Stitt's attack ad cites Pawhuska Journal-Capital in unsupported claim against Hofmeister

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s re-election campaign recently began airing a television ad citing a March 28, 2018 story in the Pawhuska Journal-Capital as proof that his opponent, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, is hostile to the oil and gas industry.

The claim is clearly unsupported by the article − headlined “House OK’s teacher raises". The article also ran in this paper at the time. Both newspapers are now owned by Gannett Co.

The story described actions taken by a majority of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to pass a revenue bill to pay for raises for the state’s public school teachers.

The House voted, 79-19, including 51 “yes” votes by Republicans, to pass a measure that called for a 3% increase in the oil and gas gross production tax for three years, a 3-cent increase in the gasoline tax and a 6-cent increase in the diesel fuel tax.

Hofmeister, who was state superintendent of public schools at the time, was quoted in the article saying, “The Oklahoma House of Representatives worked together in a show of admirable bipartisanship to strengthen public education for our nearly 700,000 schoolchildren across the state. These measures finally ensure Oklahoma’s dedicated, hardworking public school teachers receive well-deserved, competitive pay.

“We know that increased teacher pay is not a cure-all for our state’s crippling teacher shortage, but it would solidly put us on track to retain our committed educators and recruit new teachers to the profession,” Hofmeister continued in the story. “Without a teacher pay raise, an already devastating situation will only worsen, with children being the ultimate victims.”

Hofmeister said nothing for the story that reflected any hostility to the oil and gas industry, or any desire to make the public pay more for any specific product or service. Neither did she comment on what state and national policy should be on oil and gas issues.

In press release language on its website, the Stitt campaign said of the television commercial, “New TV ad ties Hofmeister’s record to Biden’s failed energy policies.” The governor’s campaign added the claim that Hofmeister’s record on oil and gas issues “mirrors the agenda of the national Democratic Party and Joe Biden.”

The point at which the commercial refers to the March 28, 2018 story in the Pawhuska Journal-Capital is when the narrator of the spot says, “Hofmeister wants higher taxes at the gas pump and she supported higher taxes on the production of oil and gas.”

The TV ad began airing Oct. 12.

The House bill also called for a $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax, and the creation of a $5 per night tax on hotel and motel lodging, according to the story.

Thus, it was a bipartisan measure that sought to bring in revenue from a mix of sources. It did not just target oil and gas. The House passed the bill just days before a possible teacher walkout in the early spring of 2018.

Slightly different versions of the print news story appeared in the Journal-Capital and in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. The story was published nearly three years before Joe Biden became president, at a time when he did not hold any office.

The majority of the story dealt with the actions and views of state representatives who either supported or opposed the teacher pay raise bill. For example, then Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, supported the measure while Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, opposed it. The only point in the story when Hofmeister is mentioned is when a quote from her, praising the House for passing the bill, is included.

Evan Onstot, an anchor for ABC television affiliate KOCO in Oklahoma City, published online, on Oct. 19, a print item titled “Truth Test: New ad taking aim at Joy Hofmeister’s record on oil and gas taxes.” Onstot rated the ad spot as “Misleading” because the story that appeared in the Journal-Capital was about a legislative vote to increase teacher pay, not about gas taxes.

Hofmeister’s campaign said in a statement published online that the Stitt campaign’s ad was “false.”

“The recent ad claiming I favor Joe Biden’s energy policy and would join in attacks on Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry is false,” Hofmeister said in her campaign’s response press release.

The Journal-Capital sent an email to Donelle Harder, who is Stitt’s campaign manager, inviting comment about the TV ad. She did not reply in time for the Journal-Capital’s publication of this story.

The Republican Governor’s Association’s political action committee followed up on the Stitt campaign’s ad, airing advertising that repeated the attack on Hofmeister’s alleged views on oil and gas, and also cited the Journal-Capital.

This article originally appeared on Pawhuska Journal-Capital: Stitt's attack ad cites Pawhuska Journal-Capital in unsupported claim against Hofmeister