Stitt endorses in-person schooling

“Schools are an essential part of our society. It is critically important that they operate safely and effectively for all students. Our kids cannot miss another year of school.” —Governor Kevin Stitt


Voicing strong support for in-person instruction in Oklahoma schools, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday that federal funds will pay the cost of masks, shields

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Stitt endorses in-person schooling

Four conservative principles behind criminal justice reform

Despite the current unrest, it would be a mistake for Oklahomans to abandon efforts to change the carceral system in our state. Here are four principles that push OCPA to lean into criminal justice reforms👇


In the current political climate, it would be understandable to take a “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” approach to criminal justice. It seems like everywhere you look, lawlessness abounds.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Four conservative principles behind criminal justice reform

Unemployment fraud still rampant in Oklahoma?

“They’re paying a ton of bogus claims.” —Dr. Tracy Calamaio


 During the spring COVID-19 shutdown, Oklahoma officials were swamped with fraudulent unemployment claims.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Unemployment fraud still rampant in Oklahoma?

Stitt endorses in-person schooling

Voicing strong support for in-person instruction in Oklahoma schools, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday that federal funds will pay the cost of masks, shields, gloves, and gowns at districts across the state, and that all teachers will be tested for COVID-19 each month.

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by Ray Carter

Unemployment fraud still rampant in Oklahoma?

During the spring COVID-19 shutdown, Oklahoma officials were swamped with fraudulent unemployment claims.

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by Ray Carter

Judge rules little-known commission renewed gaming compacts

“We will need to explore the challenges of who will pay taxes and who won’t…” —Gov. Kevin Stitt


A federal judge has ruled state-tribal gaming compacts auto-renewed for 15 years due to the actions of a little-known state commission dominated by appointees o

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Judge rules little-known commission renewed gaming compacts

Trump directive on illegal aliens could benefit Oklahoma

“Just as we do not give political power to people who are here temporarily, we should not give political power to people who should not be here at all.” —President Donald Trump


Oklahoma could be “on the cusp” of regaining the sixth congressional seat it lost after the 2000 Census.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Trump directive on illegal aliens could benefit Oklahoma

OCPA comment on compact ruling

Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to a judge’s declaration that a little-known, unelected state agency triggered auto-renewal of casino gaming compacts for another 15 years.

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by Staff

Judge rules little-known commission renewed gaming compacts

A federal judge has ruled state-tribal gaming compacts auto-renewed for 15 years due to the actions of a little-known state commission dominated by appointees of former Gov. Mary Fallin.

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by Ray Carter

Trump directive on illegal aliens could benefit Oklahoma

Oklahoma could be “on the cusp” of regaining the sixth congressional seat it lost after the 2000 Census.

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by Mike Brake

OKC public schools training equates racism to COVID-19

🤔🤯


A mental-health training event conducted this week by Oklahoma City Public Schools declares that violence against racial minorities is a pandemic comparable to

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs OKC public schools training equates racism to COVID-19

Allan Grubb: I’m a district attorney, and I support SQ 805

"SQ 805 doesn’t limit our ability to be just. It merely changes our default approach to crime. And I hope we can all agree that our default isn’t working." —District Attorney Allan Grubb


SQ 805, which would elimate certain repeat-sentencing penalties, does not limit our ability to be just; it merely changes our default approach to crime.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Allan Grubb: I’m a district attorney, and I support SQ 805

Oklahoma legislature voted for Hollywood handouts

Even as Oklahoma was struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 shutdown and the decline in the oil and gas industry, the legislature this year sought to give more handouts to the film industry.

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by Curtis Shelton

Mayors support slavery reparations commission

The U.S. Conference of Mayors executive committee recently passed a resolution supporting the establishment of a federal commission “to study and consider a national apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery.”

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by Ray Carter , Mike Brake

Four Months of Unprecedented Government Malfeasance - Imprimis

Americans have just lived through what is arguably the most consequential period of government malfeasance in U.S. history. These governmental failures will transform the American polity and cripple urban life for decades.


The coronavirus lockdowns demonstrated our leaders’ ignorance of economic interdependence. After the riots, that ignorance has been shown to run far deeper. It is an ignorance about government’s most fundamental obligation: to safeguard life, liberty, and property. It is an ignorance about human...

