Undocumented immigrants to be charged wire transfer fee under proposed legislation

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Paul Scott filed legislation Thursday to charge individuals a fee on international wire transactions who do not present valid personal identification. The Duncan Republican said he hopes the bill will cut down on the number of undocumented immigrants sending untaxed dollars out of the state as well as address drug money being funneled to other countries. 

“We have a large population of undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma. This bill will help the state collect a portion of their untaxed dollars and hopefully encourage them to seek citizenship,” said Scott. “Drug cartels and gangs are also transferring thousands, and possibly millions, of dollars in illegal funds across the border and to other countries. This is an effort to slow that practice and deter illegal activities in Oklahoma while also ensuring the state gets some financial benefit.” 

Senate Bill 547 defines a valid personal identification as an unexpired state-issued driver license, permit or temporary permit or identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety, or any unexpired federally-issued document from the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service authorizing a lawful presence. 

The legislation would authorize money transmission licensees to collect a $10 fee for transactions of up to $500 and a one percent fee for transactions over $500. The fees would be remitted quarterly to the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) and deposited into the General Revenue Fund.  

Under SB 547, the OTC could suspend the license of any licensee of a money transmission or wire transmitter business that failed to file reports or remit the fee. The licensee could not reapply for a license until they had filed all of the required reports and remitted the fees. 

The legislative session begins on Monday, February 6.  

Oklahoma DOC Population Surpasses 61,000 Individuals for First Time in Agency History

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the first time in the 49 year history of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the population of individuals who are incarcerated, on supervision or are currently in a county jail awaiting transfer has surpassed 61,000 this week.

Today’s system wide count is 61,012.

There are 26,619 inmates being housed in state-run and private prisons or halfway houses; 32,564 being supervised on GPS monitors, community supervision or by probation and parole officers; and 1,829 in county jail backup.

Corrections Director Joe M. Allbaugh calls the numbers a sobering reminder of how overpopulated and dangerous the state's prison system continues to become.  

“We are beyond the tipping point,” Allbaugh said. “The staff and the public are at risk every day when we operate at this capacity. We are critically understaffed in facilities that weren’t built to house inmates. Some of these places are over a century old, causing the agency to hemorrhage money. Statewide, our prisons are in need of more than $2 billion in infrastructure repairs.

“We have individuals working in the agency who qualify for food stamps and an astronomical turnover rate close to 40 percent, which is leading to money spent on perpetual officer academies and training for new employees. The inefficient practices inundating the agency for decades must end."

Allbaugh is a member of Gov. Mary Fallin’s Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force, which recently had its deadline for recommendations of proposed legislation extended.

“I am encouraged by some of the recommendations being discussed by the task force,” Allbaugh said. “However, we need to stop nibbling around the edges and pass substantive reforms that will have an immediate impact on the population.”

The Crime and Justice Institute and the Pew Charitable Trusts have been providing assistance to the task force. The organizations have concluded if no action is taken Oklahoma’s prison population will increase by 25 percent over the next 10 years and the state will need three additional prisons to handle the increased population.

The total cost to Oklahoma taxpayers is an estimated $1.2 billion in capital needs with an additional $700 million in operating costs.  

“The department has operated the same way for more than 30 years and it's unacceptable," said Corrections Board Chairman Michael Roach. “It’s hard to imagine the situation getting worse. We have seen the numbers. If we don’t take immediate action the system will continue to erode to a point of disrepair forcing the taxpayers to foot an even larger bill.

“We need to get more individuals on board with meaningful reform to right this ship.”

Roach said the current state of the agency is the reason behind the $1.648 billion budget request the corrections board members unanimously approved at the last board meeting.

Rotary Club and Parks Department receive awards, City approves OneVoice Legislative Agenda

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular monthly meeting Monday evening at City Hall and approved several City ordinances and resolutions. Only nine citizens showed up to the public event. 

Mayor Mike Burdge presented a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing the Sand Springs Rotary Club for their contribution toward the Rotary Super Splash pad in Case Community Park. "It was great working with Parks, and we're thrilled with how the project turned out," said a representative from the Rotary Club.

City Council unanimously approved a specific use permit allowing the construction of the new Public Safety facility to be constructed in the Sheffield Crossing development. The facility will house the new Police Headquarters, Fire Station, Training/Conference areas, and a Municipal Jail. The jail is a simple local lockup similar to what's already located in downtown, but slightly larger. A special use permit is a standard requirement for any City jail and the proposed location received little-to-no objection from abutting property owners. 

Council unanimously voted to support the 2017 OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda. The seven-page agenda represents the City and surrounding area's priorities for the upcoming legislative session and what they hope the State and Federal legislatures will focus on. The agenda lays out thirty bullet points in three categories, including: creating an educated and healthy workforce, building infrastructure critical to business, and ensuring a prosperous economy. 

SEE RELATED: OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda

Council unanimously voted to approve an ordinance allowing the use of three-year rabies immunizations. Existing ordinance require an annual vaccine for dogs and cats within the City limits, but some veterinarians have begun use of a three-year vaccine that previously wouldn't have been sufficient from a legal standpoint. Pet owners may now make use of either form of vaccine.

Council unanimously voted to affirm two abandoned and dilapidated properties on the North side of the river as public nuisances, clearing the way for their demolition. The properties are located at 514 1/2 N. Washington Ave., and 521 N. Lincoln Ave.

Council unanimously voted to authorize the transfer of property located at 320 N. Lincoln Ave. This allows the City to sell or convey the property. The land is currently being looked at by an anonymous local technical school program that wants to use the property for a housing construction project. The property is now declared as surplus and neighbors have thirty days to protest its use in such a manner, if they so desire.

Consent Agenda, unanimously approved 7-0-0

Council approved a contract with R.L. Shears Company to conduct a sidewalk inventory and prepare a pedestrian improvements plan for the South side of the river. The City previously contracted with Shears Company for a similar project on the North side of the river, using grant funding from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. The South-side project will also be funded with a TSET grant of $49,880. 

Council approved resolution 17-10, redirecting $60,000 from the Economic Development Capitol Fund to the Morrow Road Widening project. The section of Morrow Road from Highway 97 to Broad Street will be expanded from two to three lanes in preparation for the construction of the Sheffield Crossing development and the future City Public Safety Facility. The City has contracted with Craig & Keithline, Inc. for the project. 

Council authorized an expenditure of up-to $30,369.25 to Garland's Backhoe Service, Inc. for a BPS Water Line Relocation project along Highway 51. As part of the same project, Council approved expenditure of up-to $67,960 to Tomcat Consultants, LLC. for the rental of temporary portable water tanks for six months while the Highway 51 Standpipe is replaced. 

Council approved an additional $2,700 payment to Nova Painting, LLC to the existing $219,100 contract for sandblasting and painting of the Prue Road water tower. 

Council approved expenses up-to $82,000 payable to Tetra Tech, Inc. for the Northside Water Distribution Disinfection System Improvement project.

In Other News:

Sand Springs citizen Gregory Fisher was recently named by Governor Mary Fallin to the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority. He is filling a newly created position and will serve as a representative of Sand Springs. 

The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge restaurant is now open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. seven days a week.

City offices will be closed November 24th through 25th due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Chandler Park Lights on the Hill festival begins November 25th.

The Sand Springs Festival of Lights Christmas Parade is currently scheduled for December 2nd. There is currently no word on if the Chamber of Commerce will reschedule the event should the Sandite Football team win their playoff game Friday night. Last year the Charles Page High School Football team won their semi-final playoff game and qualified for the State Championship for the first time in 49 years. The Chamber rescheduled the Parade for that Saturday so as to not conflict with the historic game. The Sandites are once again in the semi-finals Friday and the State Championship game is once again on the same night as the parade. The theme for this year's parade is "All American Christmas" due to 2016 being both a Presidential Election year and an Olympic year.

The Sand Springs Community Theater will be putting on a free play on December 4th at the Central Ninth Grade Center. "Tomato Plant Girl" recently won its category in a competition in Stillwater and will be moving on to the Regional performance in Lafayette, Louisiana in April. The December performance will be free, but will also be taking cash donations for the April trip, as well as canned food donations for the Sand Springs Community Services. 

