Legislature
Opinion: Oklahoma’s lack of sex ed curriculum harming the state’s health outcomes
It’s time to have a candid conversation about a topic that seems to make many lawmakers cringe and flush. Sex education. StateImpact reporter Jillian Taylor reported recently that the only sexual education topic that must be taught is AIDS prevention instruction. School districts, though, get to decide when and how to teach it. Parents can […]
Report: Oklahoma to pay $3.3 million for Stitt’s tribal legal fees
OKLAHOMA CITY — As Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration continues to clash with Oklahoma’s tribes in the courtroom, the state is paying his legal costs using gaming compliance fees from the tribes. The state will pay at least $3.3 million in legal fees associated with ongoing tribal disputes, according to a report issued by a legislative […]
Opinion: Oklahomans deserve and should expect a fully functioning state-tribal relationship
The feud involving Gov. Kevin Stitt and tribal leaders has gone on long enough. People deserve a fully functioning relationship between our 39 federally recognized tribes and the state. It’s time for someone — anyone — to step up and lead Oklahoma out of the morass. For nearly four years now, residents have watched in […]
Oklahoma doesn’t mandate sex ed, so some churches are trying to fill the gaps
Margo Starr grew up going to All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa. When she was in middle school, the church offered classes on Sunday afternoons, and one of them was a sex education course. Her friends signed up for it and, in classic middle school fashion, she joined in on what her friends were doing. […]
More than 215 new Oklahoma laws take effect Wednesday
OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 215 new state laws take effect Wednesday that impact everything from state employee benefits and jury pay to oversight of medical marijuana grows and missing persons. The Oklahoma Legislature passed a slew of new laws this year. Here’s a look at some of the highlights. State employees will now be […]
Board updating 50-year plan to ensure Oklahomans have access to water
Oklahoma officials are seeking input from residents about their top water concerns as a state board begins to craft a plan to ensure enough water is available for the next 50 years. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board, which is tasked with predicting supply and demand, is updating its comprehensive plan. The Legislature appropriated $3.5 million […]
Blue and red states slash taxes despite warnings of hard times ahead
With a $750 million budget surplus on hand, there was little doubt whether North Dakota lawmakers would cut taxes earlier this year — the question was how much. “The surplus was strong, and we believe it’s going to be sustained into the future,” said state Rep. Craig Headland. “So, it just made sense to cut […]
Lawmakers reject gaming compacts for two small Oklahoma tribes
OKLAHOMA CITY — Saying there were “significant fatal flaws,” Oklahoma lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously rejected a pair of compacts that would have allowed two tribes to offer gaming outside of their traditional boundaries. Leaders with the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town said after the vote that they were disappointed […]
As two small tribes seek to build casinos, Oklahoma lawmakers asked to approve compacts
OKLAHOMA CITY — Lawmakers might have to decide whether two small Oklahoma tribes should have the right to build casinos outside their traditional boundaries. Supporters contend that allowing the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town to offer gaming in Oklahoma and Logan counties would be an economic boon for their […]
Opinion: Prisons and jails shouldn’t be built anywhere near public schools
Some leaders across the Oklahoma City area have raised the alarm recently about an odd provision of state law that allows correctional facilities to be built uncomfortably close to public schools. A debate over relocating the Oklahoma County jail has highlighted an obscure provision in state law that allows correctional facilities to be built about […]
Autism advocates urge lawmakers to pass driver’s license safety law
Advocates urged lawmakers on Wednesday to allow people with autism to register their disability on driver’s licenses and state identification cards to enhance safety during police interactions. Miscommunication between a person with autism and an officer can escalate to unnecessary use of force, injury and even death, experts said. Advocates said most people who have […]
Dusty Deevers, Larry Bush advance in special election for Lawton Senate seat
OKLAHOMA CITY — Comanche County voters on Tuesday selected their party nominees to face off in a special election to fill a vacant state Senate seat in Lawton. Republican Dusty Deevers and Democrat Larry Bush won their respective primary elections Tuesday to fill the Senate seat vacated by John Michael Montgomery, a Republican who resigned […]