Sunday, March 24, 2024

Small: Court ruling creates more chaos, uncertainty


Court ruling creates more chaos, uncertainty
By Jonathan Small

Can Oklahoma’s economy continue to grow and its people thrive if businesses lack certainty in our legal system? Unfortunately, we may find out.

Members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that contradicted one of the court’s prior rulings, but refused to provide a written opinion explaining if they are overturning their prior decision or see some fundamental difference between the two cases.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Speaker McCall to file legislation securing Oklahoma's border

You can also read this article from OklahomaVoice with a little more detail.


Speaker McCall to File Legislation Securing Oklahoma's Border

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20th) – Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, issued a statement today regarding his intent to file legislation to secure the border of Oklahoma against the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.  

Amid dustup over Treat's insults, Sen. Deevers advocates for Golden Rule, fair Senate reforms


Deevers Continues to Advocate for the Golden Rule Amidst Pro Tem's Insults

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20th) — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, released the following statement concerning comments made by Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, at a press conference on Tuesday.

“On Tuesday, during an interview with KOCO 5, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat attempted to crawl out of the ad hominem hole he dug by calling Senator Nathan Dahm and me ‘terrorists’ for lawfully advocating for our constituents. His chosen shovel was another defamatory term, ‘toddlers.’

“I had hoped for a higher level of professionalism and decorum rather than resorting to name-calling. Such a leadership style only exposes its own immaturity. Also, it’s important to note that Governor Stitt supported our efforts.

RSC releases FY25 Budget Proposal: “Fiscal Sanity to Save America”


RSC releases FY25 Budget Proposal: “Fiscal Sanity to Save America”

WASHINGTON, DC (March 20th) – Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (OK-01), RSC’s Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman Ben Cline (VA-06), and Members of the Budget and Spending Task Force unveiled the RSC’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget proposal today, titled “Fiscal Sanity to Save America”.

The RSC Budget is a thorough plan to address our federal spending problem and start paying down our debts. The FY-25 budget balances in just seven years, cuts spending by $16.7 trillion over ten years, and reduces taxes on Americans by $5.3 trillion over ten years.

Gov. Stitt, Special Olympics Chair Tim Shriver participate in NGA's 'Disagree Better' initiative


GOVERNOR STITT, TIM SHRIVER PARTICIPATE IN DISAGREE BETTER INITIATIVE

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20, 2024) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt announced his participation in the National Governors Association’s (NGA) Disagree Better initiative. Alongside the Chairman of Special Olympics, Tim Shriver, Governor Stitt will begin a campaign to promote healthy disagreement.

“To me, disagreeing better means learning to persuade the other side in an uplifting way, not by tearing each other down or diminishing each other,” said Governor Stitt. “We’re all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and if we can act and speak with compassion, we’ll find there is more that unites us than divides us. I’m grateful to the National Governors Association for promoting this unifying way of thinking, and I hope Oklahomans join me in disagreeing better.”

Senate leaders comment after budget transparency measure passes Senate floor


Senate Leaders Comment After Budget Transparency Measure Passes Senate Floor

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 18th) – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City and Senate Appropriations Chairman, Senator Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, today released the following statements after the Senate budget resolution passed 41 – 3 off the Senate floor.

Senate Resolution 31 is the result of the Senate’s budget transparency project that has been in the works for months. The new process brought the Senate budgeting process to light and showed a behind the scenes look at how members make decisions on where taxpayer money goes.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Lankford announces run for Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair


Lankford Announces Run for Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair

WASHINGTON, DC (March 20th) – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced he will run this November for Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference:

“The Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair plays a vital role in serving Republican Senators and their staff as they communicate the conservative policy ideas that make our nation stronger. As Senators, we were elected to do hard things and to solve problems by doing the right thing, the right way. It is my desire to serve our Conference in every way I can as we work together to solve the challenges our nation faces.

Pinnell: Higher education builds tomorrow's workforce today


HIGHER EDUCATION BUILDS TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE TODAY
By Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell

Last Month, I embarked on an Oklahoma Workforce Tour, where I’m crisscrossing the state to talk all things workforce with business owners and local leaders. One topic that regularly comes up is Oklahoma’s higher education system and the integral role it plays in workforce development.  

Our public higher education system is crucial in meeting Oklahoma’s workforce goals. Data from the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development shows that by 2030, over half of Oklahoma’s 100 critical occupations will require at least an associate degree.

Small: Disconnect between school boards and community


Disconnect between school boards and community
By Jonathan Small

In 2020, parents urged the school board at Deer Creek to provide full-time, in-person instruction to students. But the board opted to continue with COVID distance learning for many students.

Yet recent reports show officials at Deer Creek schools also allowed charity fundraisers to include events where students lick peanut butter off people’s feet. Former Deer Creek students told Fox 25 that students could buy their way out of the gross-out events, which meant lower-income students were often targeted and pressured to participate at the “fundraisers,” which have been occurring for years.

The disconnect is not simply the district’s diametrically opposite concern about sanitation and disease in one instance versus another, but the fact that in both cases parents’ wishes were ignored (at least, one presumes most parents don’t want their kids licking feet).

Rep. Williams, Sens. Bullard and Jett to host March 26th medical freedom group hearing at State Capitol


Joint Senate and House Hearing to Advance Medical Freedom Legislation Hosted at Oklahoma State Capitol March 26

Oklahoma City, OK (March 19, 2024) – Under the auspices of The Former Feds Group Freedom Foundation and Mic Rosado’s 'Intentional Podcast', a Joint Senate and House Hearing is scheduled to take March 26th, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm CST. This event will be hosted in Room 112.2 at the Oklahoma State Capitol, announced host House Representative Danny Williams, alongside Senate hosts David Bullard and Shane Jett.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

ABSURDITY: OU, state mental-health agency tout 'pregnant people'

What on earth?? Bureacracy (both government and corporate) is absolutely full of people who have lost their minds in the pursuit of the nonsensical woke agenda:


OU, STATE MENTAL-HEALTH AGENCY TOUT ‘PREGNANT PEOPLE’
Ray Carter | March 20, 2024

At a recent summit, officials with the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) urged greater focus on “pregnant people” with substance-abuse disorders, effectively downgrading the existence of women.

A release about the event, issued by ODMHSAS, was headlined, “State Summit Aims to Break Stigma and Build Support to Aid Pregnant People with Substance Use Disorders and Protect Families.”

The March 11 release stated that one of the goals of attendees was to raise “awareness of and reduce the stigma associated with the circumstances and needs of pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders.”

Sen. Dahm issues statement responding to Treat’s ‘toddler’ and ‘crazy bills’ comments

The saga continues (see Monday's post, Dahm and Deevers discuss Tyrannical Treat's 'terrorist' tirade after Senate filibustering):


Dahm issues statement responding to Treat’s ‘toddler’ and ‘crazy bills’ comments

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, on Thursday released the following statement in response to Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat’s continued name-calling and contention that Dahm’s legislation is “crazy.”