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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Legislative Update

School funding plan

Tulsa Beacon

A bill to correct funding disparities for brick-and-mortar public schools in low property value areas while addressing charter school funding passed the House. Senate Bill 229 creates the Redbud School Funding Act, which proposes using medical marijuana taxes and the Common School Building Equalization Fund to provide annual per-student funding grants to eligible districts and…

Sanctuary State Act

Tulsa Beacon

A bill creating the “Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act” passed the House. Senate Bill 631, by Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, states that any federal, state, county or municipal act, law, executive order, administrative order, court order, rule, policy or regulation ordering the buy-back, confiscation or surrender of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition from law-abiding citizens…

Helping ex-convicts

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation by Reps. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, and Brian Hill, R-Mustang, that will revolutionize the way Oklahomans re-enter the workforce after incarceration has been signed into law. House Bill 1679 would require the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections (DOC) to identify inmates leaving custody within nine months of release and begin gathering certain documentation to help them…

Detering cybercrime

Tulsa Beacon

A bipartisan solution to address the proliferation of cybercrime unanimously passed the Senate. House Bill 1759, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater and Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, updates language in the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act to better address computer security threats that continue to evolve. As technology advances and more commerce moves online, cybercrime is…

Addiction to gambling is huge in Oklahoma

Tulsa Beacon

When it comes to gambling, Oklahoma has more casinos per capita than any other state and is No. 6 in terms of gambling addiction, according to a national study by WalletHub.com. Here is Oklahoma’s rank in these categories: 1st – Casinos per capita 2nd – Gambling machines per capita 9th – % of adults with…

Bynum submits his ‘21 city budget

Tulsa Beacon

Mayor G.T. Bynum’s proposed total 2021 fiscal year city budget is almost $800 million – with $262.9 million in the general fund. That’s about 5% less than the approved budget last year and virtually the same amount for the general budget. Tulsa was forced into cutbacks due to the Chinese coronavirus that began in 2020…

Resolution strikes at Biden’s unconstitutional orders

Tulsa Beacon

House Concurrent Resolution 1004 sponsored by Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, in the House and Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, declares the Biden’s recent executive actions on gun violence are unconstitutional. “For the current administration to make the statement that POTUS ‘will not wait for Congress to act…’ is an insult to all Americans,” said Steagall….

Norman defunding denied

Tulsa Beacon

Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, praised the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that upheld a lower court’s ruling that the city of Norman violated the state’s Open Meeting Act when it voted to cut the police budget by more than $865,000 last year.  The Court ruling said that the meeting notice, which did not specify cuts to…

‘Cocktails to Go’ advances

Tulsa Beacon

House Bill 2122, known as the Cocktails to Go Act, is one step closer to becoming law as the state continues to liberalize liquor laws. The bill is authored by Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, and Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan. The bill would allow establishments holding a caterer’s or mixed beverage license to sell single-serve…

Everett’s Bill goes to Stitt

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation to prohibit discrimination against a potential organ transplant recipient based solely on the person’s physical or mental disability passed the House and moves to the governor to be signed into law. Senate Bill 378 by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma, is a request from Edmond parents Rhys and Neely Gay, whose middle child, Everett, age…