Labels: Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 5/30/2008 03:08:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey Last week marked the end of the period during which the Oklahoma Legislature could act on legislation. During the normal course of business, a bill has to be placed on the agenda for a certain number of hours before it can be acted on, so that legislators and others can review it before a vote. However, in the last two days before the legislative deadline, these rules are waived. This year, due in part to negotiations over a number of issues, a significant amount of legislation was held up until right before the deadline. This meant a large number of bills were considered by the House and Senate without giving legislators much time to read them.

Because of these circumstances, there was opportunity for significant changes in the law to pass through without proper consideration. I enjoy the huge challenge of carefully but quickly plowing through hundreds of pages of legalise in an effort to discover these last minute changes, some of which may need to be opposed (more on that next week).

This time, however, I was happy to discover and support a very appropriate and positive change to this year's ethics reform bill. House Bill 2196, which I wrote about earlier this year, purported to place a ban on any political contributions during the legislative session. The logic followed that a politician should not be receiving donations at the same time he or she is voting on important laws. Read more...

Labels: Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 5/27/2008 08:36:00 AM |

Related:

OK Legislator's Blog: Rep. Murphey - Three Important Legislative Reforms Killed in State Senate

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, OK Legislature, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 5/12/2008 12:46:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

One of the most heartbreaking votes took place last week as the House rejected an important reform that had already received approval of the Senate. The proposal, named the "New Hope Scholarship Program," would have provided tax incentives to those willing to donate to a scholarship fund so students who were trapped in failing inner city schools in Oklahoma City and Tulsa could attend private schools.

The Senate author of this bill, Senator James Williamson, described it as "a two-for-one deal. Two dollars of education for low-income students for every one dollar of effect on the sate budget."

As I have mentioned in my previous updates, as a member of the Human Services Committee, I see firsthand that there are now 19,000 children in state custody. As a member of the Corrections Committee, I know that Oklahoma prisons are filled to capacity. There are no easy solutions to these problems because the massive cost falls upon the taxpayers; but these challenges, if left unchecked, will eventually be too large for the government to handle and will continue to usurp more and more of your taxpayer dollars. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 4/28/2008 01:34:00 PM |

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Vice-Chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee, Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), used the occasion of the Veterans Awareness Day Joint Legislative Session on Wednesday to call on Oklahoma Higher Education officials to ease off recent comments that he feels are insulting to Oklahoma's military men and women:

In their zeal to maintain the status-quo and oppose House Bill 2513, Oklahoma's higher education elite are bringing into question the judgment of Oklahoma's military officers.

HB 2513, which is advocated by the National Rifle Association, supports Oklahoma veterans and active duty personnel by giving them the right to defend themselves and others when they are attending or teaching classes at one of Oklahoma's state colleges and universities, provided they notify the university they are in possession of a concealed carry license.

Murphey said he was especially concerned when, after the passage of House Bill 2513, prominent higher education officials launched a campaign in which they are insinuating that the safety of Oklahoma students will be endangered if Oklahoma's veterans and active military are allowed to defend themselves on college campuses:

To suggest that Oklahoma's highly trained military men and women are going to endanger the safety of Oklahoma students is inappropriate. I believe that we have the finest military in the world and I find it offensive that some in the higher education community have begun to question the judgment of our military men and women.

Earlier this year, the Governor received a report from a task force which recommended that millions of dollars be spent on enhancing campus security. This proposed expenditure comes at a time when Oklahomans are already forced to deal with massive tuition increases, high taxes and a government that continues to incur long-term debt. What better way to solve some of our security challenges than to take advantage of the training of our military veterans and active duty military personnel who also maintain concealed carry licenses? House Bill 2513 would allow them to defend themselves and their fellow students and teachers. In many cases, these personnel have training that is equal to or exceeds the training of the law enforcement officers charged with protecting our campuses. This is a service that would be provided with little or no cost to the state.

It is inconceivable that we are willing to ask our military officers to work with local government in securing such dangerous areas as the Green Zone in Baghdad, but we don't trust them to work with local law enforcement officers to enhance safety on our own college campuses.

House Bill 2513 cleared the House of Representatives by a vote of 65-35 and is now headed to the Senate for consideration. (More info on OKPNS here.)

Labels: gun law, military, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 3/20/2008 07:07:00 AM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

Recently, a bill I authored, HB 2444, was approved by the House Rules Subcommittee on Elections and Redistricting. HB 2444 would ask the state Ethics Commission to create and maintain a voluntary "No Gifts List." Under the bill, lobbyists would be prevented from giving gifts to lawmakers who voluntarily place themselves on the list.

