Four insects and one crop moved closer Monday to becoming state symbols. The Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee passed two measures seeking to add them to a long list of state symbols. Senate Bill 2065, by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, would name the European honeybee the state agricultural pollinator while the American bumblebee would be […]
Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
Posted inNews
Bill advances prohibiting use of Oklahomans’ credit information to set insurance rates
Credit history is a factor in determining interest rates for things such as credit cards and home and vehicle loans. A credit score is a numerical number that considers certain factors, including payment history, amount of credit and debt.
Posted inNews
Governor’s budget plan proposes flat appropriations for most Oklahoma agencies
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive budget spends fewer dollars than last year with most agencies getting no additional funds. Stitt on Monday unveiled his executive budget, which is a starting point for lawmakers who are expected to spend the next four months crafting a state spending plan. Stitt’s budget proposes appropriating nearly $11.4 billion for fiscal […]
Posted inGovernment
Chip Keating announces run for Oklahoma governor
Republican Chip Keating announced Wednesday that he was running for governor. The businessman is the son of former two-term Republican Gov. Frank Keating. Chip Keating served as Secretary of Public Safety under Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is term limited. Chip Keating on Wednesday declined an interview request. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a […]
Posted inNews
Oklahoma Highway Patrol must continue to work metro highways, AG decides
A plan to remove Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers from metro and urban areas is illegal, according to a legally binding opinion released Wednesday by the state’s top attorney. The agency cannot make “the arbitrary decision to foist its responsibility” onto the municipal and county law enforcement in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, said Oklahoma Attorney General […]
Posted inNews
Probe underway after reports of nude women on Oklahoma state superintendent’s office TV
Oklahoma’s top Senate leader said an inquiry is underway following “a bizarre and troubling situation” where two board members reported that they saw naked women on State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office television. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the inquiry is being led by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and “leadership […]
Posted inNews
Lawmakers fire Oklahoma mental health commissioner against governor’s wishes
Lawmakers overnight Thursday voted to fire the state’s embattled mental health commissioner. Saying that they had “lost confidence” in Allie Friesen’s ability to lead the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, legislators voted overwhelmingly to remove her effective immediately. It marked the first time in recent history that lawmakers had taken such […]
Posted inNews
Walters to pay $5,000 for promoting Trump, violating Oklahoma rules about use of state social media
State Superintendent Ryan Walters has agreed to pay $5,000 and stop using his state social media account for personal reasons, according to a settlement agreement with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission released Monday. Walters used the account to publish information on social media that “tended to advocate” for the election of Republican President Donald Trump and […]