Marty Quinn announces campaign for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner

Great news! I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have in this position. Incumbent Republican Glen Mulready is term-limited, so this will be an open seat:

Marty Quinn Announces Campaign for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner

Conservative Businessman and Former State Senator Brings Decades of Industry Experience to the Race

CLAREMORE, OK (July 15th) — Marty Quinn, a small business owner, insurance professional, and longtime conservative leader, today announced his candidacy for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner.

With over 40 years of experience as an agency owner and manager— Quinn brings unmatched expertise and a deep commitment to public service. A former Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee and respected voice in the Oklahoma Legislature, Quinn is running to restore transparency, protect consumers, and ensure the Insurance Department works for the people — not the bureaucracy.

Honor Heights Veterinary Clinic Clinic rebrands as CareVet of Honor Heights

For some Muskogee news, here's a press release from one of the city's oldest veterinary clinics:

Honor Heights Veterinary Clinic Clinic Rebrands as CareVet of Honor Heights

Muskogee, OK (July 14, 2025) – Honor Heights Veterinary Clinic, a trusted provider of small animal veterinary care in Muskogee, Oklahoma since 1986, is excited to announce its official rebranding to CareVet of Honor Heights. This new chapter marks a significant milestone for the hospital and the local pet community—bringing expanded resources, enhanced services, and a renewed dedication to delivering top-tier care.

OK House Education chair: Walters' school lunch mandate is "empty threat"

Education Chair Dismisses SDE Mandate as "Empty Threat"

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 9th) – Oklahoma House Education Committee Chair Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, reacted to the Monday announcement by State Superintendent Ryan Walters that he would require all school districts in the state to provide free lunches to all students at the cost of employee salaries. The Superintendent does not have the Constitutional or legal authority to direct how individual school districts allocate their budgets.

"This attempt to overstep the authority of Walters' office is a threat to the independent decision-making power of Oklahoma's school districts. Regardless, it is nothing more than an empty threat," said Lowe, a former ag teacher. 

Echols announces $900k raised for Attorney General campaign

Attorney General candidate Jon Echols is touting his hefty campaign warchest (a former 6-term state representative, that figure includes just over $160,000 transferred from his old State House campaign account). The only other Republican candidate so far is Jeff Starling.

Ironically, I did notice in his 1st Quarter ethics report that Echols misstates his own occupation and employer, information which campaigns are required to record from donors. Echols' personal contributions to his campaign list "Representative" and "Oklahoma House of Representatives" as his occupation and employer, even though Echols termed out as a state legislator in November of last year. Probably something a prospective Attorney General should pay attention to and correct...

Echols Campaign Passes 900k Raised in Race for Attorney General

Oklahoma City, OK (July 7th) - Today, the campaign for Oklahoma Attorney General candidate Jon Echols announced that it has surpassed $900,000 raised.

Small: Work requirements a win for taxpayers

Work requirements a win for taxpayers

By Jonathan Small

“Work” may be a four-letter word, but it’s not an obscenity. You wouldn’t know that based on the reaction of many liberals to the new work requirements for Medicaid.

To stay on Medicaid, the new law requires able-bodied adults with no children to spend only 80 hours per month either working, going to school, participating in a work program, or doing community service.

If you’re thinking, “That’s doesn’t seem too hard,” you’re right. To suggest these extremely lenient work requirements are draconian is nonsense.

State Sup't Walters: schools must fully fund student meals with existing state/fed dollars

Walters Demands End to Bureaucratic Bloat

Oklahoma Schools Must Fully Fund Student Meals

Oklahoma City, OK – Starting in the 2025/2026 school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will mandate that every school district fully funds student meals using existing state and federal operational dollars. For too long, Oklahoma’s students and taxpayers have been fleeced by gross mismanagement and bloated bureaucracies that prioritize administrative paychecks over kids’ basic needs. This stops now.

Senate Pro Tem Paxton approves Interim Study requests for 2025 Legislative interim

Pro Tem Paxton Approves Interim Study Requests for 2025 Legislative Interim

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 2nd) – Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, has approved a series of interim study requests that will be considered during the Oklahoma Senate’s interim period.

Interim studies have been assigned to relevant Senate committees and will be scheduled at the discretion of each committee chair. All approved studies must be completed by October 31.

These studies allow lawmakers to take a deeper dive into important issues facing the state ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

Oklahoma congressmembers vote for, comment on 'One Big Beautiful Bill'

All five of Oklahoma's members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined both U.S. Senators in voting for the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' this week, with the House passing the mega-measure by a vote of 218-214.

Comments from each of the Representatives below:

ICYMI: Who is the real Gentner Drummond?

As the 2026 gubernatorial campaign heats up, I thought I would bring back an old post with some background on current Attorney General Gentner Drummond, one of the leading candidates for governor (probably in the front of the pack due to name recognition and his campaign's deep pockets).

Who is the real Gentner Drummond? Fellow 2026 gubernatorial candidate Charles McCall has been pointing out Drummond's past record, such as contributions to the state legislator who is now the Oklahoma Democratic Party's new state chair. 

You may be startled to discover Drummond's past proclivity in donating to Democratic candidates, including Democrats who ran against U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, and don't forget that infamous $1,000 donation to Joe Biden in 2020 in his name that he claims was from his wife during a marital spat. 

I just rediscovered this, but in the height of irony, in his first [failed] campaign for AG in 2018, Drummond accused Mike Hunter of supporting Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi (a group Hunter worked for had donated to the aforementioned Democrats, but not Hunter himself). Egg on face, much?

I originally published the following on May 27th, 2022, during the last race for Attorney General between Drummond and then-incumbent John O'Connor (an interim placeholder):

OK Ethics Commission's new campaign finance reporting system rollout pushed back to September

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission's electronic reporting system, The Guardian, is a key tool for citizen scrutiny of Oklahoma's elections and elected officials. Campaign finance reports, lobbyist registration and spending, certain elected official disclosures, all of that is found in the Guardian system, which is set to be overhauled and replaced later this year:

News about Guardian 2.0

Oklahoma City (June 26th) - The Oklahoma Ethics Commission announces today that the launch of Guardian 2.0, the state’s next-generation campaign finance and public reporting system, has been rescheduled for early September 2025. The timeline shift allows for final data conversion and system readiness following a fast-paced six-month development effort.

40,000 plants, 1,000 pounds of marijuana seized in major drug and ICE bust

With every passing day, the choice Oklahoma made to legalize marijuana yields a progressively worse harvest:

More than 40,000 marijuana plants, 1,000 lbs. of processed marijuana seized in Organized Crime Task Force sting in Mayes, Craig counties

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 26, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced today that a large-scale bust of an illegal marijuana grow operation in Mayes and Craig counties led by his Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) has resulted in the confiscation of 40,723 marijuana plants and more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana.

Qi Wei Chen, a 35-year-old Chinese national, faces charges in Craig County for aggravated manufacturing of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana), trafficking of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana), and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Small: Court finds discrimination is wrong

Court finds discrimination is wrong

By Jonathan Small

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that discrimination is wrong. That may surprise Ibram Kendi disciples but not any Oklahoman with an ounce of common sense.

(Kendi is the author of “How to be an Antiracist” and notoriously declared that “racial discrimination is not inherently racist” and the “only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination.”)

Marlean Ames, a white woman, began working for the Ohio Department of Youth Services in 2004. In 2019, she applied for a management position that ultimately went to a lesbian woman. The agency subsequently demoted Ames from her role as a program administrator and hired a gay man to take her place. Ames sued the agency, alleging she was denied the management promotion and demoted because of her sexual orientation.