The Sand Springs Parks Department recently won an award for their renovation of the Jerry Adair Baseball Park following tornado damage in 2015. The award recognizes both the quality of the renovation as well as the timeliness. 

The Food for Fines amnesty day the City recently implemented saw more than 291 participants, more than 100 of whom had warrants recalled as a result of their canned food donations. The day began at 8:00 a.m. with people lined up waiting, and the two City workers involved worked till 7:30 p.m. with no lunch and no breaks. The City doesn't yet have numbers on loss/gain of revenue, but considers the event to be a large success. 

OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda

2017 Regional Legislative Agenda

State Priorities

EDUCATED AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE

• Address the Teacher Shortage
  • Improve the ability of Oklahoma’s Pre-K-12 public schools to attract and retain effective career teachers through policies designed to increase the state’s pool of qualified teachers and improve teachers’ job satisfaction. This should include ensuring competitive teacher pay; incentivizing education for aspiring teachers; eliminating barriers for alternative certification, special education and returning retired teachers; ensuring low student-teacher ratios; and supporting professional development. Oklahoma’s ability to fill its growing teacher shortage with quality, effective teachers is crucial to the college and career success of its students and the sustainability of its workforce.
• Behavioral Health Services
  • Expand behavioral health and substance abuse services that improve workforce efficiency, boost public safety, create efficiencies in state spending and help additional Oklahomans suffering from behavioral health issues. This should include increasing funding for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; expanding mental health and drug courts to decrease unnecessary incarcerations; preparing judicial districts to enact the Labor Commissioner Mark Costello Act, with adequate funding for new assisted outpatient treatment; and expanding the use of assisted outpatient treatment by broadening the definition of who can petition courts to seek an order for outpatient treatment.
• Expand Insure Oklahoma
  • Expand Insure Oklahoma and pass the Medicaid Rebalancing Act to reduce the number of uninsured Oklahomans by accepting federal funds. This will improve the health of Oklahoma’s workforce, strengthen behavioral health services and create sustainable jobs in rural and urban areas — all of which are paramount to an economically viable Oklahoma.
• Healthcare Workforce Expansion
  • Address current and future healthcare workforce needs in urban and rural Oklahoma through the following means: 1) Use all available state and federal resources to support and expand Teaching Health Center related programs, including by expanding the Oklahoma Hospital Residency Training Act to include community-based training; 2) Support the Physician Manpower Training Commission, which is uniquely situated to serve as a valuable resource on provider workforce issues; 3) Support reforms that will allow Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants with appropriate levels of training and experience to practice to the full extent of their license without the physical presence of a supervising physician; and 4) Support efforts to expand the availability, funding and utilization of telehealth services in a manner that enhances locally-provided healthcare services.
• Oppose School Vouchers
  • Oppose school vouchers and any programs directing public funds to private schools, including Education Savings Accounts and private school tax credits. Taxpayer money should instead be spent on improving public schools, where those funds can be used more effectively to improve academic outcomes for more students and maintain the strength of local school districts. 
• Restore Education Funding
  • Safeguard current funding for Oklahoma’s education institutions and resolve to restore funding levels to their pre-Recession highs relative to enrollment. Long-term trends of reduced funding for Pre-K-12, higher education and CareerTech have curtailed the ability of Oklahoma’s education systems to produce an educated workforce, making the state less competitive for new and expanding businesses and damaging its reputation around the world as a quality place to live, work and build a business. Oklahoma must make up ground to ensure an economically vibrant state.

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE CRITICAL TO BUSINESS

• Defend Existing Road Funding and Dedicate Motor Vehicle Fees
  • Defend all existing road funding; prevent any diversion of monies; and support increased funding for transportation by developing an adequate, comprehensive funding strategy and financing plan to broaden the sources of funds and increase the total amount going to transportation statewide to support the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Eight Year Plan, the County Improvement for Roads and Bridges Five Year Plan, the municipal Street and Alley Fund and the construction and operation of Oklahoma’s planned weigh stations. Support moving the remaining 25% of motor vehicle fees, which currently go into the state general revenue fund, to transportation priority areas which may include state highways, city and county roads and bridges, and public transit. Support the following regional high-priority projects: widening of I-44 from I-244 east to the Will Rogers Turnpike; widening I-44 from the Arkansas River west to I-244 (Red Fork Expressway); expansion of U.S. 169 to six lanes north to State Highway 20; realignment of Highway 20 from U.S. 169 to Claremore; construction of a four-lane Port Road on Highway 266 from U.S. 169 to the Port of Catoosa, and from the Port of Catoosa to I-44; and expansion of US-75 to six lanes from State Highway 11 to State Highway 67.
• Gilcrease Expressway
  • Support the completion of the Gilcrease Expressway from I-44 to US-412/Edison as a part of the Oklahoma Driving Forward initiative through a funding partnership with the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County, INCOG, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and tribal governments to expedite this long overdue transportation project.

ENSURING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY

• Criminal Justice Reform
  • Support sentencing reforms and rehabilitation programs that enable nonviolent offenders to reenter the workforce faster and reduce the financial strain on Oklahoma’s criminal justice system. Overly-punitive measures for drug users and other nonviolent offenders have given Oklahoma one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates, contributing to workforce shortages, harming economic growth and overburdening taxpayers. A stronger focus on rehabilitation would reduce recidivism, lessen the burden on prisons and safety net programs and enable more ex-offenders to contribute meaningfully to Oklahoma’s economy.
• Economic Incentives
  • Support tax credits, exemptions, and incentives that provide an economic return to the state of Oklahoma, maintain our competitiveness in business attraction and retention, and increase capital investment. Several programs proposed for review in the first year of the Oklahoma Incentive Evaluation Commission are critical to our state’s competitiveness and should be protected, including:
    • a. Five Year Ad Valorem Exemption
    • b. Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit
    • c. Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit
    • d. Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit – Tuition Reimbursement and Compensation Paid
    • e. Quality Events Program
    • f. Film Enhancement Rebate
• Fund OCAST (Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology)
  • Maintain OCAST’s annual budget at its Fiscal Year 2017 level. The state has lost more than $600 million in potential public and private investment as a result of reduced funding for OCAST over the last five years. This funding assists Oklahoma in four vital areas: (1) research and development funding for businesses & universities, (2) two- and four-year college internship opportunities, (3) manufacturing support, and (4) early-stage funding for start-up businesses. This funding allows Oklahoma communities to attract and retain high-quality STEM businesses and critical college talent, which will encourage growth and expansion in these target industries.
• Improved Business Climate for Oil and Gas Production
  • Oklahoma’s combination of abundant energy resources and an entrepreneurial people has resulted in some of the lowest energy costs of any state in the nation. To preserve and maintain our position as a leading oil and gas producing state, and to protect the important economic impact of oil and gas production to all Oklahomans, we support efforts to open all geologic formations in Oklahoma to horizontal drilling. We support an Oklahoma energy policy that provides a clear regulatory environment and oppose unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
• Municipal Funding Diversification
  • Support legislation to preserve and diversify sources of revenue available to municipalities and reduce the volatility associated with a single source for revenue. Key initiatives include diversifying revenue for funding public safety agencies, streets, and other infrastructure improvements; and preserving and strengthening cities’ authority to promote economic development activities within their borders.
• Self-Determination in Facility Firearm Policies
  • While acknowledging the rights granted by the Second Amendment, protect the current law giving venue owners, event operators, and recreational facilities the authority to control firearm policies on property they manage. Removing this control would endanger Oklahoma’s ability to attract events that bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars into our economy each year. Many events—especially in youth and collegiate sports—have non-negotiable firearm policies and removing the controls under current law would limit facility operators’ ability to ensure the safety of their events, increase the cost of providing security, and could subject them to additional liability.
• Support Regional Air Quality Efforts
  • Support and fund regional air quality efforts to avoid federal non-attainment designation and the economic hardship this would create for our region. Tulsa area ozone levels have periodically approached the current EPA standard, and an even tighter standard is anticipated. Continued support for common-sense strategies like the Ozone Advance Program and the development of a local air shed model is critical to assure the most appropriate and cost-effective reduction strategies, and all efforts toward air quality improvement initiatives—both private and public, voluntary and enforceable—should be made as soon as possible. In addition, continued support to increase public CNG fueling infrastructure will help decrease the current level of vehicle emissions, while aligning with the Oklahoma First Energy Plan.

