Opinion

Between a global pandemic, economic crisis and multiple natural disasters, there are few aspects of 2020 that any of us could have predicted, and many Oklahomans feel uncertain about the future.

One thing we can do to build a stable and prosperous Oklahoma is for all Oklahomans to complete the 2020 U.S. Census.

It is critical that all Oklahomans are counted in the 2020 U.S. Census because important funding decisions are made based on census participation.

Perhaps you have encountered a phenomenon most Oklahomans are familiar with: Cruising south on I-35, as soon as you cross the Red River the road gets noticeably smoother.

The painted lane stripes get a little brighter and the roadside “Welcome to Texas” Visitors Center gleams in the sunlight, a modern and well-maintained reminder of how much more money the Lone Star State spends on public infrastructure than little old Oklahoma.

Rather than have a nationwide popular vote, the United States chooses its president through the Electoral College with the outcome tied to multiple state-level elections.

This system ensures voters in smaller states like Oklahoma are still prized by presidential candidates. But it has also ensured minority groups of all types can wield greater influence even as consensus-building is incentivized.

The Electoral College’s benefit has accrued not only to those interested in specific issues — such as pro-life voters or environmentalists — but to racial minorities as well.

Constitution Day, Sept. 17, the day Americans celebrate the signing of the Constitution which was then sent to the states for ratification, is almost here.

The numerous attacks on it, its founders, and the anarchy in our big cities today should give us cause to reflect upon what a gift it was/is to mankind.  

Since my dad’s passing, I have carried his dog tag on my key chain. I wanted a daily reminder of my dad and his sacrificial service to our nation in World War II.

My dad was the classic WWII vet who did not often speak of his time in the war. I regret not asking him more questions.

Personally, I missed the mandatory draft by a few years, turning 18 in 1976. But I had two older friends, the Harris brothers in my neighborhood, who went to Vietnam and never came back.

For 20 years we have lived in our current home in humble Grove City, Pa. It came with a nice flagpole mounted on the front. We change the flag a lot. Sometimes we display flags with various types of art celebrating the seasons — for fall, winter and spring.

There are three bodies of law that Oklahomans live with on a daily basis: Constitutional Law, laws that are voted on by the people; Statutory Law, laws approved by legislators and the governor; and the subject of this article, Administrative Law, rules created not by the people or legislators but unelected bureaucrats who run state agencies.

Oklahoma’s government owns a lot of property. This includes land and buildings, but it also includes valuable assets like the state-owned electric power company, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). GRDA reports nearly $1.8 billion in assets on its most recent balance sheet, with a “net position” of more than $622 million. Or the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), which has a $1.2 billion endowment producing roughly $50 million annual investment income.

Did you see the video of the frontline medical doctors explaining why they believe hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating COVID-19?

About a dozen doctors stood on the steps of the nation’s Capitol last week and praised the drug as being a safe and inexpensive treatment for the disease that has paralyzed the U.S.A. and much of the world for the past five months.

The event did not draw much of a media response.