Articles
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Criminal Justice
Oklahoma Democrats say no masks for ICE—even as threats against officers rise
Twenty members of the Oklahoma House Democratic caucus are demanding that immigration enforcement officials display visible name tags and refrain from concealing their faces while making arrests, even as threats and harassment against those officers surge nationwide.Ray Carter | July 22, 2025
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Good Government
Former Oklahoma governor, attorneys general defend initiative-petition reform
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and former Attorneys General Scott Pruitt and John O’Connor are urging the Oklahoma Supreme Court to uphold a new law that reforms the state’s initiative-petition process to ensure broader geographic representation.Ray Carter | July 22, 2025
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Economy, Good Government
Oklahoma among nation’s job-growth leaders since COVID
Since the COVID-19 disruption in early 2020, Oklahoma has emerged as one of the nation’s top job creators, ranking 14th in payroll growth according to a new analysis of federal data.Ray Carter | July 21, 2025
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Education
One in four Oklahoma youth benefiting from school choice
Many claim that 95% of Oklahoma students attend their local public school. In reality, the share of Oklahoma students whose families “choose” to enroll in the geographically closest public school may be closer to 76 percent.Ray Carter | July 18, 2025
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Education
As NEA commits to fight ‘fascist’ Trump, lawmakers target union’s federal charter
At its recent national convention, the National Education Association (NEA)—the parent organization of Oklahoma’s OEA—approved a series of resolutions attacking President Trump, defending illegal immigration, and more.Ray Carter | July 17, 2025
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Education
Oklahoma teacher pay ranks higher than many realize
Despite claims from state House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson that Oklahoma ranks “last in the region for teacher pay,” data from the National Education Association and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association tell a different story.Ray Carter | July 16, 2025
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Higher Education
As Trump DOJ cracks down on in-state tuition for illegal aliens, OU and OSU mum
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun suing states that provide in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants while charging higher rates to out-of-state U.S. citizens. When asked about their policies, neither OU nor OSU responded to a request for comment.Ray Carter | July 15, 2025
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma Supreme Court: McGirt doesn’t extend to civil and regulatory law
In a major clarification of the legal limits of the McGirt decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that McGirt does not extend to civil regulatory authority.Ray Carter | July 14, 2025
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Education, Higher Education
Whistleblower: Teachers taught to use bogus reading methods at Oklahoma college
A reading specialist hired by Oklahoma Panhandle State University attempted to reform the university’s curriculum with scientifically supported phonics-based instruction. She laments that “new teachers are coming fresh out of college not knowing how to teach kids to read.”Ray Carter | July 11, 2025
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma agency reports provide limited transparency
Despite laws requiring Oklahoma state agencies to produce reports on program effectiveness, a new review finds that most of these reports are virtually inaccessible to the public.Ray Carter | July 10, 2025