Oklahoma’s Statewide Official Compensation Commission voted on Tuesday to increase the salaries of 11 statewide elected officials. These salary increases total around $413,000 dollars per year. The commission previously voted Nov. 12 to increase salaries by more than $500,000, but rescinded this decision and approved different numbers. The median household income in Oklahoma is just over $66,000, […]
Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
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Oklahoma governor apologizes for disparaging remarks, celebrates session victories
Gov. Kevin Stitt said Wednesday he had apologized to a state senator after making disparaging remarks about him and his wife last week. Stitt also defended his choice for interim commissioner of the state mental health department, despite his lack of experience in mental health. Stitt drew the ire of lawmakers Thursday as they worked […]
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Oklahoma’s soaring suicide rates place state in top 10 nationally, report finds
Oklahoma’s suicide rate is over 60% higher than the national average and ranks in the top 10 states for suicide and suicidality, a report found. The Healthy Minds Policy Initiative found that nearly 8,000 Oklahomans died by suicide between 2013 and 2022, which equates to “two lives lost per day over a decade.” Most were […]
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Clinton: As country grows more polarized, America needs unity, the ‘Oklahoma Standard’
On the 30th anniversary of the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, former President Bill Clinton said Americans must unite despite their differences, and that Oklahomans can help lead the way by serving as that role model for the rest of the nation. Clinton, who was president at the time of the attack, […]
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House Democrat leader announces run for Oklahoma governor
Democrat House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson announced she’ll run for governor in 2026 during a campaign event outside the state Capitol Tuesday. Munson, 39, of Oklahoma City, was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2015 as the first Asian-American woman in the state Legislature. She said she will continue to serve in her role […]
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House eyes Oklahoma mental health hospital alternative amid soaring price tag
The construction of a new inpatient mental health hospital is $124 million over budget, and House budget leaders do not want taxpayers to pick up the tab. The Donahue Behavioral Health Campus, located in Oklahoma City, was budgeted for $147 million and broke ground in March 2024. It would serve adults and adolescents with 330 […]