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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Legislative Update

Lt. Col. Michael Coloney

Lt. Col. Michael Coloney is honored for his heroism

Tulsa Beacon

The Oklahoma Air National Guard held a ceremony December 5th celebrating the heroic airborne acts of Lt. Col. Michael Coloney of Tulsa during a Taliban attack on U.S. and Afghan Special Forces in Afghanistan on April 30, 2018. Originally from Georgia, Coloney joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard in October 2005, married his wife Courtney…

Three inches of highway to be named after Lincoln Riley?

Tulsa Beacon

Following the sudden and unexpected departure of the University of Oklahoma’s former head football coach that left the Sooner Nation and other football fans in shock, Sen. Bill Coleman has requested legislation to properly “honor” Lincoln Riley. The bill request asks to name the last three inches of the westbound lane of State Highway 325…

Biden’s vaccination mandate put on hold by a federal judge

Tulsa Beacon

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he is encouraged by Oklahoma’s recent court victory in challenging the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates. Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor’s and 11 other state attorneys general in November challenged the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for health care workers. On November 30, a federal court granted an…

Vinitia Veteran Center

Tulsa Beacon

Reps. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita, and Steve Bashore, R-Miami, responded to news that the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs is seeking to close the Veterans Affairs clinic in Vinita. “I am deeply disappointed by the sudden news that the Veterans Affairs clinic in Vinita will be closing,” Cornwell said. “I’ve seen firsthand what a burden it…

Reporting motor vehicle deaths

Tulsa Beacon

Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, has filed Senate Bill 1123, calling for a change in the way motor vehicle accident deaths are handled. Under current statute, once law enforcement has completed their investigation, the body cannot be moved from the scene until a medical examiner (ME) has arrived and conducted their own investigation. Burns said this…

Forum spotlights effort to defund law enforcement

Tulsa Beacon

Efforts to “defund the police” and claims that Oklahoma district attorneys are racially biased were touted by speakers at a recent race-relations program sponsored by Paycom and other state business entities. “It is possible to defund the police,” said Tiffany T. Crutcher, executive director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation and an official with the Demanding…

USS Oklahoma remembered

Tulsa Beacon

On December 7, hundreds of visitors from Oklahoma and across the United States gathered at the USS Oklahoma Memorial to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. When Japanese dive bombers descended over Pearl Harbor, the USS Oklahoma was among the first battleships to be attacked, taking eight…

Sen. Dahm’s bill aims to stop politicizing self-defense trials

Tulsa Beacon

Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed legislation to ensure Oklahomans who use self-defense won’t have to face trial for political reasons. If the measure becomes law, victims of malicious prosecution would be able to receive compensation for expenses and damages.  Dahm filed Senate Bill 1120, called Kyle’s Law, on Tuesday. Kyle Rittenhouse was recently…

Only marked police cars

Tulsa Beacon

After noticing an increased use of unmarked police cars for routine traffic enforcement, Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, announced that he has filed Senate Bill 1109 calling for municipal police departments to use clearly marked vehicles. “The concern is that these vehicles are being used for revenue generation as opposed to tools for public safety on…

Commutation was unjust

Tulsa Beacon

Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, criticized the recent commutation of Julius Jones’ death sentence to life in prison without the possibility for parole. “It is with great sadness and grief that I reflect on the events of yesterday. Justice was not carried out. There was overwhelming evidence of the guilt of Julius Jones in the horrific…