Daily Oklahoman: Politics
- 6 Dr. Seuss books won’t be published for racist images
Tuesday - 03/02/2021 - 08:30 PMBy Mark PrattThe Associated PressBOSTON — Six Dr. Seuss books — including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Health official: Model predicts herd immunity likely with mask ordinance extension in Oklahoma City
Tuesday - 03/02/2021 - 11:33 AMBy William CrumStaff writerwcrum@oklahoman.comA public health official said predictive modeling shows local herd immunity to COVID-19 could be achieved in June.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
The announcement came Tuesday as the Oklahoma City Council passed a mask ordinance extension. - Police reform: Candidates' views in Oklahoma City Council runoffs
Monday - 03/01/2021 - 12:01 PMBy William Crum wcrum@oklahoman.comFraternal Order of Police Lodge 123 planned a forum Monday night carried on Facebook Live with the city council candidates in the Ward 1 and Ward 3 runoff elections April 6.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- Oklahoma lawmakers push to curb Gov. Kevin Stitt’s power amid coronavirus pandemic
Sunday - 02/28/2021 - 08:23 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writer cforman@oklahoman.comLess than a year after state lawmakers temporarily granted Gov. Kevin Stitt unprecedented emergency powers, legislators are looking to curb the governor’s authority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- Stitt administration defends federal coronavirus relief spending
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 04:01 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comTop state leaders on Thursday defended the Stitt administration’s spending of $1.26 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds and said there’s documentation to explain how every dollar was spent.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Power providers to seek billions from Oklahomans in wake of storm
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 11:13 AMBy Jack MoneyBusiness writerjmoney@oklahoman.comMore regulated utilities kicked off cases seeking to recover billions of dollars of storm-related costs from customers at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission this week.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Gov. Kevin Stitt appoints two new cabinet secretaries
Wednesday - 02/24/2021 - 06:42 AMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comGov. Kevin Stitt appointed two new cabinet secretaries this week.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
Stitt appointed Jennifer Grigsby to serve as secretary of economic administration and Susan Winchester to serve as secretary of licensing and regulation. - Oklahoma bill would undercut independence of OKC, Tulsa Health departments
Tuesday - 02/23/2021 - 11:23 AMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comA state lawmaker wants Oklahoma’s commissioner of health to be able to recommend firing the directors of the Oklahoma City-County and Tulsa Health departments.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma City works to stop water leaks, curb demand
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 11:56 AMBy William CrumStaff writerwcrum@oklahoman.comOklahoma City had crews running "every which way" Monday to stop leaks contributing to unrelenting water demand despite the retreat of freezing weather, Utilities spokeswoman Jennifer McClintock said.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- Recap: Gov. Stitt addresses Oklahoma winter storm utility bills Monday
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 07:02 AMFROM STAFF REPORTSGov. Kevin Stitt and other Oklahoma officials addressed the effect of last week's severe winter storm on utility bills at 11 a.m.Read more on NewsOK.com
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- House Republicans push to alter petition process after passage of SQ 802
Tuesday - 03/02/2021 - 01:27 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comLegislative Republicans are looking to change Oklahoma’s initiative petition process that allows citizens to push for a statewide vote on an issue.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
Attempts to tweak initiative petition requirements come after Oklahomans have increasingly used the process to circumvent the GOP-led state Legislature to push more progressive policies at the ballot box. - Oklahoma House speaker wants 'In God We Trust' displayed in state buildings
Monday - 03/01/2021 - 08:23 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writer cforman@oklahoman.comOklahoma’s House speaker once again is pushing for the national motto, "In God We Trust" to be displayed prominently in state buildings.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - OKC officials object to measure weakening local health department
Sunday - 02/28/2021 - 08:23 PMMayor's experience shows
Having a mayor with state legislative experience has its advantages.
