Personal Freedoms: I OWN ME
The Oklahoma Libertarian Party supports personal freedoms as well as economic freedoms. One premise of Libertarian thought is: "I own me"Personal Freedoms Archive
Jim Russell says alcohol and/or drug addictions should be treated rather than warehousing addicts in jail, in a letter to the Oklahoman.Becky Rich of Moore thinks the latest attack to the Constitution comes from the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Jerry Shirley questions the nanny state trying to legislate behavior and responsibility in a letter to the editor in the Oklahoman.
Bipartisan House Coalition Challenges FDA's Medical Marijuana statement, asking for scientific proof to back the agency's position. Mickey Edwards and Bruce Fein say that NSA's warrantless electronic surveillance program contradicts the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and threatens our constitutional system of checks and balances.
The OU Daily thinks Oklahoma patients deserve the right to use Medical Marijuana.
Why does Oklahoma not allow Medical Marijuana? Ron Shewey, of the Compassionate Care Campaign and president of the Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma, also points out that America incarcerates more people per capita than any other country.
Craig Taylor thinks there war, deficits, corruption, and civil liberties should be priorities for the federal govenment before gay marriage. Letter to the editor in The Oklahoman.
....and letters to the editor in the Tulsa World make the same point:
David Carr says, "It's time to separate church and state and let the leaders of the church debate morality".
County jails are at near capacity and releasing inmates early. NORML state director, Norma Sapp, says medical marijuana decriminalization could ease the strain.
Mary Jane Trumps Joe Camel: a new study of Los Angeles residents suggests that smoking marijuana--even more than 22,000 joints in a lifetime--does NOT increase cancer risk.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds study on medical marijuana and multiple sclerosis spasticity.
Here is a list of questions to ask a politician who tries to defend the indefensible war on drugs...in response to Rep. Sulllivan's (R-Tulsa) letter.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is producing daily podcasts.
What are the leading causes of death in America?
The Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma discusses Women in Prison at their May 10th meeting in Stillwater. The FDA is turning political. Send your Senator a letter explaining why so many Medical groups are supporting medical marijuana with a doctor's prescription.
Congress has wasted over a billion dollars on ads may actually end up encouraging drug use. Ask your senator to stop the funding.
OETA's Stateline investigates Oklahoma's Tattoo criminalization. (Rep. Al Lindley introduced HB 1519 last year to decriminalize and regulate tattooing.)
OKLP Vice-Chair, Jimmy Cook, writes the tattoo issues is "is about self-ownership. Who owns my body, who decides what I do with it?" in a letter the the Journal Record.
The Health and Human Services Committee overwhelmingly passed SB 806 on Monday.
Tattoo Decriminalization Bill (SB 806) to be heard in Committee next Monday, April 3rd! Contact Committee members (phone numbers and emails listed below article).
The Oklahoman thinks tattoos should be legalized...and regulated.
Bethany tattoo parlor owner fights sign ordinance.
The Oklahoma Smoking Limits went into effect Wed., March 1st. Are state governments treating adults like children?
Robert Sharpe thinks the War on Drugs makes the government subsidize organized crime. Last letter down the page.
Anthony Gregory questions the war on drugs.
Support a medical marijuana resolution in the State Legislature.
Robert Sharpe writes to the Muskogee Phoenix about the fact that strict enforcement of drug prohibition frequently has no noticeable affect on levels of drug usage(last letter on the page).
Start demanding solutions
The OklahomanLetter to the Editor 8/4/06
Recent articles pertaining to jail/prison overcrowding within Oklahoma have revealed that public policy favors the warehousing of the mentally ill and those of us addicted to alcohol and/or drugs -- representing about 60 percent to 80 percent of the jail/prison population. Even current political candidates tell us they will "get tough" on alcohol and/or drug crime, which only adds to the problem.
"Confining issue: Prison study makes interesting reading" (Our Views, July 22) says a recent study is "food for thought as Oklahoma's prison population approaches 24,000." Also recently, The Oklahoman praised the reduction of meth labs in Oklahoma while jogging our memory that the demand still exists and is even intensifying. No one seems to want to talk about solutions to the problem.
Mental illness and addiction to alcohol and/or drugs are treatable. Unfortunately, public policy continues to focus on and fund symptoms of the problem. Addictions are a multibillion-dollar drain on the Oklahoma economy, costing every Oklahoma man, woman and child an extra $1,000 annually in taxes to cover the costs associated with this disease.
Thousands of Oklahomans and millions of Americans (family, friends, neighbors and etc.) demonstrate that alcohol and/or drug addiction is a treatable disease. Jails and prisons aren't the answer. I encourage Oklahoma taxpayers to start demanding solutions to the problem.
