News

State parking fee hikes are studied

September 10, 2020

State Rep. Lundy Kiger, R-Poteau, hosted an interim study on state park parking fees before the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services Kiger said he requested the study after the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s started charging parking fees of between $8 to $10 at about half of Oklahoma’s state…

Long-term care and coronavirus

September 10, 2020

State Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, the chair of the Majority Caucus in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, held an interim study examining current and future needs of people in long-term care facilities related to COVID-19. The study was held before the House Health Services and Long-Term Care Committee. “A number of Oklahomans who are…

Dahm gets 100% on conservative list

September 3, 2020

Sen. Nathan Dahm, Rep. Tom Gann and Rep. Terry O’Donnell are among the most conservative legislators in the state, according to the 2020 Conservative Index from the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper. Rep. Meloyde Blancett, Rep. Melissa Provenzano and Rep. Monroe Nichols are markedly the most liberal lawmakers from the Tulsa area. Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, was the…

Chinese propagandists funded long-time OU program

September 3, 2020 Ray Carter

OU’s Confucius Institute cited by U.S. State Dept. The U.S. Department of State has declared that the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, which has long operated an institute at The University of Oklahoma, is a foreign mission of the People’s Republic of China. In a statement on the action, the U.S. Department of State said the…

Lawmaker warns about changing Oklahoma’s Medicaid

September 3, 2020

State Sen. Rob Standridge said after years of studying the issue of capitated managed care, he’s convinced adopting such a plan for Oklahoma would drive up costs and create a health care system that would leave the state’s most fragile citizens with inferior care. Standridge, R-Norman, explained his concerns in a letter sent to Oklahoma…

April Graney’s new children’s book

September 3, 2020

Tulsa native April Graney has written another Christian children’s book, The Marvelous Make, A Creation and Redemption Parable. It is set for release on September 8. The book is illustrated by Monica Garofalo and published by B&H Publishing Group of Nashville. Two years ago, Graney wrote and published her first book, The Marvelous Mud House….

New cases of Chinese coronavirus

September 3, 2020

As of August 31, there have been a total of 58,733 positive cases of the Chinese coronavirus in Oklahoma, according the Oklahoma Department of Health. In total, 874,676 tests have taken in Oklahoma with 806,545 negative results. As of Monday, there were 570 people in Oklahoma hospitals with the coronarvirus. Throughout the pandemic, there have…

Study to help retirement savings

September 3, 2020

State Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan, and State Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton, held an interim study to increase access to retirement savings tools for people that do not have access to a plan through their employer. The two said studies show that more than 50% of working Oklahomans do not have a retirement benefits package…

Two state departments combined

September 3, 2020

Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order for the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OOHS) to consolidate locations with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM). “After due consideration and consultation with members of my Cabinet, and employees and administrative officials at the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management,…

New gambling compacts are OKed

September 3, 2020

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) approved the State’s two most recent gambling compacts with the Kialegee Tribal Town (KTT) and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB). Gov. Kevin Stitt said these new gambling compacts double the fee rate on Class III games, from 6% in the 2004 Model Gaming Compact to as high…