As campaign registration deadlines loom, June primary elections are shaping up to determine who will be on the final ballot in the Sooner State’s General Election this coming November. Will this election cycle go by quickly, or will it drag on like a really bad cold? Regardless, let’s take a look at who’s running for […]
Jon Echols
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Second session
The second legislative session since the passage of State Question 788 was passed begins Feb. 3, and several bills pertaining to the medical cannabis program have been filed. The proposed amendatory bill raising the most ire among the medical cannabis community is Senate Bill 1520, authored by Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore. SB1520 would raise the […]
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Cover: Laboratory, tested
Testing is now required for all cannabis products in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, all laboratories currently operating in the state are being tested by growers and processors and will soon be tested by the state. Several labs in the Oklahoma City metro have been operating since well before sample testing became a requirement, and savvy cannabis consumers […]
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Chicken-Fried News: Scotchgarding ‘The Guardian’
Zero percent. That is the odds Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, gives opponents of House Bill 2597 of getting a referendum on the ballot that would allow voters the chance to repeal the bill, according to Tulsa World. Co-authored by Echols, HB 2597 — allowing legal gun owners to open- or concealed-carry their weapons without […]
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Cover: Green state
On June 26, 2018, more than 892,000 Oklahomans flooded the polls. They chose Kevin Stitt as the Republican gubernatorial candidate and Drew Edmondson as the Democratic one. An item on the ballot was State Question 788, which read in part, “This measure amends the Oklahoma State Statutes. A yes vote legalizes the licensed use, sale, […]
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Grumpy’s getaway
NOTE: This event is postponed until further notice. Chris Moe hosts his Uncle Grumpy’s Green Retreat later this month at Lost Lakes Entertainment Complex. While it is expected to be crammed with speakers, bands and other entertainment, he said it is definitely not just a big party. The idea began before the vote on State […]
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Retroactive law
Nearly a thousand Oklahomans will be released from prison early — potentially in time for the holidays. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law that makes State Question 780, which reclassified simple drug possessions from felonies to misdemeanors, retroactive. Department of Corrections (DOC) must provide a list of eligible inmates to the Pardon and […]
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Unified plan
The first piece of medical marijuana legislation is now law. House Bill 2612, also known as the “unity bill,” was authored by Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada. It cleared the state House of Representatives on Feb. 28 with 93 voting yes and five opposed and then passed the Oklahoma Senate […]
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Capitol CAIR
The Oklahoma chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has seen its annual Muslim Day at the Capitol event grow exponentially since 2015. What started as a somewhat basic introduction to the Capitol has grown into a full-blown day of action and advocacy. Lani Habrock, CAIR government affairs director, said the group began the event […]
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Buyer beware
Medical marijuana regulations rolled out by the state health department in July were met with heavy pushback from the community at large and caused Gov. Mary Fallin to call for revisions and set forth emergency rules on Aug. 1. The new regulations govern the growth, sale and purchase of medical marijuana but don’t address testing, […]