Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Oklahoma and New Mexico Nets More Than $22M
Energy
Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Oklahoma and New Mexico Nets More Than $22M
2023-12-04 19:15:11
by Dan McCue

SANTA FE, N.M. — The Bureau of Land Management announced a competitive oil and gas lease sale offering nine parcels in Oklahoma and New Mexico brought in $22,530,735. The sale, conducted on Nov. 30, covered a total of 553.59 acres.... Read More

Gorsuch Stays Tribal Jurisdiction Lawsuit
Supreme Court
Gorsuch Stays Tribal Jurisdiction Lawsuit
2023-07-26 20:49:04
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — Justice Neil Gorsuch temporarily stayed a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prevented the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, from enforcing municipal laws against Native Americans. The litigation harkens back to 2018 when Justin Hooper,... Read More

Oklahoma Gov. Vetoes Bill Aimed at Boosting Mental Health Treatment in Jails
Mental Health
Oklahoma Gov. Vetoes Bill Aimed at Boosting Mental Health Treatment in Jails
2023-06-21 18:33:42
by Dan McCue

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — A bill intended to help restore the competency of jailed individuals with mental health issues so they can stand trial has been vetoed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Specifically, the legislation sponsored by Republican State Sen.... Read More

Oklahomans Get Extended Pregnancy Coverage Under Medicaid
Medicaid
Oklahomans Get Extended Pregnancy Coverage Under Medicaid
2023-03-28 20:04:20
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — Women in Oklahoma are now the beneficiaries of a full 12 months of comprehensive coverage after pregnancy under a change in policy announced this past week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oklahoma is the 30th... Read More

Okla. Bill Could Create Separate Rules for State, Federal Elections
In The States
Okla. Bill Could Create Separate Rules for State, Federal Elections
2023-03-16 14:25:42
by Dan McCue

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Oklahoma Senate is poised to consider a bill that would have state elections take place under different rules than federal contests if Congress were to mandate national election guidelines the state found onerous. The legislation,... Read More

GOP Hopes to Avoid Upset in Oklahoma Governor’s Race
2022 Elections
GOP Hopes to Avoid Upset in Oklahoma Governor's Race
2022-11-07 20:49:55
by Dan McCue

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Gov. Kevin Stitt’s reelection was supposed to be a slam dunk. After all, Oklahoma is a reliably red state and former President Donald Trump effectively ran the table here in 2020, garnering nearly two for every... Read More

Oklahoma Bans Nearly All Abortions After Fertilization
In The States
Oklahoma Bans Nearly All Abortions After Fertilization
2022-05-19 19:53:54
by Dan McCue

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Legislature on Thursday passed the nation’s strictest abortion law to date, banning almost all abortions from the moment of conception. The bill itself was modeled on a law that took effect in Texas in September.... Read More

Oklahoma Approves Law Banning Most Abortion Procedures
In The States
Oklahoma Approves Law Banning Most Abortion Procedures
2022-04-06 15:22:31
by Reece Nations

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma state lawmakers passed legislation on Tuesday that would make performing an abortion a felony punishable by a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to 10 years in prison. The bill, known as Senate Bill 612,... Read More

Sen. Inhofe Makes It Official, He’s Retiring at the End of the Year
U.S. Senate
Sen. Inhofe Makes It Official, He’s Retiring at the End of the Year
2022-02-25 19:04:26
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., made what had been a badly kept secret official on Friday — he’s retiring at the end of the year. Because his announcement came before March 1, a special election for the pending vacancy... Read More

Oklahoma Schools Leader Switches Parties to Run for Governor
In The States
Oklahoma Schools Leader Switches Parties to Run for Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who has clashed repeatedly with Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and his appointees over the state's response to COVID-19 in schools, said Thursday she will switch parties and run as a Democrat against... Read More

Women’s Clinics Outside of Texas See Surge in Abortion Refugees
Health
Women’s Clinics Outside of Texas See Surge in Abortion Refugees
2021-09-14 18:37:14
by Alexa Hornbeck

Clinics outside of Texas are seeing an increase in women traveling across state lines to get abortions only two weeks after Senate Bill 8, a Texas law which bans nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy before most women... Read More

Oklahomans to Gain EV Charging, Broadband, and More from Infrastructure Package
In The States
Oklahomans to Gain EV Charging, Broadband, and More from Infrastructure Package
2021-08-20 19:35:45
by Reece Nations

