondson served in torneys Ofce. He served
the Navy and is a Viet- there for 10 more years.
nam War veteran, where He was elected Oklaho-
he was awarded the Joint ma Attorney General in
Service Commendation 1998 and served in that
Medal, National Defense role until 2011.
Service Medal and the Reach Mike Elswick at
(918) 684-2954; @mels-
and Vietnam Service Med- wickMPhx or melswick@
al. After returning state- muskogeephoenix.com.
 The Anadarko Daily News
THEAnadarko Daily News
V

h
Nov P
W
08
w
w
2017 c

Page V
m
001
C
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resized s
31% f
m
T
v
C

DREW EDMONDSON (left) visited Anadarko Tuesday as he begins ti

his campaign for governor of Oklahoma. The former Oklahoma at- b
torney generals campaign title is Take Back Oklahoma. Edmond- C
son is familliar with Anadarko and has been here many times, but C
was welcomed to the city and escorted about by Anadarko Mayor B
Kyle Eastwood (right). Edmondson also visited The Anadarko Daily J
News office and discussed state, county and area issues with Daily C
News publisher Joe W. McBride Jr. th
w
Edmondson visits Anadarko n
on Take Back Oklahoma tour c
T
Governor candidate Drew Ed- backbone and comes back to the A
mondson visited Anadarko Tuesday capitol with a realistic plan to fund 1
as he initiated his campaign to the priorities that will be serve our
Take Back Oklahoma. The for- seniors, kids, grandkids and our d
mer Oklahoma attorney general Oklahoma. If they dont do that,
came to the city to discuss issues af- when Im governor Ill take it to the E
fecting the future. Edmondson says
corporations loom too large at the
people and well get the job done
through the initiative petition
l
state capital. process. w
When the legislative session Oklahoma isnt broken, were
kicks off in February, Oklahoma just broke. We dont need more spe-
will like face a revenue shortfall for cial tax breaks for the powerful. We h
the fourth straight year. If the legis- need to make sure working families in
lature fails again, Edmondson has a have money in their pockets that b
plan to address the states funding they can spend right here in Okla-
crisis. homa. b
Our legislative leaders still have This is how you create jobs and m
a chance to set Oklahoma back on grow the economy. W
solid financial footing to fund edu- Continuing down this path of s
cation, health care, infrastructure failed ideas and tired rhetoric will b
and services for seniors, Edmond- not solve our problems. Our people m
son said. If they arent willing to are our strength, but our leaders n
stand up to their corporate donors have failed us. h
and their corporate lobbyists and do We dont need another four
whats right, Im prepared as gov- years with leaders who are so w
ernor to put a plan before the people caught up in the demands of corpo- w
and let them vote to secure these rate lobbyists that they cant see the te
critical services and put Oklahoma real issues facing real Oklahomans.
back on track. We cant survive another four years w
Edmondson said his governor- of willful bankruptcy. b
ship will be a partnership with the Edmondson graduated from in
people. Muskogee Central High School; c
Iam touring the state this fall joined the United States Navy and h
and giving Oklahomans across our served in Vietnam. After returning
land an opportunity to help build home, he taught speech and debate d
the plan for Oklahomas future, he at Muskogee Central High. in
said. Our leaders have failed to He is a graduate of Northeastern
stand up to corporate special inter- State College and the University of U
est lobbyists. Our friends and Tulsa School of Law. Edmondson
is a former district attorney and