Federal Priorities

EDUCATED AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE

• Graduate Medical Education
  • Through long-term funding authorization, fully fund existing HRSA Teaching Health Center programs at $150,000 per resident and allocate additional resources to double the number of funded THC residency positions nationwide. This will allow for training more homegrown physicians, strengthening the most effective tool for improving Oklahoma’s physician shortage.
• HEA Reauthorization
  • Support the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) and fully fund federal mandates.
• Long-term Insure Oklahoma waiver reauthorization
  • Encourage flexibility in negotiations to grant a long-term reauthorization of Oklahoma’s Section 1115 waiver for Insure Oklahoma. Uncertainty in the long-term future of Insure Oklahoma has hurt enrollment and resulted in the exclusion of thousands of Oklahomans who would be eligible for coverage even under current requirements.
• Mental Health Reform
  • Support large-scale reform of the national mental health system that elevates the national priority for mental health issues. This includes increasing funding for evidence-based strategies and services; incentivizing assisted outpatient treatment; permitting integration of mental health and substance treatment records with medical records; ensuring complete enactment of the mental health parity law in Medicaid and Medicare; and enhancing behavioral health workforce training.

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE CRITICAL TO BUSINESS

• Arkansas River Corridor Development
  • Support efforts to expedite the implementation of the Arkansas River Corridor Project for river infrastructure improvements. Allow federal match credit to be accrued for state and local expenditures in order to advance construction activity while preserving the Tulsa region’s access to future federal funding for this federally authorized project.
• McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System
  • Increase Congressional appropriations to address the approximate $180 million in maintenance backlog of MKARNS—50% of which are deemed critical—potentially leading to a shutdown of the waterway over the next 5 years, and the White River Entrance Channel Cut-off problem caused by the tendency of the White and Arkansas Rivers to merge together. Provide the necessary appropriations to deepen the MKARNS to its 12 foot authorized depth, thereby increasing barge productivity by 30%.
• Tulsa’s Levee System
  • Support addressing the critical infrastructure needs with Tulsa's aging levee system, which the Corps of Engineers has designated as one of the 5% highest-risk levee systems in the country. If one fails, it would be catastrophic for homeowners, two nationally strategic oil refineries, and multiple industries currently protected by levee system, and have devastating environmental impacts for our region.

ENSURING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY

• Accelerate Permitting of Energy Projects
  • Support efforts to accelerate federal permitting for projects necessary to achieve domestic energy independence. Legislative and Administrative efforts should focus on ensuring concurrent permitting for all federally required approvals, approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, streamlining the process for FERC approval of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals and interstate pipelines, and permitting of U.S. Petrochemical projects that make fertilizer, polyethylene and other natural gas derived products. These projects would create a boom in the U.S. domestic economy, support job creation, strengthen our trade balance, and increase product security and price stability on a global scale.
• Collection of Online Sales/Use Taxes
  • Support passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act or other federal legislation which will ensure that the sales and use taxes already owed from online purchases are fairly and effectively reported, collected, and remitted.
• Federal Historic Tax Credits
  • Maintain federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits for the restoration of historic buildings. These credits have for 30 years been an important catalyst for incentivizing private investment to preserve our nation’s historically-significant buildings and revitalize the historic cores of American cities. The existing 20-percent income tax credit for certified historic structures and 10 percent credit for certain non-certified historic structures should be preserved.
• Federal Immigration Reform
  • Support comprehensive immigration reform that enables the U.S. to attract the best and brightest talent from around the world. Steps should be taken to secure borders and establish reasonable, affordable and efficient visa policies that empower American businesses to hire essential workers and remove barriers for top talent to work in the U.S. Immediate steps should be taken to address workforce shortages in specialty and technology occupations, including increasing the cap on H-1B visas; and improving H-1B fairness for small and medium employers by lowering application fees and eliminating the lottery-selection process in favor of a needs-based system. Oppose further state legislation related to immigration reform.
• Position Tulsa for F-35 Operations
  • Support the Tulsa Air National Guard Base in positioning the 138th Fighter Wing for selection as an operating location for the next generation fighter aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II. With an economic impact of more than $530 million to the community, the base supports more than 1,200 citizen soldiers and plays a key role in the defense of this nation and the continued vibrancy of the Tulsa region's economy. The Tulsa basing of the F-35 could increase base employment by another five percent.
• Restraint in Labor Regulation Changes:
  • Moderate changes in labor regulations to ensure fairness for both employer and employee and minimize harmful effects on job creation. Recent rulings and interpretations by the Department of Labor and NLRB targeting overtime pay, independent contractors and joint employment status will reduce employers’ hiring capacities; disproportionally harm small businesses, the hospitality industry and the nonprofit sector; increase legal liabilities; and threaten business models that have worked for decades, such as franchising and the legitimate use of independent contractors. These changes represent drastic departures from previous norms and should reversed, pared down or implemented more gradually while protecting existing business models.
• Restrict Federal Rulemaking Authority:
  • Encourage and support members of Congress to restrict federal rulemaking authority by requiring a standardized, comprehensive, and cumulative cost/benefit analysis of the total economic impact of rules, including the effect on jobs, electricity rates and reliability, gasoline prices, energy-intensive manufacturing, small businesses, housing market, power plant closures, agriculture, and state and local governments. The regulating entity should perform the cost/benefit analysis along a standard process which should then be reviewed by at least one independent agency.
• Support Legislation Delaying the Implementation of the EPA 2015 Ozone Standard
  • The Tulsa region’s challenges to avoid the economic burden of non-attainment have resulted in substantial ground-level ozone improvement over the past 25 years. However, even though continued air improvement is foreseeable, the implementation schedule for the EPA’s 2015 ozone standard could cause non-attainment for Tulsa and many metropolitan areas across the nation. EPA regulatory implementation schedules are bound by an outdated law which no longer provides adequate time for air quality improvements to occur before overlapping regulation and nonattainment may occur. Undeniably, good air quality is fundamental to healthy communities and to economic development. However, EPA’s untimely schedule for implementing the October 2015 ozone NAAQS may cause non-attainment status and the far-reaching economic burden we have long sought to avoid.

Libertarian Party grows by leaps and bounds in 2016 election, sets sights optimistically on 2018

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Libertarianism is on the rise.

The 2016 election has been arguably the most successful election in the history of the Libertarian Party (LP), and not just on the Presidential level. While the unpopularity of both major party candidates sent Gary Johnson to 3% with more than 4 million ballots, general disaffection for establishment politics helped the 45 year old party to record performances in the House, State, and Gubernatorial elections as well.

In Oklahoma specifically, the LP made its way onto the ballot for the first time since 2000 and will retain ballot access into 2018 after Johnson achieved 6% of the Oklahoma vote. 

Sixteen Oklahoma libertarians ran for office in this week's election, and though none won, they polled at an average of 10%. Oklahoma County Clerk candidate Chris Powell had the best performance with 36% of the vote, followed by State Senate District 35 candidate Frank Grove with 35%. House District 39 candidate Clark Duffe carried 23%. At the national level, U.S. Representative District 4 candidate Sevier White carried 4% and District 5 candidate Zachary Knight won 6%. U.S. Senator candidate Robert Murphy won 3% in a five-way race challenging popular incumbent Republican James Lankford.

With incumbent Republican Governor Mary Fallin term-limited, the Libertarians will need to secure at least 2.5% of the vote in 2018 to remain on the ballot for the next Presidential election.

“Looking forward, we don’t really see that 2.5% mark as a barrier to future success. In 2018 and beyond, we’ll be running to win. The Libertarian message has resonated with voters in Oklahoma, and we will work tirelessly to ensure citizens have the opportunity to support principled libertarian candidates seeking office at every level of state government," said Party Chair Tina Kelly in a press release this week.

The LP was officially formed on December 11, 1971 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. By 2016 the LP was the third largest political party in the United States with 411,250 registered voters. The party currently claims to hold 147 local elected offices across the country.

Presidential Campaign History

John Hospers was the first presidential nominee of the LP and Theodora Nathan was selected as VP. Though the 1972 ticket only gained 3,674 votes for tenth place in the general election, they received one electoral vote from a faithless elector, marking the first time in U.S. History a female has received an electoral vote.

