Oklahoma Lawmakers and Lobbyists

The more I look into the process of passing laws in Oklahoma, the more concerned I become. It is clear that the current process of having elected officials that take direction from paid lobbyists is, to say the least, flawed. This session in Oklahoma we appear to have numerous proposed pieces of legislation that look like they were written in the boardrooms of some of Oklahoma's larger companies.

One that really blows my mind centers around natural gas usage in the state of Oklahoma. Why should be we FORCED by legislation to consume a product? Is natural gas not a great enough product to sell itself? Is there a reason people choose alternatives? Why legislate consumption?

Good for Oklahoma... that is what you will hear.... I strongly beg to differ. If we can sell a higher priced product, natural gas, out of state and bring that money back to Oklahoma, why not do that and use lower cost alternatives here? I am tired of business running the legislative process.

Stop falling for the big campaign contributions. Stop falling for the flashy skylines and new buildings. Remember that not every Oklahoma benefits from natural gas and oil production in this state. Not every Oklahoman can afford their current energy costs, let alone the increased costs that would come from some of the proposed legislation.

It is time for responsible lawmaking. It is time for educated movements in lawmaking. It is time to stop having business decide what the rules should be in their industry.

Stand up. Demand better laws. Stop the blind following of certain industries. Maybe Oklahoma has forgotten what happened in the 80's when we put all of our eggs in the oil basket. Maybe Oklahoma has forgotten how close a certain production company came to being taken over when they over-leveraged not to long ago....

I remember. Do you?