Jonathan Small

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (www.ocpathink.org).

Editorial: A Free-speech victory for all Oklahomans

June 15, 2023 Jonathan Small

Free speech and public debate are necessary ingredients of a democratic government, which is why the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrines free speech as a basic right. But that hasn’t stopped some entities from trying to do an end run on that fundamental right, including here in Oklahoma. One tactic used by free-speech…

Editorial: Stitt, lawmakers deserve families’ thanks

June 15, 2023 Jonathan Small

For years, Oklahoma has ranked among the worst states in measurements of important education metrics, particularly outcomes. But with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signing of House Bill 1934 last month, Oklahoma moved into the top 10 nationally in school-choice opportunity. Oklahoma children will benefit from this accomplishment for years to come, and by extension so will…

Editorial: Renewing tabacco, car-tag compacts

June 8, 2023 Jonathan Small

Special-interest attempts to force automatic renewal of existing tobacco and license-tag compacts will create enormous challenges for the state. The legal reality that undergirded current compacts is under attack by special interests who are inaccurately wielding the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which declared the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Oklahoma reservation was…

OETA doesn’t need state subsidies

June 1, 2023 Jonathan Small

Gov. Kevin Stitt’s decision to veto reauthorization of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA), the state’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) entity, has critics acting as though the sky is falling and that Big Bird is on his last legs. Neither view is true. Big Bird will still be around even without Oklahoma government funding, as…

Editorial: Families are the answer to loneliness

May 25, 2023 Jonathan Small

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has declared war on a “loneliness epidemic.” Murthy noted “about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut off so many of us from friends, loved ones and support systems.” According to the CDC, 25.5 percent of adults ages 18-24 reported having…

Editorial: OETA will be just fine

May 11, 2023 Jonathan Small

Drummond fighting federal overreach

February 23, 2023 Jonathan Small

With federal overreach a constant threat, it is important that states like Oklahoma stand up and fight to control their own destiny. That’s why Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond deserves praise for threatening to sue the Biden administration if it does not withdraw a rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) that designates…

Conservative acts speak louder than words

August 18, 2022 Jonathan Small

Polling consistently shows a strong share of Oklahoma voters identify as conservatives. Therefore, Republican candidates do as well, if for no other reason than political self-preservation. But being conservative means more than checking off the pro-life and pro-Second Amendment boxes on a questionnaire, as important as those issues may be. So, what is a conservative?…

Reality check for Cherokee leaders may be positive sign

June 30, 2022 Jonathan Small

The U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt decision, which effectively declared much of eastern Oklahoma remains tribal reservation land, prompted some tribal officials to embrace separatism. In 2021, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation official told NonDoc the difference between the Muscogee chief and the governor of Oklahoma is that one is the “head of a nation” while the…

Medicaid expansion is trouble for state workers

March 3, 2022 Jonathan Small

When Medicaid expansion was sold to Oklahoma voters, proponents declared it a no-pain-all-gain proposition. “Free” federal money would rain from the skies and the health of Oklahomans would be restored statewide. Now some of those proponents are singing a different tune. Working families should pay attention, because they are the most likely to be negatively…