Judge will have to wait
BECAUSE of a roadblock in the U.S. Senate, an Oklahoma City magistrate judge must wait a bit longer to potentially be seated as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
President Trump nominated Charles Goodwin of Oklahoma City to the post this summer. Goodwin testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 13. It was hoped the committee would forward Goodwin’s nomination to the full Senate.
However, just before the Christmas recess, the Senate sent the nomination back to Trump. Senate rules say all nominations must be returned to the president at the end of a year unless the Senate agrees unanimously to waive the rule. In this case, at least one senator objected to Goodwin’s nomination.
Goodwin was given a rare “not qualified” rating from an American Bar Association committee that cited concerns about his “frequent absences” from the courthouse. Goodwin explained to the Senate committee that he often works from home, especially when writing opinions. Numerous colleagues in Oklahoma have vouched for Goodwin’s professionalism and temperament.
Now he must hope he’s nominated again by Trump, and makes it to the finish line. A Richmond University law professor who’s an expert on judicial nominations says if all goes well, confirmation may not happen until summer — a frustrating scenario that contributes to the public’s low esteem for Congress.
Infrastructure maintenance
The Long Range Capital Planning Commission’s budget request includes $31.8 million for maintenance of state buildings and $5.9 million to fund the first year of debt service on a 20-year bond issue that will pay for 15 larger projects, including replacement facilities for the Department of Public Safety, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Department of Rehabilitation Services, a full replacement of the Department of Corrections’ Offender Management System and major renovation projects for the Military Department, Veterans Affairs and the Tulsa Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The state’s building maintenance fund hasn’t received an appropriation since 2014. Commission officials acknowledge that annual maintenance funding is no easy sell given ongoing state budget shortfalls. Yet if lawmakers refuse to maintain state buildings, they only increase financial challenges down the road. Time will tell if lawmakers prioritize serious planning over short-term political calculations.
On second thought
In October, as state lawmakers voted on legislation to increase taxes more than $450 million, Rep. Scott Inman, a Del City lawmaker who led that chamber’s House Democratic caucus, was notably absent. Shortly after, he abruptly announced he would resign from office in mid-term, citing family considerations. Just days before Christmas, Inman announced he was not resigning after all. In a statement, Inman said he wants to “ensure my constituents have the voice and the representation they rightfully deserve” and that the decision to remain in office was made after “much consideration and consultation with my family.” Inman’s potential resignation could have meant his district would go without a representative throughout the 2018 session, so his constituents may be glad that won’t occur. On the other hand, they may have reason to wonder if he is really able to devote his full attention to the job.
Earthquakes decline
According to state regulators and scientists, the number of strong earthquakes (magnitude 3 or greater) in Oklahoma this year totaled 294 through mid-December, down dramatically from 624 in 2016. This news even made the Drudge Report website, which headlined the link, “MYSTERY: Fewer strong earthquakes in Oklahoma in 2017.” The “mystery” label is overblown. The explanation for the decline is straightforward: Industry and regulators have worked jointly to identify any causal links between drilling activity and earthquakes, and have reduced them accordingly. Officials have focused on a combination of factors, including a well’s maximum injection rate, its cumulative injection total and its proximity to basement rock. Regulators and industry officials have taken a sensible approach, working to reduce hazardous activity without destroying a vital state industry. That this common-sense effort is paying off — Stanford researchers predict larger earthquakes could fall as low as 118 in 2018 — is no surprise.
Give it a break
If nothing else, Twitter has provided a way to identify when peoples’ political views have so consumed them that they’re toeing the line that separates passion from mental instability. Take actress Rosie O’Donnell’s recent Twitter outburst directed at House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Ryan had tweeted a short, nonpartisan video in which he discussed the “sense of wonder” that Christmas and the birth of Christ bring to millions. Alluding to GOP passage of a tax reform bill, O’Donnell responded: “paul ryan – don’t talk about Jesus after what u just did to our nation – u will go straight to hell.” Does O’Donnell think telling people to go to hell if they offer traditional Christmas wishes causes others to view her as a serious person? Really? Even politicians know there’s a time to give politics a break. That some activists don’t helps explain why so many Americans view those folks with skepticism.
Write-in preferences
It’s often joked the coach of a winning college football program is the most popular official in a state. Alabama coach Nick Saban is certainly popular with many Alabama residents, but people still see a difference between being a good coach and qualified for public office. In the recent special U.S. Senate election, Alabama voters could write in a candidate’s name. Roughly 21,000 did so, partly because Republican candidate Roy Moore was accused of dating teenage girls (and worse) while in his 30s. While Saban received 264 write-in votes, true politicians received far more, including Sen. Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks, who both lost to Moore in the Republican primary, and former Sen. Jeff Sessions, whose resignation to become U.S. attorney general created the need for a special election in the first place. Even in Alabama, it seems there’s a limit to many citizens’ football fanaticism.
Hate tweets?
The Southern Poverty Law Center is notorious for labeling mainstream organizations, particularly those espousing traditional Christian teachings, as “hate groups” in the same category as the Ku Klux Klan. The SPLC’s Hate Tracker, which “detects trends in a community of far-right Twitter users,” appears to be more of the same. As documented recently by Red State blog contributor Sarah Rumpf, the SPLC’s Hate Tracker has highlighted allegedly disturbing Twitter trends including #goarmybeatnavy, #armynavygame, #christmas, #jesusisthereasonfortheseason, #jesus, #christmas, #merrychristmas, and #christmaseve. If SPLC officials really think those are scary trends on Twitter, they must live in a constant state of fear. Or perhaps, as the SPLC’s critics have long argued, the organization is little more than an operation designed to fleece large financial donations from gullible folks who don’t