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- As Congress ponders the final version of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the White House is providing details on what states stand to gain from the package. In Oklahoma, investments in roads, bridges and airports are... Read More

Biden Taps Harris for Lead Role In Protecting Voting Rights
White House
Biden Taps Harris for Lead Role In Protecting Voting Rights
2021-06-02 12:03:52
by Dan McCue

TULSA, Okla. - President Joe Biden on Tuesday put Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of his administration's efforts to protect voting rights. Biden made the announcement during a speech in Tulsa, Okla., where he marked the 100th anniversary of... Read More

Biden to Honor Forgotten Victims of Tulsa Race Massacre
Civil Rights
Biden to Honor Forgotten Victims of Tulsa Race Massacre

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will take part in a remembrance of one of the nation's darkest — and largely forgotten — moments of racial violence when he helps commemorate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a thriving... Read More

Oklahoma Legislature Approves New State District Map
In The States
Oklahoma Legislature Approves New State District Map
2021-05-17 20:55:22
by TWN Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY - State lawmakers in Oklahoma this past week came to bipartisan agreement on a new legislative map to be used in upcoming state House and Senate races. And in something of the rarity in this hyper-sensitive time, the... Read More

Oklahoma House Unveils Legislative Redistricting Plan
In The States
Oklahoma House Unveils Legislative Redistricting Plan
2021-04-23 14:22:21
by Dan McCue

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma House and Senate unveiled new legislative district maps last week, revealing a plan in which no incumbents would be forced to run against each other. “These districts are based on unprecedented public input gathered through... Read More

Wild Songbirds Spreading Salmonella Infection
Health
Wild Songbirds Spreading Salmonella Infection
2021-04-08 14:23:41
by Alexa Hornbeck

The CDC has issued a report finding that small, yellow-tinged songbirds from the finch family were linked to 19 infections of salmonella across the U.S.   Rachel Curtis-Robles, a public health educator and outreach officer for the California Department of... Read More

OK-05: Stephanie Bice (R)
House Watch
OK-05: Stephanie Bice (R)
2020-10-31 00:09:58
by TWN Staff

About Bice: Elected to the State Senate in 2014, Bice served for two years as assistant majority floor leader in the Oklahoma Senate and is Chair of Senate Finance Committee. She modernized Oklahoma’s liquor laws by engineering the first overhaul... Read More

OK-05: Kendra Horn (D)
House Watch
OK-05: Kendra Horn (D)
2020-10-31 00:05:41
by TWN Staff

About Horn: A 5th generation Oklahoman, Horn’s parents taught her the importance of investing in people and serving her community, values that continue to guide her today. She believes that more people need to get involved in community leadership, including... Read More

Supreme Court Holds Large Piece of Oklahoma Belongs to Native American Tribe
Supreme Court
Supreme Court Holds Large Piece of Oklahoma Belongs to Native American Tribe
2020-07-09 19:12:57
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a large part of eastern Oklahoma belongs to Native American tribes - a significant victory for a reservation that challenged the state's authority to prosecute crimes on its land. Writing for the... Read More

Local Coronavirus Infection Spikes Muddle States’ Plans to Reopen
State News
Local Coronavirus Infection Spikes Muddle States’ Plans to Reopen
2020-06-18 13:46:30
by Reece Nations

As nationwide coronavirus deaths continue to trend downward, a surge of new cases across a multitude of states is complicating plans to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen economies.  Updated data from the Johns Hopkins University tracker indicates 10 states are... Read More

Justices Consider Whether Large Swath of Oklahoma Is Still An Indian Reservation
Supreme Court
Justices Consider Whether Large Swath of Oklahoma Is Still An Indian Reservation
2020-05-11 21:27:13
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON - In recent years most arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding political divisions have involved racial and partisan gerrymandering. On Monday, the justices considered a case that asks, at its heart, whether a large swath of eastern Oklahoma... Read More

In Oklahoma, More Than 155,000 See Voting Status Changed to ‘Inactive’
State News
In Oklahoma, More Than 155,000 See Voting Status Changed to 'Inactive'
2019-08-02 18:20:33
by Dan McCue

WASHINGTON - More than 155,367 Oklahomans had their voting status changes to "inactive" this week after they failed to respond to an address confirmation notice sent to them by the state election board. "Oklahoma has very few incidents of voter... Read More

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