Ralph Shortey

Oklahoma's Brand-new Drug Law On Chopping Block

... 780 and 781 on the ballot, chastised lawmakers for considering a policy reversal. “The ink is barely even dry on the votes that Oklahomans cast in November,” said Steele, executive director of The Education and Employment Ministry. “I think it would be indefensible for the Legislature to usurp the voters and go against the work that Oklahomans have done.”. Supporters believe Oklahoma needed to reduce drug possession penalties to keep people out of prison. Steele cited figures that show that the state needs three new prisons costing $1.2 billion if more reforms are not implemented. The money saved by keeping people out of prison would be spent on county rehabilitation programs instead, an approach labeled as “smart on crime” to counter decades of “tough on crime” laws. “The purpose of taking the issue directly to the vote ...

Capitol Deadline Cuts Off Hundreds Of Bills In Oklahoma

... to bills as they move through the Capitol, so no idea ever really dies. Thursday's deadline, however, makes it harder for failed bills to reappear. House Bill 1952 would have allowed the state to study a potential sale of the Grand River Dam Authority, a state-owned utility in northeastern Oklahoma that provides electric service. State Rep. Leslie Osborn, who sponsored the bill and also chairs the committee that didn't hear it, said she will keep working on the idea despite what she described as confusion surrounding her bill. “This discussion needs logic and reason, so I am pulling the measure and will request an interim study where lawmakers can study this issue and other state-owned assets in much deeper detail and hear from many more voices than the short legislative session allows,” Osborn wrote in an email. “As I have said on many occasions, our goal was not to divest the state of GRDA, but to ...

For Now, Sq 780 Looks Safe From Changes

... eight-ball of meth in his pocket because he knows he will only spend a night in jail and pay a fine. But people voted for it, and that is what we probably have to live with.". Pemberton said he also recognized the apprehension among some legislators and police over SQ 780. "There is no end game on the numbers," he said. "There are continual misdemeanors on drug possession even if it's 20 or 30 times, and they don't spend a day in jail. I voted for the question, but that slipped by me, and I think it may have slipped by a lot of voters. I think at some number of convictions, drugs have to become a felony.". Conversely, Pemberton believed lawmakers were mistaken trying to saddle the bucking bronco of a voter referendum. "You can't ask the people a question, then tell them they aren't smart enough to get the right answer," he said. "I am OK if they want to make some minor modifications. But if you are going to do that, you have to get out in front of it. Be honest and explain to people what you want to do and why, and hear what ...

Backing Off Defiance Of Voters Good Move

... recognizing that except for Louisiana, Oklahoma has the second-highest incarceration rate in the nation. And SQ 781, the companion bill, would funnel money saved into rehabilitation for the offenders. Biggs claimed his bill was a response to complaints from his constituents, but considering what constituents of other lawmakers had to say, his claim seems rather suspect. It's more realistic to suggest that those constituents pushing Biggs to put yet more teeth into drug laws were ones who had voted against SQ 780. Unfortunately, the majority overruled them, and they need to accept that fact - just as many Donald Trump detractors must accept the fact that he is now firmly ensconced in the White House. The law enforcement community, for the most part, opposed SQ 780, and their rationale is understandable. They fear drug users would simply continue to commit their crimes if they thought no serious punishment were forthcoming. The danger of a felony ...

Ralph Shortey Suspended From Senate Activities, Police Report Released Of Motel Incident With Teenage Boy

... details in the report are unclear because of the redacted information, but it appears the teen told his girlfriend earlier that "he was going to get paid tonight.". She says she watched the teen and the adult known to be Shortey enter the hotel room together. A Kindle tablet revealed the teen had told the adult that he needed money for spring break, to which the adult, believed to be Shortey, responded, "would you be interested in sexual stuff?". DA Greg Mashburn did not file charges against Shortey Wednesday, but the Oklahoma Senate sent a strong message. The Senate passed a resolution to suspend Shortey from all committees and strip his name from all legislation. He can no longer occupy his office or parking spot and must return all state property in his possession. Shortey's seat was empty as the vote passed unanimously. News Channel 4 has gone ...

Fallin Signs Real Id Compliance Bill Into Law

... beginning in January," Fallin said. Original post. The Oklahoma state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would bring the state in compliance with the federal 2005 REAL ID Act. The bill establishes two forms of Oklahoma driver's licenses. One meets REAL ID requirements, and the other one does not. State senator David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, voted in favor of House 1845. He says Oklahomans will not be required to present new information to get a license. “The bill doesn’t change what is collected in any way, and in fact the Real ID license will not require any further data from Oklahomans than is currently required when they receive a driver's license today,” Holt said. The measure was approved 35 to 11. Without a Real ID-compliant license, Oklahomans would need a passport or some other form of federal identification to board commercial aircraft, or to enter federal facilities like military bases. Opponents, including Sen. Nathan ...

Russian Agents, Hackers Charged In Massive Yahoo Breach

... Mc Cord said. Paul Abbate, an FBI executive assistant director, said the bureau had had only "limited cooperation with that element of the Russian government in the past," noting that prior U. S. demands to turn over Belan had been ignored. Though the U. S. government has previously charged individual Russian hackers with cybercrime — as well as hackers directly linked to the Chinese and Iranian governments — this is the first criminal case to name as defendants sitting members of the FSB for hacking charges, the Justice Department said. U. S. intelligence authorities have concluded that Russian intelligence agencies were behind hacking efforts of Democratic email accounts in last year's election. Officials say this case is separate from that investigation, though one of the defendants in the Yahoo case, Belan, was among the Russians sanctioned last year by the Obama administration. The indictment, which includes charges of economic espionage, trade secret theft and unauthorized access to protected computers, arise from a compromise of Yahoo user accounts ...

Could Emails Hurt Pruitt’s New Position As Head Of Epa

... position as head of EPA. Posted 5:12 pm, February 17, 2017, by Sarah Stewart. OKLAHOMA CITY - Despite much controversy, Oklahoma Attorney General, Scott Pruitt, was confirmed as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency Friday afternoon. But some say a court decision in Oklahoma could still derail that appointment. "The public is entitled to know what has affected his decision making in filing suit on behalf of the citizens of Oklahoma against EPA," said attorney, Bob Nelon. Nelon is representing The Center for Media and Democracy, a watch dog group out of Wisconsin that sued Pruitt's office for not complying with a two year old open records request. That group is seeking emails including correspondence between the AG's office and oil and gas companies. "Of the 3,000 documents they said they had found, they produced 411 and failed to produce some ...