An anti-Islam movie trailer recently posted to YouTube resulted in unfortunate and inexcusable acts of violence in parts of the Middle East. The film itself is a shameful and disgraceful take on the religion of Islam, and has caused pain in the hearts of the American Muslim community. As an individual who was born in […]
Commentary
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Point: Slow down on ODOT funding
One of the few exceptions to the hard times is the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Following a long stretch in which state investment in roads and bridges remained virtually flat, the Legislature in 2005 created the ROADS (Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety) fund. Revenues for this fund come directly from personal income tax collections, […]
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Counterpoint: Roads funding is critical
Over the past six years, the Legislature, along with Gov. Mary Fallin and former Gov. Brad Henry, have rightfully positioned transportation as a core priority. Oklahomans should be thankful. Recently the Oklahoma Policy Institute questioned the investment that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has received in recent years. Yes, transportation has received marked appropriation increases […]
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It’s time for medical marijuana
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia currently allow for the limited legalization of cannabis, when recommended by a physician. At a minimum, it is time for Oklahoma lawmakers to allow for an honest and open debate of the issue. Marijuana and its organic constituents are some of the most investigated therapeutically active substances in […]
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DHS needs meaningful oversight
SQ 765 is aimed at bringing long-overdue reforms at the Department of Human Services, which impacts more lives than almost any other agency. In the last decade, news headlines have exposed case after case of tragedy and failure by DHS. It’s clear that change is needed. Every department, program, and employee needs to be scrutinized […]
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Shining a light on crime
Happily, Oklahoma County was ahead of this trend, and a new law will make our efforts even more effective and cost-efficient. In spring 2010, I joined with judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys to create a new program called SHINE. It stands for Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere, and it created a structure for low-level, nonviolent […]
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Democrats step up
For some time now, one narrative has been that the Democrats here have been splintered by differences and lacked a central message that resonated with voters. No one can deny that after the Republican statewide sweep in 2010, things looked particularly bleak for progressives. But that was before the 2012 legislative session, when progressives rallied […]
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For Tim Rhodes
I practiced law for over 30 years, primarily in Oklahoma County, observing the operations of the court clerk’s office and Oklahoma County government. I feel it’s important for you to give Tim Rhodes your consideration and hopefully your vote on Tuesday for many reasons. As a Republican, you no doubt favor limited government, but you […]
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Betting on a better boulevard
At the June meeting of the MAPS 3 streetcar subcommittee, Green presented an update on the progress of the new Oklahoma City boulevard. Within a couple days after his remarks, the Friends for a Better Boulevard Facebook group had been formed, newspaper articles began to appear, local blogs were heating up and talk radio was […]
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Don’t say Chick-fil-A wasn’t personal
While I hadn’t had time to consider it earlier in the day, I suddenly realized I felt the same way. In the days following, I heard from dozens of other LGBT Oklahomans who had similar feelings. I shared this with a straight friend who simply couldn’t understand these feelings. “Why?” she asked. “This is just […]