Articles
-
Budget & Tax
Senate Republicans: No income-tax cuts this year
Senate Republican lawmakers will not vote to cut Oklahoman’s income-tax rates this year even though the state has more than half a billion dollars in growth revenue, the chamber’s leader announced Wednesday.Ray Carter | February 21, 2024
-
Law & Principles
Oklahoma Senate committee votes to scrap parent penalty
Members of an Oklahoma Senate committee have voted to repeal a portion of state law that threatens parents with up to a year in jail if they try to enroll their children in a school by falsely claiming to live in that district.Ray Carter | February 21, 2024
-
Education, Law & Principles
Oklahoma Republicans join Democrats to reduce parent role in school-board races
A handful of House Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to kill a bill that would have moved school-board elections to the November ballot. However, a similar bill remains alive.Ray Carter | February 20, 2024
-
Higher Education
To address colleges’ failure, new Oklahoma workforce effort advances
Frustrated with a state college system that produces degree-holders in fields that are in low demand even as higher-paying jobs go unfilled, Oklahoma state senators have opted to do an end-run around the college system.Ray Carter | February 20, 2024
-
Education, Law & Principles
Oklahoma lawmakers seek to protect teachers from union pressure
Oklahoma school officials would be prohibited from pressuring teachers to participate in union activities under legislation that has advanced from the Senate Education Committee.Ray Carter | February 20, 2024
-
Law & Principles, Culture & the Family
Bill restricting child exposure to porn clears committee
Legislation that would require porn sites to allow parents to block child access and require age verification has sailed through a state Senate committee with bipartisan support.Ray Carter | February 19, 2024
-
Budget & Tax, Economy
With Oklahoma top 10 in GDP growth, Stitt says tax cuts can keep it going
Oklahoma’s state gross domestic product (GDP) growth is stronger than all but eight states, according to recent data. Some policymakers welcome that news and want to keep the trend going. Gov. Kevin Stitt says tax cuts—specifically, putting the state’s personal income tax on the path to full repeal—is the best way to achieve that goal.Ray Carter | February 19, 2024
-
Education, Law & Principles
Oklahoma education group: Parents not ‘tuned in’ to school needs
An activist group has urged lawmakers to kill a bill that would move school-board elections to the November general-election ballot, claiming increased voter turnout would be bad because those additional voters are not “tuned in” to school needs.Ray Carter | February 16, 2024
-
Law & Principles
Swope, Strom bills are an attack on parents
Some Oklahoma politicians think they should control how your children are raised.Jonathan Small | February 16, 2024
-
Budget & Tax
Calls for tax cuts increase after revenue growth
After the State Board of Equalization approved the final revenue certification that determines how much money is available to lawmakers during the 2024 legislative session, Governor Stitt noted that tax cuts can be easily passed under these financial conditions.Ray Carter | February 15, 2024