State

Oklahoma justice

Following major moves to reduce the state’s prison population, Oklahomans continue pushing to further reform the state’s criminal justice system.

Oklahomans continue pushing for legislation to lower the state’s prison population and prevent people from entering into the criminal system in the first place.

By Miguel Rios Jan 22, 2020

criminal justice reform criminal justice mass commutation Damion Shade Oklahoma Policy Institute House Bill 2286 parole Question 780 SQ780 Nicole McAfee ACLU of Oklahoma American Civil Liberties Union Criminal Justice Reentry Supervision Treatment and Opportunity Reform RESTORE RESTORE Task Force OK Policy sentencing reform Oklahomans for Sentencing Reform nonviolent offenders House Bill 2009 sentence enhancements incarceration

Sentencing reform

Signatures are being collected for a ballot initiative that would prohibit sentence enhancements in nonviolent cases.

Criminal justice reform advocates want to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to prohibit sentence enhancements based on previous felonies for nonviolent offenders.

By Miguel Rios Jan 9, 2020

News ballot initiative Question Question 805 SQ805 Oklahoma Constitution sentence enhancements criminal justice criminal justice system criminal justice reform Oklahoma Statute nonviolent offenders Oklahomans for Sentencing Reform Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform OCJR Kris Steele FWD.us incarceration incarceration crisis Kevin Stitt District Attorneys Gene Rainbolt Roy Williams Rev. Dr. Ray Owens Ryan Kiesel Mike Neal Tom Ward Sue Ann Arnall Arnall Family Foundation Oklahoma County jail trust jail trust ACLU of Oklahoma

Cities’ equality

Oklahoma’s average Municipal Equality Index ranking is 32, about half of the national average.

Norman earned Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s distinction as an “All Star” city for advancing LGBTQ+ equality without relying on state law.

By Miguel Rios Dec 4, 2019

News Oklahoma news news Human Right Campaign Foundation Human Right Campaign HRC Municipal Equality Index MEI Allie Shinn Freedom Oklahoma Jose Vega Oklahomans for Equality LGBTQ LGBT LGBTQ+ Norman Tulsa Oklahoma City Edmond Lawton Broken Arrow Stillwater Moore nondiscrimination Stephanie Montelongo human rights commission Dennis R. Neill Equality Center

Holy resistance

Mosaic United Methodist Church intends to resist punitive rules that target LGBTQ+ individuals.

A local Methodist church is calling 2020 a period of “holy resistance.” New rules that punish clergy for consecrating, ordaining or marrying “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” were adopted in early 2019 and go into effect at the start of the new year.

By Miguel Rios Nov 26, 2019

Mosaic UMC Mosaic United Methodist Church Scott Spencer Methodist LGBTQ+ United Methodist Church UMC Book of Discipline Jay Williams Village United Methodist Church Traditional Plan Crown Heights UMC St. Stephen’s UMC St. Paul’s UMC Reconciling Ministries Network

District days

Rep. Kendra Horn spent several days this month meeting with constituents in her district and discussing big issues.

Rep. Kendra Horn spent her district work period in Oklahoma attending various events and hosting gatherings with constituents.

By Miguel Rios Nov 21, 2019

News Kendra Horn Fifth Congressional District OK-CD5 prescription drug costs medicare part d medicaid expansion healthcare immigration impeachment impeachment inquiry naturalization ceremony Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA DREAM Act Donald Trump National Republican Congressional Committee Federal Election Commission FEC

Gun sense

Gun violence prevention advocates say a few recent incidents prove permitless carry is a reckless policy.

It has been about three weeks since permitless carry went into effect.

By Miguel Rios Nov 20, 2019

News Moms Demand Action gun legislation permitless carry open carry constitutional carry Cacky Poarch Walmart La Baguette Stillwater Police Department firearms handguns rifles semi-automatic weapons weapons Twin Peaks Timothy Harper Self-Defense Act permit Larry Withrow Oklahoma City Police Department 2nd Amendment second amendment Oklahoma Second Amendment Association OK2A Tom Vineyard ARK-15 AK-47 Jason Lowe Kevin Stitt Oklahoma Highway Patrol Walmart Duncan Moms Demand Action Oklahoma

Abortion access

Attorneys and advocates continue fighting for reproductive rights.

