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May 7, 2009
House bypasses governor's veto to claim Oklahoma's sovereignty
by Jack Lee
Not long ago I wrote a story about several states passing legislation to reaffirm their areas of absolute sovereignty over the federal government. Now another state has joined them, despite an attempt by the Governor to block the legislation with his veto.
States rights and the matter of sovereignty has come up before the Oklahoma legislature that voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill affirming their rights pre-empt federal authority.
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
Published: May 5, 2009
Although Gov. Brad Henry vetoed similar legislation 10 days earlier, House members Monday again approved a resolution claiming Oklahoma's sovereignty.
Unlike House Joint Resolution 1003, House Concurrent Resolution 1028 does not need the governor's approval.
The House passed the measure 73-22. It now goes to the Senate.
"We're going to get it done one way or the other," said the resolutions' author, Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City.
"I think our governor is out of step."
House Democrats objected, saying the issue already had been taken up and had been vetoed, but House Speaker Pro Tempore Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, ruled the veto is not final action.
Key said he expects HCR 1028 will pass in the Senate. HJR 1003 earlier passed the House 83-18 and won approval in the Senate 29-18.
Henry vetoed HJR 1003 because he said it suggested, among other things, that Oklahoma should return federal tax dollars.
Key said HCR 1028, which, if passed, would be sent to Democratic President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress, would not jeopardize federal funds but would tell Congress to "get back into their proper constitutional role." The resolution states the federal government should "cease and desist" mandates that are beyond the scope of its powers.
Key said many federal laws violate the 10th Amendment, which says powers not delegated to the U.S. government "are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." The Constitution lists about 20 duties required of the U.S. government, he said.
Congress should not be providing bailouts to financial institutions and automakers, he said.
"We give all this money to all these different entities, including automakers, and now they're talking about, 'Well maybe it's better to let them go bankrupt,'" Key said. "Well, maybe we should have let them go bankrupt before we gave them the money."
Posted by Post Scripts at May 7, 2009 10:48 AM
Comments
"Congress should not be providing bailouts to financial institutions and automakers, ...."
Says the State of Oklahoma, which doesn't have bankrupt auto makers or failing financial institutions. If they did, they'd be singing a different tune, believe me.
And any state with a rip-snortin' 3.5 million people in it really ought to be able to get along without ANY federal money, However, from City-Data.com ...
"Many zones and neighborhoods of Oklahoma City have been designated as Federal Empowerment Zones that offer incentives to businesses looking to start-up or relocate. Incentives include tax credits of up to $3,000 for each employee newly hired or already on the payroll who lives and works in the zone; tax-exempt facility bonds to finance property, equipment and site development; and increased expense deductions of up to $35,000 for depreciable assets acquired during the first year."
And ...
"The city's Office of Workforce Development administers the federal Workforce Investment Act program. Services include skills assessment , basic skills and GED instruction .... Workforce Oklahoma, also created under the federal Workforce Investment Act, is a new training and education development system that partners business leaders, educators, and employment professionals to achieve job growth, employee productivity, and employer satisfaction. This system includes a network of 52 statewide offices called Workforce Oklahoma Centers, where employment, education, and training providers ....
52 offices! for 3.5 million people!
And on okcommerce.gov you can read all about how the state plans to plant wind turbines from one end to the other. While they might not get cash up front, they'll certainly get sizeable tax incentives.
In other words, we got a bunch of blowhards in the legislature making irresponsible noises for the benefit of a moronic electorate.
P. S.: The Preview feature still doesn't work.
Posted by: Libby | May 7, 2009 1:23 PM