Former State Senator, Owen Laughlin speaks at the Republican's Tea Party in the Norman Public Library Thursday evening. Marcin Rutkowski/The Daily

Although a far cry from throwing crates of taxed tea into the harbor, the OU College Republicans expressed their grievances on Thursday.

They did this not by destroying British goods, but by hosting their own tea party at the Norman Public Library, where featured guests, students and people from all over Norman came to discuss how to move the Republican Party and the country in a positive direction.

“We heard about a lot of tea parties last April and they were portrayed as an angry mob, so one night over the summer we were talking and we decided to have a pinkies-up, actual tea party to mock the angry mob image, to promote what we’re trying to do and to get the word out,” said Carly Dillon, University College freshman. “It’s just meant to be more of a higher class type of event.”

The evening featured many noted speakers, including Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud.

“I would be hard-pressed to find an issue that I agree with President Obama on. That’s why I decided to run for Congress,” Cloud said.

He went on to discuss the ways in which he believes the country must improve.

“We are not going to spend ourselves into prosperity. We have to cut it in Washington, we need to cut taxes to fuel our economy, [and] we don’t need to bailout corporations,” Cloud said. “We are absolutely going off into the ditch right now.”

Another speaker was former state senator and candidate for state treasurer Owen Laughlin, who illustrated his economic plans for Oklahomans.

“Any business of any kind has dual accountability and we don’t have that. My point is that it’s time for somebody to attack those issues,” Laughlin said. “Real change requires real change, that’s what I intend to do if elected.”

One speaker was asked to shed light on the current health care bill.

“The cost of these bills will outpace the entire federal budget prior to the year 2000,” said Joe Fairbanks, who works in public policy in the health care industry. “[But] 20 million people will still be uninsured.”

He also expanded on the bill’s possible effects on this state and the country.

“It will obliterate state budgets. It will obliterate Oklahoma’s state budget because Oklahoma is required to cover at least 30 percent of Medicaid,” Fairbanks said. “There are no provisions for additional physicians so [people are] going to have massive waiting lines and going to have to wait months for primary care.”

The night concluded with Vice-Chairwoman for the Oklahoma Republican Party Angie Laplante, who addressed the group not to discuss campaign plans or current legislation, but to call them to action.

“You guys are this party and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not. I challenge you to challenge your instructors and classmates, but to make sure that you know the facts,” Laplante said. “You need to make your legislators accountable. Your voice, your vote ... means a lot. Don’t be afraid to say what you think.”