neighbors and especially our chil-
dren are paying the price. served four terms as Oklahomas at-
C
If the shadows from the tall torney general.
d
buildings downtown loom too large Idont care about your political
M
over our legislature, as governor, party or how you voted for presi-
W
Ill bring the process into the light dent, Edmondson said. I care
ti
of day and let Oklahomans vote on about Oklahomans and Oklahoma.
m
a budget plan that supports the peo- We didnt creat this mess, but we
W
ples priorities. can and we will fix it together.
If such a petition becomes neces-
sary, it would mark the second time
Democrats win y
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Seiz- w
Edmondson has brought a funding ing his party's first major Trump-era th
issues to the vote of the people. As victory, Democrat Ralph Northam w
attorney general, Edmondson led beat back a charge from Republican a
the effort to pass a constitutional Ed Gillespie in the race for Virginia w
amendments that created the To- governor, a bruising election that U
bacco Settlement Endowment tested the power of President Don-
Trust, which directed for the money ald Trump's fiery nationalism w
received from the 1998 Master Set- against the energy of the Trump re- p
tlement Agreement with big to- sistance. T
bacco be spent specifically on In Virginia, like in several con- tr
public health. The people also ap- tests across America on Tuesday, a
proved Edmondsons plan to direct the Trump resistance won. And it w
the Trusts administrator to spend wasn't close. th
only the Trusts earning, insuring Northam, a pediatric neurologist c
that the fund would continue to and Army veteran, led longtime Re-
grow even as other states drained publican operative Gillespie by sev- f
their settlement accounts. Today, eral points as the final votes ticked w
Weather the Tobacco Trust has a balance of
more than $1 billion.
in. The Democratic mayors of New
York and Boston, both vocal Trump
a
We have too many people in of- critics, also won re-election easily. b
fice who are concerned about the And Virginia voters elected the T
next election when they should be state's first openly-transgender state a
thinking about the next generation, representative, among more than a s
Edmondson said. dozen state legislative pickups for th
I hope the legislature grows a Democrats. s

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
orig.pdf 1 14-Nov-17 21:48:57
 Enid News & Eagle

Gubernatorial candidate Edmondson

Nov
08
seeks new emphasis on bipartisanship
By Mike Elswick
2017 CNHI News Service

Page MUSKOGEE While reaching

across party lines to reach a consensus
A002 in solving Oklahomas budget crises
Clip has been absent in recent years of leg-
resized islative sessions, Drew Edmondson
52% feels there is hope that a bi-partisan
effort to resolve state issues can be
returned to the Oklahoma Capitol.
Lets fix this mess, he said.
The 2018 Democratic gubernatorial
candidate was in Muskogee Monday
campaigning for the Democratic nom-
ination.
Edmondson, former Oklahoma
attorney general, used the visit to dis-
cuss legislative failures, tax issues, the
role of special interests and his vision
for more of a focus on doing what is
right for Oklahomans rather than get-
ting re-elected.
Even the Republicans who get
elected in 2018 will recognize that the
way weve been doing things hasnt
worked, Edmondson said.
He feels they will be more agree-
able to reasonable suggestions and
resolutions.
I expect the Legislature will be
Republican controlled after 2018;
however, I fully expect the margins to
change, he said.
If that happens, it would be possible
for the governor to have veto power
leverage, Edmondson said.
When the tax break for horizontal
oil and gas drilling and fracking was
first adopted it was to encourage an
experimental and relatively new devel-
opment in extracting oil and gas, he
said. That incentive is no longer nec-
essary as those types of drilling have
become the norm, Edmondson said.
I do believe the gross production
tax should be back at 7 percent on all
wells with no 36 months of free pro-
duction and then we start taxing them
from the get-go, Edmondson said.
Theres no reason to maintain those
artificially low tax rates. Weve literal-
ly lost out on billions of dollars.
Edmondson said campaign stops
across the state this fall are in part
being used to collect input from voters.
Our legislative leaders still have a
chance to set Oklahoma back on solid
financial footing to fund education,
health care, infrastructure and services
for our seniors, he said. If elected,
Edmondson said he would vow to
stand up to corporate donors and lob-
Drew Edmondson. (Mike Elswick / CNHI)
byists to do what is right is right for
Oklahomans.
Im prepared as governor to put
a plan before the people and let them
vote to secure these critical services
and put Oklahoma back on track, he
said.
Edmondson said he would be more
than willing should lawmakers not
reach agreement on key issues to put
those issues before voters.
Im a great believer that personal
contact alters opinion, and by visiting
with legislators, I can have an impact,
but more importantly, them visiting
with each other can have an impact,
he said.
Edmondson said he would have no
qualms about doing an end run around
the Legislature if they cannot reach a
compromise.
We would get things on the ballot,
even if it takes an initiative petition and
even if they would not like the way it
reads when we do that, he said. So,
if you want to reach an agreement,
lets work together on it. Otherwise,
Ill submit it to the people and let them
decide.
Edmondson said he backs passage
of a cigarette tax.
Whether we have a budget prob-
lem or not, that is the number one
thing that drives down youth smoking
is the price, and we are way below the
national average on cigarette tax, he
said.
Edmondson was born in
Our legislative leaders still have
a chance to set Oklahoma back
on solid financial footing to
fund education, health care,
infrastructure and services for
our seniors.
~ Drew Edmondson
Washington, D.C., to former U.S.
Congressman Ed Edmondson and
June Edmondson. He graduated from
Muskogee Central High School and
attended what was then Northeastern
State College in Tahlequah on a schol-
arship.
Edmondson served in the Navy
and is a Vietnam War veteran, where
he was awarded the Joint Service
Commendation Medal, National
Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam
Campaign Medal and Vietnam Service
Medal. After returning stateside after
an honorable discharge, he worked as a
Muskogee High School teacher.
He was elected to the state
Legislature in 1974 and graduated
from University of Tulsa Law School
in 1978 and four years later became
chief prosecutor for the Muskogee
County District Attorneys Office. He
served there for 10 more years.
He was elected Oklahoma Attorney
General in 1998 and served in that role
until 2011.
Elswick writes for the Muskogee Phoenix.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Clip
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Cherokee Messenger & Republican

