Articles
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Law & Principles
Nearly all Oklahoma Republican state lawmakers oppose SQ 836, warn of California-style elections
More than 90 percent of Oklahoma House Republicans and 97 percent of Senate Republicans are urging voters to reject State Question 836, warning that the proposal would dismantle Oklahoma’s primary system and replicate California’s “top two” model.Ray Carter | January 22, 2026
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Law & Principles
State lawmakers urge Oklahomans: Be wary of signing SQ 836 petition
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton and Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, along with 112 of their fellow members of the Oklahoma Legislature, issued an open letter to the people of Oklahoma, urging them to be wary of signing the initiative petition to place State Question 836 on the statewide ballot.Staff | January 22, 2026
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Accused criminal’s reelection highlights Oklahoma election-date problem
A Warr Acres city councilman was reelected without a single vote cast—then arrested days later on charges of first-degree rape and multiple counts of lewd acts with children—highlighting what critics call a structural flaw in Oklahoma’s low-profile, off-cycle elections.Ray Carter | January 20, 2026
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Budget & Tax, Law & Principles
Oklahoma House Speaker: No taxpayer benefits for illegals
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert has introduced two bills aimed at ensuring that taxpayer-funded assistance programs—from SNAP and TANF to Medicaid and WIC—are provided only to individuals who are lawfully present in the United States.Ray Carter | January 16, 2026
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Law & Principles, Economy
Study warns minimum-wage hike would cost Oklahoma 16,000 jobs, hit small businesses hardest
New research from the National Federation of Independent Business finds that the minimum wage increase proposed in State Question 832 would significantly damage Oklahoma’s economy, costing an estimated 16,112 jobs over 10 years—nearly 9,700 of them at small businesses—and reducing economic output by $697 million.Curtis Shelton | January 15, 2026
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Law & Principles
As U.S. Supreme Court transgender cases loom, Oklahoma officials defend women
As the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in two high-profile cases over whether states may bar men from competing in women’s sports, Oklahoma officials are urging the Court to uphold those laws.Ray Carter | January 13, 2026
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Law & Principles, Economy
Montana’s inflation-indexed minimum wage squeezes small businesses
Since tying its minimum wage to inflation in 2007, Montana has seen higher business failure rates, weaker startup survival, and a sharp drop in labor-force participation among young workers. Oklahoma risks repeating that pattern if voters approve SQ 832.Curtis Shelton | January 7, 2026
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma restaurant owner warns SQ 832 will kill jobs, businesses
Restaurant owner and state Sen. Kristen Thompson warns that SQ 832 would devastate independent restaurants, pointing to California’s recent wage hike that led to job losses, reduced hours, higher menu prices, and increased automation.Ray Carter | January 6, 2026
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Law & Principles
OKC mayor urges ‘top two’ primaries, but California’s track record undercuts the pitch
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt is urging Oklahomans to adopt a California-style “top two” election system, arguing it produces more pragmatic officeholders. But California’s real-world results tell a different story.Jonathan Small | December 29, 2025
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Law & Principles
‘Top Two’ jungle primaries would be death knell for Independent, alternative-party candidates in Oklahoma
Independent and alternative-party candidates have played a meaningful role in Oklahoma statewide elections for decades. State Question 836, with its California-style “Top Two” primary, would make it nearly impossible for alternative parties to survive, reducing voter choice and silencing non-establishment voices.Chris Powell | December 22, 2025