Interdenominational Faith Service Planned

The Oklahoma Democratic Party will host an interdenominational faith service Sunday May, 20 at 8:00 a.m. inside the Bricktown Events Center in conjunction with its 2007 State Convention.

ODP Faith Committee Chairman Rev. Jeff Hamilton said the service “is an interfaith gathering integrating an inclusive spiritual community with music and word.”

It will bring together readings from the New Testament and the Koran, as well as Hebrew scripture and Buddhist prayer and meditation. There will also be live music and a reading from a Dr. Martin Luther King sermon.

ODP Chairman Lisa Pryor said, the service is a unique experience for people from all faiths, to come together in respect for personal faith.

“By bringing these varied groups together, we hope to spread knowledge and create a greater since of tolerance throughout our Democratic family and our state,” Pryor said.

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1804 Video

Check out this informative video about HB 1804.

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Boren Speech on Iraq from Capital Floor

I rise today in support of our men and women in uniform and in support of this resolution. Nearly 230,000 Americans are currently deployed to the Middle East, fighting the war on terrorism - 3,000 from my home state of Oklahoma. These men and women are fighting for their country not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans.

I was not in Congress nearly four years ago when the war in Iraq began. But in the two years I have served here, I have not once encountered a colleague who does not support our troops. We have our disagreements over strategy, spending and even the war itself, but when it comes to support for the selfless Americans serving in uniform we are unanimous. For anyone to suggest anything to the contrary just distracts from this serious debate.

As many of my colleagues have already noted, our troops are not the problem. They have done an outstanding job executing the mission they have been given. The problem is with the administration's strategy. We owe it to the men and women of our Armed Forces to pursue a policy that offers them the best possible chance of success - not a plan that repeats past mistakes.

The president's decision to deploy an additional 21,500 American combat troops to Iraq is not the first time we have sent a "surge" of troops into the conflict. In April of 2004, January and October of 2005, and again in October of last year, we saw temporary escalations that provided no long-term reductions in violence.

I am concerned that this latest plan is a renewed effort for more of the same; that does little to encourage the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. As one general told the Iraq Study Group, "all the troops in the world will not provide security if the Iraqi government does not make political progress." Rather than laying out a plan that establishes solid benchmarks for Iraqi security and the corresponding redeployment of U.S. troops, the president is pursuing a strategy that history shows does not work.

Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell, Commander of U.S. Central Command General John Abizaid, Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway and many other current and former military leaders have said more troops is not the answer.
Our nation's military is already stretched thin. This open-ended plan to increase American troop levels in Iraq would exacerbate the overextension of our armed forces and cripple our ability to respond to other crises around the world. Because we don't know what the future holds, we have to be ready for anything.

U.S. and coalition forces successfully removed Saddam Hussein from power, and the world is a better place for it. But we now find ourselves locked in the middle of an Iraqi civil war. The Iraq of today is vastly different from the Iraq we entered nearly four years ago, yet our strategy remains the same. We need to succeed in Iraq, but we need to redefine what success is.

For over a year now, I have joined Chairman Skelton in his call for solid benchmarks in Iraq. We need a mechanism to measure our progress toward an Iraq that is responsible for its own security. It is in our interest, in Iraq's interest and in the interest of the region to ensure Iraqi personnel are trained and ready to take control sooner rather than later.
Reallocating some of the more than 140,000 troops we already have in Iraq to securing the Iranian border would do more to further our goals in Iraq than sending more Americans into Baghdad.

At the end of the day, military command decisions rest with the commander in chief. This resolution and this debate are not about micromanaging the war, or forcing a withdrawal of troops. Public opinion polls should not dictate war strategy; the facts should. And the facts are that surges haven't worked in the past and experts agree it won't work this time.
The president knows we are all in this together. That's why I was disappointed to see the administration move forward with such a dramatic escalation despite strong, bipartisan opposition in Congress. Without a clear mission or effective benchmarks, it is too big of a gamble to take with so many American lives.

