The Precinct: The Most Powerful Office

OK-SAFE, Inc. – By request we are re-posting an item from early in 2011.   The dates have been updated for 2013.

The precinct is still the most powerful office in the party – will you be there this year?

Thursday, February 7, 2013 is the date set for the upcoming Republican party precinct elections, aka “caucuses”.  [Note: If you live in Tulsa County, precinct meetings can be scheduled for Feb. 7th, 8th, or 9th.]

These meetings, by state party rules, are to take place in the precinct on the date designated by the state Republican party chairman.

Tulsa County GOP information: http://www.tulsagop.org/gop-files. For more State of Oklahoma GOP County List information click here.  Registered Democrats need to check here for that party’s information.

Precinct Defined

The precinct, for those who may not know, is the geographical area assigned to vote at a particular voting location;  “a subdivision of a county, town, city, or ward for election purposes.”  Each precinct is to have a committee, made up of citizens elected by other members of that precinct, to conduct the administrative affairs of the party to which they belong (Republican or Democrat, unless and until a third party gets moving in OK.)

The precinct committee is the supreme authority within the political parties.  From the OKRPRules Amended Aug. 2011, pp 4-5:

“Rule 5- Precinct Committees

(a)   Composition and Election: There shall be a Precinct Committee in each election precinct of the state. The Precinct Committee shall consist of a Precinct Chairman and a Precinct Vice Chairman, not of the same gender, a Precinct Secretary, and a Precinct Treasurer, who may be the same person, and who shall have equal right to vote at Precinct Meetings. They shall be elected at the regular biennial Precinct Meeting of the qualified Republican voters of each precinct called by the County Chairman, or as provided in these rules. The same procedure shall be followed at a regular or special meeting, in the event new precincts are created anywhere in any county of the state.

(b ) Authority and Duties: The Precinct Committee is the supreme Republican Party authority of each precinct, subject to these rules, and the direction and control of official precinct meetings. The Precinct Committee of each precinct is charged with the duty of promoting the welfare and directing the affairs of the Republican Party in its precinct. The Precinct Chairman shall be the executive officer of the precinct delegates to any county convention. The Precinct Chairman is not disqualified to be elected or appointed as a delegate pursuant to these rules. Only the Precinct Committee has the authority to remove any duly elected qualified delegate to the county convention.”

Being the most powerful committee within the political parties, the precinct is the starting place for the election of party officials, delegates to party conventions, both county and state, and the committee that will ultimately decide who the delegates are to the National Convention where the participants vote for President. (Presidential election -every four years; party elections – every two years.)

It all starts by being involved in your local precinct election/meeting on February 7, 2013. [Known exception:Tulsa County GOP precinct meetings may be held on 2/7 , 2/8/ or 2/9, per the discretion of the precinct officers.]

Some of the articles below may help in understanding the power of the precinct and why you should participate.

1. The Most Powerful Office in the World is NOT the President of the United States Eagle Forum article: http://www.eagleforum.org/misc/brochures/precinct-committman.shtml
2. Other sources: http://theprecinctproject.wordpress.com/

Excerpt below from The Precinct Project blog – a good place to start:

“Do You Know Who Elects The Party Leaders? Did You Elect Them?

Who elects the leadership of the parties? Do you know? Are you a registered Republican? Guess what? As a “mere” registered Republican voter, without more, you DID NOT have a vote in the election of the present leadership of the Republican Party. Sorry, but those are the facts.

ONLY elected precinct committeemen get to vote for the leadership of the Party. Do I yet have your attention? Ponder the fact that ONLY elected precinct committeemen get to elect the Party leadership. Don’t you want to have a vote in those elections?

About 3,141 counties exist in the United States. Each has a county party organization. And, those county organizations almost always endorse candidates in the party primaries. And, usually, those party-endorsed candidates win. Tired of the kind of Repubican In Name Only Republicans who are winning the primaries? Then DO SOMETHING REAL and become a Republican Party precinct committeeman! Guess what? About half of the Republican Party precinct committeeman slots, nationwide, are unfilled!

