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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.

Oklahoma House votes to increase length of school year

Tulsa Beacon

Currently, Oklahoma has one of the nation’s shortest school years and some of the nation’s worst academic outcomes. House lawmakers have now voted to increase the length of the school year, hoping additional instructional time will boost student learning as well. Currently, Oklahoma mandates only 166 days of school each year, so long as school…

House passes bill barring sexually explicit materials from school libraries

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation that increases state regulation of sexually graphic materials in school libraries has easily advanced from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of liberal lawmakers who dismissed concerns about those materials. House Bill 2978, by state Rep. Chris Banning, prohibits school libraries from offering books to students that include depictions or descriptions of…

Socialists promote SQ 832 in Oklahoma

Tulsa Beacon

A socialist organization is among the entities promoting State Question 832, which would mandate rapid increases in Oklahoma’s minimum wage based on the cost of living in places like New York City and San Francisco. State Question 832 would require continual increases in Oklahoma’s minimum wage based on increases in the cost of living in…

Third-grade reading reform moves ahead

Tulsa Beacon

With Oklahoma’s third-grade reading outcomes among the worst in the nation, state lawmakers have advanced legislation that requires early intervention for struggling readers in elementary school and mandatory retention for students who end the third grade reading years below grade level. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said Oklahoma cannot afford to continue its current trajectory….

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…