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Norman Transcript

POLITICS
Nov
09

2017

Page
Gubernatorial
A001
Clip
resized
80%
candidates gather
for Moore forum ardson (R, lawyer who
ran for governor in 2002),
Adam Troxtell Gary Jones (R, current
Transcript Staff Writer state auditor who will
@TranscriptAdam
be terming out in 2018),
Dan Fisher (R, pastor of
Oklahoma voters will Liberty Church in Yukon
choose the states next and former state represen-
governor next year, but the tative), Connie Johnson
process for narrowing that (D, former state senator
choice down is already and supporter of mari-
underway. juana legalization), Joseph
Out of the 12 people Exotic Maldonado (L,
who have put their names openly gay, zookeeper who
forward, seven were on was a write-in presidential
stage Tuesday night at candidate last year), Rex
Randall University in Lawhorn (L, small busi-
Moore for a candidate fo- ness owner from Broken
rum. They took questions Arrow) and Chris Powell
from the audience that (L, evidence specialist
covered the states budget at Oklahoma City Police
problems, public educa- Department and former
tion, the criminal justice Libertarian party chair-
system and, in an unex- man).
pected twist, cockghting. Candidates not present
Candidates in atten-
dance were: Gary Rich- See FORUM Page A2

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Norman Transcript
A2 THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT
Forum:
From Page A1
were Republicans Mick
Cornett, Lt. Gov. Todd
Lamb and Kevin Stitt,
Democrat Drew Edmond-
son and Independent can-
didate Norman Jay Brown.
Each candidate was given
equal time to answer each
question:
Nov 1) Are taxes too high,
too low or just right? And
what is your take on tax
09 credits?
Maldonado: Taxes
are way too high. I dont
believe in property taxes
at all. We can x our tax
2017 problem if we just legalize
marijuana and tax the sale
of it.
Lawhorn: Taxes in
Oklahoma are too high.
Page People arent going back
to see what is spent, why it
is spent and how it needs
A002 to be spent. We need to
go back, line-by-line, and
eliminate the waste. Youll
Clip be getting the money back
in your wallet.
resized Richardson: Raising
taxes is not the answer. Do
25% we have a revenue problem
in this state? Yes we do. As
governor, I will audit every
From department. Are our taxes
too high or too low? Well
nd out.
A001 One specic point
Richardson made in this
question is that he wants to
eliminate the appropriation
the Oklahoma Department
of Transportation provides
to the Oklahoma Turnpike
Authority. He wants to
eliminate toll roads in the
state. He also said tax cred-
its are used too much.
Fisher: I believe the
taxes are too high. But the
people who agree with that
keep falling for the same
old stories every election.
We keep buying the same
failed promises. We expect
too much from govern-
ment.
[Tax credits] is govern-
ment handing out our tax
dollars to corporations and
businesses. I believe in a
free market.
Powell: We have so
many dierent incentives
that we have a whole group
that oversees that and sees
what we can get away with.
And its a one-year cycle to
review this crony capital-
ism. We can start there.
Jones: Some taxes are
too high, some are too low.
Jones, the current state
auditor, then went into how
he would favor bringing the
gross production tax paid
by oil and gas companies
up to 5 percent, something
many Republican legisla-
tors oppose. He pointed
out that both the GPT and
the state income tax used
to be 7 percent.
In terms of tax credits,
Jones wants to improve
audits and make them
more frequent. He received
blowback from state sena-
tors on his plan when it was
introduced in a failed bill.
My comment was what
are you afraid of? Too
much transparency, or too
much accountability? he
said.
Johnson: It depends
on who you are and and
it depends on when you
ask them. When we say
were going to increase the
cigarette tax and pass that
burden on to the poor, and
from the other end were
going to cut these services
... how it is that our govern-
ment allows the 1 percent
to pay fewer and says to the
98 percent were going to
increase your taxes?
Johnson then stated
Oklahoma is operating on
a budget that is 15 percent
smaller than it was in 2007
but with a population that
is larger.
2) What is your plan
for education in this
state, and does it involve
consolidating school
districts?
Lawhorn: Education
determines everything that
goes on in your state. My
plan does include consoli-
dation, but of administra-
tion not of the districts.
We can save $70 million
by nding and xing the
excesses.
Richardson: There
should be no consolida-
tion of schools. I believe
in local control, and local
school boards should run
local schools. I understand