Jim Russell, Norman
Russell is on the board of directors for the Mid-America Region of Faces & Voices of Recovery.
Watching the erosion of our rights
The OklahomanLetter to the Editor 6/25/06
With growing horror, I am watching the deterioration of the Constitution. The latest attack comes in the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to allow police officers the right to enter a private residence unannounced. While a search warrant is required, mistakes are made. What protects the innocent citizen or the police officer who is mistaken as an intruder?
It also opens the door for further erosion of our rights. When does it become legal to enter, with or without a search warrant? As in any line of work, not every person is honest and that does include the police department. I have nothing to hide, but as an American it's my responsibility to protect the Constitution.
Becky Rich, Moore
The Nanny State
The OklahomanLetter to the Editor 6/7/06
Regarding "Safer waters: Youth boating bill merits signature" (Our Views, May 26): I oppose this bill because it's one more effort by the Legislature to intrude in our personal lives. I'm sorry Kyle Williams was killed, but is it not the responsibility of parents to teach children boater safety before they get in the water? We're becoming a nanny state, looking to the government to do for us what we should be doing ourselves. The number of laws on the books is mind-boggling. Behavior and responsibility can't be legislated!
Jerry Shirley,
Ponca City
Make Tatoos legal and safe in Oklahoma
Tattoo shops should be regulated Oklahoman Editorial 4/5/06When A man or woman chooses to get a tattoo in Oklahoma, they're rolling the dice. The shop where the needle work is being done may adhere to the highest health standards, or then again it may not. Because tattooing is illegal in our state, the shops aren't regulated by any health agencies.
That would change under legislation approved in a House committee this week. Senate Bill 806 by Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Frank Shurden, D-Henryetta, seeks to legalize tattooing and thus make the practice subject to state Health Department oversight.
This fight over body art has gone on for a long time. Last year, the Shurden-Lindley bill gained easy passage in the Senate but wasn't granted a hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee. This year, committee Chairman Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, allowed it to be heard and members approved it 15-7. It now heads to the full House for consideration.
Making tattooing legal wouldn't result in a proliferation of new tattoo wearers, as some have suggested. It would, however, require tattoo artists to be licensed and insured and consent to regular Health Department inspections. It would also require that shops not be located too close to schools or churches, and mandate that only those 18 or older could receive a tattoo.
It's noteworthy that state Health Commissioner Michael Crutcher strongly favors the idea, although it would add to his agency's workload. Crutcher and others in the health field have warned about the serious infection risks patrons face if unsanitary tools are used.
We're not big on tattoos and don't seek to promote them, but passage of this legislation is overdue. Oklahoma is the only state where tattooing is illegal. We had some company until two years ago, when South Carolina's legislature weighed the health concerns and did what Oklahoma's is considering doing now. We've stood alone long enough.
Tattoo Bill Passes Committee 15-7 !!!!!
By Jennifer MockThe Oklahoman 4/4/06
http://newsok.com/article/1805898/
Illegal tattooing has been occurring in the state for years. But legislation passed by a House committee Monday would make Oklahoma the last state in the country to legalize tattooing if it becomes law.
Senate Bill 806, by Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Frank Shurden, D-Henryetta, would legalize and regulate tattooing in Oklahoma. Bill supporters say tattooing already is happening in the state, but there are no regulations ensuring safety. The state Health Department has pushed for regulation of the industry for years.
But opponents of the legislation say the practice should not be legalized simply because tattooing is happening in Oklahoma. Some opponents also quote the Bible's Old Testament, which says 'do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves,' as a reason why Christians should not get tattoos.
Rep. Kris Steele, chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, said passing a bill just because illegal activity already is occurring is a precedent he is not willing to support.
The bill passed out of his committee Monday, 15-7, and next will be considered by the full House.
The bill was passed in the Senate last year but was killed in the House when Steele, R-Shawnee, refused to hear it in his committee.
Lindley thinks Steele heard the bill because of a pending court case that may overturn the law. Many already think the ban was rendered ineffective by a Tulsa County judge in 2004 when charges of unlawful tattooing were dismissed against two artists. State law forbids someone from making a "permanent indelible mark" on human skin. But the artists' attorneys convinced the judge that tattoos can be removed through laser surgery and other techniques, and are not permanent.
Now Oklahoma County has a pending case arguing the ban violates two tattoo artists' first amendment rights to free expression. Those arrested for tattooing face up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. But they've rarely faced prosecution.
