Small: Blind trust in prosecutors unwise

Blind trust in prosecutors unwise By OCPA President Jonathan Small In general, Oklahomans trust law enforcement and prosecutors, but have a healthy distrust of politicians. Unfortunately, that means they should also be somewhat skeptical of prosecutions and investigations—because politicians often have a hand in them. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 27, 2022 at 08:00AM

Small: Blind trust in prosecutors unwise Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

US House GOP unveils 'Commitment to America' platform

House Republicans Unveil Commitment to America Cheyenne, OK (September 23rd) – Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after House Republicans introduced the Commitment to America, a policy platform to create An Economy That's Strong, A Nation That's Safe, A Future That's Built on Freedom, and A Government That's Accountable: Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 26, 2022 at 08:19AM

US House GOP unveils 'Commitment to America' platform Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Oklahoma Optometrists plan free eye exams on Giving Sight Day, Oct. 1st

Oklahomans In Need Can Receive Complimentary Vision Exams on Giving Sight Day (10/1/22) OKLAHOMA CITY – Participating optometric physicians across the state of Oklahoma will be giving complimentary eye exams to those in need as part of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physician’s (OAOP) third annual Giving Sight Day.  Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 25, 2022 at 02:30PM

Oklahoma Optometrists plan free eye exams on Giving Sight Day, Oct. 1st Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Rep. Phillips, Sen. Paxton praise pandemic stimulus projects focusing on broadband access

Phillips, Paxton Praise Joint Committee Focus on Broadband OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 22nd) – Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds, on Thursday praised the Oklahoma House and Senate Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding for their focus on addressing broadband issues through projects they advanced. The projects advanced during the joint committee's meeting on Tuesday will now be considered when the Legislature reconvenes it's special session to appropriate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 24, 2022 at 05:11PM

Rep. Phillips, Sen. Paxton praise pandemic stimulus projects focusing on broadband access Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

AG O'Connor, OK Press Assoc. hosting Open Records/Meetings seminars across state

Attorney General O’Connor, Oklahoma Press Association to Host Open Records Seminars Across the State OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor is partnering with the Oklahoma Press Association to host open records and open meetings seminars in five locations across the state beginning Sept. 26. “These seminars are a great way for public officials to stay up to date on the state’s open record laws,” Attorney General O’Connor said. “I encourage everyone who serves the public to attend and participate in these meetings.” Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 24, 2022 at 07:56AM

AG O'Connor, OK Press Assoc. hosting Open Records/Meetings seminars across state Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Cong. Jim Jordan coming to Tulsa for Brecheen fundraiser

2nd District GOP nominee Josh Brecheen is holding a fundraiser with Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), former head of the House Freedom Caucus, on October 14th in Tulsa.  Tickets start at $250 and can be reserved here. by Jamison Faught - September 23, 2022 at 02:33PM

Cong. Jim Jordan coming to Tulsa for Brecheen fundraiser Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

House Dems react to committee approval of pandemic stimulus projects

Democrats React to ARPA Allocations OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 20th) – House Democrats sitting on the Oklahoma Legislature’s American Rescue Plan Act Committee released the following statements today after several projects were approved. President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the latest federal stimulus bill to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 11, 2021. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures website, the plan included $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments, known as the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 23, 2022 at 09:58AM

House Dems react to committee approval of pandemic stimulus projects Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

State House to reconvene special session on September 28th

They'll be picking up special session to determine how to spend the 1.87 billion dollars in Federal largesse that Oklahoma was given under Biden's COVID stimulus plan, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). You can read the previously advanced stimulus projects that they'll be considering as the full House at this link. House to reconvene special session Sept. 28 to 30 OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 21) – The House of Representatives will reconvene the Second Extraordinary Session of the 58th Legislature from Sept. 28 to 30 for consideration of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other funding advanced by the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said the session will finalize 18 months of collaborative work on ARPA funding. Bills containing the proposals will begin being filed soon. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 22, 2022 at 10:45AM

State House to reconvene special session on September 28th Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature

Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 20th) – The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding on Tuesday advanced a comprehensive slate of projects to the full Legislature for consideration in an upcoming special session. The committee's approvals, combined with previously approved projects, resulted in recommendation of over 60 projects totaling nearly all of Oklahoma state government's $1.87 billion share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 22, 2022 at 08:24AM

Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Small: Power grab in Washington could harm Oklahoma

Power grab in Washington could harm Oklahoma By Jonathan Small Proposals to penalize “big business” often work to instead hammer small businesses and harm job creation in states like Oklahoma. A new federal effort to break up certain large tech companies falls into that category. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 20, 2022 at 03:54PM

Small: Power grab in Washington could harm Oklahoma Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Never enough: Hofmeister calls for $5K teacher pay raise

