Most tornadoes in the United States move from southwest to northeast, but once in a while, storms can do something funky. That was the case Wednesday night about 45 miles east-southeast of Oklahoma City in Pottawatomie County, Okla. Earlsboro — a community that may have been hit by three tornadoes in three days — hosted a meteorological marvel.
Tag: Oklahoma
Oklahoma Governor Signs College Free Speech Bill Into Law
KFSM:
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt recently signed into law a bill dedicated to protecting college students’ First Amendment rights on campuses.
House Bill 3543 (HB3543), presented by Rep. Chad Caldwell, creates a Free Speech Committee within the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, advises academic standards of higher education and determines functions and courses of study at state colleges and universities and grants degrees.
The Free Speech Committee will be responsible for training college deans and other administrators in First Amendment policies as well as reviewing and handling complaints.
Google To Invest Another $75M In Oklahoma; ‘The Internet Lives In Pryor,’ Mayor Says
Google announced it will invest another $75 million in Oklahoma, including its data center in Pryor, bringing the total investment at the site to $4.4 billion.
“Google’s continued investment in Pryor creates a ripple effect of growth throughout our community,” Pryor Mayor Larry Lees said in a news release. “When Google expands, the growth isn’t limited to the campus. Our schools, businesses, and nonprofits all share in Google’s success, and we are thrilled to see the momentum continue. We’re proud to say the Internet lives in Pryor.”
To date, Google says its Mayes County data center has spurred employment for more than 800 people in a variety of full-time and external supplier roles.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Texas-Style Abortion Ban Into Law
NPR:
Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a Texas-style abortion ban on Tuesday that prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, part of a nationwide push in GOP-led states hopeful that the conservative U.S. Supreme Court will uphold new restrictions.
“I want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country,” Stitt tweeted after signing the bill.
Stitt’s signing of the bill comes on the heels of a leaked draft opinion from the nation’s high court that it is considering weakening or overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nearly 50 years ago.
Northern Oklahoma Sees Potential For Severe Weather
On Friday night, as the cold front swings in, rain and storm chances will be higher.
These storms between midnight and 5 a.m. could also be severe with hail up to golf ball size, winds up to 65 mph and a very low tornado threat.
What La Niña Means For Oklahoma’s Summer
KFOR:
La Niña has been with us all year, and it’s not showing any sign of leaving soon.
The climate pattern is favored to continue through the summer, according to an updated outlook released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There’s a 59% chance will stick around through August, and the odds are about even that it will continue past August into the fall (NOAA is giving it a 50-55% chance right now).
La Niña – and its opposite, El Niño – are characterized by the temperature of the Pacific Ocean. But they have major impacts on the weather we experience on land.
La Niña typically brings drier conditions to the southern half of the country and more precipitation to pockets of the northern half. Drought conditions often worsen, and that looks to be the case for most of the West this summer. The only exception is southern Arizona, which may see an active monsoon season.
This summer, NOAA is also forecasting above-average rainfall for Florida and for the area surrounding the Ohio Valley, including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and more (see maps below).
In Oklahoma La Nina generally tends to bring fewer severe storm events however the 4Warn Storm Team the storms that do form are often more intense. This means bigger hail, stronger tornadoes, and heavier rains could happen.
Oklahoma House Passes Texas-Style Abortion Ban
The Oklahoma house gave final approval on Thursday to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.
The bill approved by the GOP-led house on a 68-12 vote without discussion or debate now heads to the Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it within days.
Oklahoma House Passes Sex Education Bill With New School Bathroom Amendment
KFOR:
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a controversial sex education bill with a new amendment to regulate school bathrooms.
Senate Bill 615 would require sex education materials used in school counselor-led meetings or classes to be inspected by the student’s parents or legal guardian. This includes topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. Bill involving school counselors and sex education clears another hurdle
“All this is about is trying to protect the family and tradition,” said the bill’s author, State Representative Danny Williams, R-Seminole. “This is a way to say ‘don’t talk about this stuff with these kids until their parents say you can and if they say you cannot, you cannot.’”
The new amendment filed by Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, would require schools to enforce a ‘biological sex’ bathroom policy.
LISTEN: Supreme Court Seems Divided In Case Over Jurisdiction Of Oklahoma Tribal Lands
PBS:
The high court is being asked to decide whether the state retains the authority to prosecute non-Natives for crimes committed on tribal land when the victim is Native American.
Oklahoma appealed to the Supreme Court after a state court threw out the conviction against Victor Castro-Huerta, who is not Native American. Castro-Huerta was charged by Oklahoma prosecutors with malnourishment of his disabled 5-year-old stepdaughter, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The state court ruled Oklahoma lacked the authority to prosecute a crime committed against a Native American on tribal land.
Castro-Huerta has since pleaded guilty to a federal child neglect charge in exchange for a seven-year prison term, though he has not been formally sentenced yet.
Two years ago, the justices split 5-4 in holding that a large chunk of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation. The decision left the state unable to prosecute Native Americans accused of crimes on tribal lands that include most of Tulsa, the state’s second-largest city with a population of about 413,000.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Ban On Nonbinary Birth Certificates
PBS:
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday explicitly prohibiting the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates, a ban experts say is the first of its kind in the nation.
