W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | N O V E M B E R 5 -7, 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OU DAILY
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
EMAILS SHOW FORMER SCHOOL OF DRAMA DIRECTOR KNEW OF DONOR’S “INDISCRETIONS” • 2
PRESIDENT GALLOGLY ORDERED OU’S FINANCIAL DATA WITHHELD FROM MEDIA • 3
CUT-OUT MIDTERM ELECTION VOTING GUIDE • 7
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Mums on the South Oval. President Gallogly eliminated approximately 50 staff positions on Nov. 1, with the majority of those positions in the landscape department.
OU community left with more questions than answers after President James Gallogly announces layoffs, closures
O
U President James Gallogly initiated the first phase of a university cost-savings plan on Thursday, Nov. 1, by eliminating approximately 50 staff positions, an action resulting in the immediate closure of three research offices, sweeping layoffs in the landscaping department and the removal of several long-time administrators. Gallogly announced the reduction in staff in an email to all Norman campus faculty and staff in which he stated the university’s “pattern of increasing debt and reducing cash reserves is unsustainable.” Although various proposals have identified $20 million in savings next year, a reduction in workforce was necessary, according to Gallogly. “Moving toward a balanced budget is essential if we are to control tuition costs for our students, afford employee raises to ensure competitive salaries, and be prudent stewards of taxpayer and donor funds,” Gallogly said in the Nov. 1 email. “We want great students to choose to be Sooners, so we must work hard to make OU as affordable as possible. Even as we navigate these difficult decisions, I am encouraged that I see us continuing to work together to achieve the vision of our university: growing a world-class institution focused on our students and their success.” Gallogly said in the email he does not anticipate further layoffs before the end of the year. Employees whose positions were eliminated were offered a severance package and will remain on paid employee status for 60 days, according to OU Public Affairs. Here are the departments and areas most impacted by layoffs: L O N G - T I M E ADMINISTRATORS JP Audas, a 1987 OU graduate who served in various administrative positions under former OU President David Boren since 1993, was removed from his position as associate vice president for alumni and development. Audas tweeted confirming his termination and called OU an “extraordinary place.” Tripp Hall, a 1986 OU graduate who came to the university as Boren’s special assistant in 1994,
ANNA BAUMAN • @ANNABAUMAN2 was removed from the Office of University Development. Hall formerly served as vice president of the office until he was demoted from that position during Gallogly’s July 2 sweeping overhaul of Boren’s previous administration. LANDSCAPING Most of the layoffs were in OU’s landscaping department, according to OU Public Affairs. A review of the department showed areas where OU could make better use of funds while still maintaining its beautiful campus, according to Public Affairs. “While the university slows new construction projects on campus, landscaping needs change from installing landscaping around new buildings to caring for the grounds that are already here,” Public Affairs said in a statement. “This will naturally allow the university to reduce the cost of keeping OU beautiful.” The landscaping department will keep the appropriate number of employees to accomplish the required work, according to Public Affairs. It is unclear the exact number of landscaping employees that were laid off. RESEARCH The staff reductions also included the closure of three offices housed in the Office of the Vice President for Research, leaving some students concerned about research opportunities. The offices that were elimi nat e d w e re t h e C e nt e r f o r Research Program Development and Enrichment (CRPDE), the Center for Applied Research Development (CARD) and the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), according to Randall Hewes, interim vice president for research. According to OU Public Affairs, Hewes said in emails to staff and faculty on Thursday, Nov. 1, that while these offices have provided research support for many individuals, they have also been “very expensive.” “We are taking a hard look at reorganization and budgets with the sole objective of being able to invest in research,” Hewes said in the email. “By streamlining and re-focusing our operations through the actions today, we can provide quality research support in more coordinated and
efficient ways.” Hewes said some responsibilities are being shifted to other existing staff. Two former CRPDE staff members moved to the Office of Research Services, he said, where they will continue to perform functions similar to their previous roles. “The layoffs and office closures today were very painful, but I also think they were necessary, and they are part of what we need to do as an institution to truly grow graduate education and research,” Hewes said in the statement. Emily Mee, a political science senior working toward a master’s in public administration, said her position as an undergraduate research ambassador through the Office of Undergraduate Research has been terminated as a result of the office’s closure. Mee said she found out about the closure on Thursday through an email from her supervisor in the office. She and other students were supposed to present at a panel on Friday, Nov. 2, but that didn’t happen, and she said they were confused about their role going forward given the sudden closure. “It just came as a really big surprise that we had no notice,” Mee said. “It seems ethically, morally wrong to fire people without notice, especially coming right into the holidays.” The Office of Undergraduate Research included two faculty directors and six student employees, Mee said. The office helped students who might not otherwise have access to research opportunities, including low-income, minority and first-generation students, gain connections, resources and tools to get involved in research. Mee said she was surprised by the decision to end the program given Gallogly’s stated goal of doubling the university’s research. Undergraduate research is a “stepping stone” into graduate research, Mee said. “It was surprising to me that an office that’s dedicated to this mission of helping students get into graduate school by gaining necessary experience in undergraduate research — that he would decide to terminate the program seemed very against the mission that he’s been saying he’s about,” Mee said.
OU ’s Center for Research P ro g ra m D e ve l o p m e nt a n d Enrichment, also shuttered in the layoffs, was created in 2010 to improve OU’s ability to compete for external funding for faculty research programs, build greater awareness of funding opportunities and articulate faculty research goals to potential funding sources. The program’s website was no longer available on Friday. T h e t h i rd o f f i c e t h a t w a s closed, the Center for Applied Research and Development, was focused on bringing new intellectual opportunities to faculty and students, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and creating new modes of engagement with industry, government and other stakeholders, according to its website. ONE UNIVERSITY STORE OU’s One University Store announced it will close at the end of the semester due to a decline in sales. T h e s t o re, l o c a t e d i n t h e Oklahoma Memorial Union, was launched in September 2013 as part of OU’s digital initiative. The retail space also
offers educational programming, hands-on learning in technology and a service center for technical issues. The operation will shut down effective Dec. 14, according to One University’s Facebook post. “The store has provided an opportunity to showcase technology and encourage innovation, but the growth in online shopping has led to declining sales, compressed margins and an unsustainable business model,” the post said. Students, faculty, staff and campus departments will still be able to access technology at discounted prices either through companies directly or through competitive contracts negotiated by the university, according to the store’s post. “We look forward to sharing sales and promotions with you over the next few months,” the post reads. It is unclear if the closure of this store is included in the overall staff reduction. The Daily has reached out to OU Public Affairs and is waiting for a response. Anna Bauman
Anna.M.Bauman-1@ou.edu
QUICK FACTS • Approximately 50 employees were terminated in Nov. 1. • Most employees laid off were from the landscaping department. • Long-time administrators JP Audas and Tripp Hall were terminated. • OU’s One University Store will close at the end of the semester. • OU’s Office of Undergraduate Research, OU’s Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment, and OU’s Center for Applied Research Development have been closed.
