IRS auditor reaffirms conservatives were targeted

InternalRevenueServiceThe IRS‘ auditor told Congress this week that it stands by its determination that conservative groups were uniquely singled out for special scrutiny by the tax agency, rebutting Democrats’ contention that liberal groups also were targeted according to the Washington Times.

The Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax administration (TIGTA) sent a letter Wednesday to congressional Democrats telling them that while several liberal groups may have gotten extra scrutiny, the IRS didn’t necessarily target those — but it did do so for conservative groups.
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Krauthammer: The ‘Inevitable Seed’ of nationalized gay marriage

Charles Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer

Columnist and Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer yesterday claimed the Supreme Court rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8 will “inevitably lead to overturning all the laws in all the states that disallow gay marriage.”

“The Kennedy opinion says that states are sovereign on the issue of marriage and thus the federal government cannot impose its definition on the states,” he explained. “If Kennedy had stopped with that, it would have been a conservative decision. It would have been essentially a way of saying, ‘the status quo prevails.’”
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History discovered during restoration

OkCapitalFixtures1Nearly one hundred years after beautifully ornate light fixtures were installed in the Oklahoma Senate Chamber 11 of the original 20 fixtures have been discovered in attic space above the sixth floor of the Capitol.  The artifacts were discovered during the ongoing historic restoration of a large conference room on the fifth floor that had been divided up into small offices decades ago.  In connection with the project, Senate Information Systems Director John Warren was moving computer cables above the fifth floor ceiling and happened to notice an opening to a long-forgotten part of the attic.  That led to the discovery of the fixtures.

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Oklahoma reacts to ruling on marriage

Attorney General Scott Pruitt

Attorney General Scott Pruitt

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in a statement on U.S. Supreme Court Rulings on Same-Sex Marriage today said, “The Court’s decisions confirmed that it is up to the states to decide how to define marriage, not the federal government.”

Attorney General Pruitt continued saying, “As a result, Oklahoma’s constitutional provision that defines marriage in Oklahoma as between a man and a woman remains valid.”

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) said, “In  its ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, I’m disappointed the Supreme Court made a decision that overrides the clear intent of two branches of government.  With this decision, five judges have violated the freedom of conscience of millions of Americans.  Regardless of what people believe about this issue, it should be resolved by We the People, not the Courts.  Our nation was fully capable of resolving this issue without the Court’s cultural and moral commentary.  By taking sides in this debate, the Supreme Court has discouraged any American who believes marriage is a union between one man and one woman from legislating – and even thinking – differently from the Court.
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Tulsa Oilers change ownership

TulsaOilersIt was announced on Tuesday in the BOK Center that after 14 year as owner, Jeff Lund has sold the Tulsa Oilers hockey club to the Wichita based Steven Brothers Sports Management, LLC.  The management team also purchased the Wichita Thunder, who are the only remaining original franchise other than the Oilers.

Jeff Lund helmed the Oilers as general manager from the team’s inception in 1992 before purchasing the team outright in 1999.  Under his direction, he facilitated the team’s move from the Tulsa Convention Center to the BOK Center in 2008, and 3.5 million fans have enjoyed Oiler hockey in his time with the team.  Lund will remain the owner of the Oilers Ice Center and the Tulsa Junior Oilers, a tier III junior hockey team that plays in the Western States Hockey League.
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