When I asked for your vote to be your State Representative, I did so because I wanted to spend time in the Legislature working for the people, not taking lobbyists gifts and certainly not going through the hassle of returning unsolicted items.

Refusing gifts has proven harder than I expected, as lobbyists kept delivering unrequested items to my office. This became a logistical challenge, since some were left with office staff or even sent in the mail. Other lawmakers have told me of similar frustrations, as they did not want to receive gifts either, and yet items are left at their offices. Read more...

Labels: Ethics Reforms, OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 2/25/2008 12:13:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

Can you imagine a situation in the private business world where one part of the business was allowed to issue millions of dollars of debt without approval from the board of directors? Certainly it would not be long before that business would simply cease to exist. No doubt it would be driven into bankruptcy by out-of-control employees who spend without check or balance.

Yet that is exactly what is occurring in state government. The Regents for Higher Education are issuing millions of dollars of bond projects without the approval of the legislature. The projects not only indebt state government to paying off the principal of the debt, but the unnecessary interest as well.

In fact, it appears that in the last 8 years, more than 250 million dollars have been issued by the Regents in debt. Currently, around 180 million of this is still waiting to be paid back. The money has been requested for use on projects as varied as athletic score boards to golf course maintenance equipment.

Recently, a courageous member of the Council of Bond Oversight asked his board to seek an Attorney General’s opinion on the constitutionality of the Regents to issue this kind of debt. Unfortunately, not enough members of his board voted to support his effort, and it failed. Read more...

Hello again, everybody! Legislative committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives continue consideration of the hundreds of bills filed for 2008. One of the worst proposals on the table this year is a measure that would begin to “sunset,” or systematically end, many of our state’s tax exemptions. The result would be a systematic tax increase for a broad spectrum of Oklahoma business activities. In fact, if enacted as presented, it would by far be the largest tax increase in Oklahoma’s history

Proponents of ending those exemptions have been clear: they want to raise taxes so they can cut taxes – primarily for the wealthiest among us. I know; it does not make sense to me, either. This proposal would be a “tax shift” that is potentially devastating for many Oklahoma businesses and jobs. It could drive up food prices for you and me, but more on that in a moment.

This notion of “tax shifting” – from an economic development standpoint – troubles me greatly. In essence, ending these exemptions would be breaking a promise we made to businesses that have invested in our state and our people.

Businesses relocate or expand into a state based on a set of promises. New and existing businesses that make new investments and create new jobs do not deserve to have the rug pulled out from under them by eliminating exemptions on which they depend. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey, Sen. Gumm

Posted at 2/20/2008 03:49:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

One of the rites of passage for legislators is a vote that occurs near the end of each legislative year on what is known as the "spill-over" bill. This is a massive spending bill that is used as a way to dole out extra taxpayer dollars in order to placate those who did not get everything they wanted in the yearly budget. Last year's spill-over bill featured a massive one-time spending of $135 million of your money on everything from an unnamed private foundation to an aerospace industries training program in Oklahoma City.

The first problem with this bill is that it is an unconstitutional practice known as "logrolling." Logrolling is the process in which a spending bill contains a number of appropriations all rolled into one. This bill is presented to the legislature in a form that cannot be amended from the floor, thus forcing legislators to vote up or down on the bill without giving them the chance to vote for or against how the money is specifically spent.

This massive one-time spending also provides cover to future legislatures to increase recurring spending while telling the people that they are cutting the amount of spending in government. For instance, if your personal spending budget was $800 per month and you received a $200 bonus from your job, and you spent all $1000 in one month, would it be fiscally prudent to spend $990 the next month and then assert you had cut your personal budget by $10? Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 2/12/2008 11:38:00 AM |

So, now that Chris Benge is moving on up to Speaker of the House, who's going to fill his shoes? Turns out it's going to take two to replace him: From Jennifer Mock, of the OK House of Representatives:

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 6, 2008) – Two state lawmakers were appointed today to serve on House subcommittees in the place of recently named House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa.

Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, will fill Benge’s spot on the House Banking Subcommittee, and Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa, will replace Benge on the House Insurance & Retirement Subcommittee.

“I look forward to working with Representative Murphey and Representative Sullivan in their new roles,” Benge said.

Benge was named Monday as the new Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. In Oklahoma, the House Speaker does not have regular duties on any legislative committees, though the Speaker can cast a vote in any committee.