2
• November 5-7, 2018
NEWS
Anna Bauman, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY, VIA PAX MASCULINA TWITTER
From left to right: Professor and former School of Drama director Tom Orr and former School of Drama donor John Scamehorn. Emails revealed Orr had “no intention of punishing” Scamehorn for his “indiscretions.” Scamehorn was accused of sexual harassment by former drama students in June.
Orr knew about ‘indiscretions’ Emails show no intention to punish John Scamehorn JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21
Emails obtained by The Daily reveal professor and former School of Drama director Tom Orr knew of former School of Drama donor John Scamehorn’s “indiscretions” as early as 2012, but had no intention of punishing Scamehorn. The Daily obtained emails from OU ’s Open
Records Office between Scamehorn and Orr from 2010 to 2016, both of whom have been accused of sexual harassment, in which the two discuss problems members of the school were having with Scamehorn’s behavior. Scamehorn was accused of sexual harassment by former drama students in June, with one student discovering thousands of images of students Scamehorn had photoshopped onto torture porn images. This summer, multiple former students wrote lengthy Facebook
posts detailing their experiences with Scamehorn and accusing Orr of being aware of Scamehorn’s behavior but allowing him to stay involved with the students anyway. OU’s Title IX office conducted an investigation into these accusations over the summer, concluding that no wrongdoing was found. On July 25, 2012, Scamehorn sent an email to Orr thanking him for his honesty about Scamehorn’s behavior and asking Orr to be a “monitor” if neede d. The emails refer to
Scamehorn being removed from productions in the Lab Theatre, a theater in Old Science Hall, for reasons not clear in the emails. “I know you could have cut me off from contact with the students entirely and appreciate your flexibility,” Scamehorn said in the email. “I hope to repair things and get back to the way it was within a few years as memories of my indiscretions fade.” A day later, Scamehorn asked Orr if he could have specifications on what he was and wasn’t allowed to do. He said he was dedicated to their agreement and did not want to accidentally violate it. Scamehorn asked Orr if they could meet in person to clarify their agreement. It is unclear what indiscretions Scamehorn was referring to or what agreement was reached by the two men, and any response from Orr to these emails was not given to The Daily. On July 31, 2012, Scamehorn emailed Orr with a potential Facebook post he wanted to make asking for forgiveness. “I don’t think you should put yourself in a position to be forgiven for anything,” Orr said in response Aug. 1. “I think you change things over time with new actions.” Scamehorn replied saying he wanted to “put the whole thing behind him” and said he hoped others involved with Lab Theatre were not “made privy to any” of his indiscretions, referred to in a previous email. Orr replied saying he had not made anyone else aware of the indiscretions.
Orr said those who knew Scamehorn was removed from Lab Theatre productions did not know why and still saw him as a generous donor who wanted to help. “I have no intention of embarrassing you or punishing you,” Orr said in the email. “I just need this distance for us to reboot your image. Relax. We can meet next week to discuss ideas of how you can help.” Two years later, on Aug. 18, 2014, Scamehorn told Orr in an email he was worried Orr’s “message” might scare students away from Scamehorn. It is not clear what message Scamehorn was referring to. Scamehorn said in the email he had only had negative experiences with two students and that he did not want students to get the wrong impression. “Even though my interaction has been positive with all of the 20 or 30 students or alums I have worked with and only two not good, I don’t want the impression that I am vindictive and if you get cross with me, I will ruin you,” Scamehorn wrote in the email. The Daily did not receive an email reply from Orr in response to this. One year later on Aug. 24, 2015, Scamehorn asked Orr not to bring up the “slander ” against him in the School of Drama “bull session,” which is a meeting the administration of the school often holds with the student body. Scamehorn said it would be the second year in a row he was mentioned negatively in a bull session and did not want it to affect his reputation. Twelve days after a bull
session was held on Feb. 5, 2016 that referenced allegations, but did not mention Scamehorn’s name, Scamehorn sent an email to Orr asking if he could get in touch with students that had been working on his film Pax Masculina. This als o was five days after the university severed ties with Scamehorn in a Title IX meeting in which S camehorn resigned to avoid an investigation by the university into allegations of sexual misconduct against him. If a reply from Orr was sent, The Daily did not receive it. Scamehorn’s film is set in a world where women were never given the right to vote and women are brutally hanged for attempting to rebel against the patriarchy. Many actresses on the film felt uncomfortable because they felt the story focused on Scamehorn’s “fetish” of women being hanged, adjunct drama professor Darryl Cox told The Daily in June. L a t e r t h a t y e a r, Scamehorn emailed Orr and copied Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts, with the link to his film’s trailer. The Daily requested emails between Orr and Scamehorn from 2010 to 2016 on June 9, 2018, and the request was fulfilled with 48 emails Oct. 30 at 2:24 p.m. The Daily has reached out to Orr and Title IX Coordinator Bobby Mason regarding the emails. Neither responded by the time of publication. Jana Allen
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
NEWS
November 5-7, 2018 •
Gallogly censors information Public Affairs was told to withhold OU’s financial data NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
O U P r e s i d e n t Ja m e s Gallogly ordered OU Public Affairs to withhold university financial information this summer, including an op-ed written by former president David Boren, while Boren was still president. On June 19, then President-designate
Gallogly gave a financial report to the OU Board of Regents criticising OU’s financial situation, pointing out the university was nearly $1 billion in debt. Following this, then-President Boren released an editorial to Oklahoma media outlets saying OU’s finances were not as dire as believed. Documents recently obtained by The Daily show Gallogly ordered OU officials not to share financial information without e x p l i c i t a p p rov a l f ro m Gallogly himself and Clay Bennett, the chair of the
Board of Regents, including Boren’s editorial. In a response to a June 20 email by then-OU Vice President for Public Affairs Rowdy Gilbert, who was removed from his position along with several other administrators by Gallogly on July 2, Gallogly ordered Gilbert “not to follow ... Boren’s request” without permission from Bennett. Gallogly’s email was in response to Rowdy emailing Gallogly about a press inquiry regarding university finances from a Tulsa World reporter. “Rowdy, I am sorry we