Artists laud vote The fact the bill passed out of the committee where it died last year is a good sign of the legislation's eventual passage, said Kim Soltis, owner of Just Another Hole Body Arts Studio in Broken Arrow. She said she welcomes regulations and high licensing fees because it shows the Legislature is recognizing her business as a real profession.
She said she has lost countless customers to Texas and Arkansas because of Oklahoma's ban and looks forward to keeping Oklahoma dollars in-state. "The law is antiquated," she said. "And I am not intimidated by it." Soltis said those working at her shop use all disposable parts, follow strict sanitation rules and she carries liability insurance in case of an accident. But none of that is currently required, and she said regulations by the state Health Department would level the tattoo business playing field, making the art safer.
If the bill becomes law, the Health Department would implement rules for tattoo shops, conduct inspections and charge licensing fees. Rep. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow, said he voted against the bill because discrimination in the work place against people with tattoos diminishes a person's economic future.
But tattoo artist Wesley Noe, owner of Blazing Ink Tattoo in Tulsa, said he has never been refused a job because of his appearance. "There are too many job opportunities to work for someone who will be that judgmental," he said.
Chris Brady, owner of First Amendment Tattoo Co. with four locations in Oklahoma City, said he is afraid the high fees and a liability bond requirement will keep many tattoo artists from opening a legitimate shop and will instead continue to give tattoos out of their homes.
Regardless, he said the bill is a step in the right direction. "This was going to happen anyway," he said of legalizing tattooing. "(Legislators) don't have a choice."
Details:
-Author: State Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City
-Requires tattoo artists to apply and pay for a license and complete certain courses, including blood contamination.
-Requires the state Health Department to inspect parlors.
-Limits tattooing to licensed artists or medical micropigmentologists, who apply permanent makeup.
-Violators of the law could face 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine in addition to criminal penalties and other fines.
-Allows people 18 years and older to receive a tattoo or body piercing.
-Forbids any child under the age of 18 to get a tattoo or body piercing, even with parental permission. -Does not allow a new tattoo or body piercing business to become licensed in a location 1,000 feet from a school, church or playground. Existing, licensed businesses would not be affected.
-Forbids a business from giving a tattoo or body piercing when the customer is under the influence of drugs or alcohol
-Requires tattoo and body piercing businesses to buy a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance.
Sources: The Oklahoman archives, state House staff
If you get a tattoo The CDC recommends: Instruments be used once, then disposed of or thoroughly sterilized between clients.
Workers who do tattooing or body piercing should be educated about how blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis are transmitted. Tattoo customers should ask workers what procedures they use to prevent the spread of blood-borne infections.
Tattoo parlor owner fights sign ordinance
By Robert MedleyThe Oklahoman 3/25/06
BETHANY -- A sign advertising a tattoo parlor on Rockwell Avenue may not be allowed in the city unless the owner is approved for a shift from body piercing to body tattoo art, a city official said. Anthony Padgett, owner of Bone Daddy, a body piercing shop in a former residence at 3411 N Rockwell Ave., recently applied for a change in wording on his sign. He wants it to advertise tattoos now offered at the shop. Padgett said despite objections by the city, he wants to stay in Bethany and fight both state law and city ordinance.
"I plan on trying to hang on with this and see it through," Padgett said. His sign along Rockwell advertised body piercing from 2001 until recently when Padgett put up a new sign with the word "tattoos," on it. City officials have told him the sign is in a city right-of-way and he has to cover the word tattoo.
Padgett said he will make a request to appear before the Bethany Board of Adjustment to request a zoning change for his business so he can offer tattoos.
But since tattoos are illegal in the state, the city is not likely to allow a sign with the word on it or such a business, said city councilman Bryan Taylor.
Taylor, who represents Ward 4, said, if tattoos are not legal in the state, a tattoo parlor is not going to be approved in the city. "The guy is trying to make an issue over this. I know he wants us to fight him and go arrest him," Taylor said.
David Davis, Bethany city attorney, said the building along Rockwell was once a residence until Padgett moved to Bethany in 2001 and applied with the board for a permit to allow body piercing. Davis said Padgett cannot advertise a new service without going before the board again.
"Our city ordinance does not allow you to advertise something that is not offered at that location," Davis said. Anyone arrested giving a tattoo can face a fine up to $500 or up to 90 days in jail. A number of tattoo shops have sprung up in the Oklahoma City area as tattoo artists are challenging the 1963 state ban on tattoos. Padgett says he plans to appear before the Bethany board in May to request a zoning change for a tattoo parlor.
Taylor said he does not think Padgett can offer tattoos legally, so he cannot have a sign saying he is. "I seriously doubt the Board of Adjustments is going to approve it," Taylor said.
