The guy pictured above is State Representative Joe Dorman. We like Joe, but occasionally have to make fun of him because he does things like hit on Joleen Chaney, listen to Jimmy Buffett and wear mandles. The first two things we can live with, but even my grandpa wouldn't be caught in footwear like that. Wearing mandles is worse than drinking Bud Light Lime, which now that I think about it, is probably something else that Joe Dorman does.
Anyway, Joe tried to pull a Constance Johnson and filed some semi-satirical legislation that points out how much our state spends defending unconstitutional laws, like the ones that attempt to ban certain religions or abortion. The only problem is that Joe's plan backfired. It looks like the Republicans are taking Joe's proposal seriously and want to make it law.
Via NewsOK:
Oklahoma residents might soon be able to direct a portion of their state income tax refunds to defend its laws against federal constitutional challenges, an ironic and unintended consequence of a lawmaker's tongue-in-cheek skewering of the cost of such court fights.
Rep. Joe Dorman, a Democrat from Rush Springs, said he had grown tired of seeing Oklahoma spending millions of dollars defending its proposed laws in the courts, and suggested a tax form "check-off" as a way to draw voters' attention to the costs of legal action.
But the idea of aiding Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in his defense against constitutional challenges and fighting federal statutes has been a hit. Instead of being shuffled off to a committee where it wouldn't get a hearing, the measure sailed through the House last month on an 80-15 vote, and the Republican Senate sponsor said he intends to bring the bill to the full Senate for a vote — perhaps this week, right before federal taxes are due.
Yeah, that's kind of funny. I think there's irony in their somewhere.
Anyway, I'd like to give Joe an "A" for effort on this attempt at satire. The problem was he wasn't absurd enough. Next time around, he should introduce a law that requires anyone wanting to legally buy a gun to have to take and pass a drug test. That's a gun control law that actually makes sense and would point out the hypocrisy of all the social conservative gun nuts. Maybe he can introduce it next session? If that's too bold, perhaps he should just introduce a law that bans mandles. That's something we could all rally behind.
