Jason Reese

I am not a basketball fan. I do not follow the NBA and only pay attention to college basketball in March. Yet, I am keeping a keen eye on recent developments with the Seattle SuperSonics’ potential move to Oklahoma City.   Already I am hoping against hope that I can go to games with friends […]

It appears that narrow partisanship has trumped the national interest yet again. Reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program has been held up by a Democratic Congress too eager to emulate Canadian health care and a president who wields a veto pen without having any credibility on spending restraint. Oklahoma’s congressional delegation voted along […]

As someone who used to work under the dome of the state Capitol, I can tell you that many interim study hearings are not worth the ink spilled printing their agendas. A refreshing exception is the review of merit pay for teachers under way in the state House.   We say that teachers are professionals […]

By now you have seen them on the corner, you have endured the commercials: businesses that promise to give you the cash you need right now, and all you have to do is leave a postdated check for payday. More and more people are beginning to see that these outlets are nothing more than loan […]

In health care, we currently have choice for those who can afford it and government subsidies for those who cannot to help them go to public or private hospitals. What we lack is a sufficient level of universality ” the working class gets left out. Meanwhile, in education, we have universality for public schools, but […]

The economy is booming, but why does the middle class feel so squeezed? For parents, the soaring cost of higher education is an ever-present concern, and each of us is stunned by the price at the pump. However, neither one of those problems is enough to bankrupt the average family out of the blue.   […]

It is time for the franchise tax to go.   Interestingly, it may well be on its way out. Senate Bill 636 provides a needed first step in abolishing this pernicious levy by raising the tax’s liability exemption from $10 to $250. By so raising the exemption, more than half of the filers would no […]

You do not have look far these days to spot a political demonstration turned ugly. That is why it is so refreshing to find one focused on the very symbol of beauty. I refer to Rose Day, the day in which droves of Oklahoma citizens gather at the state Capitol to deliver roses to their […]

A few weeks ago I was treated to a rare experience. To understand the rarity, I must give you some background. Every year, Oklahoma attorneys are required to complete 12 hours of continuing legal education. This requirement normally is met by attending a succession of seminars and classes that cover various legal topics. The vast […]

Well, it could have been a lot worse. But for the petulance of Sen. Nancy Riley, Republicans would have the first majority in Oklahoma’s state Senate in history. In the House, the GOP lost one net seat and Rep. Lance Cargill is measuring the drapes in the speaker’s office. Mary Fallin has solidified District 5 […]