Articles
-
Budget & Tax
House, Senate budget plans include worthwhile items
Oklahomans should encourage their state lawmakers to include tax cuts and workforce scholarships in the final budget agreement.Jonathan Small | May 6, 2024
-
Criminal Justice
With child rapist set to walk free, Stitt warns of ‘two-tiered’ justice system in Oklahoma
The child rapist whose case led to the U.S. Supreme Court effectively re-establishing Indian reservations across eastern Oklahoma is set to walk out of prison a free man, something that would have never happened if his original trial as an Oklahoman in state court had been allowed to stand.Ray Carter | May 3, 2024
-
Education
Oklahoma lawmakers try to crack down on sexting teachers
Trying to deter more cases of sexual abuse of students in Oklahoma schools, state lawmakers have advanced legislation that would impose new regulations on teacher communications with children.Ray Carter | May 2, 2024
-
Budget & Tax, Education
Countdown to the budget deal: A look at education spending
As Oklahoma budget talks continue, we take a look at state agency growth over the years. Today’s spotlight is on the state Department of Education.Curtis Shelton | May 1, 2024
-
Law & Principles
Stitt signs legislation allowing police to arrest illegal immigrants
Legislation making “impermissible occupation” a crime—allowing law enforcement officials to arrest illegal immigrants—passed the state House by a vote of 77‒20 and the state Senate by a vote of 39‒8. It has been signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt.Ray Carter | May 1, 2024
-
Law & Principles
Oklahoma part of pushback on Biden Title IX rewrite
The Biden administration’s rewrite of federal Title IX law would allow men to enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms—so long as the male claims to identify as a woman. Oklahoma officials are pushing back.Ray Carter | April 30, 2024
-
Education
Caving to teacher unions, Oklahoma House kills teacher-empowerment bill
An effort to give teachers greater control over their interactions with unions—and reduce interruption of school days for non-school activities—has failed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives after lawmakers caved to union pressure.Ray Carter | April 29, 2024
-
Judicial Reform
Ten Commandments case highlights Oklahoma’s judicial incoherence
Some say the unelected and unaccountable Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC)—which chooses, in secret, all major Oklahoma judicial nominees—works just fine. Unfortunately, there is much evidence to the contrary.Jonathan Small | April 29, 2024
-
Law & Principles
Senate sends ranked-choice voting ban to Stitt
Legislation that would prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting in Oklahoma elections has been sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt.Ray Carter | April 26, 2024
-
Education
Oklahoma House votes to mandate phonics, ban ‘three-cueing’
Under legislation advancing from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, teachers could no longer use the discredited “three-cueing” method to teach reading, and more teachers would instead be trained in the “science of reading,” including phonics instruction.Ray Carter | April 25, 2024