Do I yet have your attention? Has the light bulb above your head clicked on yet? In some counties, like the one where I reside, Maricopa County, Arizona, within which Phoenix sits, TWO-THIRDS of the precinct committeeman slots in the Republican Party sat unfilled on Election Day, 2008. Well, it’s now January, 2010, and we’re now at 53 per cent strength instead of where we were a year ago, 31 per cent.

Spend a few moments and picture this in your mind’s eye: thousands of conservatives flock to the Republican Party and join it as precinct committeemen. And, in the next internal party elections, these conservatives (you, me and others) elect NEW, CONSERVATIVE leadership. (Or, instead, these same conservatives (me, excepted) sit behind their computer screens and put first on their priority list, instead of second, writing that next, great blog post that is going to, somehow, save the republic.)”

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Joint Committee Finally Releases Report – Big Surprise! They Want Exchange AND Another Trust

OK-SAFE, Inc. – After almost a two month delay, the Joint Legislative Committee on Federal Health Care Reform has finally released it’s final report, 3 weeks after the start of OK legislative session.

The Governor and Leadership had seen the committee report much earlier, and legislation implementing the committee’s findings has already been planned and reserved.

No Big Surprises

The Legislature’s February 22, 2012 press release contained no big surprises, especially for those who have been following this state’s years-long implementation of health care reform, via both the HITECH Act of 2009 and PPACA (“Obama Care”).

There was no real surprise either, when yesterday (2/21/12) it was confirmed that SB 1116, a bill to repeal the title of law that created the Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust (OHIET), would not get a hearing in the Senate.

The Senate Leadership, and it’s author Sen. Brian Crain, made sure the bill would not get heard.

February 22, 2012 Press Release Excerpt:

“The committee’s final report (attached) recommends that Oklahoma: Continue to fight the federal health care law in court; better educate the public about ways to improve their health; prepare for a dramatic expansion of Medicaid eligibility due to PPACA; begin developing a market-based state health insurance exchange in order to prevent imposition of a federal exchange in Oklahoma; form a permanent legislative committee to monitor issues related to the federal health care law; and increase medical residency programs in order to address current and future doctor shortages – particularly in rural areas.

What the committee is not mentioning here is the fact the work to align Oklahoma with all the technology provisions of both the HITECH Act of 2009, and the PPACA, has already been started, facilitated by legislation creating electronic health records, and by the creation of a public trust called the Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust, or OHIET.  If the state builds an exchange, it may say OKLAHOMA (Insure Oklahoma) on the outside, but the inside functionality, and IT standards, will be all federally compliant and interoperable.

The release continues:

“Regarding health insurance exchanges, the report recommends Oklahoma begin taking steps to implement a state-based, free market health insurance exchange. The recommended exchange is similar to the one in development by the state of Utah since before PPACA’s existence. Utah’s exchange model was recommended to the committee by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn. The recommended Oklahoma exchange would be housed in Insure Oklahoma, which would be spun off from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and turned into a public trust.”

Besides pointing out the clear contradiction in the statement “state-based, free market health insurance exchange”, (you can’t have both state involvement AND be free-market), this release just confirms the state of Oklahoma, under Republican leadership, is ready to implement a federally compliant exchange, while giving the appearance of fighting “Obama Care”.

Another Trust?

The OHIET is a public-beneficiary trust that was created by stealth in the last week of May 2010.  It is responsible for the implementation of the technology infrastructure in this state that makes “Obama Care” work, establishing the ‘network of networks’ linking the patient (that’s you), the providers, and the payers.   The OHIET operates with no legislative oversight, and as the State Designated Entity (SDE), they can solicit and receive federal grants, award contracts, issue bonds, and incur debt.

In fact, due to timeline extensions by the HHS they could end up soliciting the very same $54M Early Innovator Grant that Gov. Fallin “rejected” in the spring of 2011.

The OHIET is currently using federal grant money to operate (see the Challenge Grant), and are busy awarding each other contracts for health information exchange.

The OHIET trust model was drafted by the law firm Crowe and Dunlevy.  One assumes that this same firm has had a hand in drafting the proposed insurance exchange trust language, transforming Insure Oklahoma into an insurance exchange.

