Alberta joins U.S. states' energy pact

Alberta premier Danielle Smith has signed on to the 12-state Governors' Coalition for Energy Security.

Alberta joins U.S. energy coalition to secure North America’s energy future | True North Wire | Isaac Lamoureux:

November 17, 2024 - "Alberta has become the first non-U.S. [political entity] to join a United States energy pact featuring 12 states that had already signed onto the coalition. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Thursday, personally thanking Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu for inviting her, along with President-elect Donald Trump. Smith also thanked the other ten governors involved.

"Smith said that Alberta’s role in North American energy security is vital as the largest crude oil and natural gas supplier to the United States. 

With 200 billion barrels of recoverable oil, 200 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, significant natural gas liquids and ample pore space for carbon capture, Alberta’s contribution is set to grow even further as we look to work with the Trump Administration and other U.S. partners to increase our pipeline capacity to our greatest friend and ally, the United States.... We are proud to collaborate with this coalition of allied states in advancing energy security, reliability and affordability for Americans and Canadians....

"Alberta currently accounts for 56% of oil imports into the United States, double Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq combined.

"Landry said that the pact’s members share the goal of enhancing and protecting energy security, which he said will lead to lower energy costs, increased reliability, sustainable economic development, and wise management of energy resources and the environment. '

“I welcome Premier Smith and the insights she will bring as the leader from a fellow energy-producing province that, like my state, is under a federal system of government where national imperatives are not always aligned with state or provincial interests,' said Landry.

"The United States is the largest trading partner with Alberta, having $188 billion in bilateral trade in 2023. Energy products accounted for more than 80%, approximately $133.6 billion, of Alberta’s exports to the United States in 2023....

Alberta is a global leader in emissions reduction technologies and clean energy solutions. 'The province has captured about 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through carbon capture, utilization and storage technology, and has the ability to support the U.S. in developing new infrastructure and supply chains for future energy markets in the areas of hydrogen, renewables, small modular reactors and others,” reads Alberta’s press release. 

"The newly renamed Governors’ Coalition for Energy Security listed its goals in the press release issued by the Governor of Louisiana[:] ... 'to ensure families and businesses have the right to choose the energy they need, to minimize permitting and other regulatory barriers, limit expensive energy mandates, focus on affordability and reliability of energy infrastructure, and to coordinate to positively manage energy resources and the environment,' reads the press release....

"Smith issued an additional statement on Friday, saying she won’t wait for the [Canadian federal] Liberals to strengthen energy trade.... \

Alberta’s energy sector is a cornerstone of North America’s prosperity and we’re ready to work with our partners in the United States, especially @realDonaldTrump, to ensure that remains true.... Alberta’s resources are critical to energy security, economic growth, and the strong ties between our countries. Together, we can build a future that benefits both sides of the border — because when Alberta succeeds, the United States thrives. Let’s power that future, hand in hand.

"The 12 signatory states included in the energy pact are Louisiana, New Hampshire, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Virginia."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/11/17/alberta-energy-coalition-us/

We can’t sacrifice U.S. friendship if Mexico is a trade irritant: Alberta premier | Power & Politics | CBC News | November 15, 2024:

Cannabis users have gun rights, US judges rule

Two U.S. federal District Court judges have ruled that the national ban on gun possession by cannabis users violates the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

Another Federal Judge Rejects the DOJ's Argument That Cannabis Consumers Have No Second Amendment Rights | Reason = Jacpb Sullm:

April 11, 2023 - "A federal judge in Texas recently agreed with a federal judge in Oklahoma that the national ban on gun possession by cannabis consumers violates the Second Amendment. Kathleen Cardone, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, also concluded that the federal ban on transferring firearms to an 'unlawful user' of a 'controlled substance,' first imposed by the Gun Control Act of 1968, is unconstitutional. The case involves Paola Connelly, who was charged with illegal possession of firearms under 18 USC 922(g)(3) after El Paso police found marijuana and guns in her home while responding to a domestic disturbance in December 2021.... Both gun offenses are punishable by up to 15 years in prison....

