Articles
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Law & Principles
Group accused of funneling foreign money involved in Oklahoma minimum-wage campaign
A nonprofit tied to a lawsuit over allegedly funneling foreign money into U.S. political campaigns is now among the funders of an Oklahoma initiative that would hike the state’s minimum wage far beyond local market levels.Ray Carter | February 10, 2026
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Education, Good Government
Bill to stop abusers from hopping districts clears committee
An Oklahoma House committee has unanimously advanced legislation to help prevent school employees accused of abusing children from quietly resigning and taking jobs in new districts.Ray Carter | February 10, 2026
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Law & Principles
OCPA files amicus brief to defend free speech
A man in Oklahoma is serving prison time for “stalking” even though his only “crime” was posting a YouTube rant about his ex-wife. OCPA’s Center for Law & Liberty filed a brief urging the Court of Criminal Appeals to correct this abuse and make clear that offensive or unpleasant speech is still protected speech.Ryan Haynie | February 9, 2026
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Education
Boost to school-choice program clears House committee
The demand for Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program is now so high that the program’s $250 million cap threatens to shut out families next year. House Bill 3705 would raise the cap to keep up with demand.Ray Carter | February 9, 2026
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Education, Law & Principles
One reform would dramatically boost Oklahoma voter participation. Lawmakers should finish the job
Oklahoma’s school-board elections are intentionally held on obscure winter and spring dates, producing abysmally low turnout and giving disproportionate influence to special interests.Jonathan Small | February 9, 2026
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Education
Incremental improvement isn’t enough: Oklahoma’s draft standards fall short
Oklahoma’s new 2026 Draft Academic Standards for Social Studies represent a modest improvement over the weak 2019 standards. Unfortunately, they still reflect the education establishment’s studied lack of interest in patriotism, the historic roots of the American republic, or any notable achievements by conservatives or Republicans.David Randall, Ph.D. | February 6, 2026
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Medicaid costs surge, squeezing Oklahoma’s budget
Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has become one of the fastest-growing pressures on the state budget, crowding out other budget priorities.Curtis Shelton | February 6, 2026
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Higher Education
Stitt pushes college reforms: faster degrees, new tenure rules
Gov. Kevin Stitt unveiled a higher-education reform package that includes executive orders to create 90-credit-hour bachelor’s degrees, overhaul faculty tenure, and tie university funding to workforce outcomes.Ray Carter | February 5, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma House committee advances bill blocking sexually explicit books in school libraries
House Bill 2978, which prohibits Oklahoma public school libraries from offering students books containing sexually explicit depictions of certain acts, advanced on a 10–1 bipartisan vote in the House Common Education Committee.Ray Carter | February 5, 2026
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Economy
SQ 832 could raise prices for everyone
SQ 832 would increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage by tying it to the cost of living in expensive urban centers. Research repeatedly shows that significant minimum-wage hikes push up prices in sectors that are heavy on minimum-wage labor.Curtis Shelton | February 5, 2026