Articles
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Judicial Reform, Law & Principles
Mandatory bar membership raises free-speech concerns
For decades, Oklahoma attorneys have not been allowed to practice law unless they join the Oklahoma Bar Association. Due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding free speech and the right of association, a Senate committee has voted to end that mandate.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Education, Law & Principles, Good Government
GOP defectors side with unions
Six Republican senators joined Democrats to defeat legislation that would require routine recertification elections for education unions, providing a victory for a teachers’ union that recently gave failing grades to most of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Law & Principles
Protection against ‘surprise’ medical billing advances
Oklahomans would be protected from having credit scores reduced as the result of “surprise” medical bills under legislation that has gained strong bipartisan support in a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Higher Education, Law & Principles
Senate votes down due-process protections for college students
A coalition of Democrats and Republicans in the Oklahoma Senate have voted down legislation that would ensure college students facing expulsion have due-process rights comparable to those provided in a court proceeding. Opponents argued the college system is effectively exempted from legislative oversight.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Education, Culture & the Family
Great-grandmother seeks educational opportunity for at-risk children
Born in 1952, Linda Lewis did not envision being a caretaker for two young children during her golden years. But when her grandson was incarcerated and the mother of her great-grandchildren ran afoul of the Department of Human Services, she became the legal guardian for two of her great-grandchildren.Ray Carter | February 24, 2020
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Law & Principles
State workforce reform advances
Members of a Senate committee have advanced legislation related to overhaul of state government workforce regulations, a goal endorsed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020
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Law & Principles
‘Universal’ licensing effort advances
Two measures that would reduce occupational red tape in Oklahoma have cleared a Senate committee, including a measure to make Oklahoma the second state in the nation to offer “universal” recognition of other states’ licenses.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020
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Higher Education
OU hosts former Communist Party candidate and accused terrorist
The University of Oklahoma Black Student Association is hosting one of America’s most notorious left-wing activists today.Mike Brake | February 21, 2020
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Health Care
Mental health spending could face scrutiny
While Oklahoma state government has increasingly spent more money on mental health treatment, it appears lawmakers have struggled to keep track of that spending and if it has generated positive results, based on legislation that has advanced through a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020
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Education
Teacher union gives ‘F’ grades to Oklahoma delegation
The National Education Association (NEA), whose state affiliate is the largest teachers’ union in Oklahoma, has given F grades to the majority of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation in its Legislative Report Card for the first session of the 116th Congress.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020