"Cardone held that Connelly's Second Amendment claims were not precluded by prior decisions in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which includes Texas, upheld Section 922(g)(3). Those decisions, she noted, preceded the Supreme Court's June 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.... Last February in United States v. Rahimi, the 5th Circuit concluded that Bruen required it to reconsider decisions upholding the federal ban on gun possession by people subject to domestic violence restraining orders. By the same logic, Cardone says in an order published last week, the 5th Circuit's precedents regarding Section 922(g)(3) are no longer binding.

"[T]he Biden administration argued that the gun ban for marijuana users meets the Bruen test because it is 'relevantly similar' to colonial and state laws forbidding people to publicly use or carry guns while intoxicated. Like U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick, who deemed that ban unconstitutional in an Oklahoma case last February [see video], Cardone was unpersuaded by that analogy.... A 1655 Virginia law, for example, prohibited 'shoot[ing] any gunns at drinkeing (marriages and ffuneralls onely excepted)'... State laws enacted in the 19th century likewise were aimed at people who publicly carried or fired guns when they were drunk. By contrast, Section 922(g)(3) covers all cannabis consumers, including those who live in states that have legalized marijuana, even when they are not intoxicated, and it applies to private as well as public possession.... 

"The government also argued that Section 922(g)(3) is consistent with a purported tradition of disarming 'unvirtuous' people.... Cardone ... notes colonial-era jurist William Blackstone's distinction between 'public and private vices': While the former are subject to the 'punishments of human tribunals,' he said, the latter are subject only to 'eternal justice.' Blackstone explicitly applied that distinction to drunkenness. 'Connelly's alleged drug use more resembles private drinking than public drunkenness, casting doubt on the idea that history supports criminalizing or disarming her for this behavior,' Cardone writes....

"Cardone was equally unimpressed by the government's argument that Connelly was disqualified from owning guns because she was not 'law-abiding'.... [M]arijuana use ... is a nonviolent misdemeanor, and 'no one even today reads [Second Amendment history] to support the disarmament of literally all criminals, even nonviolent misdemeanants'....  Cardone is quoting a 2019 dissent that Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Barrett argued that the federal ban on gun possession by people with nonviolent felony records sweeps too broadly. In making that case, she took it for granted that a nonviolent misdemeanor is not nough to justify depriving someone of his Second Amendment rights....

"Cardone also notes that Section 922(g)(3), unlike restrictions that hinge on a conviction or a judicial order, deprives people of their Second Amendment rights 'without a hearing or any preliminary showing from the Government.' They 'must choose to either stop their marijuana use, forgo possession of a firearm, or ... face up to fifteen years in federal prison'....

"[C]ases challenging the constitutionality of Section 922(g)(3) will soon be considered by three federal appeals courts: the 5th Circuit, the 10th Circuit, and the 11th Circuit. Assuming they reach different conclusions, the Supreme Court is apt to intervene, decisively settling the question of whether the right to keep and bear arms includes an exception for people who dare to consume a psychoactive substance that legislators deemed intolerable more than two centuries after the Second Amendment was ratified."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/04/11/another-federal-judge-rejects-the-dojs-argument-that-cannabis-consumers-have-no-second-amendment-rights/ 

New Gun Law Allows Marijuana Users to Legally Own Guns | USCCA, February 7, 2023:

Libertarian elected to Choctaw OK city council

LP Oklahoma chair elected to Choctaw City Council | Libertarian Party - Bob Johnston:

April 5, 2019 - "Chad Williams, who was elected chair of the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma as its convention in March, was elected to a 1st Ward seat on the Choctaw City Council on April 2, defeating the incumbent by two votes.

"Williams worked tirelessly before the election using a complete campaign plan that he had designed. He presumed around 400 people would vote and made sure to knock on their doors until he spoke with all of them. He put out yard signs and doorhangers, with 12 volunteers helping him.

"Williams illustrated to his constituents how the city’s codes and ordinances were hurting the local businesses. He also pointed out that the city charges homeowners a storm drainage fee even though homeowners themselves are responsible for the drainage.