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HUNTER FOR CONGRESS WATCH PARTY

YOU ARE INVITED TO WATCH HISTORY IN THE MAKING WITH DR. DAVID HUNTER AND HIS WIFE, DIANNE

DATE: JULY 25TH

TIME: 6:30PM – 11:30PM

LOCATION: REMINGTON PARK ECLIPSE ROOM

ADDRESS: ONE REMINGTON PLACE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73111

Remington Park is located on the NE corner of Oklahoma City at the intersection of I-35 and I-44. If you are traveling on I-35, exit west on NE 50th (also known as Remington Place). If you are traveling on I-44, exit south on Martin Luther King Boulevard. Please enter the parking lot through Gate 1 on NE 50th / Remington Place (across from the zoo entrance). Come in the doors with the big red “RACING” sign above it. Valet parking is complimentary.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!TO RSVP FOR THE WATCH PARTY, PLEASE CALL THE CAMPAIGN OFFICE AT 405-297-9807 OR REPLY TO THIS E-MAILWITH YOUR NAME AND NUMBER ATTENDING BEFORE JULY 24TH

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Hobson: Gaming Legislation Spurs Horse Industry Boom

Two years after Oklahoma voters approved a state question allowing Oklahoma horse racing tracks to operate video gaming machines, Oklahoma’s horse industry is experiencing a major resurgence, Sen. Cal Hobson said on Tuesday.

In the 2004 legislative session, Hobson authored Senate Bill 553, the State-Tribal Gaming Act, which allowed Oklahomans to vote on establishing procedures for electronic gaming at Oklahoma race tracks. The legislation also designated payments from tribal gaming revenues to the state. In the past several years, track owners had openly discussed the closure of several facilities. However, since passage by the voters of SQ712, attendance, purses and revenue have soared at Oklahoma race tracks, due largely to video gaming, Hobson said.

"Through the quarter horse season that just finished, Remington Park managed to eclipse every season attendance total since 2000," said Hobson, D-Lexington. "Will Rogers Downs closed in 2001, but this year has reopened to great fanfare. The legislation I authored in the 2004 session carried with it the promise of saving the Oklahoma horse industry’s 10,000 jobs, and by all indications it has done just that."

In March alone, Oklahoma City's Remington Park attracted an average of 3,500 visitors daily, a significant increase from prior figures. The previously closed Will Rogers Downs in Claremore now employs more than 150 people, and revenues have nearly doubled. Hobson explained the benefits of Oklahoma's electronic gaming laws extend far beyond success for the state's racetracks. A provision of SB 553 called for gaming revenue received by the state to be dedicated to funding education as well as college scholarships.

"This was truly a win-win for the state," Hobson said. "We have the benefit of additional funding to improve our public schools and provide opportunities for college degrees, while protecting the horse industry and creating jobs for Oklahomans. I'm very pleased by the positive results this legislation has produced."

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Sen. Lawler to Head Illegal Immigration Task Force

Sen. Daisy Lawler has been chosen to chair a task force examining the issue of illegal immigration in Oklahoma. Lawler, D-Comanche, was author of a resolution calling for the creation of the task force during the 2006 session.

“Immigrants have played a critical role in the history of our great state, and I believe they will continue to be a vital part of Oklahoma, but illegal immigration is a different thing altogether,” Lawler said. “The social implications are something we should all be concerned about, from issues related to national security to the strain this places on public resources for education and other services.”

In Oklahoma alone, based on 2000 census figures, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated that approximately 46,000 illegal or undocumented immigrants live in Oklahoma.


“That represents a 188 percent increase from just 1990. I’m sure the figures are much higher now,” Lawler said. “It is critical that we do whatever we can to get a handle on this situation.”


In addition to appointing Lawler as chair of the task force, Senate leader Mike Morgan has also appointed Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, and Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, to serve on the 11 member panel. The remaining eight members will come from law enforcement, education, human services, business and a major Hispanic community organization.

“While some areas are specifically within the realm of federal jurisdiction, there are other areas where we do have the authority and the responsibility to act. We want to examine what reforms may be needed to protect resources and services in our state,” Lawler said. “We’ll be looking at a number of issues, including education, public safety, homeland security, taxation, human trafficking as well as state and federal coordination on illegal immigration policies.”

Lawler said she expected to hold the first meeting by September. The task force will have until November 30 to submit a report of its findings and proposed legislation to the President Pro Tempore.

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Oklahoma Military Veteran and Retired Diplomat Announces for Congress

Oklahoma military veteran and retired diplomat, Hal Spake, announced today that he is a Democratic candidate for Congress. “The voters of Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District deserve an alternative to the failed policies of the Bush administration. I believe the voters want real change in Washington, DC. “ Spake said. Hal Spake served over 22 years in the U.S. diplomatic service in several international trouble spots. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Oklahoma National Guard. He and his wife of 37 years are long-time residents and volunteers in Norman. He is a graduate of Central State University.

