Lankford files package of 'DOGE' bills aimed at cutting waste

Lankford Kickstarts Cutting Waste in New Congress with Package of DOGE Bills

WASHINGTON, DC (Jan. 14th) – Senator James Lankford (R-OK), founding member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, introduced a package of bills to make the government more efficient.   

“The American people gave Washington a mandate in November—waste less, save more. Today I’m introducing a first set of bills to follow through on their mandate by prioritizing streamlined regulations, rulemaking, and record keeping. It’s time to put government waste in the doghouse and let DOGE get to work,” said Lankford.

Canadian company backs off planned Lake Eufaula-area 900-turbine wind farm after local opposition

A Canadian green energy company has halted plans for a 900-turbine wind farm in the Lake Eufaula area after extensive community opposition. TransAlta, a woke corporation with an apparent special emphasis on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), began developing the 'Canadian River Wind Project' (also known in some government filings as 'Barracuda Wind Project') in 2022, meeting with select landowners and pursuing paperwork with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and Federal Aviation Administration, to name two agencies.

The first of five phases was for 121 wind turbines in western McIntosh County (Stidham, Raiford, and Lenna). The next four phases were allegedly slated to include "Texanna Road, Checotah, Porum, wrapping all around Lake Eufaula to south of McAlester, with a total of just under 900 turbines." Based on filings, the turbines were estimated to be over 700 feet tall upon construction.

Oklahoma Legislature formally elects new 2025-2026 leadership

Earlier this week, the Oklahoma Legislature met for the constitutionally-required Organizational Day, where both legislative chambers formally elected their leadership and passed the rules package by which their respective bodies will operate for the next term.

OCPA: California-style primary (still) a bad idea

OCPA: California-style primary (still) a bad idea

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 6, 2025)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small issued the following statement after proponents refiled a proposed state question that would eliminate primary elections for most federal, state, and local offices in Oklahoma.

“When Oklahoma United announced in November that they were seeking to impose California-style elections in Oklahoma that prevent Republican voters from choosing their own party nominees, we warned that the proposal was fatally flawed,” Small said. “It’s been less than two months and backers of this insidious idea are now trying to salvage their proposal with revisions.

State Sen. Thompson files bill to include school supplies, athletic gear in tax-free weekend

Thompson files bill to include school supplies, athletic gear in tax-free weekend

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, filed legislation on Monday to include school supplies and athletic equipment among the items exempted from sales taxes during Oklahoma’s tax-free weekend in August.

Senate Bill 231 would exempt common school supplies — such as backpacks, binders, pens, pencils, markers and notebooks — from state and local sales taxes during the state’s annual sales tax holiday, the first weekend in August. Recreational equipment, including cleats, gloves, mouthguards, shoulder pads and goggles, would also be tax-exempt under this bill.

Sen. Wingard files bill to eliminate wind energy tax credit, save taxpayers money

As communities across the state fight massive new wind energy projects, including one near Lake Eufaula aiming to build up to 900 turbines, newly-elected State Sen. Jonathan Wingard (who stunned the political world by ousting would-be Senate Pro Tem Greg McCortney in the primary) is starting his political career - one might say - by tilting at windmills to save taxpayers money.

Wingard files bill to eliminate wind energy tax credit, save taxpayers money

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 31, 2024) — Sen. Jonathan Wingard, R-Ada, filed legislation this week to end state tax subsidies for wind farms.

Senate Bill 239 would eliminate the zero-emission subsidy for wind production after tax year 2025. Eliminating this tax credit will save taxpayers up to $16 million annually.

Walters touts new updated science standards, available for public comment through Jan. 21st

Walters: New Science Standards to Elevate  Education and Workforce Preparedness 

Oklahoma City, Okla (Jan. 2nd) – The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) has submitted updated Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (OAS-S) for public comment through January 21, 2025. The new standards represent a transformative framework that raises the bar for all Oklahoma students. These standards are designed to prepare students with the essential knowledge and expertise required to excel in higher education and meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce. 

