By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing Writer
The Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC, honored Dist. 43 Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, and Dist. 41 Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Yukon, with awards for their 2020 voting records in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives during the CPAC annual conference, held Feb. 25-28, in Orlando, Florida.
The awards were based on the two legislators’ votes as tallied by the American Conservative Union Foundation’s ratings of Oklahoma legislators for their commitment to America’s core principles as written in the U.S. Constitution.
Since 1971, the American Conservative Union Foundation’s ratings of U.S. Congressional members have set the standard in determining how an elected official views the role of government in an individual’s life. ACUF annually produces scores based on voting records of all congressional members and awards the most conservative members. ACUF applies the same standard to state legislators and issues scores annually.
ACUF is a conservative nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1984. It is a branch of the American Conservative Union. This is the first year the awards ceremony was not held in D.C.
ACUF’s stated mission is, “to reach out and educate, influence and convert those who may not know they are conservatives as well as informing, inspiring and motivating those who know they are conservatives. Our purpose is to educate voters, officeholders and opinion leaders as to why conservative principles work better to solve problems, as well as to equip them to become better conservatives and effective problem solvers.”
Founded in 1974 by the American Conservative Union, the Conservative Political Action Committee educates Americans on the challenges facing our communities, equips them with the skills to lead key reforms, and mobilizes communities around national issues.
Founded in 1964, the American Conservative Union maintains that the U.S. Constitution “is the best political charter yet created by man for governing themselves. The U.S.
Constitution is designed to guarantee the free exercise of the inherent rights of the individual through strictly limiting the power of government.”