Labels: Rep. Chris Benge, Rep. Dan Sullivan, Rep. Jason Murphey, speaker of the house

Posted at 2/07/2008 06:53:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

There is some very good news to report about the effort to level the playing field between the paid special interests groups and the people.

During the first six months of 2007, paid lobbyists reported giving legislators $137,000 in personal gifts, such as expensive dinners or sporting events tickets. This spending power basically bought access to the legislators on behalf of the spenders. This is the type of access that the average person (whom the legislators are supposed to be representing) simply cannot compete with.

I feel that the special interests' influence problem has in large part been created by the massive size of government. Because state government has become so engorged with billions of our tax dollars, and because there are so many different government regulations and laws, a cottage industry has sprung up that is populated by those who seek to benefit their specific field of interest. Because there are millions of dollars at stake, these special interests will see an investment in personal gifts or political contributions to lawmakers as being a small price to pay, compared to the possible benefits. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 1/29/2008 01:53:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

It is starting to appear that one of the biggest debated issues this year will be whether or not the Legislature will approve a proposal to lessen the burden on Oklahoma's hardworking families by reducing the state income tax.

This year's state government will have millions of dollars of extra growth money to spend. While previous legislative commitments may obligate some of that money, it is important to realize that Oklahoma taxpayers have, in effect, been overcharged for government services.

Republican leadership in both the House and the Senate have made it clear that tax cuts are on the table for the upcoming session.

The majority of the debate surrounding tax relief will probably focus on returning some of the growth revenue to the people through incremental income tax reductions.

While I support this effort, it is important for the Legislature to consider massive reductions in the amount of money that the government spends, and to accompany this spending reform with significant tax relief. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 1/15/2008 12:29:00 PM |

Labels: Rep. Jason Murphey, Town Hall Meetings

Posted at 1/08/2008 10:55:00 AM |

Labels: Legislators, Rep. Dennis Johnson, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 1/01/2008 11:33:00 AM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey

(I)believe one of the greatest problems created by big government is the ease with which it redistributes wealth. This occurs when one group of people use the power of the government to take money from the average taxpayer and give it to special interests.

One of the most offensive mechanisms used to raid the treasury and redistribute money is that of "earmarking." This is the process through which an influential politician essentially cuts a check from the treasury for some pet program or organization.

US Senator Tom Coburn has experienced increasing success in exposing this policy in federal government. By doing so, he is turning up the heat on politicians and making it uncomfortable for them to continue maintaining the big government status-quo. In state government, politicians will insert an earmark into an appropriations bill with just a few days left in the legislative session. This earmark is then voted on as part of a bigger appropriations bill that is not allowed to be amended. If a legislator dares to vote against the bill, then that legislator may face controversy for appearing to vote against justifiable appropriations in the same bill. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 12/26/2007 12:55:00 PM |

Merry Christmas, everybody! The week of Christmas is always among the busiest of the year.

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey, Sen. Gumm

Posted at 12/18/2007 11:10:00 AM |

Immigration Reform Part 2

By Rep. Jason Murphey

One concern I recently heard about from District 31 has been that of the attempt to reverse last year's successes in implementing immigration reform.

When the Governor signed House Bill 1804 earlier this year, it appeared as if most of the debate surrounding illegal immigration would come to a close. However, in the last few weeks, it has become obvious that this is not the case and the issue will again be significant in the upcoming legislative session.

Known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizens Act, HB 1804 provided a clear series of reforms to the illegal immigration problem and made Oklahoma the leader in the application of immigration reform. Read more...

An Extension of My Unshakeable "Pro-Life" Belief

By Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant

Hello again, everybody! As we prepare for the 2008 legislative session, it appears that one of the most contentious issues of 2007 will return.

During consideration of the new state law to try to handle what really is a federal problem – illegal immigration – poisonous rhetoric took the place of reasoned debate. It went so far that the discussion veered away from what the bill would do and toward veiled and not-so-veiled threats against individuals for their positions on it.

