Republican Chip Keating announced Wednesday that he was running for governor. The businessman is the son of former two-term Republican Gov. Frank Keating. Chip Keating served as Secretary of Public Safety under Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is term limited. Chip Keating on Wednesday declined an interview request. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a […]
Government
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Session showdown
The Oklahoma Legislative session adjourned sine die on May 30. Gov. Kevin Stitt celebrated the win for policy priorities set out in his February State of the State address, including: quarter point tax cut (lower than the half point desired), the establishment of business courts, elimination of virtual school days and a ban on phones […]
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Enforcement of Oklahoma immigration law blocked indefinitely
An Oklahoma City federal judge this week placed an indefinite ban on enforcement of a state law criminalizing undocumented immigrants living in Oklahoma. The decision from U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones extends the two-week hold he implemented for House Bill 4156 on May 20 to last until he makes a final ruling on a lawsuit […]
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Your Voice Matters as Congress Considers Major Policy Changes
Prior to the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1, commonly called the “Big, Beautiful Bill” Act. The vote of 215-214 fell almost exactly on a party-line vote. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. It is expected that a vote will occur within the next few weeks. Much […]
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GOP draft
While the new year brings new changes and new challenges, it would seem that there is nothing new under the sun in Oklahoma. As the 2024 election cycle showed, Oklahoma remains deeply entrenched as quite possibly the reddest state in the union. Yet throughout January, straight out of the gate, Oklahoma made multiple national headlines […]
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No taxation for indoctrination
When Oklahoma makes national news, it is often an embarrassment. Now it is also dangerous. The state’s virtual charter school board has approved on a 3-2 vote (thanks to a last-minute appointment by Gov. Kevin Stitt that guaranteed passage), to establish the first publicly-funded religious charter school in the United States. Gov. Stitt and Oklahoma […]
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Election Recap
Not even a pandemic and thousands of statewide power outages can keep Oklahomans from voting. In fact, this year marked the highest voter participation nationwide despite the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19. Regardless of any baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, the election is over. This is especially true locally, where the sputtering blue geyser […]
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Voter’s Guide
In 2020, voting isn’t crystal clear. Few elections transpire without turmoil. The 2000 presidential election, for example, saw one of the most overt signs of doubt surrounding the country’s process as Al Gore secured the popular vote, but ultimately conceded to President George W. Bush after a recount was forced in Florida. Further doubt was […]
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Political yearbook
The Nov. 6 election results ushered in a new class of elected officials in Oklahoma scheduled to begin work during the start of a new legislative session in February, or in some cases, before then. Oklahomans showed preference for female candidates like never before and demonstrated a newfound respect for political outsiders. Those outsiders include […]
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Election penalty
The Nov. 6 election night results were cause for many across Oklahoma, including 38-year-old winner Nikki Nice, who won the open Ward 7 seat on Oklahoma City Council, to celebrate. However, no more than 24 hours later, Nice found herself the recipient of bad news as her former employer, Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Company, fired […]