The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development has praised congressional efforts to offset the economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic. Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City issued a statement in response to the passage Friday of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which provides more than $2…Read More
The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development has praised congressional efforts to offset the economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic. Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City issued a statement in response to the passage Friday of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which provides more than $2…Read More
An Oklahoma representative and two House employees have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, officials confirmed with KOCO 5 Wednesday morning. In a statement to KOCO 5, Rep. Jason Lowe confirmed he is recovering and doing well after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. Lowe reported that several days ago he began experiencing…Read More
Gov. Stitt issued a proclamation Wednesday declaring Thursday, March 26, a statewide day of prayer for all Oklahomans impacted by COVID-19. In recognition of this day of prayer, the governor has called for Oklahoma faith leaders to unite together at a special prayer and worship event called Let Hope Rise: Together In Prayer for Oklahoma.…Read More
We already are hearing talk about weighing the value of human life against the health of the nation’s economy and the strength of the stock market. It’s true that a depression would cause untold suffering for people around the world, hitting the poor the hardest. Still, each human life is more significant than a trillion-dollar…Read More
An Oklahoma representative and two House employees have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, officials confirmed with KOCO 5 Wednesday morning. In a statement to KOCO 5, Rep. Jason Lowe confirmed he is recovering and doing well after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. Lowe reported that several days ago he began experiencing…Read More
Gov. Stitt issued a proclamation Wednesday declaring Thursday, March 26, a statewide day of prayer for all Oklahomans impacted by COVID-19. In recognition of this day of prayer, the governor has called for Oklahoma faith leaders to unite together at a special prayer and worship event called Let Hope Rise: Together In Prayer for Oklahoma.…Read More
The White House and Senate leaders of both parties announced agreement early Wednesday on an unprecedented $2 trillion emergency bill to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The urgently needed pandemic response measure is the largest economic rescue measure in history and is intended as…Read More
Oklahoma public schools could remain closed for the rest of the school year, as all learning would take place at a distance to protect from the coronavirus pandemic. State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced Monday she would recommend a Continuous Learning Plan for public schools to finish the school year without in-person instruction. Extracurricular activities…Read More
Oklahoma public schools could remain closed for the rest of the school year, as all learning would take place at a distance to protect from the coronavirus pandemic. State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced Monday she would recommend a Continuous Learning Plan for public schools to finish the school year without in-person instruction. Extracurricular activities…Read More
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Universal Charitable Giving Act, which creates a universal charitable deduction in addition to the standard deduction for individuals and married couples that do not itemize. Currently, only taxpayers that itemize their deductions are able to withhold charitable donations. The Universal Charitable Giving Act incentivizes charitable giving for low-income to…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Sunday he will expand a gubernatorial task force to enhance the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stitt’s announcement came as some elected officials and business leaders are calling on the governor to take stronger actions to curb the spread of coronavirus as 67 Oklahomans already have tested positive for the…Read More
The Oklahoma state Senate will remain closed through March 27 as members and staffers await the results of their COVID-19 tests. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said Friday senators and personnel will be working remotely in the meantime. About 30 senators and staffers were tested for COVID-19 this week after a Senate staffer tested positive…Read More
The Oklahoma state Senate will remain closed through March 27 as members and staffers await the results of their COVID-19 tests. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said Friday senators and personnel will be working remotely in the meantime. About 30 senators and staffers were tested for COVID-19 this week after a Senate staffer tested positive…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill that would allow public bodies to meet by means of teleconference or video conference. Senate Bill 661, passed by the Legislature on Tuesday, amends the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act. “Senate Bill 661 allows all of our boards, commissions and other groups to continue to meet and conduct…Read More
U.S. Reps. Kendra Horn and Tom Cole will self-quarantine for two weeks because they had contact with fellow House members who tested positive for COVID-19. Horn, D-Oklahoma City, and Cole, R-Moore, said they were taking the advice of the House attending physician. Both said on Thursday they had no symptoms and felt fine. Horn had…Read More
Oklahoma faced a critical shortage of coronavirus testing agents on Wednesday as cases continued to mount, including the first child 4 years or younger and the first nursing home resident. “Across the state, we are critically low on our test kits,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference. “Or more specifically, the reagent. That’s…Read More
If you are about to seek unemployment insurance assistance from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, take comfort in knowing the state has one of the largest unemployment trust funds in the nation. In fact, the trust fund is ranked as seventh-healthiest in the nation, noted Lisa Graven, the commission’s director of support. Earlier this month,…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill that would allow public bodies to meet by means of teleconference or video conference. Senate Bill 661, passed by the Legislature on Tuesday, amends the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act. “Senate Bill 661 allows all of our boards, commissions and other groups to continue to meet and conduct…Read More
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a coronavirus relief package that includes provisions for free testing for Covid-19 and paid emergency leave. The Senate had earlier Wednesday approved the House-passed bill. The move allowed the upper chamber to devote its full attention to passing the next relief package in response to the coronavirus…Read More
U.S. Reps. Kendra Horn and Tom Cole will self-quarantine for two weeks because they had contact with fellow House members who tested positive for COVID-19. Horn, D-Oklahoma City, and Cole, R-Moore, said they were taking the advice of the House attending physician. Both said on Thursday they had no symptoms and felt fine. Horn had…Read More
