Articles
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Education
School transparency measure clears Oklahoma Senate
Legislation that would require public reporting on administrative spending in public schools, including a comparison of academic outcomes and spending in comparable districts, has won easy passage out of the Oklahoma Senate.Ray Carter | February 21, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Education, Law & Principles
Bold reforms for a post-pandemic Oklahoma
In the aftermath of the pandemic, Oklahoma’s policymakers should put parents in charge of education with a universal Education Savings Account, eliminate the personal income tax, and reform our state’s dysfunctional regulatory system.Curtis Shelton, Greg Forster, Ph.D., Byron Schlomach, Ph.D. & Andrew C. Spiropoulos | February 21, 2022
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Education
Student career-preparedness measure gets narrow approval
Legislation that would require public schools to provide remediation to students who do not meet college-readiness benchmarks has cleared a state House subcommittee by a relatively narrow margin.Ray Carter | February 21, 2022
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Education
Why weren’t schools prepared for COVID?
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s critics, who include some officials working in public schools, have suggested he can somehow stop the spread of an airborne virus with the wave of a government wand. If that’s true, then why haven’t those critics done so in public schools?Jonathan Small | February 21, 2022
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Education
Oklahoma open-transfer law benefiting few students
An analysis of Oklahoma’s open-transfer law finds that school districts’ vacancy rate is small, especially in coveted suburban areas. Moreover, many districts are flouting the law’s transparency requirement.Ray Carter | February 18, 2022
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Criminal Justice
Oklahoma expungement measure advances
Legislation that would automatically expunge the criminal record of low-level offenders who have served their time, increasing the likelihood they are able to obtain future employment, has passed unanimously out of a state House committee.Ray Carter | February 18, 2022
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Education, Good Government
Speaker McCall makes false claim on constituent contact
A statement attributed to House Speaker Charles McCall is false, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small said today.Sheridan Betts | February 17, 2022
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Law & Principles
Voter ID could be placed in state constitution
Oklahomans could place voter ID requirements into the state constitution under a measure that has won committee approval in the state Senate.Ray Carter | February 16, 2022
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Criminal Justice
Sentencing reform advances, but lawmakers wary
Legislation to address disparities in Oklahoma’s sentencing laws, and indirectly lower the incarceration rate, has advanced from a state Senate committee, but lawmakers expressed concern about the complexity of a broad-based overhaul.Ray Carter | February 16, 2022
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Education
Former Oklahoma House Speaker Shannon endorses school choice
Now a former leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is joining them, publicly voicing his support for empowering parents.Ray Carter | February 16, 2022