Murphey Receives a 100% Conservative Rating
State Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) has received a rating of 100% from Oklahoma's longest running conservative publication for his work during the 2011 legislative session.
The 100% rating was given to Murphey by The Oklahoma Constitution Newspaper. Each year since 1979, The Oklahoma Constitution has graded Oklahoma legislators and published a Conservative Index by which the constituents of the legislator can gauge how conservative or liberal their legislator votes.
Each year bills nominated for use on the Conservative Index are submitted to the Oklahoma Conservative PAC (OCPAC). The group contains 200+ members. The membership takes input from both lawmakers and citizens and uses that input to debate and then vote on the top 10 issues by which the lawmakers are graded. This process takes place over two weeks time. During the process, OCPAC members are not told how the legislators voted in order to not bias the vote.
The 10 issues and the rankings of the lawmakers are subsequently published in the Conservative Index. The index grades lawmakers on both their session score and their cumulative lifetime score in order to keep track of the voting habits of lawmakers during their entire time in office.
Murphey was credited for his vote against issuing millions of dollars of additional government debt and for being one of just seven Representatives to vote against a new fee increase on Oklahoma taxpayers. Murphey was also given points for his votes for tort reform, a key right-to-life issue, property tax reform and second amendment rights.
"When I campaigned for office I ran on a platform of representing conservative values. I believe this ranking shows that I am keeping my word," Murphey said.
Murphey was the only Oklahoma lawmaker to score a 100% this year and remains the only Oklahoma Legislator to maintain a lifetime score of 100% having scored a 100% on the index in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and now 2011.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Staying Focused
Earlier this year, I wrote about my decision to help bring attention to the need for a federal balanced budget amendment. I enjoyed the opportunity to document the significant amount of support in the Oklahoma Legislature for ratifying the amendment if Congress would just give us the opportunity to do so.
I also mentioned my hesitance to take on new tasks. Over the past few years I have become very focused on finding inefficient government processes and helping write and pass the legislation to transform those processes. It is my belief that this effort could result in massive tax reduction for Oklahoma taxpayers. I think it is immoral for state government to take your money and waste it in unbelievably inefficient and dysfunctional processes.
I firmly believe that these reforms could allow Oklahoma to completely eliminate its state income tax. This is one of the most important reforms that could happen because studies have shown that the absence of an income tax has been a key factor in incentivizing economic growth.
As you might imagine, this work has taken time. One of my biggest challenges has been to stay focused and not take on too many major efforts. This isn’t easy because there are so many areas in state government that need reform. At any moment, I am likely to take on a new major reform effort.
For instance, I am tempted to focus on welfare reform each time I observe someone using an access card (your money) to purchase junk food while using their own money to purchase cigarettes.
Each time higher education institutions raise tuition on students yet again, while their own budgets skyrocket upwards, even during an economic downturn, I feel the temptation to invest my energy in reforming the higher education system. I think the actions of higher education over the past few years have proven that the Legislature should have never turned over the right to raise tuition to higher education. Technology should be driving down the cost of education. The increases do a great disservice to Oklahoma students.
I am tempted to focus my efforts on human services reform whenever I see reports of DHS placing a child in a dangerous environment or see them remove a child from a safe environment. I have a series of ideas for human services reform that I plan to write about in the future.
Of course, common education reform represents one of the greatest areas of need for reform. There are far too many school districts, way too much red tape, and limited freedom of parental choice. The Legislature's refusal to act more proactively over the years on education reform has trapped thousands of students in failing school systems. I have a great distaste for the actions of politicians who grandstand on the education issue while constantly blocking attempts to enact reform.
And, then there is the antiquated system for addressing the state’s road needs. From an antiquated funding formula to a bureaucracy-heavy, top-down approach to paving local roads, too much money is soaked up in costly bureaucratic processes that are feeding a government bureaucracy and taking money away from paving roads. I could commit a great deal of focus on this issue.
These are just a few of the efforts, each of which one could spend their entire time in the Legislature seeking to accomplish. At this time, I am determined to stay focused on the effort to reduce the size of state government. However, I am also subject to taking on one or several of these efforts -- and others I haven't mentioned yet. And of course, I am always prepared to vote in support of my colleagues in the House and Senate who are working to accomplish these and other reforms. I also very much appreciate your continued feedback and suggestions. My views on the need for these reforms have been heavily influenced by the input I have received.
