Legislators from both major parties in Oklahoma are pushing for a special session to address coronavirus policies in the state.
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider, your weekly look inside Oklahoma politics, policy and government. I'm Dick Pryor with eCapitol news director, Shawn Ashley. Shawn, Republicans, including Governor Stitt, are holding firm to the new law that prevents mask mandates except in limited circumstances in Oklahoma. House Democrats are urging the governor to call a special session to repeal that law due to the spike in coronavirus cases and the start of the school year. Republican legislators want a special session to prevent vaccine mandates. Do you know whether the governor is considering either of those special session requests?
Shawn Ashley: Not really. I've asked the governor's office more than once for his reaction to these requests but have not received a response. But then the governor does seem to have answered by not moving forward with either request. You may recall that Stitt by executive order back on May 28th prohibited state agencies from implementing mask and vaccine mandates. But beyond that, his message seems to be about personal responsibility. I don't believe Governor Stitt will follow Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s footsteps and call a special session to undo the law limiting school mask mandates. In that May 28th executive order Stitt was emphatic in saying he fully supported the law.
Dick Pryor: The legislature will be back, though, for a special session on redistricting.
Shawn Ashley: And that will probably be in October.
Dick Pryor: Republican Party chair John Bennett is making national news with his statements equating vaccination mandates to the Holocaust. Predictably, Bennett is receiving considerable criticism, some of it coming from Republican elected officials, including Governor Stitt, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Speaker of the House Charles McCall, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat and U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe and James Lankford. What is Bennett's response?
Shawn Ashley: Bennett really has defended his position and then criticized his critics in two separate videos. Defending himself, Bennett said, “This is about a totalitarian government pushing a communist agenda on top of forcing people against their will to get this vaccine.” Of course, the state does not have a vaccine mandate. And as we were talking about a moment ago, Governor Stitt has said repeatedly it's up to individuals to decide whether to get the vaccine or not. Of his critics, Bennett said, “If you're in a position of leadership today and you don't want to lead, then just get out of the way. We will find someone else that will lead.” And he added, “instead of trying to change the narrative, what we need to do is unite together and fight for the people that we represent.”
Dick Pryor: Are Republican Party activists - those are part of the people -weighing in?
Shawn Ashley: Yes, some have criticized Bennett, as well. But at the same time, if you look at the social media response to his comments, many of those responses have been positive. And remember, it was those grassroots party activists that got him elected.
Dick Pryor: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a Mississippi case that could overturn Roe v. Wade. A number of states, including Oklahoma, have joined briefs supporting Mississippi's side. Who is leading the effort in Oklahoma?
Shawn Ashley: Newly appointed Attorney General John O'Connor's first official major act, according to his office, was to join 23 other attorneys general across the country in an amicus brief supporting Mississippi's efforts to overturn the Roe decision. But he's not the only Oklahoma official involved. Governor Stitt is one of eleven governors who have signed on to another brief urging the Court to overturn the decision. And 31 Oklahoma Republican lawmakers have joined with more than three hundred and sixty legislators from 41 other states in another brief arguing that the decision should be reversed.
Dick Pryor: The Supreme Court will consider the case in its next term, which begins in October. The state's gross revenue fell in July. How is State Treasurer Randy McDaniel interpreting that drop?
Shawn Ashley: You know, it might sound counterintuitive, but he saw it as a positive. That's because last year's July collections were artificially elevated after the individual and corporate income tax deadlines were pushed back from April to July as a result of the coronavirus. So, there was a lot of individual and corporate income tax payments in last July's receipts that were not reflected in this year's collections. Otherwise, McDaniel noted, the major tax categories - sales and use motor vehicle and even gross production tax collections - were up in the month. A good way to start the new fiscal year, he noted.
Dick Pryor: Yes, indeed. Thanks, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: And that's Capitol Insider. If you have questions, e-mail us at news@kgou.org or contact us on Twitter @kgounews and @ecapitol. You can also find us online at kgou.org and ecapitol.net. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