The Bush Administration is Undermining American Values. Misrepresentation is not an American Value. We now know that the Administration, shaded, exaggerated, and selectively used intelligence to make an unjustified case for the invasion of Iraq. Now we are engaged in a foreign war costing many American lives and injuries, as well as billions of dollars needed for our country. Today there are nearly 150,000 American troops are risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. The voters of Oklahoma’s Fourth Congressional District deserve a Congressman who will not rubber stamp Bush and Rumsfeld’s flawed war strategies and policies but will instead seek real change in the course of the Iraq War. Clearly we need an exit strategy.
The Bush Administration and our incumbent Republican Congressman have reduced spending for our Veterans Hospitals. While claiming support for our troops, the Republican Administration and our current incumbent Congressman have been abandoning increasing numbers of Iraq war veterans, who have their lost limbs, sight and their health. Failure to take care of our disabled veterans is not an American value.

Republicans praise our homeland defenders for their bravery but cut funding to programs that provide bullet proof vests for police and equipment for firefighters to fund tax cuts for the rich. Abandoning those who protect us is not an American Value.

The leader of the Republican Party stands in the ruins of New Orleans and vows to "do whatever it takes" to rebuild and then returns to Washington to promote tax cuts for the rich and slash the very programs that would help rebuild New Orleans. Leaving cities in ruin, children without schools and people living in pestilence is not an American value.

The Bush administration and our Republican Congressman talk about the need to make America more competitive in a 21st century economy, but then slash student aid programs and undermine science and scientific research. A university education that is within the reach of all students is an American value.

Secret prisons, torture, extraordinary rendition, warrantless wiretaps, attacks on journalists with threats of arrest for espionage for reporting questionable, illegal and unconstitutional activities, are not American values.

The culture of corruption itself is troubling. But, what’s truly offensive about these scandals is that they lead to morally offensive legislation that tramples on the values of hardworking Americans.

When Big Oil companies write the nation’s energy policy it’s no wonder they end up with record breaking profits and billions in tax breaks. High costs of gasoline are forcing hard-working Oklahomans to make difficult choices about basic human needs.

When a Republican Congressional Chairman negotiates a Medicare bill at the same time he’s negotiating for a job as the drug industry’s lobbyist, it’s hardly a surprise when a Republican Congress creates a drug program that benefits the pharmaceutical industry instead of seniors. Exploitation of the elderly is not an American value.

When the people running Washington are accountable only to the special interests, of course they’ll cut taxes for their patrons and spend your tax dollars with reckless abandon. Saddling our children and grandchildren with debt from runaway deficit spending is not an American value.

We need leaders who will uphold the rule of law and place no man above that law. We need leaders who will defend our rights of privacy and the free press. We need leaders who have served their country and who will use its military might, judiciously. We need leaders who represent all Americans, not just the lobbyists and their clients. We need leaders who recognize that manufacturing is the lynchpin between national security and prosperity.

Because I believe that the voters of Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District deserve an alternative to the failed policies of the Bush administration, and because I believe the voters want real change in Washington, DC. I am filing as a candidate for Congress in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District.

For Additional information contact:
Hal Spake
405-292-6243
Halspake4congress@sbcglobal.net

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Oklahoma’s Most Tenacious State Senator Sets Sights On Labor

Oklahoma’s most tenacious State Senator today declared his candidacy for state Labor Commissioner, vowing to bring a “new level of integrity and change” to the office.

Henryetta Democrat Sen. Frank Shurden said his decision to seek the state’s top labor post is based upon his desire to ensure the safety and well being of Oklahomans and their families.

“I believe in serving the people. I believe in fighting for justice,” the plainspoken Shurden said. “I believe that what is good for Oklahoma’s workers and their families is good for the stores that dot our main streets. I believe what is good for those businesses is good for the working folks of Oklahoma.”

During his legislative tenure, the Eastern Oklahoma rancher has consistently battled to protect Oklahomans, expand health care, improve economic development opportunities, increase funding for schools, and to ensure individual rights are safeguarded.

He was the main author of legislation creating the state’s REAP program which helps fund vital projects in Oklahoma’s rural communities. He also was co-author of the state’s Quality Jobs Act which has created thousands of jobs across Oklahoma.

