Chris Martin

BIM Magician, Softball Coach, and
Defender of the Bill of Rights

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@TopTierUtes @BearcatsNati Stillwater is at the edge of both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa markets. Cable in Stillwater carries both

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

Who is this “large amount of committee staff” that you elude to?
NACL reports 202 full time staff at the capital working directly for the legislature with 27 session only staff. (2021 numbers, their last survey). We have 150 legislators (101 and 49 house/senate). Leadership (both parties) have 1 LA/EA per member with the exception of the speaker, senate pro tem, and the democratic minority leaders in each chamber who have 2 each. (Listed in the app I have which shows their email addresses) great app if you need to get in touch with your representative or want to talk to a committee chair by the way. Some members not in leadership share an LA. That accounts for approximately 120 of the number (I am not going to run through and count). The Democrat caucus has 2 or 3 staffers as do the republicans. So we are up to 126. The number also includes maintenance, security, IT, gift shop employees ect. Once we take them out, we are at maybe 30 people who are non partisan.
Now be honest with yourself. The legislature is in charge of redistricting. There is no standing committee for that task. The speaker and senate pro tem are putting the working committee in place, how many non partisans would you expect? There is no law saying that they must be non partisan or what the makeup of the committee is. Only in the instance where the legislature cannot bring a map forward, does a commission get involved, which by law is made up of 3 republicans, 3 democrats and the LT Governor. (State Question 748 passed 2010). Screenshots as backup.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

Not at the capital. Why would any representative or senator have staff that is not aligned with their political views? State agencies have permanent staff that should keep political bias out of their duties. They don’t always, but they should. Redistricting is the responsibility of the legislature. That is and should be a partisan matter. That is just how representative government works.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

Funny thing that, over the past 2 years I’ve seen Stephanie at more than 10 public events, been on 12 of her town hall calls. She is available and willing to speak with anyone. Maybe you don’t care to have a conversation with her. I suspect your motivation is (and I have no problem telling you that I am speculating at this point) is that you would prefer her to stand in front of Democrat activists so that they can shout at her.
The comparison between a statewide race against a candidate who did everything within his power to alienate all but the most ardently theocratic fringes of the electorate, and a sitting representative who is known for her excellent constituent work in DC is just not predictive in any way.
I know this is Jenna Nelson’s talking point, and it’s smart politics. She doesn’t want to talk about policy, she is gaining no votes there even in as purple as Oklahoma County seems to be this cycle. She cant speak about her potential voting record, that goes nowhere when she will vote how the House Dem Caucus tells her to vote. Every candidate says they will break with their party when they disagree on the campaign trail but it seems like only republicans ever do.
Her only talking points are “Orange Man Bad” and my opponent wont talk to anybody.
In summary, all of the “Bice’s constituents” that are upset about being “ignored” have never had any interest in engaging with her beyond wanting a tik-tok video of themselves berating a sitting US Congresswoman. If they do, there are plenty of opportunities. And yes, our political discourse in this country has gotten that sad. @stephaniebice

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@sunnexxmcfc Maybe playing as a team is more valuable.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Watson_SLdn @Arsenal544828 Not any more. Still your auntie these days.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Hilloqfh2 @TWShannon @Dontskylertalk Your argument is without merit. All maps have been prepared with partisan leanings and most have maximized them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’m sorry if that causes you discomfort.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

That may work in fantasy land, but I live in the real world. The map is the map. It received no challenges and had a public comment period. You don’t like republicans, and that’s your prerogative. Every line of every legislative district in this entire nation was drawn from someone gaining an advantage and others losing it.
There are no independent commissions, every one has leanings. There are no election maps anywhere in the United States that have no partisan advantage.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

People make decisions based upon their own personal benefit full stop. You vote for what you think is best for Yu and your family, as do I.
Just because a legislative body makes a map to their advantage, doesn’t make it gerrymandering. If I were to draw a district from the paseo along I-44 to the north side of Tulsa, that would be Gerrymandering. Just because someone at Harvard says there are 5 or 5000 other ways to do it that they think is more fair doesn’t make it Gerrymandering. There are rules for redistricting. Federal courts are more than willing to come up with an injunction when any left leaning organization wants one to stop maps. We spent most of 2021 arguing about them in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, and Georgia just to name a few. The supreme court last year threw out a map for Louisiana where the 5th circuit disallowed a map in favor of one for racial purposes. Partisan districts are not gerrymandering. Redistricting for racial purposes is illegal.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

I’m sure there are several. The Republican Legislature redirected in their favor. This is not illegal, immoral or anything democrats have not done since statehood. It is not gerrymandering. I don’t care how many Harvard studies say so. Win elections and make it what you want. Until then, and 2030, hush.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Leftyloose65861 @2liveanddieinOK Wasting brain cells on this one is futile. Doesn’t know where the Oklahoma City boundaries are and doesn’t understand redistricting. No amount of explaining will help.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Bethelgrove @OKDemocrats Who are you talking about? And who brought race into this? Partisan redistricting is absolutely allowed. Racial redistricting is illegal.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

The working class cannot get elected. It takes money to run a household and be on the campaign trail. You either scam it out of campaign funds, or you have means. Would I prefer a government full of plumbers, Electricians and sheet metal workers? Absolutely. I think you would too. Will that ever be allowed again? Absolutely not. Of course if everyone would just do as I say, the world would be a better place, but a lot of people wouldn’t like how I ruled.
This is the world and system we live in. As flawed as it is, it is still the best ever conceived.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Bethelgrove @OKDemocrats If they had capitalized the L I might have caught that, not quite that clear. Also cursing at me doesn’t make your point.
My larger point remains. The person running the X account is not the best. Learn the basics of Governance and get back to me.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

How so? Is there not a spot on their ballot for a US Representative? It was needed for population equalization. That is part of redistricting. Nobody would call Oklahoma “Gerrymandered”. The districts are as reasonably compact as can be possible. When you control the legislature, you get to redistrict. When the Democrats had a majority, they got to redraw the lines as they saw fit. Instead of whining about it, republicans won elections.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@2liveanddieinOK South of Reno = south side. Find a map

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@JohnnyF01559876 @CamSpradling @CyndiMunsonOK @TheOklahoman_ I’m a former member of the Plumbers union. I’m no longer plumbing, so no longer a member, but i still know many. The Democrat party left them long ago.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

Everything south of Reno to the Canadian county line with Grady county with the exception of the 8 square miles that make up mustang, going west to highway 81. I grew up there. 60% of Canadian county residents live in Oklahoma City. The northern part of Cleveland county is similar.
Again, you know nothing about the redistricting process in Oklahoma. It is and always has been partisan, just like in almost every other state in the union.

[Chris Martin @agmtnokc]

@Hilloqfh2 @TWShannon @Dontskylertalk South Oklahoma city is not just Oklahoma county. Much of it is in Canadian and Cleveland counties. If you are going to try and prove a point, at least get your facts right.