Articles
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Education
$1.4 billion in Oklahoma school COVID funds remain unspent
Since 2020, Congress has approved three rounds of federal COVID-bailout funding, providing more than $2 billion combined to Oklahoma school districts to mitigate viral spread, address challenges created by the pandemic, and reverse learning loss tied to COVID shutdowns.Ray Carter | January 27, 2022
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Health Care
Oklahoma’s Medicaid costs surging
During an Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) budget presentation to state lawmakers this week, OHCA officials listed “sustainable funding for expansion population” as one of the major challenges facing the agency.Ray Carter | January 25, 2022
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Higher Education
OSU Writing Center seeks ‘antiracist’ tutors who will ‘accept all Englishes’
The Oklahoma State University Writing Center is seeking undergraduate tutors to serve as “Antiracist Cluster Hires,” and asks that applicants exhibit “willingness to accept all Englishes.”Ray Carter | January 25, 2022
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Education
School-choice week celebrated in Oklahoma
Across the country, including in Oklahoma, families will have the opportunity to celebrate “School Choice Week” from Jan. 23 through 29 and learn about educational opportunities.Ray Carter | January 24, 2022
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Law & Principles
U.S. Supreme Court to consider McGirt limits
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case brought by the State of Oklahoma that could lead to curtailment of the court’s prior decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which effectively held that most of eastern Oklahoma consists of Indian reservations.Ray Carter | January 21, 2022
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Education
Senate leader seeks school choice for all families
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat has filed legislation that would provide school-choice opportunities to all Oklahoma families, allowing parents to use state funds to pay for their children to attend any school, including private schools.Ray Carter | January 21, 2022
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Education
Democrat governor’s teacher plan mirrors Stitt’s, draws praise from education groups
The Democratic governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, unveiled an almost-identical plan a day after Stitt. While the provisions of the two plans were mostly the same, the response they received varied widely with little to explain the difference other than partisanship.Ray Carter | January 20, 2022
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Education
OEA official decries parent involvement in schools
To counter the growing influence of what she calls “angry parents” who are frustrated, a teacher-union official says the OEA has obtained funding to bus people to Oklahoma City, pay for a hotel, and take them to the state Capitol to lobby.Ray Carter | January 19, 2022
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Education
Stitt announces effort to increase substitute teachers
An executive order issued by Gov. Kevin Stitt will allow 32,000 Oklahoma state government employees to serve as substitute teachers without forgoing their normal salary, which will help school districts continue offering in-person instruction amidst the national surge in omicron-variant COVID cases.Ray Carter | January 18, 2022
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Budget & Tax
McGirt decision creating millions in new expenses for state
While the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma may have stripped the state of the power to prosecute countless crimes involving a mix of Indians and non-Indians in eastern Oklahoma, it has not reduced state law-enforcement expenses, officials told lawmakers at a recent budget hearing.Ray Carter | January 17, 2022