Oklahoma faced a critical shortage of coronavirus testing agents on Wednesday as cases continued to mount, including the first child 4 years or younger and the first nursing home resident. “Across the state, we are critically low on our test kits,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference. “Or more specifically, the reagent. That’s…Read More
If you are about to seek unemployment insurance assistance from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, take comfort in knowing the state has one of the largest unemployment trust funds in the nation. In fact, the trust fund is ranked as seventh-healthiest in the nation, noted Lisa Graven, the commission’s director of support. Earlier this month,…Read More
The Senate strengthened protections for the unborn Thursday with the passage of Senate Bill 1859. Sen. Paul Scott, R-Duncan, authored the bill to increase accountability of doctors administering abortions in Oklahoma. The bill would prohibit doctors from performing abortions beginning at six weeks if a fetal or embryonic heartbeat or brainwaves are present. Currently, at…Read More
The Senate strengthened protections for the unborn Thursday with the passage of Senate Bill 1859. Sen. Paul Scott, R-Duncan, authored the bill to increase accountability of doctors administering abortions in Oklahoma. The bill would prohibit doctors from performing abortions beginning at six weeks if a fetal or embryonic heartbeat or brainwaves are present. Currently, at…Read More
Senator Ben Sasse called Monday for the Attorney General to investigate the website Pornhub. The senator said the site had promoted videos showing the sexual assault and rape of a victim of human trafficking. “The foremost duty of the Department of Justice is to ensure the safety of the American people, especially the most vulnerable among us,” Sen. Sasse…Read More
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is targeting state and local government violations of religious freedom, a senior DOJ official told reporters on Monday. “Attorney General Barr is particularly interested in religious freedom, and religious liberty issues,” said Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, on Monday. There…Read More
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has dismissed arguments made before the Supreme Court against a state abortion law as “absolutely a lie.” In a Thursday interview, Landry said efforts to conflate the case with a Texas law regulating abortion clinics, struck down by the court in 2016, were clearly false. The Supreme Court heard oral…Read More
Home delivery of medical marijuana, a shorter dispensary setback from schools and making the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority its own agency are among proposals that survived last week’s first legislative deadline. But a bill banning billboards with medical marijuana advertising failed to make it through committee. The next major deadline is March 12, when bills…Read More
Home delivery of medical marijuana, a shorter dispensary setback from schools and making the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority its own agency are among proposals that survived last week’s first legislative deadline. But a bill banning billboards with medical marijuana advertising failed to make it through committee. The next major deadline is March 12, when bills…Read More
The Stitt administration is moving forward with plans to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income Oklahomans on July 1. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Friday submitted paperwork to expand Medicaid to adults ages 19-64 whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,970 annually for an individual and $34,846…Read More
The Stitt administration is moving forward with plans to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income Oklahomans on July 1. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Friday submitted paperwork to expand Medicaid to adults ages 19-64 whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,970 annually for an individual and $34,846…Read More
West Virginia became the latest state to pass legislation which requires that babies born alive after an attempted abortion be given medical care. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Monday, March 2. The law will go into effect on May 19. “It’s unbelievable that we…Read More
A bill has been introduced in the Mississippi legislature to prohibit abortions being performed because of race, sex, or genetic abnormality, citing anti-discrimination laws and a recent opinion of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. House Bill 1295, the Life Equality Act of 2020, passed through a House committee March 3 and will soon be proposed…Read More
After the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy Feb. 28, the court later the same day put a stay on its own ruling. The administration’s 2019 Migrant Protection Protocols, as the policy is formally known, require asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases make their…Read More
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Louisiana’s Unsafe Abortion Protection Act on Wednesday, as justices questioned lawyers from both sides on the state’s safety regulations for abortion clinics, including a requirement that abortion doctors have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The court met March 4 to hear oral arguments in the case of June…Read More
The Senate approved the Unborn Person Wrongful Death Act Thursday to address the pain and suffering of family members of babies whose lives are ended through abortion. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 1728, which modifies provisions relating to awarding damages resulting from wrongful death in cases of abortions performed under…Read More
With health care in the spotlight, more attention is being paid to the “Yes on 802” initiative for Medicaid expansion. Supporters say it will help upward of 200,000 Oklahomans get access to health care. The campaign signs out in front of a midtown home let people know they were at the right place, a supporters…Read More
The Oklahoma Constitution is a load. Bulking in with a scale-busting text and 150 amendments, the document was the most lengthy of the state constitutions at the time of its ratification in 1907. Constitutions should be the people’s contract. Legislative enactments are the people’s work. By definition, constitutions should be brief and direct. Statutes are…Read More
The Oklahoma Constitution is a load. Bulking in with a scale-busting text and 150 amendments, the document was the most lengthy of the state constitutions at the time of its ratification in 1907. Constitutions should be the people’s contract. Legislative enactments are the people’s work. By definition, constitutions should be brief and direct. Statutes are…Read More
The Tulsa County jail is the first in Oklahoma to offer a medication-assisted treatment program — or opioid replacement therapy — for people who are incarcerated and addicted to opioids. There were 58 patients in January enrolled in the program, known as MAT, after its launch in December. The Suboxone that Cody referenced is a…Read More
The Tulsa County jail is the first in Oklahoma to offer a medication-assisted treatment program — or opioid replacement therapy — for people who are incarcerated and addicted to opioids. There were 58 patients in January enrolled in the program, known as MAT, after its launch in December. The Suboxone that Cody referenced is a…Read More