Mayor David Holt, a former state senator, said last week that he reached out to the author when he first saw House Bill 2504 several weeks ago.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - OKC police surprised by local unrest after George Floyd death
Saturday - 02/27/2021 - 08:34 PMBy William CrumStaff writer wcrum@oklahoman.comPolice were caught off guard when a racial-justice demonstration escalated into an hours-long confrontation in front of police headquarters last year, according to a Police Department review of the response.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Takeaways: Five factors that will determine your utility bills following Oklahoma's winter storm
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 10:39 AMBy Jack MoneyBusiness writerjmoney@oklahoman.comIt will take weeks or maybe even months for customers of Oklahoma’s power providers to find out how their bills over the next five to 10 years will be impacted by the providers’ February storm costs.Here’s why:
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma lawmakers to oppose $1.9 trillion bill, while Holt urges passage
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 11:54 AMBy Chris CasteelStaff writerccasteel@oklahoman.comAs the House prepares to consider a $1.9 trillion spending package that includes more direct payments and unemployment assistance, Oklahoma’s five members are united with most other Republicans in opposition, saying the bill is excessive and includes many provisions unrelated to the pandemic.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma to pay at least $472,302 for coronavirus vaccine website
Wednesday - 02/24/2021 - 03:00 AMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comThe Oklahoma State Department of Health will pay nearly half a million dollars to Microsoft for the company’s work to build the state’s COVID-19 vaccine scheduling website.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Prosecutor warned mayor against public appearance with terrorism suspect amid summer unrest
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 05:13 PMBy William Crum wcrum@oklahoman.com Staff writerOklahoma County District Attorney David Prater warned Mayor David Holt against appearing at racial unity events last year with a man who was later charged with terrorism for his role in civil unrest.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Texas-size concern: Stitt, regulators work to keep Oklahoma utility bills from spiking
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 12:18 PMBy Jack MoneyBusiness writerjmoney@oklahoman.comOklahomans can expect to see bigger utility bills next month as they pay for additional energy used to get through February’s brutal winter weather.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Is climate change to blame for Oklahoma’s severe winter storm? The answer is complicated
Sunday - 02/21/2021 - 12:33 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comOklahoma saw its worst winter storm in decades last week, but don’t go blaming climate change for the bitter cold and heavy snow just yet.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
Climate change is a phenomenon studied on a global scale over the course of decades.
- Triple murder case leads to investigation of Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board
Tuesday - 03/02/2021 - 08:29 PMBy Nolan ClayStaff writer nclay@oklahoman.comState agents have begun an investigation into the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board and whether any wrongdoing there resulted in the release of two inmates from prison by mistake.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma elections threatened by U.S. House bill, state's top election official warns
Tuesday - 03/02/2021 - 01:30 AMBy Chris CasteelStaff writerccasteel@oklahoman.comA U.S. House bill to make voting easier would amount to a federal takeover of state elections and deprive Oklahoma of ways to detect fraud, according to Oklahoma’s top election official.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Former Oklahoma City Thunder worker charged in US Capitol breach
Monday - 03/01/2021 - 08:41 AMBy Nolan ClayStaff writernclay@oklahoman.comA former employee of the Oklahoma City Thunder is accused of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol Jan.Read more on NewsOK.com
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma lawmakers vote against relief package
Saturday - 02/27/2021 - 06:24 AMOklahoma's five U.S. House members joined all other Republicans early Saturday in voting against the $1.9 trillion spending package that includes $1,400 direct payments for most Americans; expanded and extended unemployment benefits; money for state and local governments and schools; and numerous other measures to strengthen federal aid programs and beef up COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Gov. Kevin Stitt appoints new secretary of commerce and workforce development
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 08:56 AMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comGov. Kevin Stitt has appointed a new secretary of commerce and workforce development.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
Scott Mueller will replace outgoing secretary Sean Kouplen, a Tulsa banker who has served in the role for more than two years. - Oklahoma House lawmakers vote to keep 'ghost students' at bay, expand school transfers
Thursday - 02/25/2021 - 01:00 AMBy Nuria Martinez-KeelStaff writernmartinez-keel@oklahoman.comHouse lawmakers voted to expand transfers between public schools and to limit the “ghost students” that could appear as a result.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Biden nominee for Interior Secretary faces tough questions on energy views
Tuesday - 02/23/2021 - 08:30 PMBy Chris CasteelStaff writer ccasteel@oklahoman.comRep. Debra Haaland, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be Interior Secretary, faced tough questions Tuesday from Republicans concerned about her past criticisms of fossil fuel production and the administration’s early actions to curb drilling on public lands.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - EPA sides with ethanol industry in Wynnewood refinery's Renewable Fuel Standards case
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 09:59 AMBy Jack MoneyBusiness writerjmoney@oklahoman.comThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday emphasized it is taking the side of the ethanol industry in a case that pits the agency against small, independent refiners.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Oklahoma's GOP lawmakers aim to invalidate Joe Biden’s executive orders
Monday - 02/22/2021 - 12:11 PMBy Carmen FormanStaff writercforman@oklahoman.comRepublican state legislators have signed onto legislation to challenge President Joe Biden’s authority to impose federal directives over the state of Oklahoma.
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
More than 60 Oklahoma House Republicans support a bill that would allow Oklahoma to challenge orders from the federal government and declare those actions unconstitutional through a majority vote of the GOP-controlled state Legislature. - The potholes are coming to OKC. Here's what to do about it.
Sunday - 02/21/2021 - 09:09 AMBy William CrumStaff writerwcrum@oklahoman.comPotholes will follow freeze
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
After last week's freezing weather, potholes are inevitable.Read more on NewsOK.com