Fred Mogran Credit: Shannon Cornman A coalition of business groups headed by the State Chamber of Oklahoma support passage of SQ 766, which is on ballot Tuesday, asserting that its failure could spur a vast expansion of state taxes on items as varied as retirement benefits, professional licenses, hunting leases, and even copyrighted song lyrics […]
politics
Posted inNews
Romney is the choice for Oklahoma
—The Keystone XL Pipeline: From our state’s perspective, I could rest my case there. The Obama administration’s decision not to approve the pipeline is one of the greatest failures of his term. National security, small business and Oklahoma jobs are at risk of serious setback. Keystone XL Pipeline means more construction jobs, more industry jobs, […]
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What separation of church and state?
Credit: Brad Gregg Last week, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma released survey results of its “2012 Oklahoma Voter’s Guide for the Well-Informed Voter of Faith.” Of course, in this instance, “Voter of Faith” means follower of the one correct and true faith of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Catholics, Mormons, Unitarians or people […]
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Lost in Cleveland
Credit: Brad Gregg The Republican vice presidential candidate joined former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a visit to the Cleveland Browns at practice last week. Ryan took a few moments to speak to the players and committed what some Oklahomans might call a cardinal sin: He mistook a Longhorn for a Cowboy. As reported […]
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An embarrassment of a senator
Traveling around the county I hear two things about Oklahoma: “Love the Thunder” and “Who is that idiot who thinks global climate change is a myth?” What would it take to change his mind? Some 26,000 heat records broken this year, epic droughts and deadly wildfires? Or perhaps that dramatic photograph from space recently published […]
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From movie to measure
Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal in \”Won\’t Back Down\” California, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana have already passed such laws. Groups that write model legislation, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), have drafted model bills for legislators to introduce in their home states. Parent trigger laws allow for dramatic changes at a school if […]
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Wait for it
Matt Robison Credit: Mark Hancock Ironically, the need for state development and control was Oklahoma’s rationale for turning down a $54 million Early Innovator Grant in 2011 — the highest federal grant awarded to only seven states viewed as “leading the way on building a better health insurance marketplace.” Yet action on a state-created exchange […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Groove for good
Issues of human rights have become increasingly prevalent in today’s political discourse. Yet throughout this ever-fervent election season — one where finger-pointing has a tendency to overshadow more practical approaches to civil liberties — it’s a discussion that often finds itself lost in the bickering and politicking that frequently inhabits the campaign trail. As Groovefest […]
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Going to pot
Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, who chairs the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee, will determine if the interim study merits a legislative hearing. He said he is open to the educational value of such a study, but not legalizing marijuana. “I don’t want to prejudge their efforts, but my main concern is the recreational […]
Posted inMusic
Hank airin’
Politics and social justice have never been too far from the mind of punk legend Henry Rollins, and the world of the Black Flag front man turned spoken-word artist plunges more and more into that realm as we approach Election Day on Nov. 6. Naturally, it’s become a chief point of discussion during this tour, […]