So glad to report your local senator won’t also select your local judge.
I know that sounds crazy but, of course, what else is new? The title “senator” is not enough for these Republican bigwigs – such as President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-OKC – so they schemed up a plan to rid Oklahoma of the current way to choose judges.
Of course, someone has to do it, but there is a reason the current Judicial Nominating Commission was created in the first place and that was the 1964 Supreme Court scandal when two judges went to prison and another was removed from the bench for taking bribes.
That was also the court that thought it appropriate to violate the “one man, one vote” constitutional mandate because The Supremes were more interested in supporting the rural-dominated Legislature than following the law.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Speaking of Treat, he can’t seem to win for losing. This is at least the second major setback the term-limited pro tempore has endured just this session.
The other was the defeat of his proposal to implement a statewide “choice” or charter school opportunity ,even in rural areas where there is no interest in, or support for, such a plan.
The Oklahoma county-based disciple of former and now deceased U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn is widely known to covet higher office but the court rigging, voucher scheme, unconstitutional anti-abortion bills, plus other failed initiatives, do not bode well for a future statewide campaign.
Rural cities and towns like their local schools, prefer to vote on their area judges and think Oklahoma City lawmakers don’t really look out for the rest of the state, just their own parochial districts and interests. It seems Treat is determined to prove them correct.
In summary, the good news is the regular session of the Legislature is over. I’ll report on the good, bad and ugly of that effort soon, but don’t think it is safe to let the kids go outside to play. Nope. A special session has now been called to supervise the worst governor in the history of this state, best known in my parts as Clueless Kevin, the most disengaged, fraudulent and careless governor in the history of our state.