I also mentioned my hesitance to take on new tasks. Over the past few years I have become very focused on finding inefficient government processes and helping write and pass the legislation to transform those processes. It is my belief that this effort could result in massive tax reduction for Oklahoma taxpayers. I think it is immoral for state government to take your money and waste it in unbelievably inefficient and dysfunctional processes.
I firmly believe that these reforms could allow Oklahoma to completely eliminate its state income tax. This is one of the most important reforms that could happen because studies have shown that the absence of an income tax has been a key factor in incentivizing economic growth.
As you might imagine, this work has taken time. One of my biggest challenges has been to stay focused and not take on too many major efforts. This isn’t easy because there are so many areas in state government that need reform. At any moment, I am likely to take on a new major reform effort.
For instance, I am tempted to focus on welfare reform each time I observe someone using an access card (your money) to purchase junk food while using their own money to purchase cigarettes.
Each time higher education institutions raise tuition on students yet again, while their own budgets skyrocket upwards, even during an economic downturn, I feel the temptation to invest my energy in reforming the higher education system. I think the actions of higher education over the past few years have proven that the Legislature should have never turned over the right to raise tuition to higher education. Technology should be driving down the cost of education. The increases do a great disservice to Oklahoma students.
I am tempted to focus my efforts on human services reform whenever I see reports of DHS placing a child in a dangerous environment or see them remove a child from a safe environment. I have a series of ideas for human services reform that I plan to write about in the future.
Of course, common education reform represents one of the greatest areas of need for reform. There are far too many school districts, way too much red tape, and limited freedom of parental choice. The Legislature's refusal to act more proactively over the years on education reform has trapped thousands of students in failing school systems. I have a great distaste for the actions of politicians who grandstand on the education issue while constantly blocking attempts to enact reform.
And, then there is the antiquated system for addressing the state’s road needs. From an antiquated funding formula to a bureaucracy-heavy, top-down approach to paving local roads, too much money is soaked up in costly bureaucratic processes that are feeding a government bureaucracy and taking money away from paving roads. I could commit a great deal of focus on this issue.
These are just a few of the efforts, each of which one could spend their entire time in the Legislature seeking to accomplish. At this time, I am determined to stay focused on the effort to reduce the size of state government. However, I am also subject to taking on one or several of these efforts -- and others I haven't mentioned yet. And of course, I am always prepared to vote in support of my colleagues in the House and Senate who are working to accomplish these and other reforms. I also very much appreciate your continued feedback and suggestions. My views on the need for these reforms have been heavily influenced by the input I have received.
Monday, August 15, 2011
2011 Local Redistricting Observations
Hi!
I have attached my update for this week. Thank you and have a great day.
Jason
2011 Local Redistricting Observations
As you are probably aware, this is the year when state and local government divisions redraw the boundary lines defining the area from which their public officials are elected.
This important process is designed to ensure that each district contains the same number of people. It results from a Supreme Court decision in the 1960s that established the principle that one group of people should not be disadvantaged due to the fact that there are more people living inside of their particular district thus diluting their voting power.
Every 10 years, government units equalize each district’s population using the data from the recently concluded census.
As you might imagine this has been a challenging process in our area because of the rapidly growing local population. Making matters more challenging is the fact that the growth has been heavily concentrated, meaning that over the last 10 years large population inequities have developed between the various districts. Statistically, areas of North Oklahoma County and South Logan County have been under-represented in government over the past years and the districts that cover those areas have to give up a significant amount of their population.
This growth has had a huge impact on House District 31. As a result of redistricting, the House District has lost approximately half of its geographic area. All areas north of the Cimarron River and east of Indian Meridian Road will be transferred to other districts. And, with a very small exception, the entirety of a large north and westside Guthrie precinct (voting at Guthrie Christian Church) will also transfer away from House District 31.
House District 31 actually expands in the south and picks up 16 square miles of the Deer Creek area.
Oklahoma County Commission District Three will also change to reflect local growth trends. This district includes much of the North Oklahoma County area and contained 44,000 more residents than it did in the year 2000. This tremendous amount of growth meant that the district had to give up much of the Luther area.