"He also made sure that those who supported him got out to vote.

"'We want to see Choctaw grow and see businesses thrive without handouts or tax funded incentives,' Williams said.

Read more: https://www.lp.org/lp-oklahoma-chair-elected-to-choctaw-city-council/
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Iowa Libertarians lost major party status in 2018

Libertarians to refocus after losing major party status in Iowa - Barbara Rodriguez, Des Moines Register:

November 21, 2018 - "A lackluster performance in Iowa's midterms has cost Libertarians the major party status they earned for the first time after the 2016 general election.... Jake Porter, the Libertarian candidate for governor, received 1.6 percent of the vote ...  — less than the 2 percent that Iowa law requires to retain major party status....

"The setback comes despite a period of growth for Iowa Libertarians. They have new party registrations, more candidates on the ballot and more people voting for those candidates.

"The 2 percent threshold, required in either a governor's race or a presidential race, allowed Libertarians to participate in this year’s state primary.... Instead, heading into the 2020 presidential election, Libertarians once again will be categorized in Iowa as a non-party political organization, and candidates will need to circulate nominating petitions to qualify to appear on the ballot. Party leaders predict they'll bounce back and regain their status in two years....

"A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll in September showed 7 percent of Iowans said they supported Porter. Another Iowa Poll days before the election showed Porter's support had dropped to 2 percent.

"That's despite a surge in registered Libertarians — from about 9,000 in early 2017 to more than 13,000 as of November. Porter ultimately received 21,426 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast in the governor's race....

"There were 27 Libertarian candidates running for congressional, statewide and legislative races in Iowa this year [which] surpasses the 2016 record of 24. But some of those candidates posted little, if any, information about themselves, and some had no website or social media presence. More importantly, ... campaign filing data show the four Libertarian congressional candidates raised no money....

"Nationally, Election Day produced mixed results for the Libertarian Party. Libertarians running for governor in Oklahoma and New York cleared the voting thresholds needed to maintain ballot access. In the governor’s race in New Hampshire, the Libertarian candidate failed to secure enough votes. Libertarians in Ohio are considering legal action over any attempt by that state to take away their newly acquired party status."

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/21/iowa-libertarians-lose-major-party-status-candidate-registration-election-jake-porter-governor-race/2053696002/

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Powell wins 1st Oklahoma Libertarian primary

Chris Powell secures Libertarian nomination in Oklahoma gubernatorial race | KOKH FOX - Joe Buettner:

August 28, 2018 - "Chris Powell secured the Libertarian Party nomination for governor in Oklahoma on Tuesday....

"This cycle marks the first time in Oklahoma state history the Libertarian Party was recognized and represented in the gubernatorial primary."
Read more: https://okcfox.com/news/local/chris-powell-secures-libertarian-nomination-in-oklahoma-gubernatorial-race

Kevin Stitt, Drew Edmondson, Chris Powell to face off in November as gubernatorial candidates | KFOR.com News 4 - Katrina Butcher:

August 29, 2018 - "Powell won the runoff vote for Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Tuesday night against Rex L. Lawhorn. Powell had 59% of the votes with a total of 547, while Lawhorn had 41% with 379 votes."
Read more: https://kfor.com/2018/08/29/kevin-stitt-drew-edmondson-chris-powell-to-face-off-in-november-election-as-gubernatorial-candidates/

Libertarian Chris Powell advances to November general election | KTUL ABC - Ashley Ellis:

"This is the first time in state history that the Libertarian Party [was] recognized and represented in the gubernatorial primary. It was not easy becoming a formally recognized party, and former Libertarian State Chair Chris Powell said his candidacy for governor is about showing Oklahomans there are alternatives to the traditional two-party systems.

"Powell's platform also includes further criminal justice reform, improving ballot access and working to fix the state's budget without imposing new taxes on Oklahomans."
Read more: https://ktul.com/news/local/gov-libertarian-chris-powell-advances-to-november-general-election

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Oklahoma LP transgender exec makes history

Oklahoma Transgender Student Elected in Libertarian Party | Oklahoma News | US News - Joy Hampton, Norman Transcript, Associated Press:

April 23, 2018 - "University of Oklahoma student Traci Baker is only 20 years old, but she was recently elected as state secretary of the Libertarian Party ... the first transgender official of any party in state history, as well as the first transgender executive of a state party in the U.S.

