Oklahoma Threatened by Feds Over State Ballot Initiative

The Right Side of Life ^ | 8-1-2009 | Phil

[Frantzie]

The battle over federalism begins on a new front as US Attorney General Eric Holder fired a shot across the bow of the great State of Oklahoma by threatening the loss of federal tax dollars over the State constitutional amendment initiative of an English-only requirement slated to appear on the 2010 ballot (via PatriotsForAmerica):

[Safrguns]

This is easy... just challenge the fed’s authority as illegitimate in court because Obama is not a natural born citizen.

They will back off before they make him prove it... just like they did with major Cook.

[NTHockey]

>>State Rep. Charles Key (Dist. 90 Oklahoma City), recently stated that if the health care legislation is forced upon the states, “Secession may be an option.”<<

This man needs our support. Send him e-mails of support to:

charles.key@okhouse.gov

Mine done.

Deo vindice

[freeangel]

Evermore the reason for reasserting states rights. Tell the Holder where he can stick it.

[RoadTest]

Here we go; the war between the Feds and the States is on. I’m for the underdogs.

[RoadTest]

“Holder is incompetent”

Just like the rest of the administration, especially the President.

[Kakaze]

Here we go; the war between the Feds and the States is on. I’m for the underdogs

The war has been on for a while now, most, myself included, did not realize it.

I've been saying lately, we are in a cold civil war

[ForGod'sSake]

ALthough this item has been around for a while it is causing quite a stir lately. Maybe eric holder is checking his coward meter. Oddly enough, several articles from the Tulsa World have disappeared from the web, but I was able to find a cached version HERE that sheds additional light:

'English only' risk assessed

by: JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
7/29/2009 3:25:29 AM

WASHINGTON — Oklahoma's congressional delegation, challenging an effort to threaten the state pre-emptively, asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday to identify federal funds at risk if voters approve a proposed "English-only'' constitutional amendment next year.

"It is entirely unacceptable for the federal government to try to strong-arm the state by threatening to remove federal funding,'' Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said.

In a letter to Holder, Inhofe and other members of the state's delegation also stated that a Department of Justice letter in April to state Attorney General Drew Edmonson was "dubiously timed'' at the peak of the debate over the issue.

"We find it extremely disconcerting that the State of Oklahoma has been targeted,'' the letter states.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling that speaks to such "unprecedented intrusion" by DOJ, the lawmakers also asks Holder to explain what triggered the letter.

They also cite similar laws passed in other states.

"Have these states, or any of the dozens of states, cities and counties with official English policies, been accused by the Department of Justice to be in violation ... or formally threatened with funding termination?" they asked.

Alejandro Miyar, a press officer for DOJ, said the agency will review the letter from the delegation.

In addition to Inhofe, the letter was signed by Republican Sen. Tom Coburn; Republican Reps. John Sullivan, Frank Lucas, Tom Cole and Mary Fallin; and Democratic Rep. Dan Boren.

Edmondson declined to comment on the delegation's letter.

Shortly after receiving the April letter, which was signed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King, Edmondson shared what he described as a "warning'' from DOJ with Gov. Brad Henry and legislative leaders.

He did not take a position on the DOJ letter.

"It is not clear whether we would prevail in such litigation but it appears very clear that we can expect such litigation to follow passage of these proposals,'' Edmondson stated in a letter to the other state leaders.

The state House in early May approved a resolution calling for a state vote on an official-English provision in 2010. Rep. Randy Terrill, the House author of the resolution, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

In the April letter to Edmondson, King states that DOJ was aware that Oklahoma lawmakers were seeking to send the English-only constitutional amendment to voters.

"We are writing to advise you that implementation of this amendment may conflict with Oklahoma's obligations to protect the civil rights of limited English proficient (LEP) persons,'' King wrote.

The DOJ letter also states that local governments receive federal aid and must comply with various civil rights statutes and have a responsibility to ensure meaningful access to programs.

Inhofe spokesman Jared Young said the English-only legislation changed after the DOJ letter arrived but added it did not change because of that letter.

Asked why the delegation was sending its letter to Holder now, Young said Inhofe's office received the DOJ letter sent to Edmondson last month and began working on the issue and seeking support from other members of the delegation.

The federales are huffing and puffing at OK's door!

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[CodeToad]

The federal government had best be carefuil: We can defund them. Imagine the States declaring that no person nor corporation is liable to send income taxes to the feds and to send some of it to the State instead. So much for the fed withholding tax money from the State.

[AuntB]

“Looks like they don’t like the 10th Amendment like they do not like us asking to see Obama’s birth certificate. “

These monsters hate everything about the Constitution and the middle class it helped to create.

If they have their way, we will all be back on the plantation/reservation speaking Spanish only. To survive they need us ignorant and poor.

[AuntB]

Inhofe bump!

[Seadog Bytes]

(paraphrasing...) "...Let none call this extortion, 'extortion'." (...It's a 'Chicago' thing.)

[dynachrome]

“DOJ letter also states that local governments receive federal aid and must comply with various civil rights statutes and have a responsibility to ensure meaningful access to programs.”

I think soon a state is going to withhold fed tax from the feds. Or maybe I am wishful thinking.

[silentreignofheroes]

D.C. can’t tell the states what to vote on or not to vote on.”I One” seems to be the phrase of the day for the next year or so.

We’ll beat them.Ain’t got no doubt.

[NoobRep]

I’ll send Oklahoma money and I don’t even live there.

[NoobRep]

Oklahoma could suddenly become a haven for commerce and capitalism. They don’t stand for welfare and handouts for illegals-imagine all the fine doctors and businesses that would flock to a place free from government tyranny.

[MrB]

And the one and only reason Oklahoma has been targeted...

dum dum DUM!

Not a single county went for 0bama in 2008.

[EBH]

Bump to that.

Stop sending them tax dollars, we’ll keep our own monies.

[ForGod'sSake]

Heh. In Chi Town I thought it was the “protection” industry.

[ForGod'sSake]

I think soon a state is going to withhold fed tax from the feds. Or maybe I am wishful thinking.

Hard to say but there have been some rumblings. There have even been some more or less viable plans proposed to shut off or reduce the $$$ flow in the pipeline to DC. If anything develops, I'm sure it will be a small "token" gesture to test the waters, but I'm just guessing.

[ForGod'sSake]

And the one and only reason Oklahoma has been targeted... dum dum DUM! Not a single county went for 0bama in 2008.

Indeed. It just don't get any redder than that. There were some adjustments in the language of the proposal that apparently mollified the federales. I don't know what those changes were, but maybe they'll come out later so we can see just how serious OK was about staying the course.