The governor has signed into law two measures that will protect the privacy of students as well as public employees such as teachers, police officers and others. House Bills 1875 and 1876 both were authored by Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City. Both measures passed unanimously in both the House and state Senate. “In this day and…
One of Oklahoma’s largest faith-based universities is among 25 higher education institutions named in a federal class-action lawsuit recently brought against the U.S. Department of Education. Filed by the nonprofit Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP), the lawsuit, Elizabeth Hunter, et al. v. U.S. Department of Education, is being brought against the department on behalf of…
Governor Kevin Stitt has ordered the end to his executive order concerning the Chinese coronavirus. Stitt said that Oklahoma’s 7-day average of new cases is down 94% from its peak and among the lowest per capita rates in the country. Stitt also mentioned that hospitalizations are down 90% and are stable. His decision was based…
Bills regarding gambling, guns and alcohol were signed into law in April as part of the 2021 Oklahoma Legislative Session. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed HB1684, which gives law enforcement more discretion when determining if arrests are warranted for gambling violations. Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, was the Senate author of the legislation. “With passage of…
In the most unusual “state of the union” address in modern times, President Joe Biden drew Republican criticism as he spoke of plans to raise taxes and grow the federal government. Only about 200 members of the House and Senate attended because Biden’s administration is afraid of infection of the Chinese coronavirus. Biden wants to…
Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a dramatic increase in state film subsidies, potentially funneling as much as $50 million a year to filmmakers, and have even proclaimed the subsidy program a “magical” economic-development tool. But a recent independent review of the program, by the state’s Incentive Evaluation Commission, shows the film-subsidy program is a net drain…
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed three bills to restrict abortion in Oklahoma but nothing that would abolish the killing of unborn babies in Oklahoma. The Senate passed House Bill 1904 by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, which would allow abortions to continue but only by certified obstetricians and gynecologists. “Under current law, any licensed physician can perform…
The “Save Women’s Sports Act” was approved by the Oklahoma House. Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, is the House author of the measure which would require certain athletic teams to be designated based on an athletes’ biological sex. “However, the bodies of biological men have a competitive advantage over the bodies of biological women,” said Hasenbeck….
OKLAHOMA CITY – In honor of Earth Day, Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed Senate Bill 1065 to ban paper straws in the state. “You have states, like California, where the leftist loons have banned plastic straws because they saw a video on social media about a sea turtle that was harmed by ingesting a…
A bill establishing an intra-branch legal process to guard against federal overreach in Oklahoma passed the House. House Bill 1237, by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, establishes a constitutional process to exercise Oklahoma’s authorities as a state under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by reviewing federal actions for…