Representative Rick West

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District 3

Hi, I'm Rick West and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 3rd District.


representative

News & Announcements

Dec 20, 2024
Recent Posts

Lawmakers Appeal OG&E rate increase; Ask OK Supreme Court to Rule on Hiett’s Failure to Disqualify and OCC’s One-Page Audits

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola; Kevin West, R-Moore; and Rick West, R-Heavener, issued the following statement today: "Less than two weeks ago, on December 9, the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied our petition seeking to prohibit Todd Hiett from hearing Oklahoma Corporation Commission cases involving the victims/witnesses of his alleged crimes. But we were encouraged by comments in the justices’ written opinions." Two days later, in response to comments from Justice Dana Kuehn, Gann sent the Oklahoma Ethics Commission a six-page supplement to his original Sept. 10 complaint filed against Commissioner Hiett. It documents with 250 pages of exhibits more than 15 additional occasions of Hiett allegedly violating State Ethics Rule 4.7 since the original complaint was filed. Ethics Rule 4.7 prohibits state officers from participating in matters in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. "Today, in response to comments from Justice Douglas L. Combs made on December 9, we have filed an appeal at the Oklahoma Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s recent order granting Oklahoma Gas and Electric a $127 million rate increase. Hiett cast the deciding vote in that case, even though we believe state ethics rules say he should not have participated. OG&E employs attorneys who hosted a party on June 21, 2023, where Hiett is alleged to have committed multiple criminal acts, including drunk driving, sexual harassment and indecent exposure. "In this appeal, we also are challenging the OCC’s one-page audits of the utilities' 2021 Winter Storm bonds. Although all three of us voted against the securitization legislation in April 2021, we do not believe the law allows the Corporation Commission to invent its own definition of the word 'audit,' or meant for the utilities to audit themselves. The Oklahoma Accountancy Act provides auditing standards for a reason. "Our pursuit of justice and transparency and respect for the law and the Constitution on behalf of Oklahoma utility ratepayers continues." Follow the OG&E rate case appeal at the Oklahoma Supreme Court and read the pleadings here: https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=122735

Oct 28, 2024
Recent Posts

Attorney Stephen Jones Joins Supreme Court Effort Against OCC’s Todd Hiett

OKLAHOMA CITY – Three Oklahoma lawmakers say that legal legend Stephen Jones will argue on behalf of their petition against Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, according to a notice filed at the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday.  Jones is a nationally recognized attorney who led the defense team for Oklahoma City Murrah Building bomber Timothy McVeigh in the late 1990s. The petition was filed Sept. 13 by Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener, who between them are all customers of the state’s three largest public utility companies – Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG), Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) and Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO). The petition seeks to prohibit Hiett’s continuing participation in utility cases at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) involving victims and/or witnesses of criminal conduct allegedly committed by Hiett, according to witness statements given to The Oklahoman in July and August. Hiett has refused to disqualify himself from the cases.  The Supreme Court has called for oral arguments in the matter on Nov. 12. Until this point, the three state representatives had made their case to the court pro se , acting as their own attorney. “Throughout his long history representing high-profile defendants, Stephen Jones has been a champion of civil rights and constitutional due process rights. We are very happy to have his help in this matter,” the three state representatives said in a joint statement. “Our petition argues that the due process rights of millions of Oklahoma ratepayers are being violated by Commissioner Hiett in utility cases worth billions of dollars. His alleged drunken and sexual misconduct toward and in front of utility company representatives has tainted these cases, and ratepayers already are suffering from it.  “We believe the rate payers in Oklahoma deserve fair and impartial representation from the Corporation Commission, and we are pleased Stephen Jones agrees with us. With his help and the court’s, we are confident judicial integrity and ratepayers’ constitutional rights can be restored at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.”

Oct 15, 2024
Recent Posts

Legislators Respond to Supreme Court Request in Hiett Case

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener, today issued statements regarding an Oklahoma Supreme Court request for oral arguments in their case against Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett. "On Monday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court changed its position and took the extraordinary step of asking for oral arguments about our Petition for a Writ of Prohibition against Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett. We filed our case after allegations of sexual misconduct and public drunkenness were published, but Hiett refused to disqualify himself from Oklahoma Corporation Commission cases involving the victims and/or witnesses of his alleged criminal conduct. These utility cases are worth billions of dollars and affect millions of Oklahoma customers of Oklahoma Natural Gas, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, and Public Service Company of Oklahoma. "We are thrilled and encouraged by this development. The court clearly recognizes the extreme public importance of this matter and the potential for severe injury to Oklahoma ratepayers if Hiett’s tainted participation is allowed to continue to violate Oklahomans' constitutional due process rights. We look forward to making our case to the court on November 12." In addition, the lawmakers reiterated their earlier public statements on this matter: Sept. 5, 2024: https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20240905_1 Sept. 30, 2024: https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20240930_3