Oklahoma State Capitol Credit: Shannon Cornman That’s why they’ve been included on this year’s list of Oklahoma’s Most Endangered Historic Places. Preservation Oklahoma Inc., a private nonprofit, unveiled its 2013 selections April 10 during a presentation at the Capitol. Gov. Mary Fallin attended the event, thanking Preservation Oklahoma for including the Capitol on its list. […]
capitol
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Threatening email
Prosecutors also charged the 54-year-old Gerhart with violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act by sending a threatening email to Sen. Cliff Branan, R-Oklahma City, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. Gerhart wrote in his March 26 email, “Branan, get that bill heard or I will make sure you regret not doing it. I will make […]
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Gunning for freedom
Credit: Brad Gregg Turns out, the thought of a sweet kindergarten teacher suddenly morphing into Kindergarten Cop isn’t such a realistic prospect after all. The decision comes at the recommendation of the Oklahoma Commission on School Safety, a group of law enforcement officers, mental health officials, teachers, parents and first responders. Their opposition, of course, […]
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Advocacy or extortion?
Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, confirmed the agency is examining bribery allegations against Al Gerhart, who admitted at Tuesday news conference that he sent a threatening email message to state Sen. Cliff Branan, R-Oklahoma City. Gerhart sent the March 26 email warning the lawmaker that he would become the “laughing […]
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Marriage equality is up for grabs
The Supreme Court justices (in that very same Supreme Court building) are presently considering California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage. They are also considering the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Interestingly, attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies jointly filed the federal lawsuit that brought […]
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Point: Triggering better schools
The bill only applies to schools that have received from the state Education Department a D or an F for the last two years or a D or an F for two of the last three years, provided the most recent grade was a D or an F. In those schools — where everything else […]
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Counterpoint: Don’t pull that trigger
Sen. David Holt, who sponsored such legislation for Oklahoma, said he was partly inspired by Won’t Back Down. But whatever the film’s merits as entertainment, its rosy portrait of parent triggers mask major problems with the idea. Under his proposal, if a school is given a D or an F on the state’s A-F rating […]
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How appealing
Credit: Brad Gregg “We have an obligation to protect our citizens and to make sure a life-altering abortion is held to the highest medical standards,” Pruitt said in a written statement. The lead plaintiff in challenging the ultrasound law, Nova Health Systems, was represented by the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights. “This last-ditch effort […]
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Correction needed for correctional officers
If you answered yes to all of these application questions, you may qualify to become a correctional officer for the state of Oklahoma. For your valuable service, the state will pay you $11.83 an hour to start, less than most of your local convenience store clerks and less than any other state corrections officer in […]
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Making schools safe
For many years, I’ve been concerned about this issue. I was privileged to work with 22 other Oklahomans appointed to the OCSS to analyze our current school security climate. The panel consisted of professionals from diverse fields such as local education, homeland security, mental health, local law enforcement, parents and operational planning. When tragedies strike, […]