 "Baker grew up in Edmond [Oklahoma] and was interested in politics early on. 'I was inspired by the Ron Paul campaign in 2012, and that's what got me into Libertarianism,' she said. 'I was in high school when I did debate, and then I was in Youth in Government in the YMCA program. That's also when I started doing my first campaign.'

"Baker graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 2016 and moved to Norman to attend OU. 'I came out as transgender pretty much immediately upon moving to Norman," Baker said.... I'm on campus a lot, and campus is pretty supportive'....

 "With federal, state and county filings coming up, Baker has been busy with party responsibilities.

 "'We've got three great candidates for governor and a candidate for state auditor, which Democrats don't have. So, that's pretty cool,' she said. 'We have some candidates for House and Senate seats, as well as a few running for Congress'....

"'I will continue to be the candidate liaison for the party,' Baker said. 'I equip them with the resources that they need to run and interact with them to make sure they know how to file for office.'

"She also works with candidates on campaign finance ethics and filing regulations and other knowledge they need to know while running for office." "

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oklahoma/articles/2018-04-23/oklahoma-transgender-student-elected-in-libertarian-party
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3 Libertarians in Oklahoma primary for governor

Libertarian gubernatorial candidates sound off on issues facing Oklahoma | Red Dirt Report:

"OKLAHOMA CITY-- Next year, Oklahoman voters will go to the polls again and cast their vote.... One big difference voters might notice this time around: a Libertarian on the ballot. Last year, the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma (OKLP) gained official recognition and had a candidate on the ballot for President, as well as candidates for many local offices.

"The Libertarian Party, like Republicans and Democrats, will be holding a primary in June so that those registered in their party can choose who will represent them in the general election.... The three candidates currently running for the Libertarian nomination for Oklahoma Governor are Chris Powell, Rex Lawhorn, and Joe Maldonado.

"Chris Powell, a former chairman of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party, ran for Oklahoma County Clerk in 2016.  Rex Lawhorn is a telecommunications technician from Broken Bow.  Joe Maldonado, also known as Joe Exotic, a former Police Chief, is the owner-operator of an animal park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma....

Why are you running for Governor of the State of Oklahoma?

POWELL: Both because this is the first gubernatorial election in which the OKLP will be able to participate and because of the very high level of dissatisfaction with both establishment parties; 2018 represents a tremendous opportunity to grow the LP in Oklahoma. As the most successful candidate the OKLP has had, I believe I am best situated to capitalize on this opportunity to increase the visibility and relevance of the Libertarian Party in Oklahoma.

LAWHORN: I’m running because I am tired of living in an Oklahoma that offers no positive future for our children. I’m tired of being over-taxed and over-regulated and I’m tired of watching my community suffer from the abuses inflicted on it by big government. Consumer-driven market options and pro-liberty policies can change those things. 

MALDONADO: I am running for Governor of the State of Oklahoma for the working people of this state. I am tired of the legislature passing thousands of laws without actually getting anything done. I am tired of the corporations and special interest groups buying our politicians. I am tired of taxes going up while our state sinks further and further into debt. It’s time we run this state like a business instead of a slush fund for the oil and gas industry and their political puppets at the capitol."

Read more: http://www.reddirtreport.com/red-dirt-politics/libertarian-gubernatorial-candidates-sound-issues-facing-oklahoma
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Libertarian Powell running for Oklahoma governor

Powell enters race for Libertarian Party gubernatorial nomination | News | edmondsun.com:

July 8, 2017 - "The Oklahoma Libertarian Party’s most successful candidate to date, Chris Powell, is seeking the nomination for Governor.

"Powell, of Bethany, received more than 89,000 votes running for county office in 2016, besting Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson’s statewide total of 83,481....