In 1976 the party nominated Roger MacBride, the faithless elector from 1972, with running mate David Bergland. The ticket brought home 172,553 votes and finished fourth.

The 1980 ticket set the LP record for the next three decades as Ed Clark and billionaire David Koch brought in 921,128 votes and finished in fourth place. They broke 1% of the popular vote for the first time, a feat that would not be repeated until 2012.

The LP saw massive decline in 1984 with only 228,111 votes for David Bergland and James Lewis, but unsurprisingly due to the funding cut of not having a billionaire on the ticket. It was still an improvement over 1976 and should be considered a victory for the LP.

1988 saw the arrival of Ron Paul on the ticket, arguably the most famous Libertarian (among non-Libertarians) to date. Paul and running mate Andre Marrou took in 431,750 votes. Marrou took over the ticket in 1992 and saw the first legitimate decrease in LP support with 290,087 votes. The rise of the party stagnated from there as Harry Browne headed the ticket in both 1996 and 2000, with Michael Badnarik taking over in 2004.

The LP’s presidential campaign has only grown since 2000 as Badnarik finished with 397,265 and 2008 candidate Bob Barr brought in 523,713.

In 2012 former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Justice Jim Gray waged the most successful campaign to that point, finishing with 1,275,821 votes and 1%, a feat that Johnson shattered in 2016. In a year with declining voter turnout that saw the eventual victor Donald Trump attain less votes than the second place finisher of the last two elections; by the time polls had closed, Johnson and former Republican Governor of Massachusetts William Weld had broken 3% with 4,058,500 votes and third place for the second-straight election. They fell short of their 5% goal, but successfully waged the most successful LP campaign to-date by a wide margin.

U.S. House Campaign History

The party also made their first attempt at the House of Representatives in 1972 and finished 18th with 2,028 votes. That number ticked up to 71,791 in 1976 for seventh place, 64,310 in 1978 for sixth place, and by 1980 was officially the third party with 568,131 votes. Since then, the LP has only slipped to fourth place three times, always behind independent candidates, and has maintained third place in every election since 1996. They broke the 1% mark in 1998 and have done so numerous times since.

To-date, the LP has still not won a house seat, but beat their 2000 record in House campaign votes with 1,713,220 this year. Most successful among the LP were three Arkansas candidates. Kerry Hicks took 25% of the vote in Congressional district 4. Mark West and Steve Isaacson took 23% each in districts 1 and 3, respectively. Of the 75 candidates to run, 42 grossed 5% or more of the vote, twelve took 10% or more, and seven took 15% or more. The all-time best performance for an LP House candidate was Joel Balam who took 31.5% of the vote in Kansas in 2012.

U.S. Senate Campaign History

The first Libertarian attempt at the Senate was waged in 1976 with candidates in nine of the 33 contested seats. In 1994 Scott Grainger attained 6.8% of the vote in Arizona, smashing the previous record of 3.9% set by Montana candidate Larry Dodge. His record was undone in 2000 by Massachusetts candidate Carla Howell with 11.9%. Massachusetts was favorable for Libertarians again in 2002 when Michael E. Cloud brought in 16.6% which stood as the most successful LP Senate campaign till 2016. That year, the LP brought in 1.739% of the vote.

2016 was a record breaking year for the LP with 20 candidates running for Senate attaining 1,700,969 votes. Alaska candidate Joe Miller brought in 30% of the vote, trailing Republican victor Lisa Murkowski by 14%. Miller beat the Democratic candidate by 19%. Two other Libertarians broke 5% in senate elections.

U.S. Gubernatorial Campaign History

The first ever Libertarian attempt at a governorship was in 1976 as Arlan Andrews drew 0.29% of the vote in North Carolina. In 1978 seven candidates competed in gubernatorial elections and Mabel Everett took home 4.6% in New Hampshire. Dick Randolph led seventeen libertarian candidates in 1982 and won 14.9% of Alaska. Randolph owns the most successful LP gubernatorial campaign to-date. Since then, only one other LP candidate has broken 10%; Wisconsin’s Ed Thompson in 2002. This year the LP had candidates in ten out of twelve races and averaged 2.6% of the vote. New Hampshire candidate Max Abramson led the most successful campaign of the season with 4.3%.

It remains to be seen if the Libertarian Party will continue its growth in the next midterm election, but with more Americans identifying as politically independent than at any point in the country’s history, both major parties will likely have their eyes on the Libertarian Party in the years to come.

Sand Springs heavily represented on the ballot, splits from Tulsa County on Commissioner

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

How did Sand Springs compare with Oklahoma as a whole in this election? Local voter turnout was up by 7% over the 2012 election as more than 12,000 voters showed up at the twelve Sand Springs precincts. 

Sandites were overwhelmingly Republican in the Presidential election, averaging 64% support for GOP candidates. Democratic candidates took home 28% of the vote, while Independents and Libertarians each snagged 4%.

Unsurprisingly, the black and gold went 71% to Donald Trump, who only gained 58% of the statewide ballots. This was consistent with the 2012 election when Mitt Romney garnered 70% of the local ballot, though Romney reached 67% in the rest of the State. Liberal leaning Sandites turned away from Hillary Clinton as she drew only 23% compared to 29% for Barrack Obama. Libertarian Gary Johnson earned just over 5% locally, compared to 6% across Oklahoma. Johnson has announced he will not campaign in 2020, but his performance in the polls will allow the future Libertarian candidate automatic ballot access in the next election.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Lloyd Snow, precincts in white were won by Dan Newberry.

U.S. Senator James Lankford overwhelmingly won Sand Springs with 72% of the vote. Democrat Mike Workman took 20%, Libertarian Robert Murphy took 3%, and independents Mark Beard and Sean Braddy both took 2%. The third party candidates drew local support consistent with the Statewide election, but urban centers bumped Workman's support to 29% across the State.

The most heated of the local elections was between two-term District 37 State Senator Dan Newberry and Democratic challenger, former Sand Springs Superintendent Lloyd Snow. Though Newberry won the election by more than 15%, it was far closer in Snow's hometown where he won four of ten precincts and only trailed by 2%. Snow has announced that he does not intend to run for political office again.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Jadine Nollan, precincts in white were won by Dianna Phillips. 

For District 66 State Representative, two-term Republican incumbent Jadine Nollan was aided to a landslide 67% of the vote due to her favorable view in the eyes of most Sandites. Though Democratic challenger Dianna Phillips is also from Sand Springs, she failed to win a single precinct in her hometown. Outside of Sand Springs, the two were neck-and-neck with Nollan getting a slight 4% margin of victory. Within Sand Springs Nollan won all nine precincts with 76% of the vote.

Incumbent Republican Vic Regalado easily won reelection for Tulsa County Sheriff with 66% of the vote in the State and 75% of the Sandite vote. Republican Tulsa County Court Clerk candidate Donald Newberry swept 71% of the Sand Springs vote and 63% of the County.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Josh Turley, precincts in white were won by Karen Keith.

Another local election with major Sand Springs ties was the race for Tulsa County Commissioner for District 2. Democratic incumbent Karen Keith won the County vote by 13%, but Republican challenger Josh Turley won his hometown with 56% of the Sandite vote. Turley swung eight of ten Sand Springs precincts and overwhelmingly locked up the entire West side of the county. Turley has already announced his candidacy for the 2020 election. 

Sand Springs, like the rest of the region, voted to retain all seven justices. The only Justice not to break 60% approval in Sand Springs was Supreme Court Justice Douglas Combs who came in at 58%. He was also approved by the lowest margin of the justices across the ballot. He barely won Precinct 880 with only 51% of the vote, which is located in the Keystone lake area South of the Arkansas River. No justice has ever been removed via ballot in the history of the State. 

State Question 776 was approved by 61% across the State and achieved 69% in Sand Springs.

State Question 777 was rejected by 71% of both the State and Sand Springs.

State Question 779 was rejected by 57% of the State and 61% of Sand Springs.

State Question 780 was approved by 65% of the State and 58% of Sand Springs.

State Question 781 was approved by 62% of the State and 55% of Sand Springs.

State Question 790 was rejected by 60% of the State and 59% of Sand Springs.