missed this deadline but I have been busy as a result of President Borens statement to the press today,” Gallogly wrote in the June 20 email. “I want to be clear to you that you are not to send anything to the press on any financial metrics etc. without my express permission or that of Clay Bennett’s. That means you are not to follow President Boren’s request to do so without permission from Mr. Bennett as well.” O n Ju n e 2 0 , t h e n - O U Press Secretary Matt Epting shared Boren’s editorial with The Daily. When
asked for comment on June 19, Boren said he said it would be inappropriate to comment, but released the editorial the following day. The Daily made a records request on June 13 for all communications between James Gallogly and university administrators. The request was not fulfilled until Nov. 1 at 2:56 p.m., 36 minutes after Gallogly sent a letter announcing the termination of 50 employees. Nick Hazelrigg
nickhazelrigg@ou.edu
Kayla Branch Editor in Chief Anna Bauman News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Siandhara Bonnet A&E Editor Will Conover Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Emily McPherson Copy Manager Sarah Barney Print Editor
contact us 160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052
phone:
405-325-3666
email:
dailynews@ou.edu
160 Copeland Hall, 860 The Oklahoma Vleet Oval Daily isVan a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyeditor@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of eight student editors. The board meets at 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.
VIA OU OPEN RECORDS OFFICE
An email to former OU Vice President for Public Affairs Rowdy Gilbert from President James Gallogly obtained by The Daily from the OU Open Records Office.
Texts reveal relationship Gallogly wrote to now-terminated OU vice president NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
Documents released to The Daily reveal details about the relationship between OU President James Gallogly and Tripp Hall, a former OU vice president for university development. On July 13, The Daily requested official communications between James Gallogly and other OU administrators. On Nov. 1, OU’s Open Records Office fulfilled the request with emails and text messages from the transitional period before Gallogly took office. One such document included text messages between Gallogly and Hall on May 29. Gallogly expressed concern that Hall was potentially in Tulsa seeking donors for a landscaping endowment, which Hall denied. “Tripp, I heard you were off to Tulsa fundraising,” Gallogly texted Hall. “Who are you seeing and what are we asking for? I heard from an angry donor we were asking for money to endow our campus landscaping. I hope not! That is not our go forward priority.” Hall responded saying he had not contacted anyone regarding fundraising and that Gallogly had been misinformed. “I would never move forward on a development ask without your full blessing and understanding,” Hall
Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing dailyads@ ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405325-2522.
Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections com/corrections to .html submit toasubmit correction a wcorrection form. form.
stay connected
/oudaily /oudaily
@oudaily @oudaily
@theoklahomadaily @theoudaily
VIA OU OPEN RECORDS OFFICE
Texts between OU President James Gallogly (right) from former Vice President for University Development Tripp Hall (left) obtained by The Daily from the OU Open Records Office.
texted Gallogly. “The information you received is not true at all. I am sorry you have been misinformed.” Hall then asked Gallogly who the donor was and who contacted them, to which Gallogly responded: “Must have been the Borens.” Gallogly also responded
with the name of the donor. However, the name was redacted by OU ’s Open Records Office. Ha l l w a s n a m e d v i c e president of development by then-President David Boren in 2008 but was demoted by Gallogly to a different position in OU’s Office of University
Development. Hall was later removed from his position Nov. 1 in a wave of approximately 50 staff terminations at the university. The majority of these terminations came from O U ’s lands caping department. Since taking office, Ga l l o g l y ha s i n d i c at e d
during at least three public events he planned to move away from “brick-and-mortar” expansions to instead focus on “investments in faculty and staff.” Nick Hazelrigg
nickhazelrigg@ou.edu
oudaily oudaily
oudaily.com oudaily.com
VOL.103, NO. 64
© 2018 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
3
4
• November 5-7, 2018
SPORTS
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Sooners will themselves to win Team holds itself accountable, fights through adversity GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
LUBBO CK — It was a wild Saturday night. That’s the best way to describe what happened in Lubbock between then-No. 7 Oklahoma and Texas Tech. From a fan running on the field to the Sooners committing 10 penalties for 113 yards to four official reviews, Saturday night was everything that was expected and then some. But the biggest moment of the night wasn’t Trey Sermon’s game-sealing touchdown run or Robert Barnes, 100-yard interception return on the Red Raiders’ two-point conversion. No, the possibly season-defining moment came on the sidelines just seconds after Barnes’ interception. It was a conversation between quarterback Kyler Murray and corner Parnell Motley, who had just given up a touchdown after committing a costly pass interference penalty. Murray pulled Motley aside while everyone else celebrated Barnes’ interception. “Trying to keep him up,�
Murray said about the conversation. “That’s my boy, that’s my brother. We’ve all been there. I threw two interceptions at the beginning of the game. I had guys picking me up. That’s all it is.� Accountability. That’s what Murray and the Sooners showed Saturday night. In a game that saw mistake after mistake committed by Oklahoma, players held one another accountable for their mistakes. To many, it looked like a mess — possibly the sloppiest game the Sooners have played while Lincoln Riley has been at the helm. But Oklahoma seemed to take a step in the right direction, even if it was ugly. “Great win,� Riley said to open his postgame press conference. “Honestly, more than anything, just happy to get out of here with a win ... Really proud of how we handled all the adversity.� The Sooners faced quite a bit of adversity Saturday night, the most since the Cotton Bowl a month ago. Giving up two touchdowns at the beginning of the game, trailing at halftime and facing two twopoint conversion attempts, Oklahoma battled through multiple tough situations. The Sooners showed
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray hugs OU coach Lincoln Riley after the game against Texas Tech Nov. 3. Since the Sooners left Lubbock with a win, the Big 12 Championship, College Football Playoff and national championship are still in play.
some resiliency Saturday night, something they’re going to need for the three remaining games in “Championship November.� “We just found a way and the team kind of willed themselves to it,� Riley said. “But winning in November, winning on the road against a good football team, man, you take that any time you
can get it. So proud of another huge road win for us.� Ev e r y t h i n g i s s t i l l i n re a c h f o r O k l a h o ma — the Big 12 Championship, College Football Playoff and national championship — all of it. The road won’t be easy, with tests still remaining against instate rival Oklahoma State and a trip to Morgantown to face West Virginia.