"Powell, active in the OKLP since 2000 including a term as chairman, contrasts his greater depth of political experience as compared to the other Libertarian candidates for the state’s highest office. In regard to those seeking the Republican and Democrat nominations, Powell says, 'My life is far more representative of the vast majority of Oklahomans than that of the members of the political establishment in those other two parties. I understand the daily problems of regular people in ways those politicians never can.'

"Powell intends to focus on empowering local school boards and teachers, elimination of special interest tax credits, state agency consolidation, criminal justice reform, and working to reduce divisions in the Legislature, all of which will help address the ongoing budget problems."

Read more: http://www.edmondsun.com/news/powell-enters-race-for-libertarian-party-gubernatorial-nomination/article_bf946714-65b9-11e7-ba65-0f735f5f3980.html
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Oklahoma Libertarians keep hard-won ballot access

Even in losing, Libertarians see victory on election night | Oklahoma | normantranscript.com - Janelle Stecklein, Norman Transcript:

"November 11, 2016 - "Oklahoma Libertarians ... didn’t win a single race on the state’s ballot. But against all odds and expectations, Libertarians managed to bank enough votes that the party’s candidate[s] will automatically be recognized again in Oklahoma for the 2018 gubernatorial election.

"'I think they are probably the biggest winners [Tuesday] night in Oklahoma in many ways,' said John R. Wood, associate professor of political science at the University of Central Oklahoma.

"This state has long been a notoriously difficult and expensive one for third-parties trying to squeeze onto the ballot.... 'Oklahoma’s ballot access requirements are so onerous that we hadn’t attempted this since 2000,' said Nicholas Sarwark, the party’s national committee chairman, in an email....

"Sarwark said Libertarians spent more than $100,000 to get recognized in Oklahoma, which amounted to about 14 percent of the $750,000 the party spent across 17 states for ballot access. Still, he considers the Oklahoma foray a victory.... Johnson’s showing here — he picked up 5.7 percent of the vote — guarantees Libertarians ballot access in 2018....

"Nearly 3,600 Oklahomans identified as Libertarians ahead of this week’s election. Thousands more voted that way....  In what Wood termed 'an incredible outcome,' Johnson had 83,334....

"The amount spent to get Libertarians on the ballot 'left virtually nothing for campaigning,' said Robert T. Murphy, 68, a Norman resident who launched an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate.... Murphy garnered 3 percent of the vote in his race.

"'Two years from now, I’m hoping that we can use that [money] and more to do some real advertising and affect the way people [really] think about politics,' he said.

"The party believes in free economic policies, more tolerant social policies and a non-interventionist foreign policy. Murphy said he’d like to see horse racing allowed in every county and laws that prohibit the seizure of homesteads for failure to pay taxes."

Read more: http://www.normantranscript.com/news/oklahoma/even-in-losing-libertarians-see-victory-on-election-night/article_c4a5f1ba-8c68-53e8-a627-3b5f405322c4.html
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Challenge to Colorado marijuana laws rejected

Our Recent Supreme Court Victory and What It Means | NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform:

March 28, 2016 - "The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to refuse to hear a challenge to the Colorado marijuana legalization law was a significant victory for those who favor legalizing marijuana and a significant set-back for those who thought the federal courts might help them hold on to the increasingly unpopular policy of criminal prohibition. The name of the case was States of Nebraska and Oklahoma v. State of Colorado....

The Supreme Court ... has what is called 'original jurisdiction' to hear cases and controversies arising between the states. One state may petition the court to hear a suit against another state without having to start at the trial court level.... This is the procedure attempted when the state attorneys general from Oklahoma and Nebraska, in late 2014, filed suit against the state of Colorado, challenging the validity of the Colorado marijuana legalization law.

"Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a Republican, and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, also a Republican, alleged that marijuana from Colorado was finding its way illegally to their states, causing their courts, law enforcement agencies and jails to be overburdened....

"'The state of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100-million-per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 states in 2014,' they said. 'If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel.'