State Question 792 was approved by 72% of the State and 68% of Sand Springs.

Incumbents Dan Newberry and Jadine Nollan win third terms, Oklahomans reject SQ 779

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

State and local voters turned out in record-breaking numbers Tuesday afternoon in the conclusion to one of the most bitterly contested Presidential elections in recent memory. Sand Springs precincts saw especially high turnout as this election was close to home for many Sandite voters. Several candidates for State and local government have Sand Springs ties.

Longtime Sand Springs resident Jadine Nollan was reelected to House District 66 for a third term by a large margin. In 2012 she won with 66.8% of the vote and ran unopposed in 2014 to retain her position. Democratic challenger Dianna Phillips, also of Sand Springs, brought in only 32.10% of the vote. 

Incumbent Republican Dan Newberry staved off his Democratic challenger in a battle for the Senate District 37 seat. Former Sand Springs Superintendent Lloyd Snow waged a heated campaign to unseat Newberry, but drew only 40% of the vote. Independent candidate Shawn Ketcher bought in 4%. Newberry was first elected in 2008 with 63% of the vote and was reelected in 2012 by winning the Republican primary with 67% and running unopposed in the general election.

"We thought it'd be much closer, but it isn't," said Snow, in his concession speech. "If you can't run a competitive race with 200 grand working eight hours a day knocking doors, I don't know what will do it..You get what you get. We need more advocates. I've never taken losses to be personal. I'll always be a noisy citizen, but I'll never do this again."

Incumbent Republican Vic Regalado won reelection to the office of Tulsa County Sheriff, handily defeating Democratic challenger Rex Berry with 66% of the vote. Regalado won a special election earlier this year for Stanley Glanz's unexpired term. Regalado holds a Tulsa address, but lives in the Sand Springs Public School district and his kids attend Sand Springs schools.

Democratic incumbent Karen Keith easily fended off Republican challenger Joshua Turley to retain the position of County Commissioner. Keith, a former KJRH television reporter, first won election in 2008. Turley is a lifelong Sand Springs resident and a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office. Keith drew 57% of the vote. 

All seven justices up for retention during this election were retained by an average margin of 36%. Not surprising, as no justice has ever been ousted on the ballot in the history of Oklahoma.

State Question No. 776 passed with moderate support amounting to 60% of the vote. The question amends the State Constitution to affirm the State's right to carry out the death penalty. Its passage will allow the Legislature to designate any method of execution not prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. 

State Question No. 777, the "Right to Farm" amendment was overwhelming defeated with only 28% support. 

State Question No. 779, a constitutional amendment that would have created a 1% sales tax increase to fund raises for teachers, was defeated by a 17% margin. 

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister issued a statement in response to 779's defeat. "Until we are prepared to take bold action on behalf of public education, we will continue to suffer the consequences, as a greater and greater number of teachers leave the state or exit the profession altogether. I believe Oklahomans support teachers, but they did not want to relieve the Legislature of its responsibility. I will be back before state lawmakers this next legislative session, fighting for kids and a regionally competitive wage for teachers - one that reflects their work as highly trained professionals who change the lives of nearly 70,000 students every day."

State Question No. 780, a criminal justice reform initiative, passed with overwhelming support, as did State Question No. 781, who's passage was conditional on the passage of 780. 780 will reclassify several drug possession and property crimes from felony status to misdemeanor, while 781 will create funding for criminal rehabilitation. 780 passed by 65% and 781 passed by 62%. 

State Question No. 790 was solidly defeated with only 40% support. The bill would have abolished an existing clause in the State Constitution prohibiting the use of public funds for religious purposes. 

State Question No. 792, a law to modernize Oklahoma's liquor laws passed with overwhelming support at 72%. 

Unsurprisingly, Republican nominee Donald Trump easily secured the State's seven electoral votes, though it was by the lowest margin of victory since Bob Dole defeated Bill Clinton in 1996. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson took 6% of the popular vote as the first third-party candidate on the Oklahoma ballot since 2000. Trump's 23% victory margin was a tad bit behind the 30% cushion enjoyed by the past three Republican nominees, but was still more than enough to defeat Hillary Clinton.

Johnson's 6% was the highest third-party showing since Independent candidate Ross Perot took 10.84% in 1996, and the highest showing for a Libertarian in State history. The Libertarian Party was on the Oklahoma ballot from 1984 through 2000 and never broke the 1% mark.

Hillary Clinton's 35% was the highest mark for a Democrat in Oklahoma since Al Gore took 38% in 2000. She slightly edged out President Obama's percentage, but was significantly behind her husband's 40% in 1996. A Democrat has not won Oklahoma's electors since Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in 1964. 

Sand Springs bans electronic-cigarettes on City property, approves purchase agreement with OmniTRAX

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council unanimously voted Monday evening to ban the use of electronic cigarettes on all City property, including public parks. Ordinance No. 1290, presented by City Planner Brad Bates, amends the existing City of Sand Springs Tobacco Free City Properties and Buildings Ordinance to include vapor-based products that have gained popularity in recent year. 

The City of Sand Springs has been a "tobacco-free" city since 2009 in an effort to alleviate public health concerns and promote a healthy public environment. The City qualifies as a Certified Healthy Community and Certified Healthy Business through the State of Oklahoma's Certified Healthy program, entitling it to certain grant funding through the State Health Department. To-date, the City has received $50,000 that have been used toward healthy living and improvement studies. This new amendment is a step toward Gold Level recognition from the Health Department that would qualify the City for an additional $50,000 grant.

In other news, the Council unanimously approved the Consent Agenda, which is made up of items considered to be "routine," including:

• Approval of Resolution No. 17-07 for the 2017 City Council Election.
  • Mayor Mike Burdge (Ward 3) and Vice-Mayor (Ward 4) will both be up for reelection in 2017. Citizens do not vote for Mayor or Vice-Mayor, but vote only on City Council positions. The Council itself elects a Mayor and Vice-Mayor from within.
  • The filing period will open December 5th, 2016 and will close December 7th, 2016. Candidates must reside within the Ward they are running for election in, and must be at-minimum 25 years of age by May 1st, 2017. If more than two candidates file for an office, a primary election will be held on Tuesday, February 14th, 2017. The general (runoff) election will be held April 4th, 2017. City Council elections are non-partisan. 
• Approval of a Traffic Enforcement Agreement between the City of Sand Springs and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office for reimbursement of overtime and operating expenses incurred for the grant period October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017. 
  • The Sand Springs Police Department will receive a $50,000 grant from OHSO for the purpose of reimbursing overtime and operating expenses resulting from the targeting of impaired and aggressive drivers. It will also allow for a designee to travel to the Lifesavers Conference in Long Beach, California. 
• Approval of an Emergency Management Performance Agreement between the City of Sand Springs and the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management providing a 50/50 sub-grant portion of funds to develop comprehensive emergency preparedness for all hazards.
  • This is a routine fund-matching grant that the City has taken advantage of for nearly two decades. The City allocates $20,000 for emergency preparedness each year, and FEMA matches with a contribution of $20,000.
• Acceptance of $20,090 from Sand Springs Park Friends, Inc.
  • This is the final portion of the $70,000 pledge by the Sand Springs Rotary Club for construction of the Rotary Super Splash Pad in River City Parks. 

Following the Consent Agenda, the Council also unanimously passed Resolution No. 17-08, with the purpose of informing Sand Springs citizens of potential impact of State Question 777 on the ability of the City to to regulate land use activities and other potential effects. 

SQ777, also known as the "Oklahoma Right to Farm Amendment," will be on the November 8, 2016 ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. The specific text of the question can be viewed here. Resolution 17-08, drafted by Vice-Mayor John Fothergill, reminds citizens of the role local government plays in regulating land usage and zoning according to the community desires and needs. The full resolution can be read here.

City Council unanimously approved a resolution concerning the location of the future public safety facility for the City. Resolution 17-06 was unanimously passed, authorizing the City to purchase 10 acres at a cost of $1.00 per foot from OmniTRAX. The current planned location of the facility is on the South side of Morrow Road, across the street from the Walmart Supercenter. The transaction will cost the City approximately $435,600. The purchase is not final yet, but the terms of the agreement are not expected to change. 

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Stone Villa Second addition.

