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Oklahoma News
Stitt appoints Supreme Court justice tied to conservative group seeking reform: Governor Kevin Stitt announced Monday that Travis Jett is the newest member of the Sooner State’s highest court. Jett, who’s never been a judge, invoked his rural background as he introduced himself. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Governor Stitt picks attorney Travis Jett for Supreme Court, bypasses sitting judges [Fox 25]
- Travis Jett appointed to Oklahoma Supreme Court [NonDoc]
- Woodward lawyer Travis Jett to serve as newest Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice [KOSU]
- Finalist for vacant Oklahoma Supreme Court seat tied to group that urged voters to create vacancy in the first place [KFOR]
- Stitt selects replacement for Oklahoma Supreme Court justice ousted by voters last year [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt names western Oklahoma attorney as new Supreme Court justice [Tulsa World]
- Stitt appoints Travis Jett to Oklahoma Supreme Court [The Journal Record]
- Travis Jett named to Oklahoma Supreme Court by Gov. Kevin Stitt [The Oklahoman]
- Travis Jett announced as new Oklahoma Supreme Court judge at governor’s briefing (video) [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma GOP Challenges Primary Reform Ballot Initiative: The Oklahoma Republican Party is asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to throw out a primary reform ballot initiative. In a 21-page lawsuit filed Wednesday afternoon, attorneys Trevor Pemberton and Benjamin Sisney argue that the primary system proposed in State Question 836 would force political parties to associate with candidates against their will. The petition also alleges that the gist and ballot title of the initiative petition are misleading and do not adequately explain how the proposal would affect general elections. [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
Gov. Stitt wants investigation of Mental Health Department: Stitt’s announcement came minutes after Commissioner Allie Friesen said she will ask the Legislature for a $6.2 million supplemental appropriation to get the agency through fiscal year 2025, which ends June 30. And it comes days after three large Tulsa-area mental health services providers were told their state contracts were being canceled — and then that those notices from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services had been sent in error. [Tulsa World]
- Special investigator to review ‘multiple disturbing discoveries’ with Oklahoma agency, Stitt says [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Mental Health Department seeks emergency funds as governor orders new investigation [News 9]
- Oklahoma mental health department requests $6.2M to sustain services through July [KOSU]
- As state slashes mental health funding, Tulsa adds 911 clinicians to divert crisis calls [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Mental health clinicians to be embedded at Tulsa 911 Call Center 24/7 [Tulsa World]
- First Watch: Stuff You Should Know [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma lawmakers to consider reducing ambulance reimbursement rates: A bill set to be considered Tuesday could force rural emergency service providers to shut down by reducing a needed source of funding, a leader of the state’s Ambulance Association said Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
- OK EMS officials concerned over bill reducing ambulance reimbursement rates [KFOR]
Bill to prohibit false advertising, misbranding of food advances to Senate floor: HB1126 was originally drafted as a total ban on cell-cultivated, also known as lab-grown, meat in Oklahoma. While there is another bill that the House has passed to ban cell-cultivated meat in the state, House Bill 1126 has changed and now focuses on the labeling aspect. [Fox 25]
New online tool helps Oklahoma veterans find approved education programs: The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a searchable resource to connect veterans, service members, and their families with training and education opportunities statewide. [News 9]
Federal Government News
Trump authorizes U.S. military to begin occupation of federal land along southern border: President Donald Trump late Friday signed a memorandum directing several agencies to start militarizing a stretch of the southern border, an escalation of the administration’s use of the U.S. military amid its immigration crackdown. [Oklahoma Voice]
El Salvador’s President refuses to return Maryland man wrongly deported by U.S.: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said he will not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was wrongly deported to the Central American nation last month, despite a U.S. Supreme Court order urging the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return. [The Black Wall Street Times]
- President of El Salvador refuses to return wrongly deported Maryland man to the U.S. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia not leaving El Salvador prison, Bukele says at Trump meeting [USA Today]
Critics say GOP Medicaid cuts could slash fentanyl addiction treatment: As Republican lawmakers search for deep spending cuts, a growing number of critics fear a roll-back of Medicaid dollars spent helping Americans slammed by the street fentanyl crisis. [NPR]
Trump attack on state climate laws likely doomed, but attempts to yank funds may be next: An executive order President Donald Trump signed Tuesday to block state-level renewable-energy initiatives set off alarm bells among climate advocates. But experts and state policy groups said constitutional protections will blunt any effect the order would have on state operations. [Oklahoma Voice]
What happens if I don’t get a REAL ID? Here’s what’s needed in Oklahoma before the deadline: The deadline to get your REAL ID is quickly approaching now that we’re in the last month before implementation. Oklahomans will need a REAL ID to board all domestic flights and access federal buildings after May 7, 2025. [The Oklahoman]
Stimulus checks 2025: Who’s eligible for $1,400, how to claim it before IRS deadline: Over one million Americans have still not received their $1,400 stimulus checks from the federal government. It’s not too late for those who qualify — ahead of the April 15th tax deadline. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Language lives on for tribes in Oklahoma despite determined erasure attempts: More than a century after U.S. Indian boarding schools attempted to erase Indigenous cultures and languages, tribal nations in Oklahoma are working to reclaim and teach their languages to the youth. [KOSU]
Opinion: Investing in Food Sovereignty to Nourish Cherokee Bodies and Souls: The modern Cherokee Nation is at the forefront of exploring new ideas and the latest technologies to solve 21st-century problems. At the same time, we do not forget what brought us here. We hold on to the truths that have kept us going through good times and bad. [Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner / Native News Online]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma House Rep. Cyndi Munson announces run for governor: Oklahoma Rep. Cyndi Munson announced she will be running for governor in 2026, according to a news release issued Tuesday. Munson, a Democrat currently representing Oklahoma’s District 85, is the first from her party to announce a campaign for the governor position. [News 9]