The Sooners’ defense can’t get any worse, and the offense continues to be one of the best in the country. Oklahoma is led by a Heisman-caliber quarterback who showed he can come out flat (throw two interceptions) and bounce back with ease (total for more than 400 yards). The Sooners are close to reaching their goals — they
know that. And they know they survived one Saturday night. “This one was tough but games will be tougher,� Murray said. “And then the end of November we got to win every game.� George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Defensive mentality: ‘Forget it and drive on’ Despite struggles, Sooner team gets win at Texas Tech GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
LUBBOCK — Then-No. 7 Oklahoma’s season waited in the balance. Texas Tech had marched down the field — again — and had a chance to tie the game with just 6:54 remaining. The Sooner defense needed one stop. And they got it. Sophomore safety Robert Barnes intercepted the halfback pass and took it 100-plus yards for 2 points. Minutes later, the Sooners offense would put the game away, sealing a 51-46 road win. That play by Barnes was the perfect example of interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill’s favorite saying: FIDO — forget it and drive on. “I thought we did a good job of that tonight,� McNeill said. “I could hear the kids on the phone, when I’m talking to the staff, saying FIDO. Which means they’re listening.� But the defense’s performance wasn’t pretty. It was ugly at times. It showed signs of vulnerability and past mistakes, and proved that maybe Mike Stoops wasn’t the problem. But they got it done, and that’s
9 6 4
4
all McNeill cares about. “My whole deal with winning guys, for 40 years, my motto has been ‘Win by one, let’s get out of here,’� McNeill said. “I was very happy with the win, and the team is happy. We knew what we were facing coming up here. There were some tough things that went on, but no excuses. We can learn from it.� McNeill isn’t wrong. The Sooners couldn’t seem to catch a break at times. The biggest of those plays came at the end of the first half when junior Parnell Motley intercepted a pass in the end zone, but it was called back for a pass interference. Texas Tech scored on the next play. It was small things like that play that kept OU from pulling away. “We’ve got to kill out the penalties and big plays,� redshirt senior linebacke r Cu r t i s B o l t o n s a i d . “They’re not easy fixes, but they’re manageable.� O k l a h o m a’s o f f e n s e didn’t do its defense any favors either, after turning the ball over on their first two possessions with both leading to touchdowns. But the defense still had breakdowns. After the last two weeks, playing inept offenses in TCU a n d Ka n s a s St at e, t h e Sooners went back to reality against Texas Tech. And if it weren’t for Alan
2 7 9
5 1 6 4 3 9 2 8 1 1 8 6 3 2 1 7 5 2 5 7 8
1 5 3
6
Previous Solution
3
7 5 4
Monday - Very Easy Tuesday - Easy Wednesday - Easy Thursday - Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
B o w m a n ’s i n j u r y , w h o knows what the outcome would have been. “After a game like that, we’re definitely happy we came out with a win, but I know this defense is hungry. We’re not satisfied,� Barnes said. “As a defense, we still know there’s a lot of work to be done.� “It’s a little strange to assess because you stop them the first drive, then spot them 14 ... They were put in some stuff spots,� Riley said. “I honestly thought it was better than the scoreboard ended up. We gave up 472 yards. But it had a better feel on the field.�
The Sooners still have a couple tough tests ahead of them defensively. Next Saturday will be no easy task in Bedlam, Kansas is ... never mind, and then the biggest test of all will come in Morgantown. But as McNeill said in his postgame interview, it doesn’t matter how the Sooner defense gets it done, as long as it gets done. “Glad w e w on, boys,� McNeill said as he exited the tunnel at Jones AT&T Stadium. CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Accept the inevitable and make it work for you. Once you set your mind on what needs to be done, the rest will fall into place. Trust your instincts and don’t fear being unique. Changes at home will improve your life and attitude. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Take an innovative approach to life. Changes you make will encourage you to work hard to achieve your dreams. Channel your energy into making precise yet doable plans. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -Get to the bottom of things. Speak from the heart and find out where you stand. Question anyone giving you the runaround, and prepare to move forward with or without others.
can make improvements to how you treat others and take care of your needs. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- The changes you want to make will come easily once you get started. If you put a little backbone behind your plans, you will excel. A personal matter should be dealt with privately. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- A cange of pace will lead to a better position and improve your relationship with your peers. Physical achievements look promising and will improve your outlook and appearance.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Think twice before you take on something that is physically impossible. Your desire to please someone will backfire if you cannot live up to your promises. Offer only what’s CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Be feasible. careful when dealing with sensitive LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Making issues. If you aren’t prepared to a couple of changes at home or prove your claims, you are best work will give you a sense of acoff sitting tight and letting things complishment. Don’t let someone’s settle down. insecurity or jealousy ruin your AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Put enthusiasm. Be grateful for what more time and effort into how you you have. carry yourself and present your ideas. A financial gain will result if VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Get you make changes that will lead to serious about your personal goals. Make a to-do list and get started. a more efficient lifestyle. What you accomplish today will PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Don’t encourage those around you to take note and offer praise. feel you must embellish your plans to get others to pitch in. Your LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -enthusiasm and hard work will Emotions will flare up quickly if draw attention, elicit suggestions someone is critical or pushy. Look and attract a potential partner. for the good in every situation and focus on being and doing your best. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Put more time and effort into important relationships. Consider ways you
OU defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill smiles before the game against Texas Tech Nov. 3. The Sooner defense gave up 473 yards.