Council unanimously approved the final plat for the new Stone Villa addition in South Sand Springs. The addition will include 87 lots on 19.8 acres.

In Council Correspondence, Pogue Airport and Airport Supervisor Ken Madison received praise for the quality of the airport and the hospitality of the administration. 

Boy Scout Troop 507 was on hand to observe the City Council meeting and get a taste of local government.

Senators hear testimony on how to reduce eyewitness misidentification and wrongful convictions

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Judiciary Committee hears testimony on eyewitness misidentification. (SUBMITTED).

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Nationwide, more than 70 percent of wrongful convictions in criminal cases were tied to misidentification by eyewitnesses. In Oklahoma, that’s the case in about 30 percent of such cases. On Monday, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the need for law enforcement to adopt proven methods aimed at improving the reliability of eyewitness identification. State Senator David Holt requested the interim study.

“One of the worst things government can do is to unjustly take away a person’s liberty,” said Holt, R-Oklahoma City. “We heard from two men who were wrongfully convicted and sent to prison because of the way investigators worked with the victims to identify a suspect. Those identifications were later proven wrong through DNA evidence, though the damage done to those innocent men cannot be undone. But going forward, there are methods that can reduce eyewitness misidentification.”

Vicki Behenna, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Innocence Project, said the four key best practices included blind administration of lineups, so that the officer conducting the lineup wouldn’t know who the suspect was.  She also discussed the need to instruct the eyewitness that the perpetrator may or may not be in the lineup. Other key best practices include the proper use of fillers, or other individuals in a lineup, that match the eyewitness’s description of the perpetrator, as well as eyewitness confidence statements taken when an identification is made.

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Tim Durham testifies on eyewitness misidentification. (SUBMITTED).

Tim Durham of Tulsa was sentenced to more than 3,000 years for the rape of an 11 year-old girl after she identified him as her attacker. He was eventually exonerated when DNA proved he could not have committed the crime. He said he may have looked similar to the perpetrator, but there were clear differences.

“The victim in this case said her attacker had a pock-marked face…and a pot belly.  My arrest record shows that at the time, and my photographs show that I had no pock-marked face. I actually had a full beard and mustache 14 days after the crime which I could not have grown in that time,” Durham said. “If these best practices had been in place, I believe that it would have been difficult for the victim in this case to even make that identification.”

Behenna said wrongful convictions also put the public’s safety at risk, because when an innocent person is imprisoned, the actual perpetrator may be out on the street committing more crimes. She told the committee that wrongful convictions come with a high price for those wrongly accused and for taxpayers.

“You can’t put in dollar amount the loss of life that an exoneree feels in being convicted for a crime which they did not commit. By way of dollar amounts, the state of Oklahoma has already paid out $1.36 million to six exonerees,” Behenna said, noting that didn’t even include the subsequent civil lawsuits, with one exoneree being awarded $4 million, and another receiving $8 million,” Behenna said, noting subsequent civil suits have cost millions more. “The cost to taxpayers is astronomical.”

While some police departments in some communities, like Oklahoma City, have already adopted these best practices for eyewitness identifications, others have not. The Oklahoma Innocence Project has offered free materials to help other departments adopt these procedures. Holt said while legislation could be one way of ensuring the identification best practices become more widely used, he’d like to see law enforcement move in that direction on their own.

“We’d like to see CLEET (Council on Law Enforcement and Training) help get this into their training with a goal of having all law enforcement agencies voluntarily adopt these best practices, but we’ll of course be monitoring this to see how it progresses.”

Officer Brian Tomsovic swears in with Sand Springs Police Department

Municipal Judge Jay McAtee administers the Oath of Office to Police Officer Brian Tomsovic. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Municipal Judge Jay McAtee administered the Oath of Office to Police Officer Brian Tomsovic Monday evening at the Sand Springs City Council Meeting.

Officer Tomsovic is a move-in from the Ada Police Department where he served for the past three years. Tomsovic comes to Sand Springs with SWAT experience and has also received the same training that all new Sand Springs officers go through.

According to Police Chief Mike Carter, all officers new to the Department, regardless of prior experience, undergo the same training as a fresh recruit and complete the same rookie year probationary period.

Tomsovic made headlines in October of 2013 after rescuing a distraught woman on an Ada bridge who was threatening suicide. Tomsovic spent twenty minutes talking to the woman and ultimately gave her his phone so she could talk to a family member. While she was distracted on the phone, he reached for her to restrain her and prevent her from potentially jumping. After the event he was recommended by his Sergeant for the State of Oklahoma Life Saving Award. 

Sand Springs Police announce amnesty day for individuals with outstanding warrants

Deputy Court Clerk Kenny Penrod presents the "Food for Fines" program to Sand Springs City Council. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular meeting Monday evening and City officials announced an upcoming special amnesty day for citizens with outstanding warrants due to unpaid fines.

Deputy Court Clerk Kenny Penrod presented the "Food for Fines" amnesty program, which will be a one-day event on November 10th, a Thursday. The special program will last all day and will allow citizens with outstanding fines to come to the Police Station and pay them off or set up payment plans without fear of being arrested. The day will also serve as a food drive for Sand Springs Community Services. 

According to Penrod, there are currently more than 3,600 people wanted by the Sand Springs Police Department accounting for more than 9,000 active warrants. The majority of the warrants are due to unpaid fines of less than $200.

On November 10th only, citizens will be able to bring in certain food items requested by the SSCS at an exchange rate of $10 for every 1 item, with a cap of 20 items. 

Allowing citizens to pay off $200 fines for under $20 will hopefully encourage people to clear their name and remove the worry of being arrested during a routine traffic stop, while also providing a community service. 

The program will also serve to help get people back in the system. Even individuals whose fines are greater than $200 will still benefit from the program. They can pay off up to $200 of their debt, and can set up payment plans or community service hours to pay off the remainder. 

"It costs us money to put people in jail, have no doubt," said Police Chief Mike Carter. 

The program is expected to bring in individuals who would otherwise be unlikely to ever pay their fines. Once warrants are issued, individuals are far less likely to appear to pay their fines out of fear of being arrested. Citizens with low income who were unable to pay their initial fine will now be able to get right with the law.

Sand Springs Police sign external investigation agreement with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Police Department took a proactive step in instilling transparency within the department Monday evening when Police Chief Mike Carter signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" between the City of Sand Springs and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

After a unanimous 7-0-0 vote by the Sand Springs City Council, Carter put pen to paper, officially putting in place a policy of turning over internal investigations to the OSBI when use of deadly force has occurred. 

In situations involving "the shooting or attempted shooting of a person by a law enforcement officer; the death of an intended arrestee during an arrest attempt; the death of an arrestee while in the care, custody, or control of the (SSPD); or the death of an arrestee shortly after being in the care, custody or control of the (SSPD)," the OSBI will take over as an unbiased external investigating agency.

OSBI Director Stan Florence addressed the City Council and stated "I applaud the Chief for his foresight in this matter. It's a wise move on the part of Sand Springs and I applaud the Chief in his wisdom."

"I am continuously impressed with how great our police department performs and how great their leadership is," said Mayor Mike Burdge. 

Officer-involved shootings are a rarity in Sand Springs. So rare that the department went seventeen years years without an incident before that era came to an end on April 11, 2015. On that day Officer Brian Barnett shot and killed Donald W. Allen, a paranoid schizophrenic who approached the officer with a loaded .22-caliber pistol after threatening to kill officers. Barnett was responding to a 911 call about Allen discharging his firearm in his backyard, within City limits. 

Although the SSPD has always had the ability to investigate in-house, former Police Chief Daniel Bradley, who is now the Assistant City Manager, made the decision to request the OSBI's assistance in the investigation.

2015 saw yet another officer-involved shooting in November that received international attention. That incident went viral not due to police misconduct, but due to body-cam footage of the erratic behavior of the suspect. Responding to a stolen vehicle call, Sand Springs Master Patrol Officer Matt Stacy engaged in a high speed pursuit of Stacy Ann Bunsey. The woman, who was determined to be under the influence, attempted to run the officer down after he exited his vehicle to set up tire spikes. He fired on her, but did not hit her and neither was seriously injured.

The OSBI investigated both incidents last year and ruled that each was a justified use of force. 

