In mid-March, Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, introduced legislation designed to create a respite waiver program for families and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. Osborn, one of 15 members of the newly created Waiting List Caucus, introduced House Bill 2758 as a solution to reduce the long waiting list that has historically plagued Oklahoma Department […]
Laura Eastes
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Front and center
A week before the lowest number of women lawmakers since 2010 were headed to the Oklahoma Capitol for the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, women from across Oklahoma gathered in a Tulsa hotel conference room for the one-day, nonpartisan Pipeline to Politics educational program, which seeks to increase women’s participation in politics. It was […]
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Addressing needs
Rents have increased rapidly across the United States housing market, including Oklahoma City, which has long been praised for its low-cost living. Even in one of the nation’s more affordable cities, an increased demand for affordable rentals, flat millennial homeownership rates and stagnant incomes lead to an affordable housing crisis. Add that more people desire […]
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Gaming decision
In February, a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the arbitration agreement in the Oklahoma Model Tribal Gaming Compact, calling it unenforceable. It’s a verdict that leaves both Native American tribes and the State of Oklahoma unclear how to enforce an aspect of the compact that enables tribes to operate […]
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No. 14
In early February, Dean Suzette Grillot penned an open letter to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, respectfully requesting they release names of the finalists for the University of Oklahoma president and provide an opportunity for university stakeholders to engage with those under consideration to lead the state’s flagship university. “We have looked forward […]
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Béisbol
Jorge Hernández drew cheers when he said the name “Fernando Valenzuela” in his speech in Spanish to introduce Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión, a new multicultural campaign for baseball, to south Oklahoma City baseball fans. It was the response many expected because the Mexico-born former Los Angeles Dodger accomplished much in his baseball […]
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Advocacy alert
After spending nearly a year campaigning on the effects of tough-on-crime policies that have packed the state’s prisons and jails to the bursting point, largely with Oklahomans suffering from addiction and mental health problems, Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) leaders felt confident that the two ballot measures they put before state voters in the […]
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Fast track
After a decade of discussion around City Hall and among the public about building a modern streetcar system for Oklahoma City, downtown streets are showing all the signs that soon, the sleek colorful streetcars will glide through. In the downtown core and Midtown, pedestrians and drivers travel over rail tracks. In Bricktown, which will see […]
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Deep cut
Oklahoma will soon hire a private contractor to crack down on Medicaid fraud, identifying people who might no longer be eligible for the low-income health program and sending recommendations for benefits cancelation. It’s unclear how many of the nearly 800,000 Oklahomans, most of whom are children, would lose health care coverage under the new law, […]
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Just walk
As the executive director of Uptown 23rd District, Amanda de la Torre has a lot of love for the urban district that’s burgeoning with hip restaurants and shops, trendy coffee joints and a renovated theater that has become the place in Oklahoma City to catch live musical acts or rewatch a cult-classic film. Each spring […]