the importance of educa-
tion. We have to nd a way
to pay our teachers so that
they stop leaving for places
like Arkansas and Louisi-
ana.
Fisher: We spend so
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017
Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson speaks to the crowd Tuesday night
during a candidate forum at Randall University in Moore. Seven of the 12 candidates were
in attendance to take questions from the audience that covered Oklahomas budget and
education.
much on overhead and
on bureaucracy. But I also
believe we have lost sight of
the key reason for educa-
tion.
Fisher echoed Lawhorns
sentiment that there is too
much waste at the admin-
istration levels of schools.
On his second comment,
though, he talked about
an unnamed district that
spent money on a football
stadium when its current
one was, in his opinion, in
ne shape.
Powell: The candidate got
onto the subject of large
school districts, particular-
ly those in Oklahoma City,
suggesting they are unable
to spend wisely because
they are disconnected from
the people who matter in
education: students and
their parents.
Theres no way they can
be responsive to parents,
he said. Finding and using
the people who know your
child the best, thats how
were going to get results.
Jones: There are 49
other states trying to solve
the education problem.
Jones also called for au-
dits and nding ways to cut
excess at the administra-
tive levels. But he also said
Oklahoma needs to alter
the way it manages educa-
tion and push students
toward vocational schools,
internships and training
programs if they do not
want to got to college.
We need to quit encour-
aging so many of these kids
to go to college who dont
want to go, Jones said.
What we nd is the kids
that do [study a vacation
or become an apprentice]
dont go to college and end
up making more money
than the kids that do go
and get saddled with stu-
dent loan debt.
Johnson: My plan, rst
and foremost, is to fund it.
We have to talk about new
revenue streams, and that
includes things that some
dont like to talk about.
Colorado has so much
money for education, they
dont know what to do with
it.
Johnson was suggesting
the legalization of marijua-
na and collecting sales tax
on it to better fund schools
in Oklahoma. She is known
for campaigning for its
legalization and opening it
up to medical usage in the
state.
Johnson also said she
would like to see certain
programs expanded across
school districts to help
save money. She believes
consolidation is something
that should be left to the
districts to decide.
Maldonado: We just
issued 500 emergency
certications to people who
dont know how to teach.
But another big problem is
that theres no discipline in
the schools, and thats from
you, the public, threatening
to sue the school every
time someone tries to make
your kid act right.
Maldonado then shifted
to the Supplemental Nutri-
tion Assistance Program
(SNAP), saying the states
system is broken. He
then seemed to provide an
example.
Our SNAP program is
so broken, they gave me
$249 and my limousine is
parked out front.
3) What is the proper
role of government when
it comes to dealing with
mental health?
Richardson: We truly
have to understand the
problems that they have
and not just excuse it o
as something it isnt. I do
believe the government has
a role to play. And I believe
U
r
By
Asso
W
Am
vis
com
com
str
day
tra
to
com
N
cit
Cu
Adam Troxtell / The Transcript com
bu
len
of
Cu
as governor you have to
have a heart to truly make a
per facility for this state.
Fisher: We have a cul-
or
mo
aga
dierence in these peoples ture in crisis. We need to as
lives.
Fisher: Until we x those
look at all of these agen-
cies. You bring in people
org
by
who lead it and the system
itself, how are we going to
who know. But it just could
also be that these private
tha
the
help the people who need
it?
companies are doing a far
better job. Its my opinion
Th
ar
Fisher said the way to that government messes U.S
improve the system is to
ensure the people running
things up.
Powell: We have a lot of
tha
state programs that deal Pre
people in our prison system
with mental health are who we werent afraid of,
and
Ca
staed by those with the but we will, because the
appropriate knowledge. prison system is the higher rel
Powell: I work for the education of the criminal com
Oklahoma City Police world. The more we can Tru
Department, and I spent keep people out, the more tak
time as a 911 dispather. they can become produc- do
I talked to people with tive citizens and we can up
mental health issues. Police keep the people in prison
ocers, though they are who we should be afraid of.
well-trained, are not mental
health professionals. We
have to go through the
Jones: While the legisla-