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker November 5, 2018
ACROSS 1 Sofa kin 6 In ___ (harmonious) 10 Last part of a concerto 14 Oil giant 15 In ___ of 16 Some pale drinks 17 Causes a laugh riot 20 French farewell 21 Credit card feature 22 Word with “not� or “having fun� 24 Broadway divisions 27 Feb. 14 presents 28 “All My Children� VIP 31 Laughing carnivore 33 What many mins. become 34 Sub ingredient, often 36 Chicks’ utterances 38 Bowler’s challenge 42 Book of places 43 Basecoat’s job 45 Shock and electrify 48 Overpublicized 50 Freewheelin’ Bob 51 In a slack way 11/5
53 Aerobics action 55 Redeem Team country 56 Aria? No, but it’s melodic 58 Shows, as fangs 61 Threerunningbacks-in-arow lineup 66 Intense or sharp 67 Actress Spelling 68 Annoying night sound 69 Contributes 70 Makes a choice 71 Divided, as glass DOWN 1 Courtroom figs. 2 Mischievous kid 3 Ready to explode anytime 4 Dropped drug 5 Words to the Little Red Hen 6 Fail to be erect 7 Yang go-with 8 French born? 9 Use filthy language 10 Egyptian city 11 Hardly new 12 Less shallow
13 Rate 18 “From ___ to shining ...� 19 Dead broke 22 Yep, better 23 Pitchers’ stats 25 Prepare some characters 26 Visible 29 Vena ___ (heart vessel) 30 Valuable purple stone 32 “The Untouchables� protagonist 35 Internally 37 Kill 39 Base night song 40 Magician’s thing 41 Pouchong and others 44 Stuff stranded in the body
45 Juneau’s state 46 Bent out of shape 47 Deported 49 Wreckage remains 52 Some meat cuts 54 Pan spray 57 Uniformed comics canine 59 Sound a bit laryngitic 60 European volcano 62 Smart, sharp dresser 63 Food scrap 64 Smeltery delivery 65 “Deliverance� co-star Beatty
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
11/4 11/1
Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
APART-MENT HUNTING By Timothy E. Parker
MIDTERM ELECTION
November 5-7, 2018 •
5
MORE INFORMATION ON PROJECTS.OUDAILY.COM
Democrat aims to unseat Cole Brannon looks to oust incumbent in ‘blue wave’ NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
While U.S. Rep. Tom Cole maneuvers in Washington, D.C. for a leadership position in his party, Mary Brannon sits in the small strip mall office of the Cleveland County Democratic Party. There, she rummages through piles of printed out articles criticizing Cole and his Republican counterparts in Congress and asks her supporters, whom she calls Brannon Believers, to share these articles on Facebook. However, she says the primary reason she’s running is her brother, who she said served two tours in Vietnam and is disabled. Brannon fears cuts to Veterans Affairs and the impact they could have on her brother. “That was what originally got me into it,” Brannon said. “I could not sit on the couch and think that (Cole is) going to be able to take my brother’s health care and no one’s going to say anything.” With a small campaign and little-to-no money, 66-year-old Brannon feels confident in her ability to challenge Cole in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District and win what appears to be a
David-and-Goliath-esque political battle in central Oklahoma. Brannon defeated a crowded primary of three other Democrats to win the congressional nomination, even beating out former OU counsel Fred Gipson in her race. C o l e , h o w e v e r, i s a n eight-term incumbent who has ser ved in Congress since 2003. The only available p olling data, con ducted by SoonerPoll.com in late September, puts Brannon 33 points behind Cole. Polling aggregator website FiveThirtyEight gives Brannon less than a 1 percent chance of winning. When presented with this information, Brannon doesn’t even skip a beat. She simply says she doesn’t believe in polls and goes right back to pointing out i s s u e s i n C o l e’s v o t i n g record. Cole, says he too feels confident in his campaign. On Capitol Hill, his focus is partially on a bid to be the top Republican on the House Appropriations C o m m i t t e e. B u t l o o m ing over him is the growing possibility of becoming a Republican in a Democratic-held House. “We feel pretty good,” Cole said of his campaign. “But we always take it seriously, and we’ll work hard until the end when the voters get to decide.” Meanwhile, back in C o l e ’s h o m e d i s t r i c t , Brannon spars with a
Republican constituent who showed up at the Cleveland County Democratic Party headquarters to shout about how Democrats handled Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Brannon says she believes the woman was a “plant” sent during an interview to throw her off. “I’m pretty sure she’s a plant. I think (Cole is) worried, though, because he has tweeted that his tax cuts are great, and they created all these jobs, which is just not true,” Brannon said. “And I asked him for a debate — he refused. He never debates because he can’t defend his voting record.” Brannon says she often feels like Bernie Sanders in her distr ict, and she talks like him too, railing against the Koch brothers and tax cuts for wealthy individuals. “Those people who got the tax cuts are (Cole’s) kind of people. They’re the big donors,” Brannon said. “The Koch brothers have spent $400 million to try to keep it the way it is. And (Cole) supported these tax cuts.” But the comparison between Brannon and Sanders stops when it comes to money — Sanders raked in millions of dollars in donations from supporters, while Brannon has specifically asked her supporters not to donate, as she believes they need their
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
Oklahoma Democrat Mary Brannon in her office Oct. 29. Brannon is running for the 4th Congressional District against Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Cole.
money more than her campaign does. Brannon says she believes her supporters, by sharing her posts on social media, will get her message across to voters. While the “blue wave,” which polling experts expect will sweep many Republican incumbents out of their House seats, likely won’t sweep Cole away, he is still prepari ng h i m s e l f to c o nte n d with a Democratic majority, something he says he doesn’t fear.