Education News
Special education teachers offered $20,000 bonuses to move to Oklahoma: Oklahoma is offering bonuses up to $20,000 and thousands more in retention incentives to attract special education teachers to the state. The Oklahoma State Department of Education budgeted $1.875 million for the initiative with the goal of attracting 110 more teachers to special education classrooms in the 2025-26 school year, the agency announced Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma offers signing bonuses to special education teachers [7 News]
- Oklahoma offers up to $20,000 bonuses to for special ed teachers [News Channel 8]
‘Listen, learn, lead’: Edmond Public Schools hires Josh Delich as superintendent: With just a month remaining in outgoing Superintendent Angela Grunewald’s tenure, Edmond Public Schools announced Josh Delich as its new superintendent. Delich previously served as associate superintendent for two of Minnesota’s largest school districts. [NonDoc]
- Edmond Public Schools chooses new superintendent from out of state [Oklahoma Voice]
- Edmond board selects Minnesota school administrator as district’s new superintendent [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma students, lawmakers gather to highlight higher education’s impact: Oklahoma students are heading to the state capitol on April 15 for two events recognizing the impact of higher education and the promise of future workforce development. The events are part of Higher Education Day and Oklahoma’s Promise Day — both focused on the role colleges and universities play in the state’s economic success. [News 9]
Dr. Don Raleigh chosen as Rogers State University’s next president: The governing body of RSU, the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, selected Dr. Raleigh. His appointment is pending the Board’s final approval at their June meeting. [Fox 23]
Health News
What happens to health research when ‘women’ is a banned word?: Trump’s federal funding cuts are shutting down studies on Alzheimer’s care, uterine fibroids and pregnancy risks — all because they focus on gender. Agency employees have been warned not to approve grants that include words such as “women,” “trans” or “diversity.” [The 19th]
Criminal Justice News
‘Environmentally clean’ OK County jail site has issue with unstable, wet soil: Engineers deemed the location for the new Oklahoma County jail as “environmentally clean,” but in some places the 70-acre site is too constantly wet for dirt work in preparation for construction of the jail’s Behavioral Care Center. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
State plan highlights urgent increasing need for elderly housing options: Affordable and accessible housing are some of the top worries for older adults and those who care for them, according to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ “Aging Our Way” plan. Unveiled in June 2024, the state plan seeks to bring awareness to a looming fact: By 2034, adults 65 and older are expected to outnumber children in Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma Starbucks baristas secure union win amid national labor push: Workers at another Oklahoma Starbucks unionize, becoming the sixth coffee chain in the state to join a growing labor movement demanding equity, dignity and fair contracts. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Forbes’ 2025 World’s Billionaires: Which Oklahomans made the cut and which ones didn’t?: These Oklahomans have once again made the Forbes 2025 World’s Billionaires List, while a longtime Oklahoma billionaire no longer is listed. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma has long undercharged oil and gas companies, creating an unplugged well crisis: With oil and gas long being a lifeblood of our economy, it’s not surprising that according to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, roughly half of all Oklahomans live within a mile of an active well. But I suspect untold numbers likely live in proximity to orphaned wells. Those are the wells that have been abandoned by companies, without regard to best practices required to shutter them to ensure public safety. [Mike Altshuler / Oklahoma Voice]
Community News
30 Years Later: Remembering the Oklahoma City Bombing News Roundup
- Oklahoma lawmakers remember OKC bombing victims in special ceremony [The Oklahoman]
- Capitol observance marks 30th anniversary of bombing [Tulsa World]
- It’s been 30 years since the OKC bombing. Who was responsible, how many were killed? [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum moving forward with $12 million expansion [KGOU]
- Why Timothy McVeigh picked April 19: Waco-Oklahoma City bombing connection [Tulsa World]
- Opinion: Her father died in the OKC bombing. Here’s how she coped with tragedy [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma wildlife groups call upon residents to help migratory birds this spring: A campaign from the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and 16 other nature and wildlife groups asks residents to dim or fully extinguish artificial lights at night during bird migration seasons. [KGOU]
How an Oklahoman and New Zealander are making a difference in Ukraine, one meal at a time: The sound of air raid sirens and bombs finding their targets becomes run-of-the-mill for an Oklahoman and New Zealander when they visit Ukraine as humanitarian volunteers, bringing warm, homemade meals to northeastern Ukraine’s frontline villages and soldiers. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Concerned about a police interaction? Here’s the OKC Police Department complaint process [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“This lawsuit is a last-ditch effort to preserve a broken status quo. But Oklahomans are ready for a system that works for everyone. We will defend this measure in court and continue building a movement across the state.”
– Margaret Kobos, founder of the voter advocacy nonprofit Oklahoma United and proponent of State Question 836, said in response to a lawsuit filed by the Oklahoma Republican Party asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to throw out a primary reform ballot initiative that proposes placing all congressional, statewide and county candidates on a single primary ballot to replace the current closed primary system. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
49%
Individual income taxes are by far the federal government’s largest single source of revenue. The federal government expects to collect about $2.5 trillion in individual income taxes in fiscal year 2024. That accounts for nearly half (49%) of its total estimated receipts for the year. [Pew Research]
Policy Note
On Tax Day, Reject DOGE-Led Cuts to the IRS Workforce and Budget: The “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and the second Trump Administration have led a myriad of attacks on the IRS, targeting staff, enforcement funding, customer service for filers, and data privacy. These attacks on the IRS are costly and are the exact opposite of DOGE’s stated goals of reducing fraud and abuse. On Tax Day, Congress should use its power to resist the Administration’s efforts to decimate the IRS, so that honest taxpayers can file with ease and tax cheats pay the taxes they legally owe. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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