I Did a Thing

I filed for office today. It was relatively simple, considering everything I've done to get this far (with a very long journey ahead).

Gwinner, The Great and Powerful, got some pics and videos while I was having people check, double-check, and triple-check my paperwork before keeping it, and telling me I'm done...

I heard that 458 people filed today. Filing period ends Friday and already there were 458. My opponents, so far, are Darrell Weaver and Dan Belcher. These are the two with the signs up everywhere. I don't have signs.

They've both raised well over $20,000 (Pretty sure Weaver

is at over $50,000). I have not.

They've both been gearing up for this for at least a year. I have not.

What do I have? Heart, energy, and a pair of tennis shoes (I hear I'll need more than one pair).

What do I need? Volunteers that also have heart, energy, and tennis shoes. Please email me at jerden4senate2018@gmail.com

In other news:

The House heard and passed the following bills today:

SB 1156 - travel insurance

SB 912 - size, weight, and load limits, and electronic tracking - an exemption for ag transports (we'll come back to this)

SB 1266 - commercial drivers' licenses, reducing the limit of liquids that can be carried without adding Hazmat.

SB 906 - sales tax exemption from $125,000 cap for 100% disabled vets (we'll get back to this as well).

SB 1089 - over-size and over-weight permits request bill to increase from 20,000 to 23,000 lbs.

SB 1114 - over-sized loads - designates portions of highway for loads.

SB 1490 - memorial highway designation

SB 1526 - chiropractic license request bill to increase licensure fees due to cost of IT services.

SB 1299 - Oklahoma Discovery Code relating to practice of law.

Did any of that have to do with revenue for education? No. But let's return to those two bills.

SB 912 exempts ag from certain requirements. Inman brought up a good point on this - not that he disagrees with the bill itself, but he mentioned that it's a bit confusing. The people in the gallery were told, a few at a time in the last few days, that it is unconstitutional to exempt a certain specified portion of the population (such as ag) from things like (bum bum bum) capital gains. He asked if we could be helped to understand why this is different.

The answer was something along the lines of, "I'm not a lawyer - I don't know." Brilliant. Well, neither am I, but if it's your job to understand these things, then you damn well figure them out before having to speak about them.

And SB 906? Same basic thing. Inman isn't at all against this exemption, but wonders how this is okay when the ag exemption on capital gains is not. Regina Goodwin wonders about the possibility of giving teachers an exemption of sorts. No answers to these things, though.

And Inman did his thing again, asking to suspend House rules to hear SB 1086, HB 3113, and HB 2985, all failed.

Something new, though. He moved to recess, but for them to stay in the chamber and have an open discussion with mics on for the sake of the gallery hearing said discussion, instead of the negotiations being held behind closed doors. Naturally, there was immediately a motion to table his motion, which passed. Then they adjourned.

One teacher yelled about how ashamed they should be, allowing themselves to be bought and sold (as she was walking out, because they would kick her out anyway). Random shouts of "Shame" and "See you tomorrow" popped up all over the gallery.

And several districts are going back to school tomorrow. This movement has absolutely GOT to keep going. We cannot back down. We cannot decide this is over. This is what they were waiting for. They are waiting us out, and if we stop now, they win. We lose ALL of our leverage and with it, any chance of fixing this situation.

I find it difficult to believe that a school will continue to open its doors when the majority of its teachers don't show up.

Jus' sayin'...