“I think the gains the Democrats make aren’t likely to be in Oklahoma,” Cole said. “I would expect us to win all five congressional races again. This is where if you’ve really worked in a bipartisan fashion is put to the test. I have a lot of good relationships on the other side of the aisle.” But Brannon intends to be a part of that blue wave, and if she’s not this year, she says she’ll run again and again, every two years
until she wins. “Congressman Cole has been there too long,” Brannon said. “Eighteen years. He doesn’t care anymore. He figures he can win because he gets all this special interest money. So I’m just going to keep chiseling away.” Nick Hazelrigg
nickhazelrigg@ou.edu
Race for governorship deemed a ‘toss-up’ Drew Edmondson, Kevin Stitt battle for state’s top spot JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
Oklahomans will select their choice for governor on Tuesday, Nov. 6, with Democratic candidate Drew Edmondson and Republican candidate Kevin Stitt vying for the position. Edmondson, who served as Oklahoma’s attorney general from 1995 to 2011, said he has had many young people volunteering in his campaign and believes he has the support of Oklahoma’s youth. Stitt has no political background, but has had a career in business as the founder of Gateway Mortgage and has received endorsements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. In a Google survey The Daily posted on Twitter and Facebook that received more than 100 responses, students said the most important issue to them in the upcoming election is education. If elected, Edmondson’s plan for education includes increasing the gross production tax from 5 percent to 7 percent, eliminating the capital gains loophole for billionaires and adding 50 cents per pack to the price of cigarettes. “There’s a huge differe n c e b e t w e e n t h e ca nd i d a t e s o n t h i s t o p i c ,” Edmondson said. The Daily attempted on numerous occasions through email and phone calls to get an interview with Stitt, but the campaign declined to be interviewed for this story. According to Stitt’s campaign website, he supports a plan “to give schools the flexibility to use part of their current property tax revenue on teacher pay instead of being restricted to buildings and infrastructure.”
Stitt’s website also states he would like to expand AP classes throughout the state with video technology, and that he would like to create a temporary program for first-time certified Oklahoma teachers to provide them with $5,000 bonuses. The site says this effort will help to incentivize Oklahoma graduates to teach in the state. Edmondson has a specific plan for higher education funding as well, hoping to appropriate more government money to state universities. According to a study by Illinois State University, Oklahoma has had the most cuts to state fiscal support for higher education over the last five years, with about $215,138,006, or about 21 percent, in cuts from 2013 to 2018. “I want to reverse the trend that has cut appropriated dollars to colleges and universities fairly steadily over the last eight years,” Edmondson said. “That is a huge change, and it’s resulted in steadily climbing tuition rates, which ultimately will price some kids out of college, so we have to start putting more appropriated dollars into our colleges and universities, and we have to start that fairly rapidly.”
Stitt hopes to reform the education system, and according to his “Oklahoma Tu r n a ro u n d P l a n f o r Education,” he wants to tear down “barriers within the education system.” Stitt’s plan also said he wants to simplify Oklahoma’s school funding formula to be more student-centric, but it did not state plans specifically for higher-education funding. After education, students w h o re s p o n d e d t o T h e Daily’s poll said the nextmost popular issue to them in the midterms was gun control and gun rights. Edmondson said he supports the Second Amendment, but said he would like to see better regulations on assault rifles. Edmondson said he’d like to see the same processes required to get an assault rifle as a concealed carry permit — with a background check to be sure the owner is not on any watchlists or does not have any mental health problems. “I certainly believe we ought to exercise common sense in regard to firearms,” Edmondson said. “You know, I carried one in Vietnam. I know how deadly they are, and we need a degree of scrutiny and
responsibility with the purchase and possession of assault rifles.” According to News 9, Stitt said he is also a supporter of the Second Amendment, and would have signed a bill on constitutional carry, which would have allowed adults to carry a gun without a license or training, that Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed earlier this year. “I would sign it. I am a constitutional conservative,” Stitt said to News 9. “I support the first amendment, the second amendment and I think the best defense for a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.” The third-most popular issue for students is immigration, according to the results of The Daily’s survey. Last fall, OU had nearly 80 students who were Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, a program which in 2017 President Trump announced would end. Although Edmondson acknowledged that immigration policies come from the federal government, he said he liked the DREAM Act, which is a bill that if passed would provide a pathway to legal status for undocumented youth who
came to the U.S. as children, according to the American Immigration Council. Edmondson also said there are things the state may be able to do. “I certainly believe there should be a path to citizenship,” Edmondson said. “There are things that we can be careful of at the state level, but those policies are going to come from Washington and not Oklahoma City.” At a dinner sponsored by the Muskogee County Republican Party in July, Stitt said he suppor ted President Trump and that Oklahoma needs strong borders, according to NewsOK. “I do not believe in sanctuary cities,” Stitt told The Oklahoman. “We have to be a state of laws. And as governor I will enforce laws. I will enforce the immigration laws. We will not have sanctuary cities. We’ll have to tell our law enforcement that they’re going to have to enforce the laws.” According to a 2017 analysis by Soonerpoll, 24.1 percent of Oklahoma’s registered voters from the 2016 general election were between the ages of 18 and 34, but only 19.6 percent of those voters turned out
on election day. However, Edmondson said his campaign has focused on social media to motivate younger Oklahomans to vote. “Eighteen to 25 is a tough group to try to get involved in the electoral process,” Edmondson said. “We think that the youth vote is critical and really want to encourage young people to get out and vote ... For heaven’s sake, in this country and other countries people have bled and died to get that right, and we ought to exercise it.” The latest analysis by the Cook Political Report moved the Oklahoma gubernatorial race from the “leans Republican” category to “toss-up.” “Even if we’re a little bit behind, going into the last two weeks of the campaign, we’re going to work very hard,” Edmondson said. “Our people are knocking on doors and phone banking and we’re going to make sure that every one of our voters gets to the polls and votes on Nov. 6 … We’re going to win this thing.” Jordan Miller
Jordan.R.Miller-1@ou.edu
VIA DREWFOROKLAHOMA.COM, VIA STITTFORGOVERNOR.COM
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Stitt. Voters will make their choice for governor on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