As we grappled with this difficult issue, some decided grabbing headlines was more important than finding a real answer to illegal immigration. The rhetoric around the issue continues to be laced with venom, anger and fear. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey, Sen. Gumm

Posted at 12/12/2007 12:54:00 PM |

Trying To Stop Property Taxes From Increasing

By Rep. Jason Murphey

During the last few days, chances are that you received your property tax bill. I would also guess that this bill reflects a 5% increase in your assessment over last year. This is the time of year when my office receives calls from citizens experiencing the challenge of coming up with a larger than ever property tax payment. Second only to the issue of road improvements, I believe the issue of higher property taxes is the one I hear about the most. I believe the property tax to be the most unfair form of taxation. This tax punishes a person for simply daring to own something and taxes them over and over again for the same property. In 2007, I co-authored a bill by Oklahoma City State Representative Guy Liebmann which would have decreased the 5% assessment increase cap to 3% or the increase in the consumer price index, whichever is lower. Liebmann's bill passed in the House but, unfortunately, has been held up in the Senate. It is my hope that the Senate will take action on the bill this year, as it is clear that people are getting more and more frustrated with the increases they are experiencing. As property taxes continue to rise, more citizens are being priced into buying a house beneath what they could otherwise afford. Others are faced with the dilemma of whether to sell their property or pay the high tax rate. The challenges faced by individuals with fixed incomes is forcing the legislature to make exceptions to the number of people who have to pay increased rates. These exceptions place the burden of paying property tax onto a shrinking base of property owners. Read more...

Deep Drilling Tax Credit Making Difference in Economy

By Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant

Hello again, everybody! Two years ago this week, several extreme left-wing activists from Oklahoma City passed out leaflets across our area attacking my support for a particular bill.

The bill, which I carried on the Senate floor, was a tax incentive benefiting companies that drill deep gas wells. These are the very gas wells being drilled all across the Senate district I represent and much of southeastern Oklahoma. These wells might not have been drilled except for the incentives I support and these activists oppose.

The drilling is happening in what is called the Woodford Shale formation. This is not a new gas discovery; geologists have known for some time this formation likely contained a great deal of natural gas. Even though everyone was confident the gas was there, it had to be financially feasible to get or it would stay locked in the ground.

The deep drilling necessary to reach this gas is among the most expensive and financially risky. The tax credit helped make the drilling more attractive for the drilling companies. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey, Sen. Gumm

Posted at 11/27/2007 12:20:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey Recently, the board that functions as the oversight authority for how Oklahoma's Senators and Representatives are compensated, made the controversial decision to provide part-time legislators with the same health benefits that full-time state employees receive. This equates to an approximate twelve thousand dollar per year raise for Oklahoma legislators. The decision reminded me of when I was in grade school and our principal told us the story of how at the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin spoke in opposition to paying a salary to the President. Franklin stated, "There are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men a post of honour that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it." My principal felt that Franklin's point of view was correct and his story instilled in me the belief that is important for public service to be a sacrifice and not an occupation. I believe another important principle felt by our founding fathers is that of the "citizen legislature." Instead of having a government that is run by professionally paid politicians, the government should be overseen by a group of citizens who are "sacrificing" a few years of their lives to do their duty as citizens. Once that duty is performed, those citizens will return to the populace to live under the same laws they helped to make. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 11/19/2007 05:05:00 PM |

By Rep. Jason Murphey As a member of the House of Representative's Transportation Committee I was able to closely observe one of the most controversial issues of the past legislative session. At issue is Oklahoma's membership in a group known as the North America SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO), the desire of big corporations to enhance the movement of Chinese-manufactured goods throughout North America, the possible privatization of new state and federal highways, NASCO's desire to deploy sophisticated tracking devices along I-35 and clear attempts towards the creation of a closer economic and political union between Canada, the United States and Mexico. The depth of this subject matter is nearly overwhelming and because of it's complexity I only have time to talk about a small segment of it in this update. I take the duty of informing my constituents of these events very seriously and thus look forward to continuing to update you on these issues in the future.

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 11/14/2007 03:10:00 PM |

Rep. Jason Murphey One of the experiences I have most enjoyed as State Representative has been the role of Vice-Chairman on the House of Representative's Homeland Security Committee. When designing the new house committee system, house leadership structured the system so that members of the committees could really focus on specialized areas of committee work. They did this by giving the committees both appropriation and policy oversight in their respective areas. It has been exciting to serve as Vice-Chairman of a committee where I could specialize in an area in which there is a core purpose for government involvement. In this role, I recently joined Oklahoma State Fire Marshal Robert Doke and a delegation of state government and firefighting officials in visiting the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There we met with FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison. Administrator Paulson was complimentary of the manner in which Oklahoma officials have handled past emergencies and is supportive of the efforts made in developing additional emergency readiness. One of the reasons for meeting with Paulison related to developing a truly interoperable 800mhz statewide emergency communications system to allow officials in different agencies to communicate with one another. This issue was perhaps the most controversial that our committee considered in the past year. Read more...

Labels: OK Legislator's Blog, Rep. Jason Murphey

Posted at 10/24/2007 08:38:00 AM |