(December 7th) The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is excited to announce, introduce, and welcome its next Executive Director, Lee Anne Bruce Boone. She will be the 4th Executive Director to serve the Oklahoma Ethics Commission since its creation in 1990 following Directors Marilyn Hughes, Lee Slater, and Ashley Kemp.
Gov. Stitt is celebrating (after a brief 'optics' faux pas over whether he'd be applying for his kids) what appears to be a succesful launch of the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program, with what appears to be enough applicants in the first 90 minutes to use up the entire first-year allocation of $150M. Under the current law, the credit will increase to $200M in 2025, and $250M in 2026. I expect that to change as it looks like this will be a popular program.
OKLAHOMA CITY (December 7, 2023) - Governor Kevin Stitt today celebrated the launch of the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program and revealed the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) received over 30,000 submissions within the first 90 minutes of launch. OTC, alongside its operational partner Merit, began accepting applications on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CST. To date, approximately 140 accredited schools have been registered to participate.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Josh Brecheen will be hosting the final telephone town hall of the year tonight, Tuesday, December 5th at 7 PM CT.
During the call, Congressman Brecheen will provide an update on some of the most pressing policy issues facing our country, including our more than $33 trillion national debt, and answer live questions from constituents.
Details for participating in the call are below:
Constituents should dial 888-480-3675 if they would like to participate in the call. To watch a live stream of the call, constituents can visit our Facebook page here.
Oklahoma City, Okla – State Superintendent Ryan Walters hailed the success of a tutoring program designed to help at-risk students who are behind on reading with literacy support during the Thanksgiving holiday break.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Josh Brecheen introduced two bills today to fight back against the Biden Administration’s far-Left, pro-abortion agenda.
Drummond issues opinion, guidance on state abortion laws
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 21, 2023) - Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal opinion today explaining that Oklahoma law does not allow pregnant women to be punished for seeking, performing or self-inducing an abortion to intentionally terminate their pregnancy. The opinion was requested by four state senators and two state representatives.
“Oklahoma law does not allow the punishment of pregnant women attempting an abortion,” the opinion states. “The Legislature has repeatedly made this clear and just last year, repealed the one law that would have expressly allowed such a prosecution.”
The opinion notes that while Oklahoma law does not allow for pregnant women to be prosecuted, abortion is legally prohibited throughout pregnancy except to save the life of the mother. The opinion notes that historically, in Oklahoma and nationwide, pregnant women have not been prosecuted for seeking, obtaining or inducing an abortion.
One of the most important jobs of a state attorney general is to protect citizens from overreaching government, so Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond deserves praise for reining in the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
In a letter sent to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Sept. 21, Drummond told the agency that day’s meeting should be rescheduled “due to clear violations of the Open Meeting Act which have come to my attention.”
Oklahoma City, Okla (Nov. 16th) – State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Comprehensive Discipline Reform for Oklahoma schools today. Walters’ plan implements needed reform that empowers teachers’ and parents’ rights to hold students accountable, creating stronger education standards in Oklahoma’s classrooms.
“I hear from parents and teachers throughout our state that our classrooms are difficult to manage effectively, causing breakdowns in discipline which ultimately drive down student achievement,” said Walters. “We are empowering teachers to effectively manage their classrooms while helping keep parents informed about classroom discipline. “
Pugh files bill to protect military surviving spouse benefits
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 9th) – As Oklahomans prepare to celebrate Veteran’s Day, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, filed legislation Thursday to honor veterans killed in action by protecting the benefits of their surviving spouses. He pointed out that surviving spouses only get benefits as long as they do not remarry before the age of 55 – an unfair and disrespectful federal law that Pugh hopes to raise awareness of with Senate Bill 1201, while also providing assistance for those loved ones left behind in Oklahoma.
