By Constitution Staff

On a November night during the dark days of Jimmy Carter, four young conservatives met at an all-night restaurant in Oklahoma City, and plotted a revolution.

The Sooner Republican Assembly (SRA) will honor the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper and its staff on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at the Character Training Institute, 520 West Main Street in Oklahoma City. State Senator Anthony Sykes (R-Moore) will serve as master of ceremonies.

SRA President Jared Byrns said the banquet will honor the paper and its staff "for 35 years of invaluable service to the conservative movement in Oklahoma. The evening will include dinner, speakers, and a presentation commemorating the newspaper's history and influence."

The event is open to the public. The cost is $12 per person for those who reserve their places by January 31, with the price rising to $15 per person on February 1. Guests can make reservations by sending an e-mail to sra@soonergop.com, or by using the contact form at http://contact.soonergop.com. More information will be available at the SRA website, http://soonergop.com.

The Sooner Republican Assembly is a grassroots organization of conservative activists advocating the traditional Republican principles of limited government and individual liberty. It is the local affiliate of the Oklahoma Republican Assembly (OKRA) and the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) in Moore, Norman, and south Oklahoma City.

On a November night during the dark days of Jimmy Carter, four young conservatives met at an all-night restaurant in Oklahoma City, and plotted a revolution. A peaceful transformation of the Oklahoma political landscape was the goal. The 1978 elections had gone poorly. The Republican candidate for governor had lost, the Oklahoma Legislature had barely more than 20 Republican members in the House of Representatives. Senator Dewey Bartlett had not sought reelection, battling the lung cancer that would soon take his life. Oklahoma's other U.S. Senator was Henry Bellmon, the Republican who had voted for forced bussing and had sided with Democrat Carter's disgraceful giveaway of the Panama Canal. Conservative political philosophy was looked upon with disdain even by the Republican Establishment.

The state chairman of the Republican Party had supported Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan. Mickey Edwards was the lone Republican representing Oklahoma in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As grim as things appeared, the four decided to fight. They vowed to launch a conservative newspaper, opting to call it the Oklahoma Constitution. Alas, of the four present that night, only one (Ron McWhirter) is still with the newspaper, as general manager. The present editor (Steve Byas) joined within the first year of publication. Our first editor, Clyde Rollins, left the paper in the early 80s, and has since passed away.

But the idea conceived in the dark of night did not die. An Oklahoma Conservative Index was the planned cornerstone of the effort to transform Oklahoma politics. One of the first legislators rated was Senator Don Nickles, who won a U.S. Senate seat the first election after the paper's creation. In the first year of publication, Nickles boldly wrote an article favoring nuclear power.

As the Conservative Index began to expose the liberal voting records of state legislators, the Republicans trended more conservative, and Democrats began to get beat. While conservatives often complain that our present Oklahoma Legislature is not conservative enough, it is much more conservative than it was back before the Oklahoma Constitution was launched.

Some have not liked the efforts of the newspaper, including many Republicans with suspect conservative credentials. "We sincerely believe that our presence in Oklahoma has made a big difference," said Oklahoma Constitution Editor Steve Byas. "We are so appreciative to a dedicated and loyal readership, and our advertisers."

Others have tried, in vain, to challenge the Oklahoma Constitution as "Oklahoma's Conservative Voice," but they have failed, and are now consigned to the ash heap of history.

Subscriptions are only $15 per year. The mailing address is Oklahoma Constitution, P.O. Box 53482, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152. Contributions and gift subscriptions are also very much appreciated.