"Attorneys for both the state of Colorado (Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican) and the Obama administration urged the Supreme Court not to accept the case, saying it was not a conflict between the states and thus not eligible for 'original jurisdiction.' They argued the case involved harm allegedly being caused by individual lawbreakers, not the state of Colorado....

"On March 21, the Supreme Court announced they would refuse to hear the case on a 6-2 vote (four votes are required for the court to agree to hear a case), with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in the minority.

"The decision to reject the case on original jurisdiction does not resolve the underlying substantive issues, but it means the two states, if they wish to pursue this line of reasoning further, must first file their suit at the trial court level and work through the court of appeals, before again asking the Supreme Court to rule. There will be no legal short cut for this challenge."

Read more: http://blog.norml.org/2016/03/28/our-recent-supreme-court-victory-and-what-it-means/
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Libertarians make the ballot in Oklahoma

Libertarian Party Obtains Ballot Access in Okla. for First Time Since 2000 - Barry Donegan, Truth in Media:

March 21, 2016 - "Ballot Access News is reporting that the Oklahoma Election Board announced on Monday that it has verified the Libertarian Party’s petition to become a qualified party in the state, meaning that its presidential candidate will appear on the 2016 ballot and that its voters can register to vote as members of the party.

"Only Republican and Democratic candidates have appeared on the Oklahoma presidential ballot in every election ... since the year 2000. The only political party to gain recognized party status since that time, the Americans Elect party in 2011, did not place a candidate on the ballot after doing so....

"Oklahoma Republican Gov. Mary Fallin had signed a bill into law in May of 2015 that reduced the number of signatures required for a third party to obtain qualified party status from 5 percent of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election to 3 percent....

"According to The Associated Press, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party had submitted a petition with 42,000 signatures in February, above the 24,745 signatures required to meet the 3 percent rule.

"'We did it. Now we have to make it count,' said Oklahoma Libertarian Party vice chair Tina Kelly. She said that the party has a dozen in-state candidates that are planning to run for office, including two possible contenders for U.S. Senate."

Read more: http://truthinmedia.com/libertarian-party-obtains-ballot-access-in-okla-for-first-time-since-2000/
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42K sign to put Libertarians on Oklahoma ballot

Libertarians file signatures to get on ballot | News OK - Rick Green, The Oklahoman: 

February 22, 2016 - "When Oklahomans go to the polls in the June 28 statewide primary, there's a good chance there will be Libertarian candidates on the ballot.

"Officials of the party, which favors free markets, personal freedom and peace, filed thousands of voter signatures with the state Election Board on Monday.

"They needed 24,745 signatures to get their candidates on the ballot.  Oklahoma Libertarian Party Vice Chair Tina Kelly said a total of 42,000 signatures were gathered.

"'I have been overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm of Oklahomans who do not feel represented by the two parties currently in power and want more choices,' she said....

"The state Election Board will go through a verification process for the signatures. Barring major problems, Libertarian candidates would appear on the Oklahoma ballot for the first time in 16 years.

"'Candidates from all levels of government are reaching out to us with their intentions to seek office as Libertarians," [Kelly] said. 'The other parties have made a mess of things and it's very exciting to know that this year for the first time in a long time, there's potential to see real political change in our state.'

"Assuming it makes the ballot in this year's election cycle, the party would need to receive 10 percent of the vote in the presidential race. If it doesn't reach that threshold, another round of signature gathering would be required to qualify the party for the 2018 general election....

"Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, said the party wants to ensure that 'every American has a Libertarian option on their ballot.'"

Read more: http://newsok.com/article/5480449
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Libertarians shield Muslims from protestors in OK

VIDEO: Oklahoma Libertarians Form Human Chain To Protect Muslims From Bigoted Tea Partiers - Nick Bernabe for Antimedia, Mint Press News:

March 3, 2015 - "As Oklahoma Muslims descended on the state’s capital last week on February 27 for ‘Muslim Day’, they were met by bigoted reactionaries fearful over the supposed takeover of Sharia Law in America.

The protesters resembled ‘Tea Party’ groups and were flying Israeli flags.... According to the Tea Party News Network, these (protesters) included conservative groups Overpasses for America and III Percent Patriots of Oklahoma....

