Articles
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Education, Law & Principles
School choice proves winning issue in state elections
Republican candidates who supported school choice prevailed in multiple races during this week’s primaries while incumbents who opposed school choice lost or narrowly avoided defeat at the hands of conservative challengers.Ray Carter | June 30, 2022
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Law & Principles
Supreme Court: Oklahoma has jurisdiction in Indian country
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the State of Oklahoma has the authority to arrest and prosecute non-Indian criminals who victimize Indians living on ‘Indian country’ land in the state.Ray Carter | June 29, 2022
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Law & Principles
Reality check for Cherokee leaders may be positive sign
Most Cherokees understand we are all Oklahomans, even if some of their leaders do not. If those Cherokee citizens’ view prevails, the challenge of working out state-tribal differences will become much easier.Jonathan Small | June 27, 2022
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Education, Law & Principles
Department of Education says Tulsa schools violated CRT ban
The Tulsa Public Schools district is poised to become the first district in Oklahoma sanctioned for violating a state law that bans schools from incorporating concepts associated with Critical Race Theory into school settings.Ray Carter | June 23, 2022
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Education, Law & Principles
Lawmaker makes false claim about own district
State Rep. Josh West recently claimed that he “ain’t got a private school within dadgum two hours of me.” But independent research shows that people throughout most of West’s district live within 30 minutes of a private school—some of which West himself has visited.Ray Carter | June 20, 2022
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Education, Law & Principles
AG O’Connor opposes Biden transgenderism mandate
Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor has joined a national coalition of state attorneys general to oppose the Biden administration’s efforts to force schools to embrace transgender policies, including policies that grant male students access to girls’ restrooms.Ray Carter | June 14, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Fuzzy math in House tax-and-spending plan?
The leadership of the Oklahoma House of Representatives says that chamber will advance several tax proposals this week in response to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call for passage of broad-based, pro-growth tax cuts—but indicated passage of tax cuts relies in part on cutting the budget of the governor’s office, citing the state’s balanced-budget requirement.Ray Carter | June 14, 2022
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Law & Principles
The Oklahoma House of Representatives: Where good bills go to die
When House leaders are reduced to touting past successes rather than current achievements, it sends an implicit message that should worry Oklahomans—that House leadership’s best years are behind them.Jonathan Small | June 10, 2022
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Law & Principles, Culture & the Family
Cherokee Nation chief bans display of Oklahoma state flag
Even as the Cherokee Nation is removing the flag of Oklahoma from its properties, tribal officials continue to take an active role in Oklahoma political campaigns.Ray Carter | June 8, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Lawmakers differ on reining in inflated tax bills
State lawmakers spent much of the past year trying to rein in practices that critics say have dramatically inflated businesses’ property-tax valuations in some Oklahoma counties.Ray Carter | June 8, 2022