Latest headlines from Oklahoma Watch, covering world, with clear attribution and direct links to the original publisher.
About 180,000 Oklahomans have an active debt-related driver’s license suspension lasting an average of 38 months, trapping them in a cycle that makes it harder to work and pay their debt. At least 25 states have ended the practice, and Oklahoma lawmakers heard testimony Oct. 13 about doing the same. The post Driver’s License Suspensions for Court Debt Draw Scrutiny appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Three months after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler won reelection with nearly 60% of the vote, a citizens’ group called Grand Jury Justice has filed a petition seeking a grand jury investigation into his office on 11 grounds. Kunzweiler says the effort looks political. Petitioners say they’ve been gathering information for a year. The post Tulsa DA Just Won Reelection. Now a Citizens’ Group Wants a Grand Jury to Investigate Him. appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
The post Are medical professionals in Oklahoma prohibited from participating in lethal injections? appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Oklahoma lawmakers from both parties want tighter disclosure rules for large candidate loans to campaigns. The proposals come amid questions about Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei’s $11 million in interest-free loans and a separate bank loan secured by shares in his financial advisory firm. The post Oklahoma Lawmakers Want More Scrutiny of Campaign Loans appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
A researcher at the University of Oklahoma says that as more data centers are planned across the state, emissions from those coal-burning plants will only increase. Brenna Witchey’s story, More Data Centers, More Coal Emissions — and an OU Researcher Watching Atlantic Storms can be read here. The post Eye on Oklahoma: Data Center Pollution appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Prosegur Services Group, the private contractor deploying nearly 1,000 armed guards to U.S. Postal Service offices nationwide, holds Oklahoma contracts covering the Oklahoma County courthouse complex and Metro Technology Centers campuses. Whether any Prosegur guards will appear at Oklahoma postal facilities is unclear; the Postal Service doesn’t disclose specific deployment locations. The post Firm Supplying Armed Guards at US Postal Facilities Holds Oklahoma Security Contracts appeared first o
Oklahoma Watch · Portal Meltdowns, Abortion Lawsuits, and State Question 847 Jake Ramsey explores the fallout after Oklahoma’s voter registration portal crashed on deadline day, leaving prospective voters stranded. Brenna Witchey breaks down a landmark lawsuit filed by an Oklahoma mother over the state’s abortion ban a legal challenge echoing across the nation. Keaton Ross […] The post Portal Meltdowns, Abortion Lawsuits, and State Question 847 appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Oklahoma’s data center building boom is increasing demand on coal-burning power plants, adding ozone pollution that OU research shows can be pushed across the state by Atlantic storms. Meanwhile, Google’s Pryor facility uses 3 million gallons of water daily, and a refrigerant leak last year sent 14 people to the hospital. The post More Data Centers, More Coal Emissions — and an OU Researcher Watching Atlantic Storms appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Proponents of the Jewish charter school hoped it would be a winning test case for publicly funded religious education before the U.S. Supreme Court. But a state board rejected the school’s application on Monday. The post Denied: Jewish Charter School Application Fails By One Vote appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
A second proxy advisory firm has filed suit against Oklahoma’s new Proxy Advisor Transparency Act, joining ISS in seeking a federal injunction before the law takes effect November 1. Glass Lewis argues the law unconstitutionally burdens speech opposing company management while leaving speech supporting management completely unregulated. The post A Second Proxy Advisory Firm Is Suing Oklahoma Over Its New Anti-ESG Law appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Oklahoma’s online voter registration portal failed on the last day to register for the November 3 general election, leaving would-be voters scrambling to print forms and reach a post office by closing time. The State Election Board didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment as the deadline passed. The post Voter Portal Fails on Deadline Day, Leaving Oklahomans Unable to Register for November Election appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
The Trump administration is moving away from housing-first homeless policy, which has been federal doctrine since 2013, toward treatment-first models and short-term transitional housing. Oklahoma City and Tulsa providers say their housing-first programs are working and worry the shift will leave the most vulnerable people with nowhere to go. The post Oklahoma Housing Providers Say Housing-First Is Working. The Federal Government Is Done With It. appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
The post Are self-driving cars legal in Oklahoma? appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
State Question 847, on the November 3 ballot, would lower Oklahoma's annual property assessment growth caps — from 3% to 1.75% for homesteads and from 5% to 4% for commercial and rental properties. Supporters say it eases inflation pressure on homeowners and farmers. Critics say it will squeeze schools, counties and cities. The post State Question 847: What Oklahoma Voters Need to Know Before Nov. 3 appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
Records from Caddo County show more than 140 cost-arrest bookings as lawmakers work to determine how widespread the practice is. Keaton Ross’ story, State Examines Arrests For Unpaid Court Fines and Fees can be read here. The post Eye on Oklahoma: Arrested for Unpaid Court Costs appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.