tors want to talk about be- B
ing tough on crime, a better Fro
agency and examine how method would be being
they are dealing with this smart on crime. Weve got ho
problem and treat these to stop the revolving door. ate
people as individuals. If we dont stop the cycle, un
Jones: We also need to the cost will continue to tax
make sure these profession- go up. B
als dont have a nancial Jones said the answer is sio
interest in what they are to invest money to make by
providing. the prison system focus on the
Johnson: Oklahoma is a rehabilitation. hav
traumatized state. The trau- Johnson: We improve tha
ma thats going on means the criminal justice system rev
we need a department that by removing the situation
is up to speed by 2020, that got us here: the war on a$
when mental health will drugs. em
outweigh physical health as Johnson then went on to inc
the leading problem facing decry the amount of wom- S
our society. en locked up in Oklahoma, R-A
Lawhorn: The Libertar- saying it then leads to pu
ian candidate said the children without mothers aro
current path for the men- who go to schools where ou
tally ill in Oklahoma is that counselors arent available. the
they are just pushed and It perpetuates a cycle, she bu
pulled through a system said, that is in part fueled
that doesnt work for them by private prisons. bu
and leaves them with few Lawhorn: 52 percent M
options in the end. He of the people in prison the
suggested trying to catch today are there because wo
problems early, as children, of smoking a plant. These tru
and dealing with those at guys are going to jail for Th
the education level. treating something (medi- tro
How about we try cal marijuana). Weve made me
catching these issues when it a crime to seek help for for
they are young? Lets give substance abuse. tem
families education savings Maldonado: He said a to
accounts so that they can good ol boy system in bu
get them the kind of educa- rural areas, where, for We
tion they need, one that example, ocers stop bip
works for them. someone so they can help Ho
Maldonado: The forum the tow-truck driver get wh
took an unexpected turn paid and know judges who me
with Maldonados answer. will perpetuate the system sho
He started by addressing to keep money owing to
Richardson, who sat in the through the county, is part app
corner stage right. of the problem. 20
Gary [Richardson] just Thats how they pay
stood up and said you need their bills, and it has hap- wo
a politician and a governor pened for years. I know, vot
who has a heart and un- because I did it. Weve got Da
derstands. Well, Gary, have to start with our judges in ash
you ever thought about our justice system. wo
suicide? Maldonado said. Maldonado said he was a $57
Richardson seemed police chief at the age of 19, the
perplexed, at which point the youngest in the state by S
Maldonado repeated his his count. R-E
question and Richardson Richardson: I am op- the
said no, he had not. Maldo- posed to private prisons. the
nado said he had, and then As governor, I would of
asked Richardson if he had institute a one-week train- and
ever done meth, to which, ing program for every new eve
again, Richardson replied, prosecutor based on the
No, I havent. fact that its about justice, joi
Maldonado then turned not throwing people in jail. ven
to the other side of the All of the candidates ind
stage and addressed Jones. agreed on a few questions,
Have you ever smoked including that civil asset
weed? Maldonado said. forfeiture is wrong without
Jones shook his head yes,
and later claried that
a conviction and the state
government should not
S
it was only once and I be involved in a persons Fro
deeply regret it. religion or choice to have
How can you un- no religion. by
derstand something As to one random ques- pea
that youve never been tion about the reinstate- sta
through? Maldonado said, ment of cockghting in vile
rhetorically. Oklahoma that did ou
not come via an audience sai
4) How would you question card all of the A
x Oklahomas prison candidates were against Co
system? it either in principle or a
Maldonado: He began by because Oklahoma voters inc
saying there are people in made it illegal in a state- ma
prison who dont deserve to wide election. tim
be there, particularly those Maldonado was the only Th
who are addicted to drugs. outlier, saying he would rep
His plan includes building make cockghting legal Cit
facilities that can be used again because he recalls tha
for those inmates. that when it was made her
Take them out of the illegal, many birds were pri
prisons and put them in a simply dumped somewhere C
free drug program and get because they became use- cha
them in a free job program. less, and that was in his wit
We can make $188 million opinion excessive waste. Th
 Moore American