Proposed legislation in 2012 that would have granted a fertilized egg the same rights as a person mobilized Danielle Williams to join the fight for reproductive justice.

By Miguel Rios Nov 13, 2019

News abortion abortion access abortion litigation dilation and evacuation D&E Danielle Williams Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice OCRJ Cindy Truong capitol Oklahoma Supreme Court Center for Reproductive Rights J. Blake Patton Walding & Patton Tulsa Women’s Clinic Supreme Court Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood Great Plains PPGP PP Tamya Cox-Touré reproductive rights reproductive justice telemedicine physician-only law Nancy Northup act of love

Not politicians

A group of concerned Oklahomans want redistricting to be done independent from the Oklahoma Legislature.

A coalition of citizens wants to end partisan redistricting.

By Miguel Rios Nov 6, 2019

News news Legislature politicians redistricting districts gerrymandering gerrymander partisan redistricting Let’s Fix This League of Women Voters League of Women Voters of Oklahoma Oklahoma Secretary of initiative petition ballot initiative Andy Moore Julia Kirt Senate District 30 independent redistricting constitution Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice retired judges commissioners redistricting commission independent commission Oklahoma Legislature Charles McCall Greg Treat People Not Politicians town hall tour town halls

Factchecking Oklahoma: Can medical abortions be reversed?

An Oklahoma judge blocked a law that presents medical abortion as an option. But is this backed by science?

On Wednesday, a judge put on hold an Oklahoma law requiring medical abortion providers to tell patients that the procedure is reversible.

By Mollie Bryant for Big If True Oct 25, 2019

Big If True Oklahoma Gazette factchecking Oklahoma factchecking abortion medical abortion Oklahoma County Judge Don Andrews temporary injunction Assistant Solicitor General Bryan Cleveland medication abortion mifepristone misoprostol progesterone pregnancy Contraception The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists abortion pill reversal Dr. George Delgado U.S. Food and Drug Administration control group Issues in Law and Medicine American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Primate aid

A local animal rights activist advocates for better treatment of primates and other wild animals.

Bob Ingersoll has rescued primates from bad conditions and looming executions to place them in sanctuaries, but his dream is for those very sanctuaries to go out of business.

By Miguel Rios Oct 23, 2019

Bob Ingersoll primates chimpanzees chimps orangutans news animal rights primate sanctuary University of Oklahoma Project Nim Center for Great Apes Joe Exotic Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park Arbuckle Wilderness World Wild Life Living Planet Report Biological Conservation Oliver and Friends Farm Sanctuary Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary

Dream state

As DACA heads to the Supreme Court, a local immigration nonprofit doubles down on its decade of work helping Oklahomans.

The future of thousands of Oklahomans is at stake.

By Miguel Rios Oct 22, 2019

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA Supreme Court of the United s SCOTUS US Supreme Court Tasneem Al-Michael Tax Al-Michael Angelica Villalobos Judith Huerta Morfin Serena Prammanasudh Dream Action Oklahoma DAOK United We Dream Amicus brief undocumented immigrants immigration news immigration news Oklahoma Dreamers Oklahoma immigration Mexico Bangladesh Carrie Blumert JoBeth Hamon Nikki Nice Amanda Sandoval Forrest Bennett local policy local politics sanctuary city Immigration and Customs Enforcement Black Lives Matter T. Sheri Dickerson Oklahoma County jail Stephanie Montelongo

Impact strength

Five local organizations benefit from sizable Impact Oklahoma grants as the nonprofit gears up for its next grant cycle.

Impact Oklahoma distributed almost $250,000 this year to five local organizations.