While shootings are very uncommon in Sand Springs, a Tulsa suburb with a population just short of 20,000, Carter and the Department have been working hard to be proactive in preserving their department's reputation of transparency and community trust. 

This agreement is just one of many activities the Department is engaging in to further build community trust and prevent any future incidents. 

The Department was one of the first in the State to utilize body cams on all officers, and have utilizing them for eight years. They have greatly increased the amount of warnings that are given in relation to the total number of traffic stops. Officers have been engaging in Crisis Intervention Team training, Fair and Impartial Policing training, Use of Force training, Verbal Skills training, and more. 

Carter wants to set a high standard of reputability regarding interactions with the mentally ill, impoverished, and minorities. "Our officers make this possible," said Carter. "It's not me, it's them."

Officer Shelby charged with first degree manslaughter in death of Terence Crutcher

OKLAHOMA CITY - Governor Mary Fallin today released this statement on the decision by Tulsa County prosecutors to charge Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby with first-degree manslaughter in the Sept. 16 shooting death of Terence Crutcher:

“I pray this decision provides some peace to the Crutcher family and the people of Tulsa, but we must remain patient as the case works its way through the justice system, where a jury likely will be asked to decide whether officer Betty Shelby is guilty of the crime. And we must remember that in our justice system, officer Shelby is innocent until proven guilty.

“No matter how you feel about the prosecutors’ decision in this case, I hope Oklahomans will respect the views of your friends and neighbors because we still have to live peacefully together as we try to make sense of the circumstances that led to Mr. Crutcher’s death.

“I want to compliment Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan and Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler as well as the citizens of Tulsa for keeping peace and order during this difficult time. I continue to ask that all of us keep the Crutcher and Shelby families in our prayers.”

New Public Safety facilities to be built at former Gerdau site alongside retail development

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council unanimously approved a development agreement with OmniTRAX, Inc. Monday evening. Two weeks ago OmniTRAX announced their acquisition of the 146-acre site formerly owned by Sheffield Steel, then by Gerdau Ameristeel. OmniTRAX plans to demolish portions of the Steel Mill and develop the property for industrial and commercial use. In addition to developing a 25-acre retail area, the property will also be the home to the new City of Sand Springs Public Safety facilities. 

Tony Manos, Senior Vice-President of Industrial Development at OmniTRAX, provided a presentation on the project at the City Council meeting. 

OmniTRAX is the owning entity of the Sand Springs Railway, which was acquired in 2014 from Gerdau, and has been leasing portions of the Gerdau property since that time. The company maintains 20 short-line railroads in 9 states and 3 Canadian provinces and works in rail services, terminal services, logistics services, and industrial development. 

"We are a very invested company in our communities," said Manos. "(City-Manager) Elizabeth (Gray)'s team and the two Chiefs (Police Chief Mike Carter and Fire Chief Mike Wood) have been incredible, as well as City Council. This has been the smoothest transition I've ever been a part of in the real estate business."

The Steel Mill is expected to be demolished sometime next year and the new City public safety facilities will be built directly across from WalMart. OmniTRAX is also looking to bring quality jobs to the Sand Springs community, and announced that a new tenant will be moving into a 20,000 sq. ft. facility by April of next year, and will create approximately 50 new jobs for the community.

"We are so proud to bring something back to a site that has been so important to our town throughout its history," said Councilman John Fothergill.  "It really does mean a lot to our city." 

The effort to relocate the current public safety facilities began in 2013 when voters approved a proposition to demolish Fire Station 1, but voted against the corresponding proposition to build a new one. Luckily, there was no timeline for the proposition, and Sand Springs has retained their north side Fire Station. The proposition that failed would have been funded through a property tax increase that could amount to as much as $100 a year for homeowners.

The City gave the project another go in October of last year, when citizens overwhelming voted in favor of extending current sales tax levels. The tax money would be redirected from the previous allocation to a new building for police, fire, and dispatchers. This vote also nixed the decision to demolish Fire Station One, and called for a remodel of the facility to give the Sand Springs Fire Department three stations. 

The City purchased property from the Sand Springs Home in 2014 at the corner of 129th West Avenue and Wekiwa with the intent to build the facilities there, but was met with public concerns that the area was too far outside of town. 

At their last meeting, City Council unanimously approved a contract with Dewberry Architects for design of the new public safety facilities. Their construction will take approximately one year from the completion of the new designs. 

Governor Mary Fallin Announces Initiative to Improve State’s Criminal Justice System

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Governor Mary Fallin today launched a comprehensive review of Oklahoma’s criminal justice system aimed at developing data-driven reforms to better protect public safety, hold offenders accountable and control corrections costs.

Fallin charged the Oklahoma Justice Reform Task Force with submitting reform recommendations that can be considered during the 2017 legislative session.

“Criminal justice reform is a priority for my administration and I am confident that we can find ways to make our communities safer and cut the growing cost of our state’s corrections system,” said Fallin. “With the task force, we have the right people and the right process to generate reforms that will improve public safety by keeping violent and career criminals behind bars and directing resources to programs that reduce rates of re-offending.”

The task force continues the work of the governor’s earlier criminal justice efforts, which included sentencing modifications for low-level drug and property crimes.

Oklahoma’s prison population has increased 10 percent in just five years, driven in part by a 20 percent growth in admissions. State prisons also have seen a 21 percent increase in the female population since 2011.

The rising prison numbers mean the state spends half a billion dollars annually on corrections.

Without reform, the state could be required to spend even more money on prisons, which could include building new facilities or contracting out for additional beds.

The governor’s task force is made up of representatives from all branches of state government and an array of Oklahoma criminal justice stakeholders. It will spend the next six months analyzing the state’s prison, parole and probation populations and examining evidence-based alternatives to prison and risk-reduction strategies.

In developing proposals for reform, the group’s priorities will be to promote public safety and hold offenders accountable, control corrections spending and taxpayer costs and develop cost effective strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism.

The task force, which is chaired by Fallin, includes 17 additional members:

• First Assistant Attorney General Mike Hunter
• Department of Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh
• Department of Mental Health Commissioner Terri White
• Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBN) Director John Scully
• Sen. Greg Treat
• Rep. Terry O’Donnell
• Jari Askins, administrative director of the courts
• Former House Speaker Kris Steele, director of The Education and Employment Ministry
• Tulsa County District Court Judge Doug Drummond
• District Attorney Mike Fields, president of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association
• District Attorney David Prater
• Oklahoma County Public Defender Robert Ravitz
• Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce President Roy Williams
• Tulsa Chamber of Commerce President Michael S. Neal
• YWCA of Oklahoma City CEO Jan Peery
• Layne Subera, chairman of OBN Commission
• Adam Luck, member, Board of Corrections

The Crime and Justice Institute and the Pew Charitable Trusts will provide technical assistance to the task force. The groups have helped other states, including Georgia, Mississippi, South Dakota and Utah, with justice reform strategies over the past several years. 

Attorney General Pruitt Submits Ballot Title for State Question on Medical Marijuana

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Thursday submitted the ballot title for State Question 788, a measure that would legalize the use of medical marijuana in Oklahoma.

“I commend the attorneys in my office for their diligent work to complete this ballot title in an efficient manner. While my office has done its part by preparing the ballot title well before the September 1 deadline, there are still steps remaining in order for the question to be placed on a ballot,” Attorney General Pruitt said.

“We are dealing with processes established in both federal and state election law for initiatives proposed by the people that require specific procedures to be followed. Even with expedited efforts of both the Secretary of State’s office to count the signatures and my office to write the ballot title, the state is running up against deadlines imposed by this process. It’s important for the people of Oklahoma to know, regardless of the substance of the state question, the signatures were not submitted with enough time to allow this process to be played out completely.”

After the Attorney General's Office submits the substitute ballot title to the Secretary of State, it must be published and opponents must have ten business days to object to the ballot title based on the validity or number of signatures or a challenge to the ballot title.  Pursuant to 34 O.S. § 12, the governor cannot issue the proclamation placing the initiative petition on the ballot until the timeline for objections and protests has passed.

To view a copy of the submitted ballot title, CLICK HERE.

City Council approves contract for new safety facilities and other news

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular monthly meeting Monday evening at the City Municipal Building. 

Brian Carr with the Tulsa Area United Way gave a brief presentation regarding the 2017 United Way Campaign in which the City of Sand Springs participates. 

