Articles
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Law & Principles
Free speech argument prevails over ‘dark money’ complaint
Protection of free speech prevailed over complaints of “dark money” in legislative debate as the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to increase privacy protections for donors to nonprofit entities.Ray Carter | March 5, 2020
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Law & Principles
Donor privacy protections gain bipartisan support
The personal information of donors to nonprofit organizations would be protected under legislation that passed without opposition in the Oklahoma Senate.Ray Carter | March 3, 2020
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Law & Principles
USAO event implies a narrow range of views among women
One hundred years ago today, the Oklahoma Legislature ratified the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. It’s a centennial worth celebrating—but a planned panel discussion at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) this evening entirely misses why.Tina Korbe Dzurisin | February 28, 2020
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Lawsuit-reform restoration advances
Legislation to reinstate caps on noneconomic damages in certain lawsuits has gained approval from a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 26, 2020
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Judicial Reform, Law & Principles, Good Government
Lawmakers seek sunlight for Oklahoma judicial processes
The operations of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission have long drawn criticism for excessive secrecy and lack of public transparency. Two bills that have cleared a Senate committee seek to address that problem.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Judicial Reform, Law & Principles
Mandatory bar membership raises free-speech concerns
For decades, Oklahoma attorneys have not been allowed to practice law unless they join the Oklahoma Bar Association. Due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding free speech and the right of association, a Senate committee has voted to end that mandate.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Education, Law & Principles, Good Government
GOP defectors side with unions
Six Republican senators joined Democrats to defeat legislation that would require routine recertification elections for education unions, providing a victory for a teachers’ union that recently gave failing grades to most of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Law & Principles
Protection against ‘surprise’ medical billing advances
Oklahomans would be protected from having credit scores reduced as the result of “surprise” medical bills under legislation that has gained strong bipartisan support in a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Higher Education, Law & Principles
Senate votes down due-process protections for college students
A coalition of Democrats and Republicans in the Oklahoma Senate have voted down legislation that would ensure college students facing expulsion have due-process rights comparable to those provided in a court proceeding. Opponents argued the college system is effectively exempted from legislative oversight.Ray Carter | February 25, 2020
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Law & Principles
State workforce reform advances
Members of a Senate committee have advanced legislation related to overhaul of state government workforce regulations, a goal endorsed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020