Articles
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Lawsuit-reform restoration advances
Legislation to reinstate caps on noneconomic damages in certain lawsuits has gained approval from a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 26, 2020
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Judicial Reform, Law & Principles, Good Government
Lawmakers seek sunlight for Oklahoma judicial processes
The operations of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission have long drawn criticism for excessive secrecy and lack of public transparency. Two bills that have cleared a Senate committee seek to address that problem.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Education, Law & Principles, Good Government
GOP defectors side with unions
Six Republican senators joined Democrats to defeat legislation that would require routine recertification elections for education unions, providing a victory for a teachers’ union that recently gave failing grades to most of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Good Government
State could investigate city officials under proposed law
What if they held an election and no one abided by the results? The community of Bennington found out in recent years when voters ousted a mayor but the mayor refused to leave office, according to Rep. Justin Humphrey.Ray Carter | February 19, 2020
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Good Government
Citizen-engagement privacy is essential
If you can’t speak anonymously or join confidentially, you have no zone of privacy and the state has no limits.Amy Anderson | February 12, 2020
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Good Government
Study bolsters Stitt’s call for workforce reform
In his State of the State speech this week, Gov. Kevin Stitt said he wants to gradually make all positions in state government “at will” jobs, much like those at most private-sector companies. A new study from the State Chamber Research Foundation shows the state of Georgia has successfully handled a similar transition.Ray Carter | February 6, 2020
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Court arguments highlight redistricting plan’s potential impact
Arguments before the Oklahoma Supreme Court highlighted how an initiative-petition proposal, which would strip the Oklahoma Legislature of redistricting power and place that authority with an outside commission, could play out in practice.Ray Carter | January 22, 2020
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Good Government
Stitt plans significant state deregulation
Gov. Kevin Stitt says he wants to slash state regulations by the end of his term in 2023.Ray Carter | January 9, 2020
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Good Government
Officials urge streamlining of workforce efforts
In Oklahoma, the state government efforts to connect employers and workers is fragmented and disjointed. Employers and workers alike struggle to navigate the maze of Oklahoma government workforce entities--it's time to streamline the process.Ray Carter | October 15, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Economy, Good Government
Stitt’s proposal would not be first change to state gaming compacts
While Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call to renegotiate Oklahoma’s gaming compacts has drawn opposition, Stitt’s proposal would not be the first alteration of those state-tribal agreements. In fact, just over a year ago, the compacts were indirectly revised. And the year-ago revisions drew opposition not from tribal governments, but from officials who felt the new agreement shortchanged state government.Ray Carter | August 26, 2019