By Miguel Rios Oct 10, 2019

Impact Oklahoma Sooner Theatre OKC Metro Alliance Putnam City Schools Foundation Variety Care Central Oklahoma Humane Society Oklahoma University Women’s First sober living recovery program commercial kitchen Connie Schlittler Nancy Coggins performing arts theater culture grants beneficiaries philanthropy nonprofit Trauma Drama scholarships special needs community education health and wellness healthy families Circles of Impact Shannon Presti Woman of Influence Social Capital membership mixer

Freedom fighters

After one of its best years, Freedom Oklahoma readies to ramp up its advocacy for the state’s LGBTQ+ community.

Freedom Oklahoma aims to build off a successful year for Oklahoma’s LGBTQ+ community by focusing more on diverse sects of the community and advocating for more issues.

By Miguel Rios Oct 9, 2019

News Freedom Oklahoma Allie Shinn Jason Dunnington Randy Randleman LGBTQ LGBT LGBTQ+ Oklahoma Oklahoma City Norman James Cooper gay Pride Legislature conversion therapy unity unity gala gala Devon Boathouse Stonewall 50 Stonewall Riots Chelsey Branham Lawmaker of the Year SCOTUS Supreme Court of the United s LGBTQ Oklahomans nondiscrimination interim study advocacy LGBT History Month LGBTQ History Month Gay History Month

Changing conditions

While Oklahoma already reckons with effects of climate change, a primarily youth-led movement seeks sweeping reform to address the crisis.

Ninety-seven percent of climatologists agree that human activities result in a warming climate.

By Miguel Rios Oct 3, 2019

News Climate change youth climate strike US youth climate strike global youth climate strike Matthew Salcido Barbara Mayes Boustead flooding food scarcity water availability climate strike Grant Roberson Enviro Justice OK anti-capitalist anti-fascist Sierra Club Sierra Club of Oklahoma Devon Energy Chesapeake Energy Chase Katharine Hayhoe National Weather Service climatologist meteorologist severe weather Red River Houston Omaha Nebraska winter outlook carbon footprint

Powerful women

Following one of its most successful years, a local nonprofit continues recruiting and training progressive women to run for office.

Before flipping Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional district, Kendra Horn served as executive director of Sally’s List.

By Miguel Rios Sep 27, 2019

News Sally’s List Sara Jane Rose Alyssa Fisher lobbying recruiting candidates candidate training Kendra Horn elected office public official pro-choice progressive candidates women candidates capitol Planned Parenthood Sally Rae Merckle Mock Annie’s List nonpartisan nonprofit civic engagement education health care economy criminal justice reform Carrie Blumert Nikki Nice Chelsey Branham Powerful Women Tina Tchen Barack Obama Michelle Obama White House Council on Women and Girls

Costly justice

The closure of a local hearing site along with a record-breaking backlog of cases make court proceedings costly and slow.

Carlos came to the United States from Chihuahua, Mexico, about 35 years ago. An undocumented immigrant, Carlos has lived in New Mexico, Kansas and most recently Oklahoma with his family in pursuit of the American Dream.

By Mollie Bryant for Big If True and Miguel Rios for Oklahoma Gazette Aug 12, 2019

immigration court immigration court Kelli J. Stump American Immigration Lawyers Association green card Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse TRAC Syracuse University Oklahoma City Dallas U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review EOIR hearings ICE Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Northern Triangle of Central America Central America Guymon Oklahoma Panhandle Giovanni I. Perry Larry E. Davis Michelle L. Edstrom Oklahoma Western District Court Barbara T. Baker Paola M. Alvarez de Bennett trial hearings

Shots fired

The debate over permitless carry laws in Oklahoma continues.

In the past decade, the increasing frequency of high-profile shootings at schools and churches have made the right to own and carry a gun the subject of intense debate not only at the federal level but in state legislatures as well.

By Nikita Lewchuk Aug 6, 2019

Jennifer Birch Moms Demand Action Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association OK2! Second Amendment gun rights gun control Don Spencer permitless carry Kevin Stitt Mary Fallin firearms red flag laws Extreme Risk Protection Orders ERPO Carl Newton Lori Walks Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ Mayflower NRA National Rifle Association