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Tulsa Election 2020: Ty Walker for Mayor

What looked like a sleepy re-election run, for Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum IV as recently as the beginning of May, with one declared opponent and a perennial candidate in jail, turned into a free-for-all. As soon as he had some tough decisions to make, the smiley guy that everyone...

Posted by Michael Bates on August 23, 2020 9:57 PM

GT Bynum's transgender executive order

I will be on with Pat Campbell on AM 1170 KFAQ tomorrow morning, August 29, 2019, just after the 8 a.m. news, to discuss Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum IV's executive order adding gender identity and gender expression to the city's non-discrimination policy. (UPDATE: Here's the podcast of my August...

Posted by Michael Bates on August 28, 2019 11:19 PM

Bynum IV outsources Tulsa city planning to INCOG, reversing earlier stand

I am getting caught up on the local news after all the pre-Christmas busyness and was disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that Mayor G. T. Bynum IV has shut down our city planning department and outsourced the task of evaluating the future direction of city development to a quasi-non-governmental...

Posted by Michael Bates on December 28, 2018 2:06 PM

Tweedledee IV appoints Tweedledum Jr to Port Authority

Newly sworn-in Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum IV has appointed outgoing mayor Dewey F. Bartlett Jr. to the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. The Tulsa World published a list of 52 appointments by Bynum IV to authorities, boards, and commissions. By my quick count, 23 are reappointments to the...

Posted by Michael Bates on December 13, 2016 5:24 PM

Oklahoma primary 2016: Why Dewey Bartlett Jr lost

You can make enemies in politics, but the actions that make enemies had better also win the loyalty of new friends. Dewey Bartlett Jr managed to alienate every city councilor that ever worked with him and plenty of other people besides. It appears that Tulsans decided that, if you have...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 3, 2016 9:04 PM

Bartlett Jr vs. Bynum IV: KFAQ mayoral debate

On Friday, March 20, 2016, 1170 KFAQ hosted a debate between the two most prominent of the five candidates for Tulsa mayor: Incumbent Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr., and City Councilor G. T. Bynum, IV. KFAQ morning host Pat Campbell moderated the hour-long, uninterrupted debate. If you'd prefer to listen,...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 20, 2016 11:43 PM

Wanted: conservative candidates; Tulsa, county, state, federal 2016 filing periods this week

City of Tulsa candidate filing is this week, and we don't have any conservatives running for mayor, nor any conservatives currently on the city council. I am praying that solidly conservative candidates will step forward to run for city office. I hope you'll join with me in prayer, that you'll be open to the possibility of running, and that you'll think through your list of friends and consider whom you might encourage to run.

Posted by Michael Bates on April 13, 2016 8:34 AM

Bartlett Jr vs. Bynum IV: Tweedle-dee vs. Tweedle-dum

Tulsa Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett Jr. has announced his intention to run for a third term. Federal lobbyist and City Councilor G. T. Bynum IV has announced his intention to run against Bartlett. My one-word take: Feh. Tulsa needs better choices. (I won't say "deserves better"; as Mencken wrote, "Democracy...

Posted by Michael Bates on November 24, 2015 10:34 PM

GT Bynum lobbying, possible conflicts of interest in the news

Back in September 2010, BatesLine first looked at Tulsa City Councilor G. T. Bynum's lobbying practice and the obvious concerns that arise when a local official is acting as a paid agent for an organization actively engaged in local political issues. I mentioned Bynum's lobbying for the George Kaiser Family...

Posted by Michael Bates on August 15, 2015 12:54 AM

Tulsa District 9: For Robert Pinney

District 9 has spread out, the result of a loss of population over the last ten years and the redistricting decision to move the northern border from 21st to 31st St. To get close to 1/9th of the city's population, the district has had to expand to the east and...

Posted by Michael Bates on September 12, 2011 8:05 PM

Tulsa District 9: G. T. Bynum ethics complaint

I received an email Monday containing an anonymous ethics complaint that had been filed against Tulsa District 9 City Councilor G. T. Bynum. The text of that complaint, with links to relevant documentation added by me, can be found on the jump page for this article. (For your reference, here...

Posted by Michael Bates on September 8, 2011 1:35 AM

Phil Lakin and G. T. Bynum: The (as yet) unchallenged

At the end of day one of filing for the 2011 Tulsa city elections, two districts had a single candidate with no announced opponent preparing to enter the race. Phil Lakin is the sole candidate so far in far south Tulsa's District 8. Lakin, CEO of Tulsa Community Foundation and...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 12, 2011 1:53 AM

Tulsa Election Reform Task Force info; Bynum response on charter amendments

Last night (July 1, 2010), the Tulsa City Council postponed consideration of three proposed charter amendments involving the city election process. Following the meeting, District 9 City Councilor G. T. Bynum was kind enough to send me some background information on the proposed amendments, including a link to the page...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 2, 2010 1:05 AM

Bynum gay proposition on council agenda tonight

UPDATE 2010/06/18: It passed as expected, 6-3. Now it goes to Mayor Bartlett's desk, and we're about to find out whether he is the conservative he claimed to be during the campaign. A month ago, I wrote about a proposal authored by Tulsa City Councilor G. T. Bynum adding "sexual...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 17, 2010 8:41 AM

G. T. Bynum's sexual orientation proposal

I was fairly stunned to see the following message, from Tulsa District 9 City Councilor G. T. Bynum, on my Facebook news feed Thursday afternoon: Proud to see Civil Service Commission approve proposal by Councilor Barnes & me banning City HR discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Bynum crossposted the same...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 17, 2010 9:47 PM

Bynum not running for Mayor

Tulsa City Councilor G. T. Bynum sent out an email today announcing his decision to run for re-election to his District 9 post, rather than running for the mayor's seat left open by Kathy Taylor's decision not to run for re-election. Bynum's decision leaves five councilors who have not officially...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 11, 2009 11:47 AM

Too-busy-to-blog links

I'm in the throes of a major effort at work and only have time to throw you a few links to good reading elsewhere: For your viewing pleasure, Tulsa TV Memories links to the Life archive and photos from February 1952 of KOTV general manager Helen Alvarez. Besides photos of...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 10, 2009 8:18 AM