According to www.smartasset.com, the City of Blackwell has the most available housing in Oklahoma. Blackwell was No. 1 in the list of affordable housing markets in the state. Blackwell, with a medium income of $40,942, has an annual property average of $365. Blackwell had an average mortgage payment of $2,534. Glenpool is the only Tulsa…
In advance of a multi-million-dollar tax increase vote, city councilors are taking a look at the rundown condition of Tulsa parks. Former city councilor Anna America, now Tulsa parks director, said she wants almost $80,000,000.00 for improvements at Tulsa’s 135 parks. Her plan calls for $10,000,000.00 for tennis courts, $20,000,000.00 to repair roofs and $11,600,000.00…
State Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, has introduced a bill that would grant “personhood” to unborn children in Oklahoma. The Personhood Act, Senate Bill 195, states, “The life of each human being begins at conception” and “unborn children have protectable interests in life, health and well-being…” It would grant “on behalf of the unborn child at…
State Sen. Mark Allen thinks large, organized protest groups should be accountable for the cost incurred for additional security, cleaning and repairs to the State Capitol. Allen, R-Spiro, authored Senate Bill 592, at least partially in response to the 2018 protests promoted by the Oklahoma Education Association and other groups. It requires organized protest groups…
Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, is continuing his push this session to save taxpayers from paying for special elections when state legislators leave office before their term is up. Senate SB 363 requires state senators or representatives who resign, are removed from office, or are expelled, to pay the remaining balance of their campaign fund to…
The Senate has completed filing bills for the first session of the 57th Legislature. The deadline was January 17. A total of 1,040 Senate Bills and 21 Senate Joint Resolutions were filed. In 2017, a total of 831 Senate bills were filed, along with 46 Senate Joint Resolutions. The deadline did not apply to appropriations…
OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on filed legislation that would allow homeless students to qualify for the highly successful Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) scholarship program. The LNH scholarship program was created in 2010 to provide state funds to children with special needs to attend private schools that could better accommodate their…
State Sen. J.J. Dossett has filed legislation to assure students, parents and educators that the results of a single reading test won’t cause children to be held back. Dossett, a former teacher, said when the Reading Sufficiency Act (RSA) was originally approved in 2011, the idea was to use a federally-mandated reading test to determine…
Broken Arrow teacher Donna Gradel, the 2019 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, is a finalist for the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. Gov. Kevin Stitt, who pledged to make public education more effective, made the announcement last week in Broken Arrow. “Donna’s teaching philosophy is that every student has potential no matter his or…
Abortion abolitionists from around the country will gather February 11-13 in Oklahoma for the Abolish Abortion OK Conference 2019. Abolitionists from around the country are assembling in Oklahoma to support Senate Bill 13, which criminalizes abortion as murder in Oklahoma. Some of the scheduled speakers are State Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow; former legislator Pastor…