Oklahoman on impressive list
IN an unexpected move, President Trump recently added Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Patrick Wyrick to a list of potential nominees for a future U.S. Supreme Court vacancy. Landing on a list is still a long way from serving on the court, of course, but Wyrick’s possible ascension would still be a first for Oklahoma. More than 100 men and women have served on the high court since 1789, none of them Oklahomans.
Wyrick’s appeal to Trump may be his youth. He’s 36, so naming him to the nation’s highest court would impact Supreme Court decisions for decades. Former Justice Joseph Story was 32 when appointed in 1811 and served until 1845.
The downside of Wyrick’s relative youth is a much shorter resume than other contenders. He was hired as a solicitor general by former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in 2011. In that role, he successfully argued a lethal injection case before the Supreme Court. And he has served on the Oklahoma Supreme Court only since February 2017.
The two decisions Wyrick is most associated with are a mixed bag for conservatives. He was author of a majority opinion striking down a cigarette “fee” as an unconstitutionally enacted tax increase, and he wrote a majority opinion declaring a new 1.25 percent automobile sales tax as not technically a tax increase.
Time will tell if Wyrick is ever nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court. But the fact that an Oklahoman has made the list at all is notable.
Deering’s departure
Maj. Gen. Myles Deering is retiring effective Jan. 31 as head of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, a job he has held since February 2015. Gov. Mary Fallin made the announcement this week. Deering’s retirement will bring a close to more than 46 years in the military and public service. It also may provide some encouragement for officials in Talihina who hope to keep the VA Medical Center in that southeastern Oklahoma town. Some members of the Legislature have proposed closing the center and moving it to a larger city. In a meeting in October with The Oklahoman’s editorial board, Talihina Mayor Don Faulkner and a former administrator, Roy Griffith, defended the VA center and said many problems it has experienced of late, such as attracting and keeping staff, stem from decisions Deering made after taking over as VA director. It will be interesting to see if the pending change in command at the VA alters the course of the Talihina center’s future.
Legislative exits
This week, Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, announced he will not seek re-election. Ownbey cited a desire to spend time with family, particularly grandchildren, and he will have served 10 years anyway. But Ownbey may be only the first of many legislative exits. The approval ratings of Gov. Mary Fallin and the Republican-controlled Legislature are poor. Republican voters are upset by efforts to raise taxes. Democrats are upset by the failure to raise numerous taxes. And citizens in both parties are sick of the dysfunction. Republican voter turnout in special elections has plummeted, allowing Democrats to win normally Republican districts. And county GOP organizations are actively recruiting primary challenges for Republican incumbents. In short, next year’s elections may be bare-knuckle events that many incumbents will not survive anyway, so it won’t be surprising if more lawmakers decide they need to “spend more time with my family.”
Online shopping hazard
The Christmas shopping season always produces stories of people who have had gifts stolen from their vehicles. Those who prefer buying their gifts online face the possibility of theft as well — from their stoop. USA Today reported this week on a survey by Xfinity Home, Comcast’s home security service, which found that 30 percent of Americans have had items pilfered from outside their home. Fifty percent of respondents said they know someone who’s had that happen to them. Among the 30 percent, those who live in the city experienced 42 percent of such thefts. That compared with 26 percent in the suburbs and 19 percent in rural areas. Most retailers reship products that are reported by customers as undelivered, a practice that would cover stolen items. Here's our suggestion for readers: Consider shopping local and pick up your package from one of The Oklahoman's many loyal advertisers.
Sex scandals
This year, several Oklahoma state lawmakers from both political parties have been accused of sex scandals of varying severity — with the most serious involving a child sex-trafficking offense. This has left Oklahomans red-faced, but citizens of Florida can empathize. The Florida Democratic Party chair, Stephen Bittel, resigned after published allegations that he created an uncomfortable work environment for young women. State Sen. Jack Latvala, a Republican who had already announced a gubernatorial bid, is under investigation after Politico Florida reported sexual harassment allegations against him from six women. He was forced to resign as Senate budget chairman as a result and faces potential expulsion. Jeff Clemens, the incoming Democratic leader in the Florida Senate, resigned in October after admitting an extramarital affair with a lobbyist. Sadly, one area not subject to partisan or state divisions is the prevalence of dishonorable people in politics.
A worthy designation
In placing North Korea back on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, President Trump said it “should have happened a long time ago.” North Korea had been off the list for nine years, since being removed by the George W. Bush administration as part of negotiations over nuclear disarmament. North Korea said then that it would end its nuclear program but, naturally, did the opposite. “In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil,” Trump said. The North Korean regime is truly one of the world’s most despicable. Although this designation is symbolic, the administration hopes it will dissuade other countries from dealing with Pyongyang. The Wall Street Journal noted that one way to test the conventional notion that North Korea will never abandon its nuclear goals “is by squeezing the regime as hard as possible on every front.” This designation will help do that.
A judge’s awful judgment
In Ohio, a state supreme court judge tried to be cute in defending U.S. Sen. Al Franken, who faces allegations that he groped women several years ago. Justice William O’Neill, a Democratic candidate for governor, took to Facebook Nov. 17 to note that “the dogs of war” were calling for Franken’s head, and so he wanted to “speak up for all heterosexual males.” O’Neill wrote that in the past 50 years, he had been sexually intimate with approximately 50 “very attractive females.” “Now we can get back to discussing legalizing marijuana and opening the state hospital network to combat the opioid crisis,” he wrote. O’Neill, not surprisingly, was met with blistering criticism, prompting him to apologize twice, including one in which he said he was headed to church to “get right with God.” Something tells us his gubernatorial bid will soon be a thing of the past — and rightly so.