Kurt Hochenauer

What does it say about a state when it spends far more money on a per-person basis housing its prisoners than it does educating its children? Sadly, that has been the case in Oklahoma for years, and the message from many previous and current state leaders is simple and stark: Oklahoma is more interested in […]

The recent tornadoes that killed two people, injured many more and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes, and businesses should encourage Oklahoma leaders to come up with renewed comprehensive safety plans to protect the state’s residents and visitors. This plan might include requiring mobile home parks and apartments to have at least evacuation plans if […]

It’s significant that state political leaders, especially mainstream Republicans, recently denounced the idea of creating an official anti-federal government militia in Oklahoma. State tea party activists have apparently discussed the idea of such a state-sanctioned militia along with two state politicians, state Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, who is running for governor, and state Rep. Charles […]

All this opt-out legislation at the state Capitol this year ignores the fact that Oklahoma’s history shows the state is heavily dependent on the federal government for its viability. Oklahoma has been rescued by federal money and policies since statehood. Without the federal government’s continued support, Oklahoma would resemble a small, impoverished Third World country. […]

The Thunder basketball team has proven Oklahoma City is in the big leagues now, and MAPS 3 promises to keep the city’s momentum going for years to come. But there’s at least one thing holding the city back: Oklahoma’s antiquated, dysfunctional liquor laws. It’s the drunken, hypocritical elephant in the room often invisible to city […]

The 2010 Oklahoma legislative session, which began Feb. 1, could be bitter and contentious as leaders determine how the state will deal with its worst budget crisis since the Great Depression.It could get ugly on a historic level. With majorities in both the House and Senate, along with help from conservative Democrats up for re-election, […]

The state’s current severe budget crisis could finally force legislators and other public officials this year to address Oklahoma’s burgeoning correctional system. Oklahoma is the only state in the country that still involves the governor in every parole recommendation. The main problem with the current system is that any Oklahoma governor runs great political risk […]

Reducing poverty remains one of Oklahoma’s greatest challenges in the early 21st century.Poverty, in the state’s historical context, is systemic and has gut-wrenching realities, such as basic hunger. It’s also a major part of the state’s mythology. Oklahoma’s image as a “poor state” has endured ” fairly or not ” since the Great Depression and […]

Beginning in 1929, the Great Depression defined Oklahoma as Okies escaped westward in massive numbers and the state’s population dwindled. The exodus didn’t stabilize until nearly the ’50s.   In the ’80s, the collapse of Penn Square Bank and the oil bust caused high unemployment rates, memorialized in local T-shirts emblazoned with this question: “Will the […]

Some Oklahoma Republicans and pundits are predicting gains for the GOP in the 2010 statewide elections because of President Barack Obama’s unpopularity here. This should raise concerns about the state’s cultural environment. Will the so-called “Obama effect” lead to a Republican governor and wider GOP majorities in the Oklahoma House and Senate after the 2010 […]