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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.

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…

Medicaid expansion means higher taxes for Oklahomans

Tulsa Beacon

If Oklahoma expands its Medicaid program to cover able-bodied adults, as allowed by the federal Affordable Care Act, Oklahoma government will have to either raise taxes or divert money from other programs, U.S. Sen. James Lankford warns. “No question, if we expand Medicaid in Oklahoma, no one really knows what dollar amount that will mean…

NEA wants Oklahoma teachers to promote new gun-control laws

Tulsa Beacon

The National Education Association is urging its members, which include a sizable share of Oklahoma teachers, to lobby Congress to pass new gun-control laws. The call to support gun control came in the NEA’s “EdAction in Congress” email newsletter, which the organization touts as providing “action alerts and news about the latest federal legislation affecting…

SCOTUS case could disrupt law enforcement in Oklahoma

Tulsa Beacon

As a date, Sept. 17 holds a double significance in Oklahoma. It is the day the drafters of the U.S. Constitution adjourned their constitutional convention in 1787, and it is also the day that voters adopted the Oklahoma Constitution in 1907. The work of the 1787 founders remains secure, but law enforcement officials warn the…

Hospital lawsuits target insured, Medicaid patients

Tulsa Beacon

Hospitals in Oklahoma and across the nation have come under fire for filing lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. In Oklahoma, hospital officials have suggested that expanding Medicaid to include able-bodied adults would significantly reduce such patient lawsuits. “Hospitals treat patients in medical emergencies before asking any questions about payment or insurance coverage, as…

School test scores trend downward

Tulsa Beacon

Over the last two legislative sessions, lawmakers have increased K-12 school appropriations by 20 percent, funneling $638 million more into the system, boosting teacher pay by a combined total average of more than $7,000 apiece, and devoting millions more to classroom funding. Most of the funding increase came during the 2018 legislative session and flowed…

Actress targets Oklahoma for its laws restricting abortion

Tulsa Beacon

This year, Oklahoma lawmakers voted to double the amount of tax credits/rebates provided to filmmakers under the state’s film incentive program, clearing the path for millions more in taxpayer funding to go to entertainment companies. If lawmakers expected that to increase interest from movie studios, they may be disappointed. Rather than embrace Oklahoma, one prominent…