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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.

Private schools aren’t getting CARES aid from OSDE

Tulsa Beacon

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which included $161 million for Oklahoma’s K-12 schools, requires public schools to coordinate with private schools on “equitable services funding” that can cover a host of costs. But the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) and local public schools appear to be violating provisions of…

Journalism professors demand censorship of Trump

Tulsa Beacon

A group of journalism professors, including three from colleges in Oklahoma, have called on television networks to stop the live airing of President Donald Trump’s briefings on COVID-19. “We write to demand that the live, unedited airing of the Daily White House Task Force Briefings stop,” the group letter states. “Because Donald Trump uses them…

Shutdown didn’t deter crime; lawsuits on the horizon?

Tulsa Beacon

The statewide COVID-19 shutdown may have dramatically impacted most Oklahomans, but it may not have deterred serious crimes, law enforcement officials told lawmakers. At the same time, the state could soon face a rash of lawsuits challenging the legality of government actions that forced business closures and the loss of citizens’ jobs. Officials made those…

Lankford says ‘stimulus package’ is really ‘stabilization’

Tulsa Beacon

In 2009, as the Great Recession roiled the economy, Congress responded with an enormous “stimulus” package that supporters claimed would reignite economic growth. However, the $2 trillion legislation recently passed by Congress has more modest goals, according to U.S. Sen. James Lankford. “That’s not what this is,” said Lankford, R-Oklahoma City. “This is trying to…

Kids penalized for grandmother’s care

Tulsa Beacon

Born in 1952, Linda Lewis did not envision being a caretaker for two young children during her golden years. But when her grandson was incarcerated and the mother of her great-grandchildren ran afoul of the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma City resident became the legal guardian for two of her great-grandchildren: a seven-year-old great-granddaughter…

628,000 able-bodied Oklahomans could get Medicaid?

Tulsa Beacon

Many Oklahoma Republican politicians say they continue to oppose expansion of Oklahoma’s Medicaid program as allowed by the federal Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare.” But at the same time, many of those officials say they are exploring other options. The expansion of Medicaid enacted in Indiana when Vice President Mike Pence was governor…

Joy Hofmeister is silent on Obama’s LGBT bathroom policy

Tulsa Beacon

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister is refusing to meet in public with a state lawmaker and citizens concerned about an August Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) newsletter that focused on “best practices” to create a “safe and valued climate for LGBT students.” Among other things, the newsletter recommended that Oklahoma schools allow…

More education money yet results remain stagnant

Tulsa Beacon

Despite a dramatic increase in school funding and the adoption of what state officials say are higher academic standards, Oklahoma students’ academic performance on state tests mostly remained stagnant in 2019 or lower than in 2017. That has some officials asking how long Oklahomans will have to wait to see promised results. “When do you…

Cuban socialism makes 2 kinds of beers: bad and worse

Tulsa Beacon

Socialism may be gaining in popularity among certain groups, but it remains a thoroughly discredited economic system, as two experts highlight in their book Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World (Regnery, 2019). Benjamin Powell said he and co-author Robert Lawson chose to write the book for two main reasons –…

Gambling compact negotiations between Stitt/tribes stalled

Tulsa Beacon

Gov. Kevin Stitt said state-tribal negotiations over casino compacts have reached an impasse, but said he remains committed to an improved agreement that will require state casino operators to pay market rates for monopoly gambling rights. “What does the casino industry pay in other states?” Stitt said. “What is market? That’s the fairest way to…