6
MIDTERM ELECTION
• November 5-7, 2018
SQ 800: Oklahoma Vision Fund
If approved, directs 5 percent of oil, gas tax revenue to funds JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21
Voters will see a state question on this year’s ballot that, if passed, would direct 5 percent of the oil and gas tax revenue into a new fund intended to serve as a long-term solution to the industry’s eventual decline. State Question 800, which establishes the Oklahoma Vision Fund, is 12 years in the making, said Oklahoma state Sen. John Sparks. Sparks, who represents state Senate District 16, which includes part of Norman, is at the end of his final term in the Oklahoma Legislature and is working to pass this constitutional amendment that he believes is Oklahoma’s only option. “This is the reality, that oil is going away,” Sparks said. “We can do nothing and allow revenues to erode, we can increase gross production taxes as the production erodes, we can increase taxes on other sectors of the economy ... So far the only options are do nothing or (pass SQ 800). That’s the reality.” Along with 5 percent of the yearly gross production tax on oil and gas going into the proposed Oklahoma Vision Fund, 4 percent of the fund would go back into the state’s general revenue fund each year, beginning on July
1, 2020. The state treasurer would be in charge of investing the monies from the fund into stocks and equities under the prudent investor rule, according to the amendment. Under the amendment, the treasurer could not invest more than 5 percent of the fund into debt issued by the state, government entities or local government entities, according to BallotPedia. Senate Joint Resolution 35, the resolution that put SQ 800 on the ballot, passed unanimously in both the state House and Senate, Sparks said. H o w e v e r, t h e r e h a s been opposition against the amendment from the Oklahoma State School Board Association. The OSSBA president, Shawn Hime, said that it’s difficult to see a measure that would directly take away funding from schools after raising support for teacher pay raises was such a huge issue during the spring legislative session. “State Question 800 … would immediately start removing the increase in gross production taxes and putting it into a separate fund at a time where we need that money and additional money to ensure that we’re competitive with education investment,” Hime said. He said there are 10 different funds that come from the gross production tax every year, and the most significant change would be that 10 percent of the tax would no longer go to the local schools in
the areas that produce the oil or gas. Sparks said if SQ 800 is passed, it would affect schools by a loss of about 50 cents per student over the next eight years. But, he said this is a small price to pay to raise millions of dollars in a fund that schools and the state will be able to fall back on when the oil and gas revenue begins to approach zero in the coming years. “The entities that get the gross production tax now are the ones that should be most in support of this because in the long run, their funding source is diminishing,” Sparks said. “Regrettably, the school board association was not paying attention to this, and Oct. 1, they woke up and panicked and came out against it. We tried to talk to them about it, but their objections are only about today — they have no alternative for the future.” Sparks said the inability of Oklahoma’s government to think in the long term has led to a variety of problems. “Regrettably, that kind of short-term … thinking is one of the things that has caused Oklahoma to suffer the budget crisis it did over the last decade,” Sparks said. “Had we done this back in the mid90s, this year we could’ve paid for a $2,500 across-the-board teacher pay raise without raising taxes a bit.” Sparks said that Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed the statutory framework for the state question in House Bill 1401 in May, although he thinks
VIA 2018 OK POLICY INSTITUTE STATE QUESTION FACT SHEET
State Question 800 will be voted on in the Nov. 6 election.
her veto came from a lack of understanding. He said the framework is not required and was just going to add some fine-tuning to the amendment. “(Fallin) did not reach out to us about this before she vetoed (House Bill 1401),” Sparks said. “In her veto statement, there were a lot of factual inaccuracies. The biggest was she didn’t understand the investment parameters and the 5 percent on the debt issued by the state and political subdivisions.” Sparks said Fallin’s staff was under the impression that the part of the amendment regarding state debt would allow the state treasurer to invest in state projects and state debt, while it is intended to give the treasurer the flexibility to invest in equities that may own bonds in state debt. The treasurer would have to follow the prudent investor
rule, which means the investor must treat the assets as if they were their own. Sparks said the treasurer would make “broad based, moderate-risk types of investment” in all sectors of the economy. “You have to spread it out over a lot of different stocks,” Sparks said. “Similarly, you cannot be too conservative. You can’t put it all just in treasury bills issued by the federal government. Those are 100 percent safe, but they only give you a 1 percent return on investment. That’s not where you want your money.” Sparks said SQ 800 is doing well in the polls, but anything can happen. He said if it doesn’t pass, there are groups in the Legislature that are committed to passing it, and he thinks they will try to figure out why it didn’t pass and see if it can be improved to be passed in the future. The amendment received
unanimous support in the state Legislature, and Sparks said this is because the current legislators remember what it’s like to have a low budget and know that something needs to change. He said that with the legislative turnover coming up, half of the legislators will have served two years or fewer and will have less motivation to pass something like this because they “don’t remember the bad years.” “Now’s the time to pass it. It’s kind of like planting a tree or starting your savings,” Sparks said. “The best time … is 40 years ago. The second-best time is today. So instead of being hung up on the fact that we didn’t plant one 40 years ago, we need to plant one today.” Jana Allen
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
SQ 794: Expanding crime victims’ rights If approved, more rights to be offered to crime victims CHARLEY LANZIERI @charlanzieri
Oklahoma voters will have the opportunity to vote on a state question adding a constitutional amendment for crime victims’ rights in the Nov. 6 midterm election. State Question 794, also know n as Marsy’s Law, would expand court proceedings to include a victim’s right to be heard, right to reasonable protection, right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay, right to talk with the prosecutor and right to refuse interview requests from the defendant’s attorney
VIA SQ 794 FACT SHEET
State Question 794 will be voted on in the Nov. 6 election.
without the subpoena, according to Oklahoma State Election Board. The law currently grants these rights to crime victims and their families. If the amendment is passed, these rights would be protected
in a manner equal to defendants’ rights. Under the current law, victims are constitutionally allowed to know the location of the defendant following the arrest, during prosecution and after sentencing.
