Articles
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Good Government
Lawmakers cite constitutional problems with Ethics Commission regulations
Members of the Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly rejected proposed Oklahoma Ethics Commission rules on Friday, saying the regulations violated constitutional rights.Ray Carter | May 17, 2019
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Education
OEA attacks state savings effort
Despite announcement of a state budget that provides a historic appropriation for schools, the Oklahoma Education Association and its allies continue to attack the plan even as lawmakers advance related legislation.Ray Carter | May 17, 2019
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Criminal Justice
A Primer: Oklahoma’s criminal justice system
Oklahoma’s incarceration rate has risen to number one in the nation. This overuse of incarceration has significant financial and social costs. Oklahoma lawmakers are considering reforms aimed at reducing incarceration rates.Kaitlyn Finley | May 16, 2019
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Law & Principles
Tulsa attorney files landmark suit against Oklahoma Bar Association
A Tulsa attorney has filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Bar Association in an effort to break the OBA’s monopoly on licensing and collecting dues from members of the legal profession.Mike Brake | May 16, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Education
Stitt, legislative leaders announce budget agreement
Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they have reached a budget agreement that spends more than $8 billion for the first time in Oklahoma history and includes $157.7 million more for K-12 schools, but they struggled to identify any specific measurement of student outcomes they expect will improve as a result.Ray Carter | May 15, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Lawmakers vow to ‘keep fighting’ for tobacco-fund reform
On April 19, Oklahoma received $69.7 million in tobacco-settlement funds of which $53.3 million went to TSET.Ray Carter | May 15, 2019
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Higher Education
Separate but equal at OU
The battle for integration for black Americans and other minorities lasted for more than 150 years and, on some fronts, continues today. That’s why it is so alarming to many observers of higher education that on many campuses today, things from student residence halls to graduation ceremonies have been increasingly balkanized by race or ethnicity.Mike Brake | May 15, 2019
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Health Care
There is no pot of ‘free’ Medicaid money waiting to be spent
Expanding Medicaid will force more people to become dependent on government while potentially increasing federal spending by $3.4 billion. With the annual national deficit projected to grow to $896 billion this will increase the burden already placed on the younger generation.Curtis Shelton | May 14, 2019
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Education
Diverse education picks clear partisan, ideological hurdles
Four more of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s nominees for the State Board of Education advanced from the Senate Education Committee during a Tuesday morning meeting.Ray Carter | May 14, 2019
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Education
Oklahoma public schools send more than $1 billion to private companies every year
In 2017 alone, more than $1.5 billion of public-school money was spent on supplies and purchased services. The majority of this money went to for-profit businesses.Curtis Shelton | May 14, 2019