Articles
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Budget & Tax, Education
Online shift may save school funds, but numbers remain elusive
Now that all Oklahoma public schools have shifted to distance learning, potentially significant savings could be achieved for many previously routine expenses. But state officials do not have that data and existing law may indirectly encourage school officials to spend those savings before July.Ray Carter | April 17, 2020
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Education
Digital learning and homeschooling during—and after—the crisis
Digital learning and homeschooling have hit K-12 education like—well, like a pandemic. As in so many other sectors, from politics to business to the movies, people are asking to what extent things can ever return to normal from the drastic changes imposed by our public health emergency.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | April 17, 2020
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Criminal Justice, Law & Principles
Crime may be unaffected by COVID-19, while lawsuits proliferate
The statewide COVID-19 shutdown may have dramatically impacted most Oklahomans, but it may not have deterred serious crimes, law enforcement officials told lawmakers Thursday. At the same time, the state could soon face a rash of lawsuits challenging the legality of government actions that forced business closures and the loss of citizens’ jobs.Ray Carter | April 17, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Economy, Culture & the Family
OCPA calls for CARES Act flexibility
OCPA president Jonathan Small, along with the leaders of several other think tanks from around the country, has signed a letter to federal legislative leaders calling for flexibility in the use of the CARES Act relief dollars.Curtis Shelton | April 16, 2020
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Economy, Culture & the Family
Citizen petition supports reopening state
Now that Oklahoma’s health care system is prepared to handle the estimated “peak” in COVID-19 hospitalizations, a new petition allows citizens to call on state and local government officials to reopen the state while maintaining sensible health precautions.Staff | April 16, 2020
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Economy, Culture & the Family
Stitt plans to reopen Oklahoma soon
Amidst growing evidence that Oklahoma has dramatically flattened the growth curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced today that many currently shuttered businesses may soon be allowed to reopen while elective surgeries will resume before the end of April.Ray Carter | April 15, 2020
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Culture & the Family
Oklahoma rally calls for ‘back to work’ order
As data continues to show Oklahoma has achieved the stated purpose of the government-ordered shutdown of businesses by allowing the health care system to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic’s peak, citizens at a rally on Wednesday called on Gov. Kevin Stitt to reopen the state.Ray Carter | April 15, 2020
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Culture & the Family
Oklahomans can face reality. Can our government leaders?
Government officials act as though we have only two, mutually exclusive choices to address COVID-19. We can either close businesses and throw millions out of work, or we can let people die. That’s a false choice.Mo Anderson | April 15, 2020
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Health Care, Economy
Public Health chairman: Let Oklahomans go back to work
The chairman of the state House Public Health Committee, who previously warned the threat of coronavirus was “quite real” and urged Oklahomans to “look at options where they can stay home and limit their exposure,” says it is now time to reopen society.Ray Carter | April 14, 2020
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Health Care, Culture & the Family
Unleash telehealth to fight COVID-19
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, Gov. Kevin Stitt has fast-tracked licensing requirements to help out-of-state medical workers utilize telemedicine. Action from the state legislature is needed to permanently adopt this reform.Kaitlyn Finley | April 14, 2020