FREE

Gubernatorial
candidates gather
Nov
10 in Moore for forum
2017 By Adam Troxtell Libertarian party chari-
American Editor man).
Candidates not present
Page In a year, Oklahomans were Republicans Mick
will be asked to choose Cornett, Lt. Gov. Todd
A001 the state governments Lamb and Kevin Stitt,
next leader. The process Democrat Drew Edmond-
Clip for narrowing the choice son and independent
resized down is underway. candidate Norman Jay
40% Out of the 12 people Brown.
who have put their names Each candidate was giv-
forward to become the en equal time to answer
next governor, seven were each question presented.
on stage Tuesday night 1) Are taxes too high,
at Randall University in too low or just right?
Moore for a candidate And what is your take on
forum. They took ques- tax credits?
tions from the audience Maldonado: Taxes
that covered the states are way too high. I dont
budget problems, public believe in property taxes
education, the criminal at all. We can x our tax
justice system, and, in an problem if we just legalize
unexpected twist, cock- marijuana and tax the sale
ghting. of it.
Candidates in atten- Lawhorn: Taxes in
dance were: Gary Rich- Oklahoma are too high.
ardson (R, lawyer who People arent going back
ran for governor in 2002), to see what is spent, why
Gary Jones (R, current it is spent and how it
state auditor who will needs to be spent. We
be terming out in 2018), need to go back, line-by-
Dan Fisher (R, pastor line, and eliminate the
of Liberty Church in waste. Youll be getting
the money back in your
Yukon and former state
wallet.
representative), Connie
Richardson: Raising
Johnson (D, former state
taxes is not the answer.
senator and supporter
Do we have a revenue
of marijuana legaliza-
problem in this state? Yes
tion), and Joseph Exotic
we do. As governor, I will
Maldonado (Lib., openly audit every department.
gay, zookeeper who was Are our taxes too high or
a write-in presidential too low? Well nd out.
candidate last year), Rex One specic point
Lawhorn (Lib., small busi- Richardson made in this
ness owner from Broken question is that he wants
Arrow), and Chris Powell to eliminate the appro-
(Lib., evidence specialist priation the Oklahoma
at Oklahoma City Police
Department and former See FORUM Page A3