US Supreme Court To Hear New Challenge To Tribal Sovereignty In Oklahoma
The U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing another case this week that could affect tribal authority in Oklahoma.
News On 6’s Mallory Thomas was live at noon with how this case could clarify tribal jurisdiction.
More updates on this story on News On 6 at 4 p.m.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill For Massive Corporate Subsidy
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill to authorize up to $700 million in state subsidies to lure an unidentified major manufacturer to the state, his staff said Monday.
Stitt and lawmakers who crafted the Large-scale Economic Activity and Development, or LEAD, Act have not identified the company they are targeting, but the Japanese broadcast network NHK recently reported that the Panasonic Corp. is considering both Kansas and Texas as potential locations for an electric-vehicle battery factory.
Chick-Fil-A Oklahoma Giving Away Free 8-Count Nuggets
KTUL:
Starting this week, Chick-fil-A is offering a free 8-count nugget to thank the community for its continued support.
Restaurants both in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are participating.
Oklahoma Sailor Dies During Training Event, US Navy Says
An Oklahoma sailor in the United States Navy died during a training event earlier this week.
Navy officials said 29-year-old Lt. a.g. Aaron Fowler died while training with the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Base Hawaii Sunday in Kanehoe Bay.
Fowler was unresponsive during the training exercise. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Navy, Fowler entered the service in 2012 and later graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2018.
Fowler began reporting to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One beginning in January 2022
Oklahoma Marijuana Legalization Questions Heading To Ballot
Plans to fully legalize marijuana can proceed to the signature-gathering stage, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled, paving the way for two more cannabis plans seeking voter approval.
The high court’s ruling late Tuesday comes amid a marijuana boom in the Sooner State after voters in 2018 approved the most liberal medical marijuana program in the U.S. Nearly 10% of Oklahoma’s 4 million residents have qualified for a medical-use card, by far the highest percentage in the country.
Oklahoma Prepares For Route 66 Fest In 66 Days
KOCO:
In 66 days, people from across the world will celebrate the one and only Route 66.
Excited Oklahoma state leaders held an event at the Capitol on Wednesday, highlighting the one-of-a-kind road and the one-of-a-kind event.
“It is Americana. It is the best American road trip that you can do inside America,” Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell.
Route 66 runs from Chicago to California, with more than 400 miles stretching right through Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma has more miles than any other state,” Pinnell said.
To celebrate, AAA is hosting the National Route 66 Road Fest in June.
“No other state is going to beat Oklahoma when it comes to promoting Route 66,” Pinnell said.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Near-Total Ban On Abortion Into Law
CNN:
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill into law that makes performing an abortion illegal in the state, with an exception only in the case of a medical emergency.
“As governor, I represent all 4 million Oklahomans and they overwhelmingly support protecting life in the state of Oklahoma. We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” the governor said.
Oklahoma On Verge Of Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
The state is on the verge of having legal recreational marijuana.
Right now there are two state questions that aim to make the legalization of recreational marijuana happen: State Question 820 and State Question 819.
State Question 820 would be a statutory amendment and it’s already been passed by the state supreme court.
And then there’s State Question 819 a constitutional amendment currently being held-up by the state supreme court.
Both of the groups behind these state questions want recreational marijuana but can’t agree on how to do it.
“We believe that peoples right and freedoms are not rights and freedoms unless they’re guaranteed in the constitution,” said Jed Green, the Director of Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA).
Rights are inalienable and their existence does not depend upon their codification. However, it would be nice if the Oklahoma constitution respected our right to consume a flower that God made.
Dozens Of Oklahoma Veterans Fly To Washington D.C.
KJRH:
Dozens of veterans just arrived at Tulsa International Airport for their flight to Washington D.C.
It’s part of the Honor Flight Program, an organization that raises money to take veterans to visit memorials and monuments made in their honor. The Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight Program is sending 90 veterans to D.C. for free to show their appreciation for their sacrifice.
They arrived in D.C. Tuesday morning.
The veterans will tour the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Monument, Arlington Cemetery, and several others.
Monday night, they were honored for their service with a sendoff ceremony.
Victor Wheeler, President of the board for the Honor Flight, says so many vets weren’t received home the way they should. This program is his way of showing them their sacrifices are appreciated.
“There’s nothing quite like going with a veteran and seeing them with their other veteran friends that they’ve met on the trip and watching them reminisce and to take them to the memorials and the monuments in their honor,” says Wheeler. “It’s a life-changing experience for all the guardians and the veterans as well.”
Oklahoma Lawmakers Approve Near-Total Ban On Abortion
Lawmakers in Oklahoma on Tuesday approved a near-total ban on abortion, making it the latest Republican-led state to forge ahead with stringent abortion legislation as the Supreme Court weighs a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade later this year.
The measure, Senate Bill 612, would make performing an abortion “except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency” a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $100,000.
The Oklahoma House voted 70 to 14 to send the bill, which passed the Senate last year, to Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican whose office responded by noting that Mr. Stitt vowed in September to sign “every piece of pro-life legislation” that came to his desk.
If Mr. Stitt signs the bill, it would take effect on Aug. 26, according to the Senate clerk’s office.