Articles
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Law & Principles
Hughes County sheriff says tribe ignoring McGirt duties, crime victims
Since the U.S. Supreme Court upended law-enforcement jurisdiction throughout most of eastern Oklahoma with its McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling, tribal government officials have claimed they will fill much of the resulting law-enforcement gap.Ray Carter | February 11, 2022
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Law & Principles
Defending McGirt, tribal leaders ignore, dismiss Indian victims
In their efforts to defend the McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling that Gov. Kevin Stitt wants curtailed or overturned, Oklahoma tribal leaders have increasingly taken an unexpected tack. They often ignore—and in one high-profile case appeared to dismiss as “made up”—the plight of tribal citizens who are victims of crimes that may now go unpunished because of McGirt.Ray Carter | February 10, 2022
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Education
Putting Oklahoma parents in charge of education
Today in Oklahoma, parents fall into two camps. One camp has the financial resources to move to another school district or independently pay for private school if a local district isn’t working out for their child. The other camp must endure problems and hope things somehow improve because those families don’t have the finances to get their children out of a geographically assigned school.Jonathan Small | February 10, 2022
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Culture & the Family
Hofmeister backed by tribes, casinos
Individuals and entities associated with two groups substantially intertwined in Oklahoma—tribal governments and casinos—represented a significant share of donations to the Democratic gubernatorial campaign of Joy Hofmeister in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to a report filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.Ray Carter | February 9, 2022
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Education, Law & Principles
Lawmakers seek answers for teacher exits
Reports of a teacher shortage in Oklahoma have long been blamed on pay levels, yet the shortage has persisted even after massive salary increases in recent years.Ray Carter | February 8, 2022
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Law & Principles
Stitt: McGirt decision ‘jeopardizes justice’ in Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Cherokee, is one of the most prominent elected Indian officeholders in the nation. But he remains steadfast in his opposition to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared a reservation was never formally disestablished in Oklahoma, saying that decision has effectively impeded justice for many Oklahomans of all backgrounds.Ray Carter | February 7, 2022
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Education
Stitt endorses educational-choice expansion
In his State of the State address, Gov. Kevin Stitt urged legislators to be bold and provide Oklahoma families with a significant expansion of school-choice opportunity, saying families should have the greatest voice in how their children are educated.Ray Carter | February 7, 2022
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Good Government
Stitt touts education, tax cuts, savings
Gov. Kevin Stitt called for major education reform, tax cuts, and increased state savings in his latest State of the State address.Ray Carter | February 7, 2022
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Good Government
OCPA applauds Stitt agenda
Larry Parman, chairman of the board of trustees for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “State of the State” address.Sheridan Betts | February 7, 2022
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Health Care
Rapidly growing Direct Primary Care model offers personal attention
We’ve all encountered obstacles to good health care from a system that sometimes seems determined to put roadblocks in our path.Mike Brake | February 7, 2022