The Council planned to present a plaque to AEP/PSO employees for their recent volunteer work in removing and replacing netting at the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge golf course. A lot of the netting was damaged in the March 2015 tornado that also devastated a pair of mobile home parks and the Jerry Adair Baseball Park. Several AEP employees volunteered their services to the extensive project over the last year. 

Blake Little, Jake Kinman, James Cooke, Ben Bryan, Chuck Bunch, and Joe Chambers worked on the project. "That's kind of what Sand Springs is; people just jump in and help when they're needed," said City Manager Elizabeth Gray. The volunteers were unable to attend the meeting but the Council plans to find another day to meet with them and thank them.

The City voted to unanimously approve the consent agenda which included six items considered to be routine. Part of the agenda included approval of a renewed contract with EMSA for emergency medical services. The cost of EMSA's services will increase by approximately 17.89%, but it is not expected to impact the City at this time. The City expected and budgeted for the increase in Fiscal Year 2016, but the increase never came to fruition. 

According to Mayor Mike Burdge, 4-5% is the typical increase. This year the increase is so high "due to general increases in operating costs and the impact of Medicaid cuts on patient receipts," says EMSA Chief Financial Officer Kent Torrence. Fire Chief Mike Wood still considers it to be a good deal compared to other options. 

SEE RELATED: Keri Fothergill appointed to Sand Springs Planning Commission

The Council approved a new 2017 Calendar Year schedule of regular meetings for the Council and Municipal Authority. The new schedule will have the Council meeting once per month, which will total twelve regular meetings as opposed to the current schedule of nineteen. This year the Council has meet twice per month with exception for the summer months (June July and August) and holiday months (November and December).

The meetings are to be held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., the same time and day as they currently are. The meetings will be January 23rd, February 27th, March 27th, April 24th, May 22nd, June 26th, July 24th, August 28th, September 25th, October 23rd, November 27th, and December 18th. December 18th is the third Monday of the month, as the fourth Monday falls on Christmas Day. There will also be a special session held Monday, May 8th to swear in new council members.  

SEE RELATED: Sand Springs City Council members help fund Elementary field trip

The Council unanimously approved “a resolution affirming dilapidation public nuisance administrative hearing findings and authorization for the bringing of any action necessary in District Court.” The resolution applies to three dilapidated buildings slated for demolition sometime in October. The ten-day administrative appeals process expired without any appeals received and the property owners now have thirty days following the approval of the resolution to challenge the decision. The properties are located at 714 N. Washington Ave., 301 N. Franklin Ave., and 223 N. Industrial Ave.

SEE RELATED: Capital Homes to develop 87-lot housing addition in South Sand Springs

SEE RELATED: Sand Springs City Council approves new ordinance relating to false alarms

City Council unanimously approved a contract with Dewberry Architects for design of the new public safety facilities. In September of 2015 the citizens of Sand Springs voted to pass a dedicated sales tax to build new police, fire, courts, and 911 facilities.

The City is still looking at 129th and Wekiwa as the optimal location for the new facilities, but is open to other locations should a better situation present itself.

The Council unanimously approved Resolution 17-02, related to park funding and improvements.  

Sand Springs City Council approves new ordinance relating to false alarms

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 1289 at their regular monthly meeting Monday Night. The ordinance regulates excessive false intrusion or fire alarms. The ordinance, backed by Police Chief Mike Carter, seeks to reduce the number of false alarms that the Sand Springs Police and Fire Departments respond to.

Unlike many cities in the Tulsa Metro area, Sand Springs does not currently regulate alarm operations. According to the report, “most alarm activations in the city limits of Sand Springs are false in nature, and are not indicative of true emergencies…the false alarms create a nuisance upon the peace of the community and take public safety officials away from other responsibilities.”

The ordinance will require all audible alarm users to adjust their system in a manner that will allow it to sound for no longer than fifteen minutes before resetting and silencing itself.

“All fire alarms activated within the City of Sand Springs, in all commercial businesses, or establishments open to the public, shall not be manually silenced by the property owner until in the presence of a member of the Sand Springs Fire Department, or their designee.

“It shall be an offense for any property owner to allow for an intrusion, hold-up, panic or fire alarm system operating on their property to have an excessive amount of false alarms. An excessive amount of false alarms shall be defined as more than 3 false alarms in a 30 day period.” After the third false alarm, the property owner will receive a notice granting 14 days to show proof from the alarm company that their system has been repaired. “Failure to show proof will result in the property being placed on a non-response list with the police department. The property owner will be obligated to show the system has been repaired in order to be removed from the list.”

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Paperwork Placing Five Additional State Questions on November Ballot

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin signed election proclamations Monday that place five additional state questions on the November 8 general election ballot.

The paperwork signed by the governor placed these issues on the ballot:

• State Question (SQ) 779, which would increase the state sales tax by 1 percent to fund teacher pay raises and other education causes.

• SQ 780, which reclassifies some criminal offenses, such as drug possession and property crimes, as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

• SQ 781, which would take money saved from implementing SQ 780 and allow counties to fund community rehabilitation programs.

• SQ 790, which would remove a section of the Oklahoma Constitution prohibiting use of state resources for religious purposes.  

• SQ 792, which would allow wine and full-strength beer to be sold in grocery stores and convenience stores.

The deadline for the governor to sign election proclamations for state questions to be placed on the November 8 general election ballot is Friday.

Two other state questions already are on the ballot. SQ 776 would declare that the death penalty is not cruel or unusual punishment and would allow the Legislature to designate any method of execution if a current method is declared unconstitutional. SQ 777 would prevent lawmakers from passing legislation to regulate agriculture unless there is a compelling state interest.

Police Chief Mike Carter presents 2016 Policing Plan for Sand Springs

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

City of Sand Springs Police Chief Mike Carter is taking a proactive approach towards police-community relations in the face of nation-wide tensions.

With police actions continuing to fall under increased media and public scrutiny, Carter wants to learn from situations like the Ferguson, Missouri conflicts and avoid accusations of biased policing.

“While race has not played a significant factor in policing/judicial problems in the City of Sand Springs; unintentionally, economic disparity may play a significant role in unequal consequences of violations of the law by people in Sand Springs.”

Carter also made it clear that “if even one person feels that they were subject to racial bias by the SSPD, it is our responsibility to take steps to better that situation and take steps to make sure we alleviate that concern in the future.”

The mentally ill are another demographic addressed by Carter. “It is important to treat mental health issues as a medical care situation and to lessen the possibility of potential for violent conflict with the individual.”

Body cameras represent one area where Sand Springs is already well ahead of the curve. While movements like “Black Lives Matter” are demanding body cameras be implemented elsewhere, the SSPD has already been using body cameras for approximately eight years, according to Carter.

The Department is also working on increasing the amount of warnings that are given in relation to the total number of traffic stops.

According to Carter’s report, approximately one-third of Sand Springs officers have been trained in advanced mental health techniques through the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The remaining two-thirds of SSPD officers are expected to go through the training by the first quarter of 2017.

The Department is also working on training all officers in anti-bias policing. The training focuses on the belief that all people have some implicit bias, and that officers should seek to understand and control their bias so that it won’t be a factor in their policing decisions.

Last year, all SSPD officers attended Use of Force training that not only covered shoot-don’t-shoot situations, but also helped coach officers through issuing verbal commands that are clear and won’t cause confusion or put the officer at risk. The Department will continue to put officers through verbal training sessions that focus on de-escalation and officer approachability.

One example of the SSPD’s restraint in use of force is an incident in the Spoon Drug parking lot two weeks ago.

On Friday, July 18th, officers responded to a call about an armed suspect in the 3800 block of Highway 97. That suspect refused to comply with officers’ orders and was tackled to the ground after the responding officer saw he wasn’t holding a weapon.

The Department plans on starting a program in the near-future called “Talk and Pop with a Cop” that will allow the public to speak with officers and other community leaders about the City.

The Department plans to continue issuing fewer and less-costly citations so as to encourage citizens to appear in court and result in less warrants and less conflicts between officers and citizens. The Department will also raise the penalties for failure to appear in court to further incentivize citizens to appear. Alternatives to fines and jail times are being explored such as community service in local festivals.