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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Ray Carter

Center for Independent Journalism

Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism.

Health Agency collects Oklahomans’ data, balks at public transparency

Tulsa Beacon

For years, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has collected Oklahomans’ personal medical information via patient-discharge data. An agency spokesperson has acknowledged that practice has been in place for years. But when an open-records request asked if the Oklahoma State Department of Health sells that data to third parties, the agency’s tune changed. The…

People Moving To Oklahoma Bring $1 Billion With Them

Tulsa Beacon

Since 2019, Oklahoma has been among the states experiencing the greatest level of net domestic migration as the number of people moving to Oklahoma has exceeded those leaving the state. And those new citizens have increased Oklahoma’s net adjusted gross income by more than $1 billion, based on Internal Revenue Service data. In 2020, people…

Oklahoma among Top 10 States for job creation

Tulsa Beacon

Seven years ago, one of Nada Higuera’s best friends moved from southern California, where they both lived, to Oklahoma. It was a decision that made little sense to Higuera at the time. “When she moved, I was just like, ‘Why Oklahoma?’” Higuera said. “I never really heard anything about Oklahoma. I thought it was so…

Oklahoma Legislative Session ends with few Major Accomplishments

Tulsa Beacon

Members of the Oklahoma Legislature have adjourned this year’s session, ending the process after passing several lower-tier priorities but having fumbled major issues, which were left to future Legislatures to address. On two issues in particular, lawmakers failed to address major needs in Oklahoma: judicial-appointment reform and passage of pro-growth tax cuts. Lawmakers leave Democratic…

Unregistered Tribal Tags Endanger Police Stitt Warns

Tulsa Beacon

When police pull a car over for even a minor infraction, it can quickly escalate into a life-or-death situation for the officer. In those situations, knowing to whom a car is registered—and if the owner or the car has been associated with serious crimes—is crucial to police. But in Oklahoma, police do not have that…

Bills to bar child access to porn in House and Senate

Tulsa Beacon

After the state of Texas imposed age-verification requirements for porn sites, Pornhub announced it would cease business in the state. Oklahoma could soon join the list of states with similar age-verification laws for porn content. The proposal has received bipartisan support— and surprisingly vocal pushback from some legislators. State Sen. Jerry Alvord and state Rep….

‘How to blow up a pipeline’ is required reading in OU class

Tulsa Beacon

Since its publication in 2021, Andreas Malm’s book How to Blow Up a Pipeline has been a source of controversy. The book encourages environmentalists to engage in acts of violence and destruction that target the oil-and-gas industry. At the University of Oklahoma, the book is required reading for ENGL 5703, a graduate-level seminar on “Special…

Minute of silence for OK schools is recommended

Tulsa Beacon

Endorsing a recommendation drafted by a special committee that reviewed the role of religion in schools, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is encouraging schools to begin each day with a minute of silence in which students can pray if they so desire. “The current national left-wing indoctrination is attempting to destroy religion as…

OU and OSU both embroiled in controversies

Tulsa Beacon

OU defends tuition hike despite record funding, State Senators call for reform The University of Oklahoma’s recent decision to further increase tuition, despite a huge increase in state appropriations, is drawing fire from state Senate leaders and leading to calls for reform, including imposing a legislative freeze on tuition. “The higher education system just received…

Groups across the political-spectrum support Free-Speech lawsuit against OSU

Tulsa Beacon

Earlier this year, Speech First, a national civil-rights organization, sued Oklahoma State University (OSU), saying the university’s harassment, computer, and bias-incidents policies violate students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Speech First represented three OSU students in the lawsuit who were associated with Speech First but did not identify those students by name. A judge ruled…