It is virtually impossible to terminate a trust; there has to be political will in the Legislature anyway to make to make it happen.  The Oklahoma legislature, under Republican Governor Mary Fallin, does not want to stop the implementation of health care reform, aka “Obama Care.”

Instead, the Republican-led OK Legislature wants to keep on doing what they’ve been doing – implementing “Obama Care” while giving the appearance of opposing “Obama Care.”

It’s an election year – time to flip some Houses.

Both Committee Chairs – Sen. Gary Stanislawski and Rep. Glen Mulready have indicated they would not have supported SB 1116, saying they prefer a patient “opt-in/out” option.  This, of course, would leave the OHIET, and it’s agenda, intact.

February 22, 2012 Press Release in it’s entirety is available here.

The Final Report of the Joint Committee on Health Care Law is available here.

UPDATE: 2011 Oklahoma Legislature Files 2229 – Bills. Now it’s 2234!

Sure glad the Republican led Oklahoma legislature is serious about “smaller, smarter government”.

Between the OK House and Senate 2229  2234 (five more bills introduced since this post was initially published) bills have been filed: 1217 by the House, and 1012 by the Senate.  The deadline for filing was Thursday, January 20, 2011 and apparently all 101 House members and 48 Senators made the deadline.

A preliminary glance does not reveal many repealer bills.  Too bad for us.

The 2011 Oklahoma Legislative session begins on Monday, February 7, 2011.

Better start reading. 

Begin by reading every bill your own elected official has submitted.  (You can search for bill by Author by clicking Tools, then Edit, then enter the key search word – either the subject or author.  Your search word will be highlighted.)

Shell bills are those bills with a bill number and author, a brief description and little else.  These are waiting for language to be added later.   Look for all bills creating NEW LAW.  Then read the amendatory language bills. 

Pay particular attention to Title 47 Motor Vehicles, Title 62 Public Finance,  Title 68 Revenue and Taxation, and Title 74 State Government.

Then call your elected official and start asking questions about those specific bills.

Oklahoma Legislature website:  www.lsb.state.ok.us/  Click Text of Measures to find the introduced House and Senate bills.

Oklahoma House: 1-800-522-8502, 1-405-521-2711

Oklahoma Senate: 1-800-865-6490, 1-405-524-0126

Read those bills; make those calls. Let’s make 2011 the year of Citizen Involvement in the Legislative Process.

The Precinct: The Most Powerful Office. Get Involved – Elections 2/1/2011!

OK-SAFE, Inc. – By request we are re-posting a blog item from early in 2011.  We have updated the dates from 2011 to those for 2013.

It is still true – the precinct in the most powerful office in the party – will you be there?

Oklahoma – Tuesday, February 1, 2011 Thursday, February 7, 2013 is the date set for the upcoming Republican party precinct elections, aka “caucuses”.  [Note: If you live in Tulsa County, precinct meetings can be scheduled for Feb. 7th, 8th, or 9th.]

These meetings, by state party rules, are to take place in the precinct on the date designated by the state Republican party chairman.

Tulsa County GOP information: http://www.tulsagop.org/gop-files. For more State of Oklahoma GOP County List information click here.  Registered Democrats need to check here for that party’s information.

Precinct Defined

The precinct, for those who may not know, is the geographical area assigned to vote at a particular voting location;  “a subdivision of a county, town, city, or ward for election purposes.”  Each precinct is to have a committee, made up of citizens elected by other members of that precinct, to conduct the administrative affairs of the party to which they belong (Republican or Democrat, unless and until a third party gets moving in OK.)

The precinct committee is the supreme authority within the political parties.  From the OKRPRules Amended Aug. 2011, pp 4-5:

“Rule 5- Precinct Committees

(a)   Composition and Election: There shall be a Precinct Committee in each election precinct of the state. The Precinct Committee shall consist of a Precinct Chairman and a Precinct Vice Chairman, not of the same gender, a Precinct Secretary, and a Precinct Treasurer, who may be the same person, and who shall have equal right to vote at Precinct Meetings. They shall be elected at the regular biennial Precinct Meeting of the qualified Republican voters of each precinct called by the County Chairman, or as provided in these rules. The same procedure shall be followed at a regular or special meeting, in the event new precincts are created anywhere in any county of the state.