Shurden is the author of Oklahoma’s “Concealed Carry” handgun law. He’s fought to protect the rights of sportsman, and he’s frequently clashed with liberal groups over his conservative values.

He’s best known for his legislative efforts to castrate convicted sex offenders and for defending the rights of Oklahomans involved in cockfighting.

Shurden has never run for statewide office before.

“My record is one of being straightforward and honest, and I am known for my steadfast determination to do what is right. I have always done what my constituents have asked of me,” he said.

“I’m on the job every day and I give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
“As the next Oklahoma Labor Commissioner, I will do the same thing. I will bring a stronger level of integrity to this job.

“I will work tirelessly to make the Labor Commission more effective and responsive to everyone – and I will seek to remove political patronage and bias from agency operations.”

Shurden is certainly no stranger to hard work. He’s missed only three days of service as a legislator in 28 years while working his ranch. He grew up working in his father’s small business and he held a variety of jobs while working his way through college where he was an All-Conference defensive lineman.

“I know what it means to sweat and to put in back-breaking labor all day long, day after day. I grew up doing it. I’m still doing it,” Shurden said. “I also know what it means to worry about how you’re going to take care of your family and where the money’s coming from to pay the mortgage and to put food on the table.”

Shurden also has seen what can happen when the labor department fails to do its job and doesn’t have the ability to correctly do the tasks required of it by law.

Following a terrible boiler explosion at Star Spencer Elementary School in Oklahoma City several years ago, Shurden helped passed legislation that strengthened the Labor Department’s boiler inspection program. The legislation was designed to provide for more hard-hitting inspections, thereby decreasing the likelihood that children could be injured or killed in boiler accidents.

Shurden also authored legislation that gave the labor department the power to inspect carnival rides to make sure they are safe and pose no danger to children. He wrote that law after a carnival ride accident in his hometown.

Shurden, who holds a degree in business management, and his wife Kathryn have seven children and 11 grandchildren.

“It’s time for a change in the way things are done at the Labor Department. It’s time we had a new labor commissioner,” Shurden said. “What I can say to the people of Oklahoma is this – vote for me and I’ll do the job right.”

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Graves challenges Anthony

Reforming Oklahoma’s Corporation Commission and putting an end to personal political vendetta’s that taint commission decisions are the goals of Oklahoma City businessman Cody Graves.

To accomplish those goals, Graves announced today he will challenge Bob Anthony later this year in an attempt to oust the 18-year incumbent politician from the commission.

“We need to make the Corporation Commission count again. We need to make it a state agency that moves Oklahoma forward – one that protects taxpayers and helps them when they have problems,” Graves emphasized.


“It is time for a change at the commission; time for reform and more openness in commission decisions,” Graves said. “It is time to put an end to personal political vendettas and to elect a corporation commissioner who is truly willing to help move our state forward again.”

The commission regulates the state’s public utilities, such as telephone, electric and gas companies, oversees the oil and gas industry and governs the state’s trucking laws.

Graves, 45, is considered by many to be an expert in the fields of utility, oil and gas regulation and economic development. He is currently an officer of Automated Energy, a company that develops web-based energy information solutions to help consumers more efficiently manage their energy costs.

Graves also has testified before Congress on critical energy matters and the needs of consumers.

He served previously as Corporation Commissioner before entering private business.
Graves said he is challenging Anthony because he believes the commission has become too secretive in its deliberations and decisions by Anthony seem to be based primarily on political and personal vendettas.

He called for great accountability and openness at the commission. Graves said Anthony, after holding office over three decades, has clearly lost his desire to serve at the commission, noting that Anthony has twice sought higher office in recent years only to be soundly rejected by voters both times.

“Bob Anthony doesn’t want to be a Corporation Commissioner any longer. He continues to serve, not to protect consumers and to move our state forward but only to act as a malcontent,” Graves said.

“A lone commissioner can do much to protect and help Oklahomans, spur economic development and to make a difference. Bob Anthony is doing none of that.”

Graves said he intends to restore justice and fairness to the commission and that he will also push through reforms and programs that expand and improve the commission’s public service and protection duties.

“A private citizen shouldn’t have to jump through a bunch of government hoops to get answers or help and that’s what’s happening at the commission,” Graves said.

“The two essential roles of the commission are to regulate certain industries in order to protect the people and to help when people have problems with those industries regulated by the commission,” he explained.

