Oklahoma Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Oklahoma politics with reporting on state government, oil and gas development, education freedom, and the Sooner State’s strong conservative tradition.
-
How This Oklahoma State Senator Wants to Make Elections More Secure
As discussions intensify across the nation on voter fraud and election integrity, many Americans want to know that their voices are being heard accurately at the ballot box. In Oklahoma, one state senator is taking steps to ensure that his state is on the front line when it comes to safe and secure elections. State…Douglas Blair -
Oklahoma Proposes Bill That Would Allow Parents to Remove Sexually Graphic Books From School Libraries
An Oklahoma bill introduced on Dec. 16 may allow parents to seek the removal of books that they deem inappropriate from school libraries. The bill, Senate Bill 1142, would give parents a right to ask for the removal of “books that are of a sexual nature that a reasonable parent or legal guardian would want to…Kendall Tietz -
Governor Hopes to Make Oklahoma ‘Most Pro-Life State’
Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, held a ceremonial signing of nine pro-life bills Thursday, telling The Daily Caller News Foundation that he intends to make Oklahoma “the most pro-life state in the country.” “The 10th Amendment clearly states what is not designated to the federal government belongs to the state in terms of rights,” Stitt…Mary Margaret Olohan -
How Oklahoma Is Making the Best of a Bad Situation With COVID-19 Education Funding
A long-standing problem in education is the academic achievement gap. Children of lower-income families typically lag far behind their counterparts from families with greater incomes. While that gap has many causes, a significant contributor is the lack of educational options available to low-income families whose children are often consigned to the worst public schools. In…Jonathan Small -
After the Supreme Court’s Oklahoma Decision, the Rights of Accused on Tribal Land Are Up in the Air. Congress Should Make Things Clearer, Not Less So.
On the last day of the Supreme Court’s pandemic-extended term, the court declared that nearly half the state of Oklahoma remained reservation land. This thrust matters concerning jurisdiction on reservations and tribal lands on the center stage. The implications of the Supreme Court’s decision are staggering, especially in the criminal justice context. Some 2,000 convictions…Zack Smith -
Supreme Court Decides Half of Oklahoma Has Been an Indian Reservation for Past 113 Years
The Supreme Court issued one of the most consequential decisions of its term on its last day Thursday. No, it wasn’t either of the decisions about President Donald Trump’s tax returns. Instead, it involved a case that received little attention at the time it was argued. But how often can court watchers say that a case…Zack Smith -
Oklahoma Police Chief to Trump: Reform the Laws Letting Police Take Americans’ Property
An Oklahoma police chief had a message to President Donald Trump on a controversial tool that allows law enforcement to seize property without ever charging its owner with a crime: police can’t step on the rights of citizens, as the tool called civil asset forfeiture allows. Stephen Mills, a police chief in Apache, Oklahoma, made…Melissa Quinn -
It Takes 4 Times Longer to Become a Hair Braider Than an EMT in Oklahoma
For aspiring hair braiders in more than half of the United States, obtaining the license needed to work this job can take as few as six hours and as many as 2,100 hours, or about 262 eight-hour days. But in 10 places that require hair braiders to get approval from local and state governments, a new report…Melissa Quinn -
How Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin Wants to Change the Traditional Public Education Model
Across the country, state legislatures are challenging the traditional public education model. And in Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin is looking to Sooner State lawmakers to bring Education Savings Accounts to students and parents. Education Savings Accounts, also known as ESAs, redirect the portion of funding normally spent on a student into a separate account accessible…Melissa Quinn -
Law Enforcement Seized This Oklahoma Man’s Truck Without Charging Him With a Crime
GRADY COUNTY, OKLA.— When Stephen Mills learned that the Grady County Sheriff’s Department seized his Ford F-250 back in 2010, he figured it would be a matter of days before police returned the vehicle to him and his wife. It wasn’t. Watch our video to learn about Mills’ efforts to get his truck back—and what…Melissa Quinn -
Oklahoma Law Enforcement Use Outrageous Claims to Prevent Reform Legislation
Law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma are upset with attempts in their state legislature to reform the practice known as civil asset forfeiture, the legal tool that allows law enforcement officers to seize property suspected of being involved in, or derived from, illegal activity. These groups have laid out a parade of horribles so extreme that Oklahomans…Jason Snead -
Oklahoma Law Enforcement Fights Effort to Make It Harder to Take People’s Cash, Property
Just days before the Oklahoma legislature kicked off this year’s session, three law enforcement groups began lobbying lawmakers to oppose a bill that would make it more difficult for police to take property from innocent Americans under the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws. The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association, Oklahoma City Police Department, and Oklahoma Association of…Melissa Quinn -
How Oklahoma Is Looking to Reform Police Seizures
Last week, State Senator Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, introduced the latest version of the Personal Asset Protection Act, a sweeping overhaul of Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture laws. Civil forfeiture is the legal tool that enables law enforcement authorities to seize cash and property, often on the mere suspicion that it was involved in, or the…Jason Snead -
Late-Night Removal of 10 Commandments Monument in Oklahoma Reignites Controversy
The monument of the Ten Commandments that previously stood on the Oklahoma state capitol grounds was removed late Monday night. According to the Associated Press, the state paid a contractor $4,700 to remove the monument following the 7-2 decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on June 30 that found the monument in violation of the…Sara Jones -
In 12 Oklahoma Counties, Millions Seized From Property Owners Who Were Never Charged With Crimes
In Oklahoma, law enforcement agencies across 12 counties took $6 million in cash over a five-year span. Less than half of the money came from property owners who were charged with a crime. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma analyzed records regarding cash seizures that took place in a dozen counties along Interstate 40,…Melissa Quinn -
Court Rules to Remove 10 Commandments Statue at Oklahoma State Capitol
By a margin of 7-2, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to remove the state Capitol’s Ten Commandments monument. The state Supreme Court ruled that the monument is “obviously religious in nature and … an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faiths,” and therefore defies separation of church and state. Attorney General Scott Pruitt…Diana Stancy -
How Oklahoma City Rebounded From America’s Worst Act of Home-Grown Terrorism
It’s been 20 years since we experienced the worst act of American home-grown terrorism at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. This solemn day stands as a reminder of the 168 souls that were lost. On a day where anger lashed out, Oklahomans responded with compassion. Every year since April 19, 1995,…Sen. James Lankford -
Photo Essay: The Oklahoma City Bombing, 20 Years Later
On April 19, 1995, 168 people were killed and 680 injured in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City—leaving the country in mourning and in shock. The blast damaged or destroyed 324 buildings, ruined 86 cars and shattered 258 windows in nearby buildings. It was the work of two…Kelsey Lucas -
Oklahoma Congressman Fights Plan to House Illegal Immigrants at Military Bases
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a freshman congressman and Navy pilot whose military awards decorate his Capitol Hill office, holds a special affection for fellow servicemen. The Oklahoma Republican also is sympathetic to Central American children who are being smuggled into the United States from Mexico to reunite with family. Bridenstine witnessed the intersection of those two…Josh Siegel -
Oklahoma Man Struggles to Cancel Health Plan for Three Months Due to Obamacare Delay
David Emanuel wanted to cancel his private insurance plan with BlueCross BlueShield after he became eligible for Medicare, but was told nothing could be done until HealthCare.gov consented to the change. The 65-year-old Oklahoma man spent three months entangled in bureaucracy. He shared his story with KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Okla., which was picked up by the Washington…Natalie Johnson