Adam Troxtell / The American

Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson
speaks to the crowd Tuesday night during a candidate
forum at Randall University in Moore. Seven of the 12
candidates were in attendance to take questions from the
audience that covered Oklahomas budget and education.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Moore American
Nov
10 ght be a othe o e, but o e
2017 Forum:
From Page A1
Page Department of Trans-
portation provides tot he
A003 Oklahoma Turnpike Au-
thority. He wants to elimi-
nate toll roads in the state.
Clip He also said tax credits are
resized used too much.
Fisher: I believe the
32% taxes are too high. But the
people who agree with that
From keep falling for the same
old stories every election.
A001 We keep buying the same
failed promises. We expect
too much from govern-
ment.
[Tax credits] is govern-
ment handing out our tax
dollars to corporations and
businesses. I believe in a
free market.
Powell: We have so
many dierent incentives
that we have a whole group
that oversees that and sees
what we can get away with.
And its a one-year cycle to
review this crony capital-
ism. We can start there.
Jones: Some taxes are
too high, some are too low.
Jones, the current state
auditor, then went into how
he would favor bringing the
gross production tax paid
by oil and gas companies
up to ve percent, some-
thing many Republican leg-
islators oppose. He pointed
out that both the GPT and
the state income tax used
to be 7 percent.
In terms of tax credits,
Jones wants to improve
audits and make them
more frequent. He received
blowback from state sena-
tors on his plan when it
was introduced in a failed
bill.
My comment was what
are you afraid of? Too
much transparency, or too
much accountability? he
said.
Johnson: It depends
on who you and and it
depends on when you
ask them. When we say
were going to increase the
cigarette tax and pass that
burden on to the poor, and
from the other end were
going to cut these services
... how it is that our govern-
ment allows the one-
percent to pay fewer and to
the 98 percent were going
to increase your taxes?
Johnson then stated
Oklahoma is operating on
a budget that is 15 percent
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Ca ad a Va ey s ow.
smaller than it was in 2007
but with a population that
is larger.
2) What is your plan
for education in this
state, and does it involve
consolidating school
districts?
Lawhorn: Education
determines everything that
goes on in your state. My
plan does include consoli-
dation, but of administra-
tion, not of the districts.
We can save $70 million
by nding and xing the
excesses.
Richardson: There
should be no consolida-
tion of schools. I believe
in local control, and local
school boards should run
local schools. I understand
the importance of educa-
tion. We have to nd a way
to pay our teachers so that
they stop leaving for places
like Arkansas and Louisi-
ana.
Fisher: We spend so
much on overhead and
on bureaucracy. But I also
believe we have lost sight of
the key reason for educa-
tion.
Fisher echoed Lawhorns
sentiment that there is too
much waste at the admin-
istration levels of schools.
On his second comment,
though, he talked about
an unnamed district that
spent money on a football
stadium when its current
one was, in his opinion, in
ne shape.
Powell: The candidate
got onto the subject of
large school districts,
particularly those in
Oklahoma City, suggesting
they were unable to spend
wisely because they are dis-
connected from the people
who matter in education:
students and their parents.
Theres no way they can
be responsive to parents,
he said. Finding and using
the people who know your
child the best, thats how
were going to get results.
Jones: There are 49
other states trying to solve
the education problem.
Jones also called for au-
dits and nding ways to cut
excess at the administra-
tive levels. But he also said
Oklahoma needs to alter
the way it does education
and push students toward
vocational schools, intern-
ships and training pro-
grams if they do not want
to got to college.
We need to quit encour-
Alex Barnes, of Comanche, and his Old English hen were named super grand champion Saturday at the Canadian Valley Poultry Club Fall Show.
aging so many of these kids
to go to college who dont
want to go, Jones said.
What we nd is the kids
that do [study a vacation
or become an apprentice]
dont go to college and end
up making more money
that the kids that do go and
get saddled with student
loan debt.
Johnson: My plan, rst
and foremost, is to fund it.
We have to talk about new
revenue streams, and that
includes things that some
dont like to talk about.
Colorado has so much
money for education, they
dont know what to do with
it.
Johnson was suggesting
the legalization of marijua-
na and collecting sales tax
on it can be used to better
fund schools in Oklahoma.
She is known for cam-
paigning for its legalization
and opening it up to medi-
cal usage in the state.
Johnson also said she
would like to see certain
programs expanded across
school districts to help
save money. She believes
consolidation is something
that should be left to the
districts to decide.
Maldonado: We just
issued 500 emergency cer-
tications to people who
dont know how to teach.
But another big problem is
that theres no discipline in
the schools, and thats from
you, the public, threaten-
ing to sue the school every
time someone tries to make
your kid act right.
Maldonado then shifted
to the Supplemental Nutri-
tion Assistance Program
(SNAP), saying the states
system is broken. He
then seemed to provide an
example.
Our SNAP program is
so broken, they gave me
$249 and my limousine is
parked out front.
3) What is the proper
role of government when
it comes to dealing with
mental health?
Richardson: We truly
