The Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly passed two government accountability measures that are a part of a larger deal to give the governor the ability to hire the heads of five of the largest state agencies. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bills would give the governor the ability to hire and fire the head of the…
Sen. Greg McCortney is the chair of the Rules Committee and Senate principal author of House Bill 2612, creating the safety and regulatory framework necessary for Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry after voters approved State Question 788 last June. The measure has already been approved by the House. The legislation is the result of work by…
The Senate approved a bill to better equip educators to recognize and address the mental health needs of students. Senate Bill 446, by Sen. John Haste, would require the State Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop educator training programs on student mental health. The Broken Arrow…
A measure to build a statewide aerospace training facility cleared both the Senate Education and the Appropriation and Budget committees and is now headed to the Senate floor. Senate Bill 432, authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education to acquire or lease property for the purpose of…
The House of Representatives passed a measure aimed at encouraging more doctors to practice in rural areas of the state. House Bill 2511, by House Speaker Charles McCall, would reduce a doctor’s tax liability by up to $25,000 annually if he or she practices in a rural community for the tax year beginning in 2020….
Oklahoma is ranked No. 24 on the list of low property taxes, according to the 2019 Property Tax report by Wallet.hub.com. Yet Oklahoma has the fourth lowest median home value at $125,800, only above Arkansas ($118,500), West Virginia ($111,600) and Mississippi ($109,300). Hawaii has the highest median home value at $563,900. According to WalletHub, each…
The Wall That Heals, a 375-foot-long replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., will be on display April 18-21 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Visitors can honor the more than 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War and visit a mobile education center to learn about social, cultural and political aspects…
Several area elections – including school board races in Tulsa and Broken Arrow – are scheduled for April 2. Those races are: District 1, Tulsa Board of Education Office 4, Broken Arrow Public Schools Office 4, Union Public Schools Office 2, Keystone School District District 7, Tulsa Technology Center Ward 3, City of Bixby City…
During March, the Tulsa Police Department will focus on posted speed and hazardous moving violations on all expressways within the city limits. Tulsa Police traffic officers and motorcycle officers will be randomly monitoring the expressways throughout Tulsa during the month and paying special attention to excessive speeding and hazardous moving violations that occur on the…
The John Brown University Cathedral Choir will participate in worship services along with The Red Steps, JBU’s contemporary worship band, at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church on March 17 at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., as part of its annual spring tour. The performance is free and open to the public. The…