Sooner State News

Who’s keeping score on Oklahoma state government?

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is providing its take on how state legislators vote on issues related to the principles of limited government, free markets, individual initiative and personal responsibility. Its Legislative Scorecard was launched for the 2020 legislative session, with legislators rated on a scale from 1-100, with the higher the score the better.

OCPA President Jonathan Small said it was created because of a demand for an honest appraisal of elected officials.

“For a number of years, Oklahomans have asked OCPA for better information about how politicians were voting,” Small told Sooner State News. “They have also asked for help with understanding if politicians’ votes were in line with the broad principles of free markets, limited government, individual initiative and personal responsibility. In response to this demand, we kicked off the scorecard for the first time this year.”

The scorecard reports votes from a comprehensive list of bills that are watched throughout the session and the final score covers approximately 60 bills. Small said the response has been good — with one glaring exception.

“The public by and large has been very appreciative, including some politicians," he said. "Other politicians have privately and even publicly responded viscerally about the scorecard. A committee chairman and member of House Republican leadership publicly cussed me out and treated me worse than animal in the Capitol over this new level of transparency.”

Small wrote about the harrowing experience, explaining that he first went to the Capitol as a child in the 1980s, when he accompanied his parents to speak up for vulnerable people. He has continued to provide his thoughts and input on issues important to him and the people of Oklahoma.

The Legislative Scorecard was born out of that mission. One politician was displeased with a score he received. Small did not mention his name in an essay he wrote about the experience, but news reports revealed it was Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore), who was unhappy he had received a score of 35.

“One of the first bills to be scored was authored by the chair of an appropriations and budget subcommittee who was also part of the House Republican leadership team,” Small wrote. “We had serious concerns about the bill’s unintended consequences. Lawmakers chose not to revise the bill to address those concerns and passed it anyway. The scorecard reflected their votes.

“Soon after, while walking the fourth floor of the Capitol, I passed a committee room where the bill’s author was seated among a group. Because his chair faced the doorway, he saw me, and I saw him — including when he flipped me off." 

Small continued, “Then it appeared the chairman motioned for me to come into the room to talk. As I did so, he began to cuss at me loudly and profusely. He said I was the 'F' word at least twice, called me a piece of 's...' twice, said I was worthless twice, referred to me as a derogatory word for male genitalia twice and twice told me to 'scat' like I was some sort of animal. Peppered throughout his personal, verbal and public attack on me was his criticism OCPA for opposing his legislation.

“The latter portion represented just a portion of the overall content of his diatribe but was clearly the real source of his anger. As a conservative who is also an African-American, it was sobering to be publicly treated worse than an animal.”

Small said he is grateful Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat and Gov. Kevin Stitt apologized for how he was treated.

“Needless to say my view of politics and what Oklahoma citizens need to do to hold politicians accountable has changed since I was a child,” he wrote. “But my commitment to public policy and the importance of working to benefit hard-working citizens has not. 

"Now, more than ever, we need transparency at the Oklahoma Legislature. More than ever we need to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes. If that causes the occasional legislator to have a public meltdown, so be it. It’s still the right thing to do.”

Gary Reid, publisher emeritus of the Kingfisher Times and Free Press, also wrote about the incident.

“The tirade, including invectives and profane language was hurled at him because Small revealed details of a bill the member submitted which could have well been improved," Reid wrote. "That response is embarrassing to Republicans, the Oklahoma House and the state of Oklahoma. 

"Anyone who knows Jonathan Small knows that he is a gentleman, highly educated and ethical. Our research indicates the leader who did this was Mark McBride of Moore. He is assistant floor leader and House appropriations subcommittee chairman. We point it out here because Small [ever the gentleman] didn’t identify him by name in his letter.

“McBride is a Republican and it makes us ashamed to think that a person who should have appreciated Small’s efforts to make the bill friendlier to conservative values would have indulged in such a profane, public spectacle.”

The OCPA was founded in 1993. Its mission is to monitor public matters on behalf of the best interests of Oklahoma families, businesses, children, and taxpayers.

Small joined the think tank in 2010. He rose to executive vice president before being named president Jan. 1, 2016.

“Research has shown time and time again that the free market is the single greatest tool in the world for lifting the most people out of poverty in the least amount of time, enabling human flourishing at unprecedented levels,” it states on its website. “If we want a bright future for our residents — especially the most vulnerable — then our charge is simple: to doggedly pursue our mission until every Oklahoman can be empowered to live a life of opportunity.”

The Legislative Scorecard is a useful tool to allow the public to understand what is happening in the Capitol — and which elected officials are living up to their campaign pledges, Small said.

“Based on their votes, many self-professed conservative politicians in the Oklahoma House of Representatives have said they believe in one thing but voted the opposite of their promises,” Small said. “The scorecard makes it much easier to see how a politician is voting. Politicians with the wrong motives generally tend to not like greater transparency and accountability for the actions of government and politicians."

There is one thing Small would do differently:

“Based on the actions of Republican members of the House of Representatives, OCPA’s only regret is that we didn’t start a scorecard sooner.” he said.