have to understand the
problems that they have
and not just excuse it o
as something it isnt. I do
believe the government has
a role to play. And I believe
as governor, you have to
have a heart to truly make a
dierence in these peoples
lives.
Fisher: Until we x
those who lead it and the
system itself, how are we
going to help the people
who need it?
Fisher said the way to
improve the system is to
ensure the people running
state programs that deal
with mental health are
staed by those with the
correct knowledge.
Powell: I work for the
Oklahoma City Police
Department, and I spent
time as a 911 dispather.
I talked to people with
mental health issues. Police
ocers, though they are
well-trained, are not men-
tal health professionals.
We have to go through the
agency and examine how
they are dealing with this
problem and treat these
people as individuals.
Jones: We also need to
make sure these profes-
sionals dont have a nan-
cial interest in what they
are providing.
Johnson: Oklahoma is
a traumatized state. The
trauma thats going on
means we need a depart-
ment that is up to speed by
2020, when mental health
will outweigh physical
health as the leading prob-
lem facing our society.
Lawhorn: The Liber-
tarian candidate said the
current path for the men-
tally ill in Oklahoma is that
they are just pushed and
pulled through a system
that doesnt work for them
and leaves them with few
options in the end. He
suggested trying to catch
problems early, as children,
and dealing with those at
the education level.
How about we try
catching these issues when
they are young? Lets give
families education savings
accounts so that they can
get them the kind of educa-
tion they need, one that
works for them.
Maldonado: The forum
took an unexpected turn
with Maldonados answer.
He started by addressing
Richardson, who sat in the
corner stage right.
Gary [Richardson] just
stood up and said you need
a politician and a governor
who has a heart and un-
derstands. Well Gary, have
you ever thought about
suicide? Maldonado asked.
Richardson seemed
perplexed, at which point
Maldonado repeated his
question and Richardson
said no, he had not. Maldo-
nado said he had, and then
asked Richardson if he had
ever done meth, to which,
again, Richardson replied,
No, I havent.
Maldonado then turned
to the other side of the
stage and addressed Jones.
Have you ever smoked
weed? Maldonado asked.
Jones shook his head yes,
and later claried that
it was only once, and I
deeply regret it.
How can you un-
derstand something
that youve never been
through? Maldonado
asked, rhetorically.
4) How would you x
Oklahomas prison sys-
tem?
Maldonado: He began by
saying there are people in
prison who dont deserve to
be there, particularly those
who are addicted to drugs.
His plan includes building
facilities that can be used
for those inmates.
Take the out of the pris-
ons and put them in a free
drug program and get them
in a free job program. We
can make $188 million per
facility for this state.
Fisher: We have a cul-
ture in crisis. We need to
look at all of these agen-
cies. You bring in people
who know. But it just could
also be that these private
companies are doing a far
better job. Its my opinion
that government messes
things up.
Powell: We have a lot of
people in our prison sys-
tem who we werent afraid
of, but we will, because the
prison system is the higher
education of the criminal
world. The more we can
keep people out, the more
they can become produc-
tive citizens and we can
keep the people in prison
who we should be afraid
of.
Jones: While the legisla-
tors want to talk about be-
ing tough on crime, a bet-
ter method would be being
smart on crime. Weve got
to stop the revolving door.
If we dont stop the cycle,
the cost will continue to
go up.
Jones said the answer was
to invest money to make
the prison system more
about rehabilitation.
Johnson: We improve
the criminal justice system
by removing the situation
that got us here: the war on
drugs.
Johnson then went on to
decry the amount of wom-
en locked up in Oklahoma,
saying it then leads to
children without mothers
who go to schools where
counselors arent available.
It perpetuates a cycle, she
said, that is in part fueled
by private prisons.
Lawhorn: 52 percent
of the people in prison
today are there because
of smoking a plant. These
guys are going to jail for
treating something (medi-
cal marijuana). Weve made
it a crime to seek help for
substance abuse.
Maldonado: He said a
good olboy system in rural
areas, where, for example,
ocers stop someone so
they can help the tow-truck
driver get paid and know
judges who will perpetuate
the system to keep money
owing through the county.
Thats how they pay
their bills, and it has hap-
pened for years. I know,
because I did it. Weve got
to start with our judges in
our justice system.
Maldonado said he was a
police chief at the age of 19,
the youngest in the state by
his count.
Richardson: I am op-
posed to private prisons.
As governor, I would
institute a one-week train-
ing program for every new
prosecutor based on the
fact that its about justice,
not throwing people in jail.
All of the candidates
agreed on a few questions,
including that civil asset
forfeiture is wrong unless
someone is conviction
and the state government
should not be involved in a
persons religion or choice
to have no religion.
As to one random ques-
tion about the reinstate-
ment of cockghting in
Oklahoma that did
not come via an audience
question card all of the
candidates were against
it either in principle or
because Oklahoma voters
made it illegal in a state-
wide election. Maldonado
was the only outlier, saying
he would make cockght-
ing legal again because
he recalls that when it
was made illegal, many
birds were simply dumped
somewhere because they
became useless and that
was, in his opinion, exces-
sive waste.