Dahm files legislation to require teaching of historical Thanksgiving proclamations

Dahm files legislation to require teaching of historical Thanksgiving proclamations  OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed Senate Bill 2, which would require Oklahoma educational institutions to provide students with an understanding of the history and meanings of the Thanksgiving holid...

Small: Straight-party voting a cop-out for losing candidates

Straight-party voting a cop-out for losing candidatesBy Jonathan SmallFollowing this month’s election results, some officials claim straight-party voting is a major problem in Oklahoma. They imply many Oklahomans really wanted to vote for candidates from the other party but instead simply checked the straight-party option....

Hamilton, legislators question legality of self-induced abortions in Oklahoma

These are legislators with depth of conviction and principle when it comes to protecting the preborn.Hamilton questions legality of self-induced abortions in Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has requested that Attorney General John O’Connor provide an official legal opinion related to self-induced...

Humphrey asks Ethics Commission to investigate potential Hofmeister misuse of public funds

Humphrey Asks Ethics Commission to Investigate Potential Misuse of Public Funds by Gubernatorial CandidateOKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, sent a letter Monday requesting that the Oklahoma Ethics Commission investigate whether state resources were used to further a gubernatorial candidate's campaign during...

Elon frees the Babylon Bee from Twitter jail

He did it.We're back. Let that sink in.— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) November 18, 2022 Elon Musk is a nonreligious pagan with somewhat libertarian politics who appreciates and is a fan of the Christian-based satire published by the Babylon B...

Stephens pushes for black vulture take limit increase

Stephens pushes for black vulture take limit increaseOKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 15th) – Sen. Blake “Cowboy” Stephens, R-Tahlequah, is urging farmers and ranchers to report the number of black vultures killed on their property. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects black vultures, meaning Oklahomans can only take up to five birds...

Olsen, Dahm Promise to Protect Pro-Life Policies

Watch for it - the GOP-led Oklahoma legislature will make noises about re-legalizing abortion in "limited" situations. STATEMENT: Olsen, Dahm Promise to Protect Pro-Life PoliciesOKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 14th) – Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, and Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, today released the following statement reiterating...

Election Results Map: U.S. Senate, other statewide races

Earlier this week, I update my long-running Election Results Maps series with a post looking at the 2022 Oklahoma general election races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and State Superintendent. In this post, we'll cover the remaining statewide partisan races.Overall, it was a Republican ro...

State Sen. Stephens urges Oklahoma to “lock the clock”

Stephens urges Oklahoma to “lock the clock”OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, continues to advocate for Daylight Saving Time (DST) to be the official year-round time in Oklahoma. Stephens has advocated for DST legislation since he was elected to the Senate in 2020.The Sunshine Protection Act was unanimously passed...

Election Results Map: Gov, LtGov, and State Superintendent races

Update: be sure to check out my follow-up post here, with U.S. Senate and other statewide racesI've finally gotten the time to update my long-running Election Results Maps series with some posts looking at the 2022 Oklahoma general election.For now, we'll look at the race for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and State...

State Election Board Secretary celebrates smooth election operation

Secretary of State Election Board Releases Statement[Oklahoma City, OK || November 10th] The Secretary of the State Election Board released a statement today regarding the November 8 General Election and voter turnout.Statement from Secretary Paul Ziriax:"For election officials, the General Election is our Super Bowl. No election...

Small: With election over, time to focus on policy

With election over, time to focus on policyBy Jonathan SmallOklahoma voters have made their choices at the ballot box. Now it is time to focus on good policy. To that end, several major reforms could increase opportunity for a...

Sen. Hamilton wants to require majority vote in 2/3rds of counties for state question approval

Sen. Hamilton proposes changes to state question approval processOKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 4th) – Sen. Warren Hamilton intends to refile a resolution that proposes changes to the approval process for state questions.Hamilton filed Senate Joint Resolution 30 in the 2022 session, but it did not make it through the legislative...

Amber Integrated partnering with Decision Desk HQ on election results tracker

Amber Integrated, an Oklahoma City based public affairs firm that is a relative newcomer to the Oklahoma political polling stage, is partnering with Decision Desk HQ on election results tracking. DDHQ originated in 2012 as project of right-of-center blog Ace of Spades, and quickly became well-respected across the political...

Election Day: Links and Resources

Today is the General Election. If you haven't voted yet, you have from 7:00am to 7:00pm to cast your ballots at your precinct polling location. If you don't know where to vote, or want to see your sample ballot, use this helpful link from the Oklahoma State Election Board to find out.Here are some links to various posts...

Election Predictions: here's mine -- leave yours!

Here are my admittedly optimistic election predictions. Drop yours in the comments, or on the Muskogee Politico Facebook pa...

OCPA column: State’s licensure boards declared a “time bomb”

State’s licensure boards declared a “time bomb”By Jonathan SmallState licensure boards are an important, although often overlooked, component of job opportunity and economic growth. The boards control access to professions. If operated appropriately, they provide consumer protection while allowing the most qualified people...

State Election Board Offers Tips, Reminders for Oklahoma Voters

This information is very important for all registered voters, particularly since redistricting took effect this year:State Election Board Offers Tips, Reminders for Oklahoma Voters(Oklahoma City || November 4th) – Voters head to the polls Tuesday for the General Election and several nonpartisan elections. The State Election...

75 to 2: Oklahoma Dems lead voter registration in just TWO counties, fall BEHIND Indies in one

Some big news here in the latest of my long-running Voter Registration Maps series. These statistics used in these graphics are sourced from the November 1st pre-election report from the State Election Boa...

State Election Board releases official pre-election voter registration statistics

State Election Board Releases Official Pre-Election Voter Registration Statistics(Oklahoma City) – Nearly 2.3 million Oklahomans are registered to vote ahead of the November 8 General Election, with a net increase of more than 77,000 registered voters since January 15 and a net increase of more than 175,000 registered voters...

Emerson Poll: Stitt leads Hofmeister by 9%

The most recent poll of the Oklahoma gubernatorial race shows incumbent Republican Kevin Stitt pulling ahead of Democrat Joy Hofmeister. Several recent surveys had shown either a narrow Hofmeister lead or an essential tie. Either way, this will be a close race, and every vote counts. Here's the Emerson College Polling...

Protecting Americans Action Fund airs TV ad supporting Kevin Calvey for DA

PAAF Releases TV Ad Supporting Kevin CalveyArlington, VA (October 31st) – With crime rising and one of the top issues on voters' minds, today, Protecting Americans Action Fund (PAAF) released a television ad supporting Kevin Calvey for Oklahoma County District Attorn...

OCPA column: Sound the alarm on Oklahoma’s academic results

Sound the alarm on Oklahoma’s academic resultsBy Jonathan SmallOklahoma’s 2022 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test results show Oklahoma’s academic outcomes have plummeted, have fallen far faster than most states, and are at levels below nearly all states.Oklahoma’s NAEP score for fourth-grade reading was...

Election Board encourages absentee voters to mail ballots ASAP

Voters Encouraged to Mail Absentee Ballots as Soon as Possible(Oklahoma City, October 31st) – The Secretary of the State Election Board is encouraging voters who have requested absentee ballots to mail those ballots back as soon as possible to ensure they are received by their County Election Board before the deadline. “While...