Tattoo Decriminalization: Senate Bill 806
Tattoo Law Scheduled for House VoteOKLAHOMA CITY (March 28, 2006) - A bill that would legalize and regulate tattoos in Oklahoma will receive a committee vote in the Oklahoma House of Representatives next week, state Rep. Al Lindley announced today. Senate Bill 806, by Lindley and state Sen. Frank Shurden (D-Henryetta), would regulate tattooing.
The bill has been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee. Lindley said Committee Chair Kris Steele (R-Shawnee) has agreed to schedule a vote on the bill next Monday, April 3. "I am very glad that Representative Steele has granted Senate Bill 806 a hearing," Lindley said. "I know that while he may not personally favor the regulation of tattoos, he understands the health problems created by the current law." This is the seventh year that Lindley has filed legislation to regulate tattooing in Oklahoma.
Senate Bill 806, which passed the state Senate on a 30-15 vote, would give the state Department of Health regulatory oversight of tattoo parlors and require that all facilities be inspected at least twice a year.
Individuals providing tattoos would be required to obtain training and education on blood-borne pathogens similar to the training most medical professionals receive. Under the bill's provisions, only licensed individuals would be allowed to obtain tattoo supplies. Violations of the law would result in up to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Lindley noted the serious health risks associated with unregulated tattooing that currently occurs in Oklahoma. An individual who receives a tattoo in an unregulated setting is two-to-three times as likely to contract hepatitis C, according to health officials. A study released by the Oklahoma Department of Health reviewing data from 2000 to 2004 showed a 78-percent increase in hepatitis C infections occurred in Oklahoma during that time period and that 34 percent of the individuals who acquired hepatitis C had a tattoo.
In 2004, officials identified an outbreak of hepatitis B in LeFlore County that was tied to home tattooing practices. An outbreak of antibiotic-resistant skin infections in four patients with recent tattoos also occurred in 2004 in Atoka County. Illegal, unregulated tattoo procedures were believed to be the source of the infection. Lindley also noted that a lawsuit was recently filed challenging state regulations that led to the arrest of a tattoo artist in a sting operation. If that lawsuit is successful, he said all tattoo operations will become legal without state oversight.
The state Department of Health, Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, and the editorial pages of the state's major newspapers had all endorsed Lindley's tattoo legislation.
"Health officials have said legal, strict regulation of tattooing could eliminate many of the health problems associated with tattooing," Lindley said. "We know people are going to get tattoos, whether legal or not, so we should at least make sure they do it in a safe and clean environment."
Contact Reps. in Committee to support SB 806:
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEERep. Kris Steele, Chairman (405) 557-7345 krissteele@okhouse.gov
Rep. Doug Cox, Vice-Chairman (405) 557-7415 dougcox@okhouse.gov
MEMBERS:
Rep. Thad Balkman (405) 557-7386 balkman@okhouse.gov
Rep. Al Lindley (405) 557-7371 allindley@okhouse.gov
Rep. Lisa J. Billy (405) 557-7365 lisajbilly@okhouse.gov
Rep. Jeannie McDaniel (405) 557-7334 jeanniemcdaniel@okhouse.gov
Rep. Mike Brown (405)557-7408 mikebrown@okhouse.gov
Rep. Doug Miller (405) 557-7329 dougmiller@okhouse.gov
Rep. Ann Coody (405) 557-7398 anncoody@okhouse.gov
Rep. Ken Miller (405) 557-7360 kenmiller@okhouse.gov
Rep. Joe Eddins (405) 557-7319 joeeddins@okhouse.gov
Rep. Pam Peterson (405) 557-7341 pampeterson@okhouse.gov
Rep. Darrell Gilbert (405) 557-7391 darrellgilbert@okhouse.gov
Rep. Mike Shelton (405)557-7367 mikeshelton@okhouse.gov
Rep. Larry Glenn (405) 557-7399 larryglenn@okhouse.gov
Rep. Ben Sherrer (405) 557-7364 bensherrer@okhouse.gov
Rep. Rebecca Hamilton (405) 557-7397 rebeccahamilton@okhouse.gov
Rep. Barbara Staggs (405) 557-7310 barbarastaggs@okhouse.gov
Rep. Jeff Hickman (405) 557-7339 jwhickman@okhouse.gov
Rep. Daniel Sullivan (405) 557-7361 danielsullivan@okhouse.gov
Rep. Mike Jackson (405) 557-7317 mikejackson@okhouse.gov
Rep. John Wright (405) 557-7347 johnwright@okhouse.gov
Rep. Sally Kern (405) 557-7348 sallykern@okhouse.gov