Articles
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Culture & the Family
Petition to reopen Oklahoma reaches 10,000 signatures
Less than a week after launching, a citizen petition that calls for the state to begin reopening by May 1 has amassed over 10,000 signatures.Staff | April 22, 2020
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Budget & Tax
State-tribal impasse breaks; new casino compacts signed
In what he called an “historic day,” Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed new state-tribal casino gaming agreements with the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Comanche Nation.Ray Carter | April 22, 2020
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Education, Culture & the Family
How many Oklahoma students are continuing to learn?
With schools across the nation closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, a key question is: How many students are continuing to learn?Mike Brake | April 21, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Amid state budget crunch, shift to virtual learning should save millions
On March 25 the Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to close all public schools, and students and teachers began preparing for online learning. These closures provide an opportunity for cost savings while the lights are off.Curtis Shelton | April 21, 2020
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Education
Amid millions for K-12 schools, lobbyist group opposes aid for private sector
The Oklahoma State School Board Association (OSSBA) has declared its opposition to the provision of some federal aid to families with children in private schools, declaring education providers in the private sector are not facing “a pandemic-related emergency.”Ray Carter | April 21, 2020
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Culture & the Family
The many shades of social distancing
“Shelter-in-place” decrees go beyond social distancing—beyond the first six feet, or a mask, or other basic (but very efficient) protections—to impose much more extreme barriers. They assume some benefit and ignore costs.Trent England | April 21, 2020
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Budget & Tax
No rapid recovery expected for Oklahoma’s economy
Employment in Oklahoma is not expected to rebound to pre-coronavirus levels for two years, and state tax collections are falling to 2016 levels. In response, Gov. Kevin Stitt called on lawmakers to tap state savings and to reduce spending to “smooth out” financial challenges over the next few years.Ray Carter | April 21, 2020
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Judicial Reform, Law & Principles
Put tort reform in the Oklahoma Constitution
The Oklahoma Supreme Court conducts itself more as a rolling constitutional convention than an appellate court. The Legislature, and the people, should not tolerate the Court’s overreach.Benjamin Lepak | April 20, 2020
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Budget & Tax
Democrats oppose any reduction in state spending
The shutdowns caused by the government’s COVID-19 response have devastated business and family budgets across Oklahoma, forcing many working families to make hard financial choices.Ray Carter | April 20, 2020
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Health Care, Culture & the Family
Stitt: Testing key to state’s reopening
Gov. Kevin Stitt and other officials say improved tracking of the COVID-19 virus will be crucial in reopening Oklahoma’s economy in the coming weeks.Ray Carter | April 17, 2020