The McCarville Report presents the 2018 Primary Primer series. These features will take a look at the nomination races for the statewide elected seats. We are taking an excerpt from each candidate’s website (or social media account/public statements if they don’t have a website) and adding a link back to the candidate’s page. The candidates appear in the order they are listed on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s List of Elections.
Remember to vote in the June 26, 2018 Oklahoma primary elections.
Chris Powell
http://www.powellforgovernor.com/
Chris Powell is a military veteran who served in the Gulf War and joined the Libertarian Party in 2000. You can read his stance on the state budget process as well as tax credits and incentives below.
State Budget
Despite the massive budget hole over the past several years, the Legislature has failed to reduce spending except in a handful of obviously necessary areas. Instead, they’ve chosen to allow across the board temporary spending cuts. There are hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and subsidies for various special interests that could be eliminated, and numerous agencies that could be consolidated or done away with entirely. For instance, there are half a dozen state law enforcement agencies that could be consolidated into one entity.
Tax Credits and Incentives
Oklahoma ranks as 11th most burdensome in terms of occupational licensing. We have poor access to health care in rural areas. And we have over-promoted college education while failing to provide encouragement for and reduce obstructions to acquisition of much needed abilities for skilled trade positions. It’s time to focus on making it easier for Oklahomans, particularly those in rural areas, to attain skills that are marketable and in demand.
Rex L. Lawhorn
http://rexforgovernor2018.com/index.html
Rex Lawhorn has worked in the telecommunications, energy and aerospace industries and settled in Tulsa 16 years ago. His goals for economic development as governor are below.
As Governor of Oklahoma, I will work toward:
- Restoring core functions of state government – infrastructure and equal protection.
- Lifting ban on industrial hemp production – reducing subsidy impact on crop selection.
- Tax equalization among industries
- Eliminating oil and wind subsidies
- Eliminating councils at state level
- Eliminating state preference between start-ups and family businesses with corporate corruption at the state legislature level.
- Elimination of corporate sponsorship of the state government, eliminating corporate influence from law making.
Joe Exotic
http://joeexoticforgovernor.com/
Born Joseph A. Maldonado, Joe Exotic is one of the more colorful candidates for governor. He’s the owner and operator of the G.W. Exotic Animal Park and is known for his confrontations with animal rights activists. You can read his stance on justice reforms below.
I believe that we should end the prison for profit system here in Oklahoma. If we keep sending non-violent first-time offenders to prison, our state will go broke simply from incarcerating people. Marijuana decriminalization is on the top of my agenda. I also have plans to give drug offenders an opportunity to do a work program instead of prison time so they can rejoin society. Under my plan if we took just 2,400 non-violent drug offenders out of the system each year with just one area I would like to work on, we could save the state 288 million of dollars a year and put these people through a 30 day treatment program, a 30 day work program and try to get them back into society and create more jobs, give people chance to become something all while making money.
I use to be a Police Chief, I know how this system works. The local law enforcement spends more time arresting the users instead of the dealers because it pays their bills for the City, County and is nothing but a revolving door that allows the police, courts, bail bondsman, tow truck owners all to make money on a person who just needs some help.
I also believe that if you are charged with a crime and found innocent, no-billed or charges dropped the arresting agency should have to reimburse you all expenses.
