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Senior Day at the Capital to be held March 3

Tulsa Beacon

(Oklahoma City) – Oklahoma senior citizens, caregivers, and those interested in matters affecting aging Oklahomans are invited to the State Capitol for Senior Day on Monday, March 3. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas, needs and concerns with their state lawmakers, visit with organizations and state agencies to learn about services for older…

Protestant pastors bring attention to global Christian persecution

Tulsa Beacon

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — As pastors speak and pray with their congregations, they say they’re also keeping persecuted Christians around the world in mind. More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (93%) say their church has engaged in at least one of six ways to bring attention to Christians suffering persecution within the past year,…

OK universities hire few Republicans in any field

Tulsa Beacon

While colleges are typically perceived as dominated by left-wing faculty, a common stereotype holds that Democrats are particularly common in the humanities fields while more ideological diversity is present in the hard sciences. But a recent review shows that Oklahoma’s two major universities hire few Republicans in any field, including those within the science, technology,…

Oklahoma House, Senate advance School-Board Election Reforms

Tulsa Beacon

Committees in both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the state Senate have advanced bills that would move school-board elections to the November ballot to dramatically increase voter participation. House Bill 1151, by state Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, would shift school board elections to June and November from the current February and April election dates….

BAPS going to new hybrid school calendar

Tulsa Beacon

After months of research and community engagement, Broken Arrow Public Schools approved a hybrid instructional calendar that maintains a five-day school week, rather than transitioning to a four-day week for the 25-26 school year. The proposed calendar was voted on  and approved at their Feb. 10 meeting. Seeking possible solutions for the worsening teaching shortage,…

House committee passes “Bell to Bell” No Cell legislation

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House Education Oversight Committee today passed legislation that prohibits the use of cell phones by students during the school day. The legislation is the first bill to be heard and considered in the House’s new two-tiered committee structure and is expected to be heard on the floor later this week. Chairman…

Tax Credit for Pregnancy Resource Center Donations Advances

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, on Tuesday advanced legislation that would allow a 70% tax credit for any taxpayer contributing to a pregnancy resource center beginning in tax year 2026. House Bill 1201 would cap credits at $50,000 for individuals and $5 million in total for the state annually, but excess could be…

Lauria and Ashley’s Law Passes First Committee

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, today secured committee passage of a bill that would add accessory to murder in the first or second degree to the list of crimes that would require an offender to serve 85% of their prison sentence before being eligible for consideration for parole. Those convicted also would not…

Weather strikes back in January

Tulsa Beacon

Like the villain in a ‘90s action movie, winter struck back with a vengeance in January following the unusual warmth that closed out 2024. Several strong cold fronts delivered blustery winds, snow, ice, and some of the coldest air the state had seen since the generational freeze of January 2021. The first major bout of…