TRANSCRIPT
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. We're going to lead today with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the constitutionality of a new law that would change the initiative petition process in Oklahoma, Shawn, first, what does the new law do?
Shawn Ashley: Listeners may remember this as Senate Bill 1027, which we discussed during the legislative session. And the law caps the number of signatures petition circulators can collect in each county. It also establishes limits on the funding of initiative petition campaigns, sets requirements for petition circulators, and mandates certain reports about those circulating the petitions.
Dick Pryor: So what were the arguments for and against?
Shawn Ashley: Randall Yates, the attorney for the petitioners who are challenging the law, told the court, the first provision of the Oklahoma Bill of Rights declares that all power is inherent in the people and the first power reserved to the people in the Oklahoma Constitution is the power of the initiative - the power to propose laws and constitutional amendments independent of the legislature. The new law, Yates argued, does not preserve the right. It frustrates it at every opportunity. Solicitor General Zach West, who was defending the law, told the justices that it does what the Constitution requires the legislature to do. It establishes the process for initiative petitions. West said nothing within the Constitution is violated by the requirements of the new law.
Dick Pryor: We don't know when the Supreme Court will issue a decision on this matter. So, what happens to potential initiative petition efforts in the meantime?
Shawn Ashley: That was an issue raised by Yates who said it could delay the filing of proposed initiative petitions until after the court reaches a decision so that proponents of those petitions would know which set of rules they're going to be operating on.
Dick Pryor: The Supreme Court did announce a decision to resolve an ongoing issue concerning who is eligible to serve on the governor's executive cabinet.
Shawn Ashley: This case began more than a year ago when Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion that said agency heads cannot be cabinet secretaries because of the state's prohibition on dual office holding. Governor Stitt took that issue to the Oklahoma county district court, where he won a partial victory. The judge ruled some agency heads, but not all, could be cabinet secretaries as a result. Stitt appealed to the Supreme Court and writing for the seven-justice majority Vice Chief Justice Dana Keuhn wrote, “state law expressly provides that agency heads may serve concurrently as cabinet secretaries.”
Dick Pryor: So that is resolved. A plan to relocate Griffin Memorial Hospital from Norman to Oklahoma City is moving forward. What is the latest development on that?
Shawn Ashley: The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services approved the purchase Thursday of the former SSM Hospital and a parcel of land in Oklahoma City for the new Griffin Memorial Hospital. The original plan had called for a new facility to be constructed and for Griffin in Norman to be closed. The construction costs turned out to be too high, so the department and the legislature change course and are purchasing and renovating an existing facility, which eventually will lead to the Norman campus being closed. The department's chief operating officer noted Thursday that this plan will result in more beds at a lower cost to the state. And funding for this project comes from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding that the state received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dick Pryor: Shawn, there's also a new development regarding pay raises for statewide elected officials and members of the legislature. It changes action on that taken just last week by two state boards.
Shawn Ashley: That's right, the Legislative Board of Compensation had voted earlier in November to reaffirm not increasing lawmakers’ base pay. But at Tuesday's meeting, the board voted to increase lawmakers’ base pay to $54,900, a $7,400 increase. And the Statewide Officials Compensation Commission, which is made up of the same members as the Legislative Compensation Board, adjusted the pay raises it had previously approved for statewide elected officials. Under this plan, the governor will once again be the highest paid statewide elected official and the labor commissioner will be the lowest. But each statewide elected official will receive a pay raise.
Dick Pryor: Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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