Rep. Murphey's Record Fighting For Reform!
When he campaigned for office, Rep. Murphey made a series of commitments to the voters of Logan and Oklahoma Counties. From calling for legislative pay cuts to voting against debt spending, Murphey has kept those commitments.
Making A Point And Saving Lives
One of Representative Murphey’s first pieces of legislation was aimed at enacting spending cuts in legislative pay and keeping a pledge he made while campaigning.
Representative Murphey is a leader in the fight for cutting state spending and feels that the legislature should set the example. Oklahoma has the third highest part time paid legislature in the nation. Oklahoma legislative salaries are more than two times the average legislative salary in Oklahoma’s seven state region.
Murphey’s legislation would tie legislative salaries in Oklahoma to the per capita income of the average Oklahoman. This would have saved taxpayers approximately $2,000,000 per year and would also provide true incentive for Legislators to enact pro-growth policies such as the elimination of the state’s income tax.
With economic growth, the average Oklahoman would make more money, as would elected leaders responsible for this growth.
Until Murphey’s legislation becomes law, he has pledged to donate the difference in his legislative salary and the difference in the per capita average of the working Oklahoman, to a Guthrie area pro-life crisis pregnancy center.
Over the last two years, Murphey has donated over $16,000 to Crossroads: An Open Door For Life Choices, Inc., located in Guthrie. Crossroads provides faith-based, pro-life counseling and support services to expectant mothers.
Saying “NO!” To The Lobbyists
One of Representative Murphey’s strongest platform items has been to refuse personal gifts and political contributions from lobbyists and groups which employ them.
Rep. Murphey believes that as government has expanded, the number of paid special interests has grown in order to use big government to their advantage.
Murphey is the only State Representative who has pledged to refuse these gifts. As such, he has turned away hundreds of dollars in personal gifts and thousands of dollars of unsolicited political contributions.
“I want to spend my time in the Legislature working for the people, not accepting lobbyists’ gifts and not living the lobbyist-funded high life,” Murphey said.
Murphey feels that not being beholden to special interests has allowed him to cast his votes in line with the values of local residents.
“It is a liberating experience to be able to vote for our values without having to worry about which big lobbyist political contributor will be offended by how I vote,” he explained.
Saying “NO!” To Government Debt
Representative Murphey campaigned for office by exposing the fiscal irresponsibility of state leaders.
Murphey has kept his commitment to vote against new debt spending. Murphey was one of only four Representatives to vote against all of the 2008 multimillion dollar state bond and debt package.
| 