State Sen. Seifried files bill for schools to adopt 'bell to bell' cell phone policies

Photo credit: RDNE Stock project

Seifried files bill empowering schools to adopt ‘bell to bell’ cell phone policies

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 30th) – Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, has filed legislation instructing all public school districts to adopt policies preventing student cell phone use from “bell to bell.”

Seifried filed Senate Bill 139 after she cohosted a two-day interim study to explore the educational challenges that arise when students have their cell phones in the classroom. During the study, over a dozen educators and mental health professionals discussed how student phone use leads to poor academic outcomes and overall worse mental health.

Sens. Deevers, Hamilton: loopholes lead to estimated 3,200 annual abortions in Oklahoma

Past pro-life legislation is keeping the practice of abortion alive and well through loopholes and a refusal to establish equal justice under the law. This is the sad reality of the post-Dobbs scene. Oklahoma needs to pass a bill to abolish abortion.

Photo: An abortion billboard along I-35 this past summer.

Hamilton and Deevers Respond to Claims of ‘Zero’ Abortions, Highlight the Estimated 3,274 Annual Abortions in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 3rd) — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, and Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, responded on Friday to comments made by Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert regarding abortion legislation in the upcoming session. Hilbert is quoted by Oklahoma Voice as saying, “When there’s not any reported abortions, I don’t know how you further reduce from zero.”

“As a pastor and local activist, I have been engaged in the fight to protect preborn children for years prior to becoming a Senator. I have much respect for Speaker Hilbert as Christian man, but as much as I desperately wish there were zero abortions in Oklahoma, zero ‘reported’ abortions is not the same thing as zero abortions,” Deevers said. “Data shows that roughly 3,274 self-managed abortions are legally performed annually in Oklahoma in addition to 4,000 abortions committed by Oklahomans driving to other states.”

Rep. Gann proposes sweeping transparency reforms for State House

Gann Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Restore Transparency to House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 30th) – In a far-reaching, and transformative effort to modernize the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has sponsored a reform package – House Resolution 1001 – designed to distribute power, promote transparency and reinvigorate the legislative process. His reforms aim to end the culture of opacity and concentration of authority that he says has hindered the chamber's effectiveness for far too long.

“The time has come to ensure the House of Representatives becomes an institution of laws, not of one man,” Gann said. “For years, our legislative process has stagnated, with decisions made behind closed doors and power centralized into the hands of one individual, the House speaker, who is elected by a single House district and not the people of Oklahoma as a whole. In recent years, at best, the House has simply marked time, failing to embrace new transparency measures. At worst, it has regressed, relying on secretive processes controlled by a single person.”

OCPA column: Bad instruction prompts lawsuit

Bad instruction prompts lawsuit

By Jonathan Small

One of the lower-key victories of the 2024 Oklahoma legislative session was passage of Senate Bill 362, which stated that Oklahoma public-school teachers “shall be prohibited from using the three-cueing system model of teaching students to read” starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Under the three-cueing method, students are encouraged to guess words based on associated pictures and context, and to memorize entire words, rather than learn to sound them out phonetically.

APMreports has noted “that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked” three-cueing, while ExcelinEd in Action noted the three-cueing system “can be boiled down to this: Teachers using this method instruct students to guess.”

Eliminating three-cueing will prevent unnecessary academic hardship for Oklahoma children. Lawmakers deserve praise for passing the ban, particularly state Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, who championed the issue.

But the benefits of SB 362 may extend beyond academic impact. It turns out the ban could also limit future financial liability for Oklahoma schools that might otherwise face litigation.

State Sen. Lisa Standridge files OK Turnpike Authority due process guarantee bill

Standridge Files OTA Due Process Guarantee Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 20th) – Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, has filed Senate Bill 80, legislation aimed at increasing transparency and public involvement in the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s (OTA) projects. The proposed bill would establish clear requirements for public notification, input, and oversight before any new turnpike or modifications to existing turnpikes can proceed.

“Our Constitution guarantees due process for every citizen,” Standridge said. “As a nation we give the worst of the worst criminals, including serial killers, due process; we certainly owe landowners in the path of a potential turnpike the same. This legislation ensures that the OTA operates with full transparency and accountability, prioritizing the interests of affected residents and businesses.”