Articles
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Budget & Tax, Economy, Good Government
Deregulation could spur state growth, lawmakers told
For Oklahoma lawmakers seeking to boost economic growth and job creation in Oklahoma, one expert says a key step is to pare down regulation. “There is considerable evidence, academic evidence, that regulations slow economic growth.”Ray Carter | August 26, 2019
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Good Government
Proposed election change could create costs, headaches
Some liberal activists want to require Oklahoma and other states to eliminate runoff primaries and instead use “ranked choice” voting. But Oklahoma’s top election official warns that change would involve substantial taxpayer expense and likely voter confusion.Ray Carter | August 8, 2019
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Good Government
Government transparency bill signed in ceremony
Senate Bill 271, by state Sen. Nathan Dahm and state Rep. Kyle Hilbert, requires state agencies to post annual reports online that list “all federal funds” under the agency’s control and identify, in descending order, the funding source the agency relies on “to the greatest extent.”Ray Carter | August 6, 2019
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Good Government
Review of state spending nearer with launch of LOFT
Members of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Oversight Committee held the group’s first meeting Tuesday, convening briefly to name two subcommittees that will develop proposals regarding the hiring of an executive director and administrative rules to guide the entity’s work.Ray Carter | July 31, 2019
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Good Government
Trump deregulation gets praise, but officials say more needed
Officials in Oklahoma and elsewhere praise the progress President Trump has made on deregulation, but caution that much work remains.Ray Carter | July 25, 2019
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Good Government
Gov. Stitt: ‘Are we done? Absolutely not’
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s first year has been marked by success, but there’s no indication those results are fueling complacency.Ray Carter | July 8, 2019
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Good Government
U.S. Supreme Court’s liquor license ruling will impact Oklahoma
In a decision that will have repercussions in Oklahoma, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Tennessee law on Wednesday that imposed residency requirements for retail liquor licenses.Ray Carter | June 26, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Good Government
LOFT may be used more by watchdogs than lawmakers
This year, lawmakers created the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), which will audit agency budgets and evaluate the effectiveness of state programs and services, issuing published reports of resulting conclusions. Supporters say the office will lead to better legislative oversight and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. But officials in other states with similar programs say private-sector watchdogs, rather than politicians, often make better use of the resulting data.Ray Carter | May 31, 2019
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Good Government
Lawmakers cite constitutional problems with Ethics Commission regulations
Members of the Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly rejected proposed Oklahoma Ethics Commission rules on Friday, saying the regulations violated constitutional rights.Ray Carter | May 17, 2019
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Good Government
Mazzei nomination advances after defense of tax cuts, savings
The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the nomination of former Sen. Mike Mazzei to serve as Gov. Kevin Stitt’s cabinet secretary of budget, less than a week after that appointment appeared in jeopardy.Ray Carter | May 13, 2019