Dana Murphy Is Now A Member of the OCC

Yesterday, January 12th, Dana Murphy became a member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission; and, here are some significant points that emerge from that event:

- Although the third woman on the OCC, Murphy is the first woman to have begun her tenure at the OCC without have been first appointed by the governor;

- Murphy's election returns the OCC to an all Republican membership; and,

- Murphy is the first ALJ at the OCC to later be elected as a member of the Commission. FYI: Murphy was an administrative law judge at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for almost six years, when, at the end of 2001, she resigned her ALJ post.

Her successful campaign was very interesting because, during the campaign, she was blistered in several attack ads by her opponent (i.e., the incumbent Democrat that she defeated). She did not, however, respond to those attacks! Although Murphy is exceptionally qualified for the post (maybe the best qualified first-time candidate to every be elected to the OCC), any reasonable observer must agree that: Murphy showed excellent political judgment during her campaign, and that it is judgment that she'll now need as she serves the people of the State of Oklahoma as a member of the OCC.

Here's one of my favorite Will Rogers, Jr.'s quotes: Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. - Will Rogers, Jr.