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Four Months of Unprecedented Government Malfeasance - Imprimis

State has ‘significant work’ ahead on gaming compacts

Many politicians and attorneys have notable ties to the state’s largest casino operators who oppose the efforts of Stitt and smaller tribes to reach new agreements.🧐


The Oklahoma Supreme Court has struck down casino gaming compacts negotiated by Gov. Kevin Stitt with two tribes, ruling the governor exceeded his authority by

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs State has ‘significant work’ ahead on gaming compacts

Mayors support slavery reparations commission

A recent article in the Review of Black Political Economy noted that, according to one estimate, the cost of reparations could total $6.2 quadrillion.🤯


The U.S. Conference of Mayors executive committee recently passed a resolution supporting the establishment of a federal commission “to study and consider a nat

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Mayors support slavery reparations commission

Free Market Friday: When you take the king’s shilling…

What would make prominent politicians like Congressman Cole, Brad Henry, and Glenn Coffee oppose the state of Oklahoma in a case that would result in vacating the sentence of Jimcy McGirt—a man convicted of raping a 4-year-old girl? Hint: 💰💰💰


What would make prominent state politicians oppose the state of Oklahoma in a case that would result in vacating the sentence of Jimcy McGirt – convicted of molesting, raping, and forcibly sodomizi…

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Free Market Friday: When you take the king’s shilling…

State has ‘significant work’ ahead on gaming compacts

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has struck down casino gaming compacts negotiated by Gov. Kevin Stitt with two tribes, ruling the governor exceeded his authority by including sports betting in the compact agreements.

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by Ray Carter

School’s response to student abuse raises questions

Officials from the Oologah-Talala Public Schools, recently rebuked by the State Board of Education for failing to take seriously repeated accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers, provided an update to state board members during the group’s Thursday meeting.


But details of that update, combined with the sometimes-defiant tone of the presentation, may have raised additional questions about whether the district is taking the sexual-abuse-allegations issue seriously, despite the school having been “accredited with probation” by the state board.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs School’s response to student abuse raises questions

No statewide COVID mandates for schools

Board members argued local schools should be granted the flexibility to adjust policies based on local conditions and input from district stakeholders, rather than have the state’s more than 500 districts micromanaged from Oklahoma City.


Members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to approve a set of statewide recommendations to aid schools in developing responses to local COVID-19 in

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs No statewide COVID mandates for schools

Are Teachers Unions' Reactions To Coronavirus Accidentally Creating School Choice?

Families are working together to recruit teachers that they pay out-of-pocket to teach small groups of children. It’s time for policymakers to catch up with families.


Families work together to recruit teachers that they pay out-of-pocket to teach small groups—“pods”—of children. It’s a way for clusters of students to receive professional instruction for several hours each day.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Are Teachers Unions' Reactions To Coronavirus Accidentally Creating School Choice?

School’s response to student abuse raises questions

Officials from the Oologah-Talala Public Schools, recently rebuked by the State Board of Education for failing to take seriously repeated accusations of sexual misconduct by teachers, provided an update to state board members during the group’s Thursday meeting.

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by Ray Carter

No statewide COVID mandates for schools

Members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to approve a set of statewide recommendations to aid schools in developing responses to local COVID-19 infection rates, but declined to impose those recommendations as new state mandates.

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by Ray Carter

The pandemic is not a good reason to expand a flawed safety net | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

It’s time to enact policies that expect work in exchange for benefits, writes AEI scholar Angela Rachidi.


Mindlessly expanding safety net programs in the wake of COVID-19 reinforces a broken approach. Instead, we need to reduce steep “taxes” on low-income families for earning more from work and enact policies that expect work in exchange for benefits.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs The pandemic is not a good reason to expand a flawed safety net | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

Medicaid fraud still a problem in Oklahoma

As medical-welfare enrollment continues to grow, it’s imperative that the State of Oklahoma weed out fraud, whether stemming from providers or enrollees.


Earlier this month the DOJ announced an Oklahoma City-based specialty hospital and physician group will pay $72.3 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act and the Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Medicaid fraud still a problem in Oklahoma

Innovative CareerTech program getting Oklahomans back to work

An Oklahoma CareerTech center has created an innovative program to help adults displaced by the coronavirus shutdown move rapidly from the classroom to the workforce.


