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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.

Blocking Medicaid for illegals clears first hurdle

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation preventing illegal aliens from accessing taxpayer-funded Medicaid coverage has easily cleared its first legislative hurdle. House Bill 4423, by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to verify a Medicaid applicant’s citizenship status using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. Under the bill, no benefits may be provided to…

Stitt seeks to cap spending, expand school choice and rein in welfare costs

Tulsa Beacon

In his eighth and final State of the State address, Gov. Kevin Stitt urged lawmakers to embrace financial restraint and maximize the freedom of citizens to pursue their dreams unburdened by excessive government. “True sustainable budgeting demands discipline,” Stitt said. “Let’s work together this year to ensure we don’t go back to the financial mess…

OK House Speaker: No taxpayer benefits for illegal immigrants

Tulsa Beacon

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, has filed legislation to ensure taxpayer-funded assistance programs serve those lawfully present in the United States. “These bills are about accountability, fairness, and the rule of law,” Hilbert said. “Oklahoma taxpayers should never be forced to subsidize benefits for individuals who are in our country illegally. These services are intended…

Literacy is a major focus of OK leaders

Tulsa Beacon

Efforts to improve Oklahoma’s bottom-of-the-barrel results in K-12 reading will be a major focus of this year’s legislative session, with the Speaker of the House and several other lawmakers leading the charge. Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, has filed legislation to strengthen Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act, reinforcing the state’s commitment to ensuring every child…

Oklahoma restaurant owner warns SQ 832 will kill jobs, businesses

Tulsa Beacon

A ballot measure going before Oklahoma voters calls for imposing a dramatic increase in the state’s mandatory minimum wage with continued, rapid escalation based on the cost of living in urban centers in states like California and New York. State Sen. Kristen Thompson, whose family operates two restaurants, warns the real-world impact of that proposal…

New OK law closes loophole allowing abusive school employees to hop districts

Tulsa Beacon

Newly elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2024, state Rep. Derrick Hildebrant was quickly approached by a prosecutor friend to file legislation addressing a longstanding problem: Under Oklahoma law, teachers accused of abusing students could resign and then obtain a job at another school without the new school knowing about the allegations. While…

A Second OU instructor accused of discrimination

Tulsa Beacon

The University of Oklahoma has been embroiled in national controversy after graduate student instructor Mel Curth gave a student a zero for arguing that there are only two genders in a personal essay. Now, a second University of Oklahoma instructor is facing allegations of similar discrimination after she reportedly granted excused absences to students who…

OU probes claim of religious discrimination after student given zero

Tulsa Beacon

A University of Oklahoma instructor, who reportedly identifies as transgender, has been placed on leave amid an investigation into whether he discriminated against a student who cited Christian beliefs to reject the claim that there are more than two genders. OU officials issued a statement over the weekend as the incident gained national attention. “The…

Experts: OK can restore reading gains without massive new spending

Tulsa Beacon

Among the major issues facing the 2026 session of the Oklahoma Legislature, the effort to improve reading outcomes in state schools is expected to be one of the most high-profile, with growing momentum for adopting the Mississippi model. Mississippi law requires early assessment of grade-school reading skills, aggressive intervention for those falling behind, and retention…

Ruling reaffirms state’s power to prosecute crimes within tribal bounds

Tulsa Beacon

A U.S. District Court judge has rejected the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s request for a preliminary injunction that would prevent Oklahoma state and local governments from prosecuting American Indian defendants who are not members of the Muscogee tribe but allegedly commit their crimes on land within the boundaries of the tribe’s pre-statehood reservation. The opinion and…