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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.

Phaseout of Oklahoma Income Tax continues to advance

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation that would gradually phase out Oklahoma’s tax on work and investment—the personal income tax—continues to move ahead, clearing its first Oklahoma Senate hurdle this week. House Bill 1539, by state Rep. Mark Lepak and state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, would cut Oklahoma’s 4.75-percent personal income-tax rate by a quarter point each time that net state…

Initiative-petition reforms clear OK house committee

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation that would require initiative-petition efforts to gather signatures from Oklahomans across the state has cleared another legislative hurdle, easily winning approval in a state House committee. “The integrity of our election system is essential for our democracy to survive and thrive, and that’s what this legislation is about,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow….

Senate votes to ban dei at oK colleges

Tulsa Beacon

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs, which have been associated with fostering antisemitism and other forms of racism, would no longer receive state funding under legislation advanced by the Oklahoma Senate. Senate Bill 796, by state Sen. Adam Pugh, states that no Oklahoma college or university “shall utilize state funds, property, or resources to grant…

Three nominees advanced for OK Supreme Court position

Tulsa Beacon

Under Oklahoma law, an unelected 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) controls who gets nominated to serve on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The JNC announced on March 12 that the group has chosen three nominees from 14 applicants for the Oklahoma Supreme Court vacancy created when voters ousted longtime liberal incumbent Justice Yvonne Kauger last November….

Lawsuit reform clears the Oklahoma Senate heads to house

Tulsa Beacon

Members of the Oklahoma Senate have passed, by a supermajority margin, legislation that would prevent “jackpot” awards in Oklahoma courts while still allowing victims to receive full payment for medical treatment and lost income when injured due to another’s neglect. Senate Bill 1065, by state Sen. Brent Howard, caps noneconomic-damages awards at $500,000. The bill…

Senate gives strong support to moving school-board elections

Tulsa Beacon

By an overwhelming margin, members of the Oklahoma Senate have voted to move school-board elections to a November general election ballot, seeking to dramatically increase participation in those races. “I’m running this bill for the taxpayers,” said state Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore. “I want increased voter participation because they are the ones that pay. So…

Oklahoma income-tax repeal advances

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation that would put Oklahoma’s personal income tax on a gradual path to full repeal is now headed to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 1539, by state Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, would cut the state’s personal income-tax rate by a quarter point each time that net state revenue increases by…

OK bill requiring 50% of school budgets for classroom learning moves forward amid opposition from school lobby group

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation that would require schools to devote at least half their budget to classroom learning is headed to a vote of the full Oklahoma House of Representatives, but the bill continues to receive opposition from education entities that argue even less money should be spent on direct student learning. As originally filed, House Bill 1280,…

OK income-tax repeal moves ahead in House

Tulsa Beacon

Oklahomans could see the personal income tax fully eliminated through a gradual phaseout process under legislation that has cleared its first legislative hurdle. House Bill 1539, by state Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, would cut the state’s personal income-tax rate by a quarter point each time that net state revenue increases by at least $300 million….

Jenks Schools says: ‘Gender’ lesson an enrollment mistake

Tulsa Beacon

During a recent weather-related “virtual” day in the Jenks school district, some parents got a glimpse of course content—and didn’t like what they saw. One lesson informed students that sex and gender are two different things. Images from that online course quickly spread on social media. A Jenks spokesman says that course content is the…