If the amendment were to pass, victims would no longer have access to this information but would still be notified if the defendant escaped or was released from custody. The amendment stipulates that victims would have these rights in both adult and juvenile proceedings, and the victims’ rights would be upheld equally to those of the defendant. The Oklahoma Polic y Institute website also details why people have said they are either for or against this amendment. Supporters of SQ 794 believe the law would make both defendants and victims equal before the law, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute website. The amendment would allow
victims and families to have a say in plea bargaining, ensure that they can participate in the resolution of their case and formalize the right to be notified so it would make it less likely that the agencies would fail to do this, according to those who support the measure. Those against S Q 794 think the law will be expensive because it will require the hiring of more staff and attorneys, according to the policy institute. Opponents also argue that allowing a victim to testify at every stage of the legal proceeding would interfere with the defendant’s right to a fair trial, and that this law would run into the same legal challenges which caused the law to be tossed out in Montana. In Montana, a similar
measure failed because it was ruled that the ballot measure had too many separate issues and did not allow voters to express their opinion on each change proposed, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute website. The website dedicated to supporting SQ 794, marsyslaw4ok.com, stresses the fact that if this law passes, it wouldn’t change existing defendants’ rights or infringe on them in any way, but instead would offer more rights to victims. Charley Lanzieri
charlton.r.lanzieri-1@ ou.edu
SQ 801: Funding of school district operations If approved, use of property taxes would be flexible SIERRA RAINS-MOAD @sierramrains
Oklahomans will vote Nov. 6 on the question of allowing certain property taxes to be used to fund school district operations and construction. If approved, State Question 801 would give school districts more local control and flexibility in using property taxes previously dedicated to a building fund, but it would not add any funding to the current amount of money available to schools, said OU assistant professor of economics Tyler Ransom. “If you think that more flexibility in the budget is a good thing, then I think this is a good solution,” Ransom said. “But if you think that this is just another way to underfund education, then it’s not going to be a good solution.” In April, thousands of Oklahoma teachers gathered at the Oklahoma State Capitol for a historic 10-day teacher walkout.
The walkout was a result of unmet demands for increased education funding and staff raises for teachers who have long held lower salaries than those in other states. The walkout led Gov. Mary Fallin to sign a revenue bill that would generate more than $400 million to fund teacher raises, but many felt this was still inadequate. SQ 801 is designed as an additional solution to the issue. However, not everyone believes the question will adequately address education problems in the state. Kenny Beams, superintendent of Ripley Public Schools, said SQ 801 appears to be just another short-term solution that ignores the heart of the issue educators have been fighting for, according to Ballotpedia. “It really bothers me. Rather than us coming up with new funds for teacher salaries ... just use your building fund for it,” Beams said. “It is clearly obvious that long term, they’ve got to come up with more funding sources other than what they have now to support the teacher salaries.” Opponents of the question are also concerned that the question will constrain
VIA 2018 OK POLICY INSTITUTE STATE QUESTION FACT SHEET
State Question 801 will be voted on in the Nov. 6 election.
schools by forcing them to choose between paying teachers and repairing broken buildings, Ransom said. While higher-income school districts would not have to make many choices between one or the other, the burden might fall on lower-income districts, increasing the funding disparity between richer and poorer schools, Ransom said. Jay Vernon, superintendent at Morrison Public Schools, said her school
district barely has enough m o n e y c o m i ng i n f ro m property taxes to fund utilities, among other things, as things stand right now, according to Ballotpedia. “I think this one is a head-scratcher by Fallin ... it makes no sense to us at Morrison. We do not, nor have ever had, enough building fund monies to support all our utilities, maintenance and janitorial staff salaries for a year,” Vernon said. “I do not see
the need for this change nor have I seen or heard a good reason from the state Capitol as to how this is helpful.” However, with a shift from state control to more local control, Ransom said school districts could choose to raise property taxes to increase funding. “I think the real problem in Oklahoma is that for whatever reason, people don’t like paying taxes here,” Ransom said. “If you look at any state in New England,
property taxes there are super high, and as a result of that, the schools are really well-funded.” The Tulsa World wrote an editorial in favor of the state question, endorsing greater local control and “greater freedom with school funding.” However, the Tulsa World also said S Q 801 shouldn’t be the final solution for increasing funding for public schools. “The proposal won’t add a penny to the amount of money available to schools and certainly isn’t the solution to inadequate state funding of public schools,” the Tulsa World wrote. Ransom said he personally sees raising taxes as one of the few viable solutions to increasing schools funding, but also acknowledges that it is a complex issue. “The issue of school funding is really complicated and controversial, so it’s hard to know what the right amount of funding should be,” Ransom said. “It’s pretty clear that Oklahoma teachers are underpaid. Teachers are also the No. 1 expense in the state budget.” Sierra Rains-Moad
sierra.m.rains@gmail.com
MIDTERM ELECTION
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
TO VOTE WHAT VOTING LOOKS LIKE Oklahoma uses optical scan voting, according to vote411.org. Voters take a card with the candidates and state questions printed on it to a private booth, filling in a circle or space between two arrows. From there, voters bring the card to a ballot box where workers will help them submit it in the box properly, or the card will be fed into a device that will check their submission. GOVERNOR: Kevin Stitt (Republican) Drew Edmondson (Democrat) Chris Powell (Libertarian)
November 5-7, 2018 •
7
According to vote411.org, the eligibility requirements to vote in Oklahoma are: • Be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen • Be a resident of Oklahoma • Be registered to vote • Not be convicted of a felony, or if you have been convicted, a period of time equal to the original judgment and sentence has expired • Not be adjudged to be an incapacitated person prohibited from voting
WHAT YOU NEED TO VOTE According to vote411.org, what you need to bring in Oklahoma when voting is: • A proof of identity document for voting issued by the U.S. government, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government. • Such documents include an Oklahoma driver’s license, state identification card, a U.S. passport, military identification or a voter identification card received by mail from the County Election Board.
U.S. CONGRESS DISTRICT 4: Tom Cole (Republican) Mary Brannon (Democrat) KEY NORMAN STATE HOUSE AND SENATE RACES:
WHERE TO VOTE Voters in Cleveland County can find their polling place at services.okelections.us/voterSearch.aspx.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 16: Becki Maldonado (Republican) Mary Boren (Democrat) STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 46: Bryan Vinyard (Republican) Jacob Rosecrants (Democrat) STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 45: Marc Etters (Republican) Merelyn Bell (Democrat) Tom Hackleman (Independent) ILLUSTRATION BY PAXSON HAWS AND WILL CONOVER/THE DAILY
STATE QUESTIONS STATE QUESTION 793 Allows optometrists to practice in retail establishments STATE QUESTION 794 Expands the rights of crime victims STATE QUESTION 798 Puts candidates for governor and lieutenant governor on the same ticket STATE QUESTION 800 Sets aside 5 percent of revenue from oil and gas taxes for Oklahoma Vision Fund STATE QUESTION 801 Allows school districts more flexibility when using property taxes
YES
NO
8
• November 5-7, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT