Culture & the Family

‘Conservative’ group attacks OCPA, conservative lawmakers

July 22, 2024

Ray Carter

A group called “OK Conservative Renewal, LLC”—which targeted conservative Republicans in Oklahoma’s June primary elections—appears to be linked to attacks that targeted the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), the state’s premier free-market think tank, based on information gleaned from text messages.

In recent months and during the primary election cycle, text messages were sent to Oklahomans attacking OCPA and state Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont. Both sets of messages came from the number 405-233-9838.

One text included a video attacking Crosswhite Hader. That video identified OK Conservative Renewal, LLC, as the entity funding the attacks.

These communications from the group are classified as independent expenditures, meaning the organization paying for the communications does not coordinate any of its messages with a candidate’s campaign activity. OK Conservative Renewal, LLC’s website is a landing page that has minimal information. The site only contains a form where citizens can sign up for information, an address to reach OK Conservative Renewal LLC, and the statement, “Fighting for Oklahoma Conservative Values.” Based on its landing page, OK Conservative Renewal LLC does not provide any information on what its funders consider conservative or a list of principles or proposed policies.

A similar attack on OCPA, sent via the 405-233-9838 number, stated, “Who is the Real Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs? They are not who they say they are. Lies. Threats. Corruption. Find out more at realocpa.com.” The website is paid for by “Conservative Policy Research Network,” whose website is only a landing page with minimal information, such as the ability to sign up for information. Based on its landing page, Conservative Policy Research Network does not provide any information on what its members consider conservative, or a list of principles or proposed policies

The linked website realocpa.com includes criticism of OCPA because of OCPA’s public policy differences with Paycom and Paycom’s frivolous lawsuit against OCPA, and criticism of allegations against some OCPA staff that were dismissed and debunked.

A text message from the same 405-233-9838 number, sent to voters during the Republican primary campaign, attacked Crosswhite Hader, saying she “supports higher taxes on cars, childbirth, internet purchases, business licenses, farmers markets, seniors and nursing homes.” A linked video called Crosswhite Hader a “Biden Republican,” claiming she “loves high prices and taxes more than Biden.”

However, Crosswhite Hader voted for House Bill 2949 this year, which would have used growth revenue to fully eliminate the personal income tax over time. She also voted for House Bill 2950, which would have created a flat tax rate in Oklahoma, eliminating the current system of multiple tax brackets that impact low-income families the most. That bill would have also raised the threshold for the income tax so it would apply only to income above $13,350 for single filers or $27,100 for joint filers. That change alone would have provided significant savings for all Oklahomans, particularly lower-income individuals who are taxed under the current system. HB 2950 also put the income tax on a path to full elimination over time. That bill would have immediately saved Oklahomans $295 million, according to fiscal analysis, and the savings would have increased over time as the income-tax rate was continually reduced.

Those tax measures did not become law due to opposition in the state Senate.

According to the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs’ legislative scorecard, Crosswhite Hader received a score of 93 out of 100 possible points with higher scores given for voting the conservative position on rated legislation in 2023. Only 11 of 149 state lawmakers had more conservative voting records.

According to an independent expenditure report filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, which covered June 10 and 11 only, OK Conservative Renewal spent $27,189 on those two days for direct mail and television advertising in opposition to the re-election bids of Crosswhite Hader, state Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee; state Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa; and state Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland.

A separate report filed by OK Conservative Renewal for the May 1 to June 3 period showed the group reported spending $283,623 during that roughly one-month period on independent expenditures opposing Crosswhite Hader, Jett, Rogers, Olsen and state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, and supporting state Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan. The report showed the group also spent money opposing Garvin’s primary opponent, and spent money to boost or oppose two non-incumbent legislative candidates.

Bergstrom and Jett both received a score of 100 on OCPA’s legislative scorecard in 2023 while Rogers received a 98. Olsen scored 94.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs reached out to both OK Conservative Renewal and Conservative Policy Research Network for comment. As of publication, neither entity had responded.