One of the strangest things about November's election – outside of our nation electing a narcissistic con man reality show "businessman" to be the 45th president – is that I voted on the winning side of every state question.
Knowing what we know about Oklahoma voters, it kind of freaked me out. Was I becoming a Derplahoman? For the next couple of weeks, I closely monitored my condition, watching for all the tell-tale signs like an increased hatred for minorities, meat sweats, a general deterioration of critical thinking skills, rotting teeth, lower reading comprehension, and worst of all, a growing fondness for country music. Fortunately, none of those conditions developed, so I think I'm in the clear.
Anyway, two of the questions that passed in November were SQ 780 and SQ 781. According to Ballotpedia, they would help reform our criminal justice system by reclassifying "certain property offenses and simple drug possession as misdemeanor crimes" and "redistributing the money saved to counties to fund rehabilitation of criminals."
Overall, they were logical, common sense, bipartisan reforms designed to make this state better and more compassionate to those in need, and as a result, mouth-breathing Derplahoman legislators like Ralph Shortey (pictured above) want to totally destroy them.
Via NewsOK.com:
Oklahoma's brand-new drug law on chopping block
Oklahoma lawmakers could reverse the choice voters made three months ago to soften anti-drug laws.
Legislators filed seven bills that would significantly change the language adopted by voters in State Questions 780 and 781. As a result of the vote, most drug possession crimes were reclassified as misdemeanors instead of felonies. Voters reduced the sentences that could be given to people convicted of drug possession and also supported funding county rehabilitation programs.
State Sen. Ralph Shortey said people didn't understand what they were voting for because the ballot's summary paragraph, or gist, was only 200 words.
“Nowhere in the state question did it mention what some of those changes were, or the effect of them,” said Shortey, R-Oklahoma City. “People basically did not know exactly how much of the statutes were being changed.”
Shortey's proposal would technically reverse all of the changes voters adopted in November, but he said it's likely to change. Shortey said it could take two years to hammer out the details.
Yep, it's official. The man who is concerned about aborted fetuses infiltrating our food supply doesn't think Oklahoma voters are smart enough to comprehend 200 words, or better yet, fully research and understand an issue before voting. I guess you can't blame him. He's been elected to the State Senate twice, so he probably does think most Oklahomans are idiots.
Anyway, you can read the rest of the article at NewsOK.com. Shortey and his gang are using misleading scare tactics like claiming the state questions will put DRUGS IN SCHOOLS!!!!!! in an attempt to justify their assholish actions. Also, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health Commissioner Terri White is trying to position her agency to get all the money that's supposed to go to the counties. I guess she needs the money to make more music videos...
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