Authors
Ray Carter
Director, Center for Independent Journalism
Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. He previously served as senior Capitol reporter for The Journal Record, media director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and chief editorial writer at The Oklahoman. As a reporter for The Journal Record, Carter received 12 Carl Rogan Awards in four years—including awards for investigative reporting, general news reporting, feature writing, spot news reporting, business reporting, and sports reporting. While at The Oklahoman, he was the recipient of several awards, including first place in the editorial writing category of the Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition for an editorial on the history of racism in the Oklahoma legislature.
Recent Articles
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Law & Principles
‘Top two’ turnout claim falls flat in OKC election
Supporters of State Question 836, which would replace Oklahoma’s party-primary system with a California-style “top two” model, have argued the change will increase voter turnout and say Oklahoma City’s nonpartisan mayoral elections offer a proof of concept. But Tuesday’s results tell a different story.Ray Carter | February 12, 2026
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Health Care
Hilbert bill blocking Medicaid for illegals clears first hurdle
Lawmakers have advanced legislation that would bar illegal immigrants from accessing Medicaid benefits by requiring the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to verify every applicant’s legal status through the federal SAVE system before approving coverage.Ray Carter | February 11, 2026
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Law & Principles, Culture & the Family
Bill allowing students to sue over forced coed sleeping quarters advances
Oklahoma lawmakers have advanced a bill that would allow students to sue schools or colleges that force them to share sleeping quarters or other intimate spaces with members of the opposite sex, including individuals who identify as transgender.Ray Carter | February 10, 2026
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Higher Education
Oklahoma House panel advances study of three-year bachelor’s degrees
Oklahoma lawmakers have taken a first step toward shortening the path to a college degree, advancing a bill that orders a study of a three-year, 90-credit-hour bachelor’s track.Ray Carter | February 10, 2026
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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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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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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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Budget & Tax, Education
Munson’s claims of education cuts rebutted by revenue reports
House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson claims that recent school-funding increases are simply a recovery from “massive cuts” a decade ago—but state revenue records don’t support her story. It’s not the first time her claims have been contradicted by data.Ray Carter | February 5, 2026
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