"State Rep. John Bennett reportedly, 'Distributed Bibles and what some described as Islamophobic questionnaires during the state’s first Muslim Capitol Day on Friday […] An official in the office of state representative John Bennett confirmed that staffers were dispatched to distribute Bibles and fliers at the capitol in Oklahoma City during the Muslim Day proceedings'....

"But the story that isn’t being told here is the role Oklahoma Libertarians and other groups played on Muslim Day. Members of the Oklahoma Libertarian party as well as groups working though an Interfaith alliance anticipated the ugly protest and organized a human chain to shield Muslims from the bigotry as they entered the building.

"I spoke to Dax Ewbanks from the Oklahoma Libertarian Party about what happened on Muslim Day, and he had this to say,

'Participants to the event had to encounter a “gauntlet of hate” as they entered the building. Protesters were shouting insults against Islam as well as against the participants. A group of volunteers that included Libertarians but was organized by the Interfaith Alliance walked as “body guards” to shield the Muslim people entering the Capitol from the vulgar display of hate.'

"According to Ewbanks, the Libertarian volunteers even served coffee and donuts to the anti-Islam protesters at the request of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations). 'It was very cold outside that day,' he told me."

Read more: http://www.mintpressnews.com/video-oklahoma-libertarians-form-human-chain-to-protect-muslims-from-bigoted-tea-partiers/202841/
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2 states sue Colorado over marijuana legalization

Nebraska, Oklahoma sue Colorado over legal marijuana - LA Times - Kurtis Lee:

December 18, 2014 - "A pair of states on Thursday filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to strike down Colorado's laws that legalize recreational marijuana.

"Citing federal antidrug laws, particularly interstate drug trafficking, Nebraska and Oklahoma said in the lawsuit that Colorado's marijuana laws have "created a dangerous gap in the federal drug-control system enacted by the United States Congress."

"In 2012, Coloradans voted in support of Amendment 64, which legalized the recreational sale and use of up to an ounce of marijuana for any resident over the age of 21. Moreover, under Amendment 64, Coloradans can grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use.

"The result of increased Colorado-sourced marijuana being trafficked in [Nebraska and Oklahoma] due to the passage and implementation of Colorado Amendment 64 has been the diversion of a significant amount of the personnel time, budget, and resources" of those states, wrote Nebraska Atty. Gen. Jon Bruning and Oklahoma Atty. Gen. E. Scott Pruitt in the court filing....

"Colorado Atty. Gen. John Suthers, who leaves office next month, vowed on Thursday to defend the state's legal recreational marijuana laws....

"Suthers, a Republican who opposed Amendment 64, added that 'it appears the plaintiffs’ primary grievance stems from non-enforcement of federal laws regarding marijuana, as opposed to choices made by the voters of Colorado.

"'We believe this suit is without merit and we will vigorously defend against it in the U.S. Supreme Court,' Suthers said.

"Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, but several states including Washington, Oregon and Alaska have passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana sales."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-marijuana-lawsuit-colorado-20141218-story.html
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Libertarian views becoming mainstream in OK GOP

Wayne Greene: Oklahoma's new libertarian mainstream + Tom Coburn vs. the NFL - Tulsa World: :

December 8, 2013 - "Eighteenth century thinking is starting to get more traction in Oklahoma’s 21st century government.

"Consider an op/ed column written by state Rep. Lewis Moore last week.

"The national government has gotten 'too big for its britches,' the Arcadia Republican says, and nothing less than liberty and the integrity of the republic are at stake.

"Moore’s column is worth looking at because it’s a pretty pure expression of the Madisonian libertarian strain that is getting louder and louder at the state Capitol, especially in the state House of Representatives....

"Moore describes a broad array of programs — from airport security to Medicare — as part of the 'nationalization of the United States of America'....

“He advocates two steps: sharply limiting the authority of the IRS and state refusal of federal money for 'central government controlled programs' that are funded with national debt financing."

