Below is a press release from the Oklahoma LP chair, Steve Long:
OK GOP AG Scott Pruitt is just another big government conservative fighting against freedom
On his campaign website, Republican Scott Pruitt promises that he “will not relent in the fight against the federal government in stances of clear and unconstitutional overreach.” He claims that as attorney general, he has “created a unit to protect Oklahoma and Oklahomans from federal overreach.” He claims to “champion limited government.” (See Pruitt’s comments here.) http://scottpruitt.com/issues/protecting-ok-from-the-federal-overreach/
Yet despite his claims of being a limited government champion against federal government overreach, this same Scott Pruitt joined Nebraska in a lawsuit against the people of Colorado who repealed state laws against marijuana, banning state law enforcement from imposing federal marijuana laws against the people of Colorado. Pruitt now complains that Colorado lacks the authority to pass laws that conflict with the federal government, thus violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.
Pruitt’s action reflects an arrogant OKGOP that misleads the people using popular libertarian themes to advance its political aims and then cynically betrays those principles when the big government conservatives want to impose their authoritarian ways on the rest of the world. Oklahomans should reject this cynical and foolish legal action, funded by Oklahoma taxpayers, which will end in failure.
While neither major political party lives up to their lofty rhetoric, the OKGOP in particular brazenly disregards the principles of freedom for all people. Those looking for limited government in Oklahoma should disregard such rhetoric coming from Republican politicians in Oklahoma. The OKGOP has become a willful enemy of freedom.
Pruitt’s lawsuit demonstrates how detached the OKGOP is from ideals of freedom and federalism. They just want what they want. They’re big government conservatives who know best. Liberty loving people across the nation should view the OKGOP for what it is, a threat to freedom everywhere.
The Oklahoma Libertarian Party believes the people of Colorado have a right to enact their own laws. We believe the people of Colorado are correct to promote the expansion of personal liberties. Legalizing marijuana is an effective tool that weakens drug gangs in America and across the world and makes our children safer. The state of Oklahoma would do well to emulate that great example rather than allow its authoritarian politicians to vanquish the expansion of freedom embraced by Coloradans.
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