In recent days, a firestorm erupted over comments made by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, on the Oklahoma House of Representatives floor.
Commentary
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Parks and recreation
Earlier this spring, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced that Adair State Park in Stilwell; Beaver Dunes in Beaver; Boggy Depot in Atoka; Brushy Lake in Sallisaw; Heavener Runestone in Heavener; Lake Eucha in Jay; and Wah- Sha-She in Copan will close on Aug. 15. The good news is that the 10 employees whose […]
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Is Sally Kern an aberration?
The first of many unsettling racist encounters as I traveled across Oklahoma was in a diner where a voter told me that “Obama should be taken out before it is too late.” In 2009, after the president was elected, colleagues and I saw a Tea Party protester at a rally outside the state Capitol with […]
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When I signed up as a Republican 14 years ago, I don’t recall checking my common sense at the door.
When I signed up as a Republican 14 years ago, I don’t recall checking my common sense at the door.
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Counterpoint: Fallin ‘should be praised’
The legislation intended to set up a state health care insurance exchange facilitated by a $54 million “early innovator” grant from the federal Affordable Care Act, referred to by opponents as “Obamacare.” Once the bill arrived in the Senate, Steele and Fallin were both surprised when Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman said the Senate […]
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Point: Oklahoma resources first
Weeks after the tsunami crippled Japan and caused economic and environmental damage, the reality has set in that regardless of how carefully a nuclear plant is designed, accidents will happen. Oklahoma should not be a target for new nuclear energy development. While nuclear energy generation accounts for a lower level of greenhouse gas emissions than […]
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Counterpoint: ‘Clean, reliable and affordable’ power
This accident left many Oklahomans wondering: What does this accident mean for them? What is the role of nuclear energy in the U.S.? What is our response to the accident? First, our thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people. We will continue to stand with them throughout the response and provide assistance as they […]
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Counterpoint: Scrutinizing science
The most recent was the Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act carried by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City. Each has ultimately been defeated mainly due to pressure exerted by the science departments of the major universities in Oklahoma. It is hard for me to understand why, since I believe the adage, “Truth does not fear […]
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Point: More doctors, less preachers
The strategy among creationism proponents for a long time has been to create a nonexistent controversy and cast doubt on proven science and the scientific method, a disingenuous ploy that brings into question the sincerity of those who push it. Why don’t the religious-inspired politicians here just openly push to place the story of Christian […]
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Mid-session legislative awards
The Legislature is getting close to the halfway point, and before you know it, lawmakers will be adjourning for the year. Have they fulfilled promises, or are they just playing the political version of the four-corners offense? Most Frustrated Representative This is a tie between state Reps. Randy Terrill and Paul Wesselhöft. The two Moore […]