Published by Theodore King · May 24 ·
"We believe in the right to life, and we believe the unborn have an equal claim to that right as the born." Source: 2010 House campaign website,www.maryfallin.org, "Issues" , Nov 2, 2010
To quote a title of Tulsa novelist S.E. Hinton - “That was Then, This is Now.”
On the Friday afternoon of May 20th, Governor Mary Fallin vetoed Senate Bill 1552 that would have effectively outlawed the practice of abortion in the state of Oklahoma. The bill by Broken Arrow Senator Nathan Dahm would have made it a felony for any doctor to perform an abortion in the state. Governor Fallin's office stated she vetoed the bill because it was too vague and wouldn't withstand legal scrutiny. It is worth noting Senator Dahm arranged legal counsel, at no charge to the state, to defend the bill had it become law. Last year, according to Senator Dahm, she promised him and his legal counsel that she would support their proposed bill outlawing abortion.
That was then, this is now.
She likely would have signed it during her first term in office and allowed the legal process to take its course knowing she would have to face the voters. She'd always told Oklahomans for Life that she was 100% Pro-Life. I can hear her now saying, “Oh, yes Tony [Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life] I'm Pro-Life. Now, make sure your gullible supporters get out and vote for me.”
Fallin's predecessor Brad Henry vetoed Pro-Life bills but he never said he was Pro-Life in any way. Throughout Mary Fallin's career, starting in the State House a quarter century ago, she always claimed to be Pro-Life. Being Pro-Life ultimately means being an abolitionist on abortion. As governor she signed bills into law restricting abortion. This tells you something about her, she will support laws restricting access to abortion but never its abolition. Too many wealthy donors and friends privately want abortion to remain legal just in case one of their daughters finds herself “in trouble.” That is why Mary Fallin vetoed Senator Dahm's bill.
Last year, Governor Fallin intentionally left Labor Commissioner Mark Costello's widow Cathy twisting in the wind for months regarding the appointment of her late husband's replacement as Labor Commissioner. Mary Fallin did not want Cathy to succeed her husband, in fact she appointed someone else. Early on Fallin lacked the basic human decency in not telling Cathy Costello, who was going through the loss of her beloved husband, that she wasn't going to get the appointment. As an added insult, Mary Fallin made the appointment on what would have been Mark Costello's 60th birthday. Mary Fallin really is an awful human being.
This past week has been important for the state in regards to its current governor because her lies have been exposed. In 2010 then candidate Mary Fallin signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge never to raise taxes. Last week she was on the State House floor lobbying for a $1.50 tax increase on a pack of cigarettes. In 2009, then Congresswoman Fallin voted against a $1.00 federal tax increase on cigarettes - the State Health Children's Insurance Program or SCHIP. Back in 2009, she knew she was going to leave congress and run for governor and she didn't need a tax increase on her record. Fortunately, the proposed cigarette tax failed because Democrats would not support it; they wanted the legislature to agree to the health care exchanges in Obamacare.
My one meeting with Mary Fallin was in September 2010 in the lobby of the RCB Bank in Pryor. She told the group gathered to meet her, “Well, things just got so bad in Washington I had to come back here and run for governor.” She obviously believes her supporters are stupid people. Perhaps they are.
There is one good thing that came of this veto – Mary Fallin is finished politically. She has no where to go unless she gets a cabinet post in a Trump administration. Given the kind of man Donald Trump is he'll probably order her to get everyone coffee and she'll probably go fetch it.
If only Mary Fallin were as anti-abortion as she is anti-tobacco.