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/waynegreene/wayne-greene-oklahoma-s-new-libertarian-mainstream/article_36983536-5ff4-11e3-99dc-001a4bcf6878.html
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Oklahoma AG tricked Libertarians into postponing ballot access suit

Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Oklahoma Attorney General Ruled on August 17 that Americans Elect May Not Place a Presidential Candidate on the Ballot, but Kept the Opinion a Secret, and Tricked Libertarians Into Postponing the Ballot Access Lawsuit:

August 29, 2012 - "On August 17, the Attorney General issued a 20-page opinion saying the State Board of Elections should disregard the action of the state officers of Americans Elect, who had nominated Gary Johnson for President on July 21. But, he kept this opinion a secret from the Americans Elect Party state officers....

"He also kept it a secret from Jim Linger, attorney for the Libertarian Party ballot access lawsuit. But he told Linger on the phone that the Attorney General’s office, and himself, did not lend any credence to the claim of national leaders of Americans Elect that the party should be removed from the ballot. Therefore, Linger, feeling optimistic about Gary Johnson being on the ballot as the Americans Elect presidential nominee, voluntarily agreed on August 20 to postpone further legal action in the Libertarian Party’s ballot access lawsuit (which had been filed on January 31, 2012) until next year. The lawsuit had been stalled for two months because the state’s expert witness, Professor Clifford Jones, was out of the United States."

Read more: http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/08/29/oklahoma-attorney-general-ruled-on-august-17-that-americans-elect-may-not-place-a-presidential-candidate-on-the-ballot-but-kept-the-opinion-a-secret-and-tricked-libertarians-into-postponing-the-ball/
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Judge rules against third-party candidates on Oklahoma ballots | Tulsa World

Judge rules against third-party candidates on Oklahoma ballots | Tulsa World - Barbara Hoberock:

September 14, 2012 - "OKLAHOMA CITY - Candidates for a third political party will not appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

"The court denied a request by a group calling itself the local chapter of Americans Elect. The national group got enough signatures to appear on the ballot and then disbanded.

"The state group filed suit to prevent the printing of the ballots pending the outcome of its attempt to force the state to put Gary Johnson of New Mexico and James P. Gray of California on the ballot as candidates for president and vice president, respectively.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120914_16_A9_OKLAHO212432
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Oklahoma knocks Libertarian off ballot

OK: Sooner State knocks Libertarian hopeful off ballot « Watchdog News -Patrick B. McGuigan:

August 29, 2012 - "OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma State Election Board removed the Americans Elect party from the November presidential election ballot Wednesday, effectively knocking out Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

The decision was made based on the advice of the state Attorney General’s Office.

Earlier this summer, the state Americans Elect party had designated a slate of presidential electors and named Johnson as its candidate, even as the national party’s directors spiked the group’s nationwide drive to provide an alternative to the two major parties....
"Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News, ... contends the Election Board ... "acted in a deceitful manner.”
Read more: http://watchdog.org/53096/ok-flash-americans-elect-ballot-line-stricken-in-oklahoma/
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Americans Elect gives Oklahoma ballot access to Gary Johnson

Zombified Corpse of Americans Elect Gives Oklahoma Ballot Access to Gary Johnson - David Wiegel, Slate:

"Back in May, as Americans Elect's national organization collapsed, ballot genius Richard Winger and I wondered whether the local organizations could give their ballot lines to other candidates. After all, "Americans Elect" was legally on the ballot in nearly 30 states, and it was illegal to take them off. Would they just field no candidates? Or would enterprising third partiers take their ballot lines?

"The second one. From the inbox:

"'The nonpartisan organization Americans Elect has submitted the names of presidential electors to the Oklahoma State Board of Elections who have pledged to support former New Mexico Governor and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson for President and Judge Jim Gray for Vice President. The nomination by Americans Elect ensures that Gov. Johnson's name will be on the November ballot in Oklahoma.'

"The Sooner State has strict ballot access laws, and no Libertarian nominee had fulfilled them since 2000, when Harry Browne got 0.5% of the vote."

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/08/08/zombified_corpse_of_americans_elect_gives_oklahoma_ballot_access_to_gary_johnson.html
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