In Logan County, Logan County Districts One and Two have also grown because of the influx of population into south Logan County. Both of these districts had to give up territory in the Guthrie area. This gives Guthrie a much stronger voice in Logan County District Three within which about two-thirds of the town’s population now lives. For the first time in many years, Logan County District One has almost completely been removed from the Guthrie area with just small portions on the south and west sides of town remaining in the district.
Logan County District Two becomes much more representative of south Logan County as the district gave up 2,000 residents in the Guthrie and Langston areas and picked up 2,000 south Logan County residents from District One. To see if your neighbored was affected by the Logan County redistricting action you may review the new map at http://hd31.org/146.
As an observer of Logan County government, it was refreshing to see the contrast in this year’s county redistricting progress when compared to the last redistricting. In 2001, the County Commission initially redistricted the county in violation of the one-man, one-vote concept. They attempted to cram nearly 2,500 more residents into Logan County District One than Logan County District Three. This resulted in a staggering 13.96 deviation from the mean population distribution and far exceeded the amount allowed by law. In short, the Commission appeared to simply ignore the law and flagrantly violated the one-man, one-vote principle.
That was one of my first experiences observing what I believed to be the local good-old-boy system and served as an inspiration to work for the reform of area government.
Today, things are much different. The 2011 redistricting plan equalizes the population between districts and allows for county residents to be equally represented in local government.
I have attached my update for this week. Thank you and have a great day.
Jason
2011 Local Redistricting Observations
As you are probably aware, this is the year when state and local government divisions redraw the boundary lines defining the area from which their public officials are elected.
This important process is designed to ensure that each district contains the same number of people. It results from a Supreme Court decision in the 1960s that established the principle that one group of people should not be disadvantaged due to the fact that there are more people living inside of their particular district thus diluting their voting power.
Every 10 years, government units equalize each district’s population using the data from the recently concluded census.
As you might imagine this has been a challenging process in our area because of the rapidly growing local population. Making matters more challenging is the fact that the growth has been heavily concentrated, meaning that over the last 10 years large population inequities have developed between the various districts. Statistically, areas of North Oklahoma County and South Logan County have been under-represented in government over the past years and the districts that cover those areas have to give up a significant amount of their population.
This growth has had a huge impact on House District 31. As a result of redistricting, the House District has lost approximately half of its geographic area. All areas north of the Cimarron River and east of Indian Meridian Road will be transferred to other districts. And, with a very small exception, the entirety of a large north and westside Guthrie precinct (voting at Guthrie Christian Church) will also transfer away from House District 31.
House District 31 actually expands in the south and picks up 16 square miles of the Deer Creek area.
Oklahoma County Commission District Three will also change to reflect local growth trends. This district includes much of the North Oklahoma County area and contained 44,000 more residents than it did in the year 2000. This tremendous amount of growth meant that the district had to give up much of the Luther area.
In Logan County, Logan County Districts One and Two have also grown because of the influx of population into south Logan County. Both of these districts had to give up territory in the Guthrie area. This gives Guthrie a much stronger voice in Logan County District Three within which about two-thirds of the town’s population now lives. For the first time in many years, Logan County District One has almost completely been removed from the Guthrie area with just small portions on the south and west sides of town remaining in the district.
Logan County District Two becomes much more representative of south Logan County as the district gave up 2,000 residents in the Guthrie and Langston areas and picked up 2,000 south Logan County residents from District One. To see if your neighbored was affected by the Logan County redistricting action you may review the new map at http://hd31.org/146.
As an observer of Logan County government, it was refreshing to see the contrast in this year’s county redistricting progress when compared to the last redistricting. In 2001, the County Commission initially redistricted the county in violation of the one-man, one-vote concept. They attempted to cram nearly 2,500 more residents into Logan County District One than Logan County District Three. This resulted in a staggering 13.96 deviation from the mean population distribution and far exceeded the amount allowed by law. In short, the Commission appeared to simply ignore the law and flagrantly violated the one-man, one-vote principle.
That was one of my first experiences observing what I believed to be the local good-old-boy system and served as an inspiration to work for the reform of area government.
Today, things are much different. The 2011 redistricting plan equalizes the population between districts and allows for county residents to be equally represented in local government.
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