In a transparently political pander while running for Governor, now-Democrat State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister wants to hike teacher pay again by another $5,000, three years after significant pay increases were passed by the legislature.  It's never going to be enough, despite the terrible results produced by Oklahoma's failing public education system. Her press release is below: Hofmeister includes teacher pay raise in state education budget request OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 19, 2022) – A $5,000 teacher pay raise is included in the annual budget request the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will present to the state board of education at its next meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22. “We’ve significantly raised teacher pay in recent years, but so did our neighboring states with whom we are competing. This investment is vital to our ability to build a sustainable teacher workforce, necessary for providing the high-quality education Oklahoma students need and deserve,” said Joy Hofmeister, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “In the midst of an unprecedented and worsening teacher shortage, it is imperative we look for long-term solutions to show that Oklahoma values and respects its teachers.” There are currently 52,850 certified teachers in Oklahoma. It will require approximately $310 million to fully fund the teacher pay raise. Oklahoma teachers last received an official pay raise in 2018 ($6,100), and an additional salary increase averaging $1,220 passed in 2019. Oklahoma currently ranks fourth in the region for teacher pay with an average annual salary of $54,096, trailing New Mexico ($54,256), Texas ($57,090) and Colorado ($57,706). New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has recently signed legislation that will boost teacher salaries by an additional $10,000.  by Jamison Faught - September 20, 2022 at 08:15AM

Never enough: Hofmeister calls for $5K teacher pay raise Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

OSDH celebrates 20% drop in infant mortality rate

Oklahoma’s Infant Mortality Rate Drops Nearly 20 Percent Since Statewide Program Launch OKLAHOMA CITY – September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Since the launch of a statewide program in 2007, Oklahoma’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has decreased by nearly 20 percent according to statistics from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The IMR was 8.2 per 1,000 live births in 2005-2007, but dropped to 6.6 in 2019-2021. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 15, 2022 at 11:17AM

OSDH celebrates 20% drop in infant mortality rate Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Small: ESG targets Oklahoma economy, jobs

The new leftist “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) obsession is beginning to infiltrate and impact an awful lot of the American economy. Working in the cleaning and restoration field, I've begun to notice it creeping into industry surveys and publications, sometimes obscurely, sometimes overtly. Read on for a column by OCPA President Jonathan Small on ESG and Oklahoma's economy: ESG targets Oklahoma economy, jobs By Jonathan Small During a recent state legislative hearing, Brook Simmons, president of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, gave policymakers a reality check. He pointed out that oil-and-gas companies produce far more jobs in Oklahoma than do “green” industries. And oil-and-gas jobs are also much better paying. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 14, 2022 at 08:08AM

Small: ESG targets Oklahoma economy, jobs Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Lankford, Inhofe move to protect Oklahoma ag land from foreign purchases

Lankford, Inhofe Move to Protect Oklahoma Ag Land from Foreign Purchases WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today introduced the Security and Oversight of International Landholdings (SOIL) Act in order to provide oversight and transparency of purchases of US agricultural land that threaten national security. Lankford continues to respond to concerns from Oklahomans about the multiple recent purchases of Oklahoma agricultural land by foreign entities. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 13, 2022 at 02:04PM

Lankford, Inhofe move to protect Oklahoma ag land from foreign purchases Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Stitt issues executive order to deliver drought relief for farmers and ranchers

GOVERNOR STITT DELIVERS DROUGHT RELIEF TO FARMERS OKLAHOMA CITY (September 12, 2022) — Today, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order to deliver drought relief to farmers in western Oklahoma, and other parts of the state hit hard by the current drought conditions. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 13, 2022 at 08:03AM

Stitt issues executive order to deliver drought relief for farmers and ranchers Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Small: Remember the lessons of state shortfall years

Remember the lessons of state shortfall years By Jonathan Small Most business owners and families understand the importance of spending less than you bring in, and of socking away the remainder in savings, to prepare for unexpected financial challenges. Unfortunately, such thinking is rare in government, which explains why Oklahoma government was in such bad shape only a handful of years ago. Sadly, some groups appear dedicated to ignoring the lessons of the recent past. The head of the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), the largest government union in Oklahoma, along with other tax-consumer advocates, is now calling on the state to spend down the record savings achieved during Gov. Kevin Stitt’s first term. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 03, 2022 at 01:01PM

Small: Remember the lessons of state shortfall years Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

Special session: 9 pandemic stimulus projects sent to full Legislature

The below projects, along with previously approved ones, would total approximately $510M of the $1.8B in federal pandemic stimulus funding allocated to the State of Oklahoma. Joint committee sends nine ARPA projects to full Legislature OKLAHOMA CITY – The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding on Tuesday advanced the second slate of projects for consideration in the Legislature's upcoming special session on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 03, 2022 at 09:53AM

Special session: 9 pandemic stimulus projects sent to full Legislature Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico

AG O'Connor releases guidance for law enforcement on new abortion laws

Attorney General O’Connor Releases Guidance for Law Enforcement After Newest Abortion Law Takes Effect OKLAHOMA CITY (August 31st) – Today, Attorney General John O’Connor criticized the ongoing campaign by the abortion industry and others to confuse and mislead the public about abortion laws, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. He also released a guidance document for law enforcement after the State’s most recent abortion law became effective. Read more » by Jamison Faught - September 02, 2022 at 09:53PM

AG O'Connor releases guidance for law enforcement on new abortion laws Click the title to read the entire article at Muskogee Politico