Articles
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Education
Hope for bullied kids
For many students, the upcoming spring break will provide a welcome respite from bullying, harassment, or other unpleasant experiences at school.Jonathan Small | March 16, 2018
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Transparency for government, privacy for people
This is Sunshine Week, an annual reminder that “consent of the governed” means informed consent. Why is government transparency important? Let’s start at the beginning.Trent England | March 14, 2018
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Budget & Tax, Education
The price tag on OEA's demands
When the teachers union released its spending demands last week, two things were missing. One was any plan to find the resources, either in other parts of government or through tax increases. The other was the total cost.Trent England | March 13, 2018
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Education
ROI: Help Hollywood or help kids
The Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program and the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act each share similar financial parameters, which makes it easy to compare these tax incentive programs.Curtis Shelton | March 12, 2018
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Education
Reward teachers, rein in bureaucrats
No one disputes that it’s time for a teacher pay raise. Almost all Oklahomans agree and most lawmakers voice support.Jonathan Small | March 9, 2018
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Budget & Tax, Education
Time for lawmakers to assert authority, reward teachers
Oklahoma lawmakers have grappled for years over the matter of boosting public school teacher compensation.Jonathan Small | March 6, 2018
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Budget & Tax
Fixing future budgets
Some expenses are unpredictable. Will the transmission go out next month? Or, will it keep going for years? Other costs are predictable based on behavior. Keep grinding the gears and the transmission will fail.Jonathan Small | March 2, 2018
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Criminal Justice
Unlocking Oklahoma: Criminal justice reform in 2018
It’s been nearly two years since the passage of State Questions 780 and 781, but legislative work toward reforming Oklahoma’s justice system lags behind the progress made at the ballot box.Cody Ray Milner | March 1, 2018
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Budget & Tax
Off the top, off the charts
Total state appropriations and total state spending are not the same thing. Conversations about the state budget and how much agencies have to spend often focus on a number near $7 billion. This number is only appropriations, not total spending.Curtis Shelton | February 28, 2018
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Higher Education, Criminal Justice
FBI monitoring Chinese-run Confucius Institutes
The FBI is concerned that an arm of the Chinese government has a major presence on more than 100 American college and university campuses, including the University of Oklahoma, according to recent testimony before a U. S. Senate committee.Mike Brake | February 27, 2018