Tri County Tech, which serves Washington, Nowata, and Osage Counties in northeastern Oklahoma, was awarded a $1 million grant from Gov. Kevin Stitt to create its “Skills to Rebuild” program. The dollars, which come from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, authorized by the f...

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Innovative CareerTech program getting Oklahomans back to work

Medicaid fraud still a problem in Oklahoma

As medical-welfare enrollment continues to grow, it’s imperative that the State of Oklahoma weed out fraud, whether stemming from providers or enrollees.

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by Kaitlyn Finley

Innovative CareerTech program getting Oklahomans back to work

An Oklahoma CareerTech center has created an innovative program to help adults displaced by the coronavirus shutdown move rapidly from the classroom to the workforce.

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by Mike Brake

State increases COVID surge capacity

Oklahoma officials are increasing the number of hospital beds available to better handle a potential surge in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma.


Even with the potential for increased patients, however, hospital officials said their systems can handle a surge with regard to bed space, staffing, and intensive care unit (ICU) resources.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs State increases COVID surge capacity

OEA’s bogus math

The Oklahoma Education Association’s national parent, the National Education Association, is known for bizarre actions like working to give boys access to girls’ bathrooms and endorsing Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. Recently the OEA added to the bizarre by trying to give the impression that public schools are receiving only half of Oklahoma’s education-related federal COVID funding. Any suggestion to that effect is patently false.


Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to the Oklahoma Education Association’s re

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs OEA’s bogus math

To reduce over-policing, stop over-legislating

Those wishing to “defund” the police should join those of us who are fighting for limited government.


Why? Because ultimately every law or regulation is enforced by a cop. There is a lot that can be done to limit citizens’ negative interactions with law enforcement, but the most practical may be to give law enforcement fewer laws to enforce.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs To reduce over-policing, stop over-legislating

OCPA comment on OEA’s bogus math

Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to the Oklahoma Education Association’s recent criticism of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Stay in School” initiative.


Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to the Oklahoma Education Association’s re

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs OCPA comment on OEA’s bogus math

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate among nation’s lowest

👏👏


Oklahoma’s reopening of business after the COVID shutdown has resulted in one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Oklahoma’s unemployment rate among nation’s lowest

State increases COVID surge capacity

Oklahoma officials are increasing the number of hospital beds available to better handle a potential surge in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma.

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by Ray Carter

To reduce over-policing, stop over-legislating

Those wishing to “defund” the police should join those of us who are fighting for limited government.

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by Ryan Haynie

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate among nation’s lowest

Oklahoma’s reopening of business after the COVID shutdown has resulted in one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates.

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by Ray Carter

Governor begins work on state-tribal jurisdictional issues

“We know that there is a lot of unpredictability right now. We are committed to working with all Oklahomans, Tribal and non-Tribal, to create a practical and sustainable path forward. This commission is the first step.” —Governor Kevin Stitt


To address state-tribal jurisdictional issues created by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the formation of the Oklahoma Commission

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Governor begins work on state-tribal jurisdictional issues

Oklahoma teacher union attacks aid to low-income and minority students

Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan to use a small portion of the state’s federal COVID funding to address the education needs of some students—primarily homeless children, low-income students, and teens recovering from addiction—has drawn criticism from the Oklahoma Education Association.


The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), the state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), has been among the most vocal critics. But some claims made by the union are contradicted by publicly available data.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Oklahoma teacher union attacks aid to low-income and minority students

Governor begins work on state-tribal jurisdictional issues

To address state-tribal jurisdictional issues created by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the formation of the Oklahoma Commission on Cooperative Sovereignty.

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by Ray Carter

Education opportunity to increase statewide under Stitt plan

Fund students, not systems. Many families will now have access to online courses, $1,500 grants to purchase tutoring services and technology, and $6,500 grants to attend independent schools.


Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Friday he will use millions of dollars in federal COVID funds to increase educational opportunity across Oklahoma.

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from Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Education opportunity to increase statewide under Stitt plan

Education opportunity to increase statewide under Stitt plan

Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Friday he will use millions of dollars in federal COVID funds to increase educational opportunity across Oklahoma.

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by Ray Carter

Attorney General’s tribal agreement falling apart?

Within a day, it appears one of the issues to be ironed out is which tribes were actually part of the agreement.

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by Ray Carter