“That isn’t happening with Bob Anthony running the commission,” Graves said.
Graves said he will also seek to expand the commission’s role in creating jobs and spurring economic development by proposing ways to broaden the commission’s ability to work with officials in the state Department of Commerce.

“The commission can play an active, positive role in helping create jobs and boost economic development. It’s an area that is severely lacking at the commission right now.”
Graves and his wife Beth have three sons. Beth is a registered nurse at the OU Medical Center.

He served as a long-time aide to former U.S. Senator David Boren. Graves is also active in community affairs, volunteering for a number of groups, boards and commissions.

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Troy Green for State House

I am Troy Green, and I am seeking the State House of Representatives seat in District 53. I want my kids and grandkids, as well as others' kids to be able to live in Oklahoma where they can have well paying jobs, great schools, excellent healthcare, and every oppurtunity to succeed.

For too long, the working class people of this state have had to take a backseat to the special interest groups and political power brokers with plenty of money. Each citizen of this state deserves the same attention and representation, whether he or she is a CEO or a minimum wage earner. We can make better strides in the field of Education. Oklahoma is 47th in education funding overall, and our teachers are 50th in their salaries. There are many excellent private and faith based schools in our state, but those schools are not required to transport, feed, provide special education, take non-English speaking students, or provide services for the foster children of this state.

Many cuts have been made in insurance and Medicaid funding in the recent past. Without funding, parents are unable to seek medical attention for their children. We must address this issue for our citizens. Who will choose which folks will be sent out onto the streets?

As Democrats, we are concerned about people - all people. Their education, health care, and life oppurtunities are important to us. This ability to care about others defines us as a party. Bob Hope was quoted as saying, "If you haven't any chatrity in your heart, you have the worst kind of trouble." I am glad to be a member of the Party without heart trouble.

I pledge to you that I will not compromise my priciples, honesty, or integrity in order to win an election. I will not say or do anything because it is "just politics." My theme is: It's all about the kids. It's all about the seniors.

It's all about the people.

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War Veteran, Civic leader seeks Senate seat

SAPULPA -- Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Mark Young, a Democrat, today announced his candidacy for State Senate District 12, which is being vacated by Senator Ted Fisher due to term limits.

"I grew up in a family of public servants and began serving our country as a United States Marine in 1969. For nearly a century my family has maintained a law office on the Main Street of Sapulpa accessible to all the people of this area. My roots in this district, coupled with the world-class leadership training obtained from service in the United States military qualify me to serve as your next State Senator. It would be a great honor to continue the tradition of strong leadership and respect for family values that the people of this district have come to expect from Senator Ted Fisher," said Young.

"I am running for the State Senate because I want to make sure that Eastern Oklahoma remains a quality place for families and that means getting and keeping good paying jobs in our area," said Young. "We've got to look at how we can attract new, good paying jobs and keep the ones that we already have so that our children have opportunities right here at home."

"The rising cost of health care in our state also needs to be addressed. It is just plain wrong that many middle class families struggle to pay for the most basic health insurance and that so many of us are just one health care crisis away from financial ruin. As your next State Senator, I will look at ways we can reduce the cost of health care without sacrificing quality," continued Young.

In 1969, John Mark Young joined the Marines and entered the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program at Quantico, Virginia. He earned a Bachelors of Business Administration in 1972 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1974 from the University of Oklahoma, gaining admission to the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1975. He has practiced both civilian and military law since that time. He later obtained a Masters Degree in History from the University of Tulsa in 1988. Young served on active duty as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) from 1975 to 1979 and later served in the Marine Reserves, with mobilizations during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and to Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom in 2003. He has also served in Korea, Eqypt, and Bahrain. Young is a lifelong Sapulpa resident where he has practiced law with his grandfather and father, long-time state Senator John W. Young, since 1979.

Young's civic involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce and the Oklahoma Victory Transformation Center (a women's residential Christian rehabilitation facility), First Vice President of the Sapulpa Lions Club, and membership in the Oklahoma Rifle Association, National Rifle Association and the International Fellowship of Christian Businessmen.

John Mark met his wife Debi while they were both students at the University of Oklahoma. They have been married for 35 years and have seven children and five grandchildren. John Mark is active member of Sapulpa First Baptist Church. For more information about John Mark, please visit http://www.youngforsenate06.com/.

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