The House of Representatives passed a bill to address doctor shortages in rural areas. House Bill 3823, by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, authorizes a $25,000 tax credit for doctors who move to a rural community to practice. It passed 84-3 and heads to the Senate. Doctors who are new to the rural area and…
Born in 1952, Linda Lewis did not envision being a caretaker for two young children during her golden years. But when her grandson was incarcerated and the mother of her great-grandchildren ran afoul of the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma City resident became the legal guardian for two of her great-grandchildren: a seven-year-old great-granddaughter…
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) joined 29 other states last week in Washington, D.C. working with federal partners on the monitoring and response to COVID-19. To date, there are two persons under investigation in Oklahoma. While testing is pending, the routine process of investigating suspected infectious disease events is to identify contacts who…
Due to continuing growth of new businesses in Tulsa County, John A. Wright, Tulsa County Assessor, wants new and existing business owners, including home-based businesses, to remember to file their business personal property returns (Form 901) by March 15th with the County Assessor’s Office. Copies of the Form 901 are available at the assessor’s website…
Every other week, Broken Arrow students get a visit from Tiger Tails, Broken Arrow High School’s therapy dog program. “Therapy dogs are here to make us feel good, help us to be less stressed, have a peaceful moment,” said Karen Holman, Tiger Tails founder and Broken Arrow High School teacher. “They are great at helping…
The fees for the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan are getting lower, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel said. Effective since February, the management fee for Oklahoma¹s official college saving plan is being reduced by more than 16 percent. The new management fee will be 0.25 percent on account balances, down from 0.3 percent. The fee reduction…
Dr. Jerry Griffin is calling for Tulsa Public Schools to prepare a contingency plan for the coronavirus should it appear in Tulsa. Griffin, a candidate for the Tulsa School Board, citing a recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention in which Dr. Nancy Messonnier said, “It’s not so much a question of…
March 3 is “Super Tuesday” and Oklahoma voters will cast their ballots for the respective presidential candidates for the Republican and Democrat parties. Also on March 3, voters will vote on a proposal to allow liquor stores in Tulsa County to open on Sundays. Six Republicans – including President Donald Trump – will be on…
The House Public Safety Committee last week voted 12-1 to kill House Bill 3357, authored by Rep. Ben Loring, D-Miami, which sought to repeal Constitutional Carry. The bill would have removed references to open carry of firearms and return Oklahoma statutes relating to the carrying of firearms to their status prior to passage of House…
The Senate passed legislation to provide more local control for school districts to decide how to protect their students. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is author of House Bill 2336. The measure would allow a local board of education to voluntarily adopt a policy to authorize the carrying of a handgun onto school property by school…