(b ) Authority and Duties: The Precinct Committee is the supreme Republican Party authority of each precinct, subject to these rules, and the direction and control of official precinct meetings. The Precinct Committee of each precinct is charged with the duty of promoting the welfare and directing the affairs of the Republican Party in its precinct. The Precinct Chairman shall be the executive officer of the precinct delegates to any county convention. The Precinct Chairman is not disqualified to be elected or appointed as a delegate pursuant to these rules. Only the Precinct Committee has the authority to remove any duly elected qualified delegate to the county convention.”

Being the most powerful committee within the political parties, the precinct is the starting place for the election of party officials, delegates to party conventions, both county and state, and the committee that will ultimately decide who the delegates are to the National Convention where the participants vote for President. (Presidential election -every four years; party elections – every two years.)

It all starts by being involved in your local precinct election/meeting on February 1, 2011.  February 7, 2013. [Known exception:Tulsa County GOP precinct meetings may be held on 2/7 , 2/8/ or 2/9, per the discretion of the precinct officers.]

Some of the articles below may help in understanding the power of the precinct and why you should participate.

1. The Most Powerful Office in the World is NOT the President of the United States Eagle Forum article: http://www.eagleforum.org/misc/brochures/precinct-committman.shtml
2. Other sources: http://theprecinctproject.wordpress.com/

Excerpt below from The Precinct Project blog – a good place to start:

“Do You Know Who Elects The Party Leaders? Did You Elect Them?

Who elects the leadership of the parties? Do you know? Are you a registered Republican? Guess what? As a “mere” registered Republican voter, without more, you DID NOT have a vote in the election of the present leadership of the Republican Party. Sorry, but those are the facts.

ONLY elected precinct committeemen get to vote for the leadership of the Party. Do I yet have your attention? Ponder the fact that ONLY elected precinct committeemen get to elect the Party leadership. Don’t you want to have a vote in those elections?

About 3,141 counties exist in the United States. Each has a county party organization. And, those county organizations almost always endorse candidates in the party primaries. And, usually, those party-endorsed candidates win. Tired of the kind of Repubican In Name Only Republicans who are winning the primaries? Then DO SOMETHING REAL and become a Republican Party precinct committeeman! Guess what? About half of the Republican Party precinct committeeman slots, nationwide, are unfilled!

Do I yet have your attention? Has the light bulb above your head clicked on yet? In some counties, like the one where I reside, Maricopa County, Arizona, within which Phoenix sits, TWO-THIRDS of the precinct committeeman slots in the Republican Party sat unfilled on Election Day, 2008. Well, it’s now January, 2010, and we’re now at 53 per cent strength instead of where we were a year ago, 31 per cent.

Spend a few moments and picture this in your mind’s eye: thousands of conservatives flock to the Republican Party and join it as precinct committeemen. And, in the next internal party elections, these conservatives (you, me and others) elect NEW, CONSERVATIVE leadership. (Or, instead, these same conservatives (me, excepted) sit behind their computer screens and put first on their priority list, instead of second, writing that next, great blog post that is going to, somehow, save the republic.)”

Massive H.R. 2454 Passes House

The size of a phone book, the massive ‘crap and trade’ bill, H.R. 2454, passed the House today (6/26/09) by a vote of 219-212.  

The following 8 ‘Republicans’ voted YES on this horrendous bill:

1. Bono Mack – CA
2. Castle – DE
3. Kirk – IL
4. Lance – NJ
5. LoBiondo – NJ
6. McHugh – NY
7. Reichart – WA
8. Smith – NJ

If 4 of these 8 ‘Republicans’ had voted NO this costly bill would have failed.  Instead, they all failed the American public.

Everyone of them should be voted out of office, along with the 211 other bombastic gluttons who passed this costly legislation.

The bill now moves to the Senate – start calling.