More than 90 cannabis-related bills were filed at the beginning of the session, but as lawmakers wind down their time at the Capitol, only 20 remain. Four bills have been signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, while others are waiting to be heard on the floor or are working through conference committees.
Several of the bills are aimed at cracking down on the cannabis black market — an issue heightened by multiple large-scale illegal marijuana busts. A few bills target standardizing operations, and others add more regulations and fees to the licensing process. Overall, bolstering the OMMA’s authority, increasing penalties for violations and implementing measures to mitigate impacts on natural resources were key areas of focus during this legislative session.
Tag: Oklahoma
Oklahoma Republican-Led Legislature Passes Nation’s Strictest Abortion Ban
Oklahoma’s Republican-led legislature passed the nation’s strictest abortion ban on Thursday. The bill, if signed into law, would allows citizens to sue anyone, anywhere who “aids or abets” a patient in terminating a pregnancy.
The bill bans abortion from conception, even before an egg implants in the uterus, and would go into effect immediately if signed by Republican governor, Kevin Stitt. Abortion providers expect he will do so before the coming week.
Like a six-week abortion ban in Texas, Oklahoma’s bill would be enforced by citizens. It would allow anyone, anywhere to sue for $10,000 and “emotional distress”, even if they do not have a relationship to the patient in question.
USS Oklahoma City To Be Decommissioned After 34 Years Of Service
KFOR:
The nuclear-powered attack submarine, USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) will be decommissioned Friday, May 20, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, after more than 34 years of service.
The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine was commissioned July 9, 1988 and declared out of service Feb.10, 2022.
At 361-feet long, officials say the USS Oklahoma City supported various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Man Who Uncovered Hunter Biden Laptop To Rally With Oklahoma US Senate Candidate
Jackson Lahmeyer, the Businessman and Pastor who is seeking to unseat establishment GOP Senator James Lankford in Oklahoma will be feature alongside John Paul Mac Isaac, the whistleblower who gained national prominence in the lead up to the 2020 election when he sounded the alarm about the content he discovered on a laptop left at his computer repair shop by Hunter Biden. Lahmeyer has previously appeared at rallies and secured the endorsements of Trump advisors Roger Stone and General Michael Flynn.
Calling Craft Beer Lovers! Oklahoma Beer Week Is Here
KFOR:
Want a cold brew and support local small independent Oklahoma breweries?
The Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma (CBAO) is announcing the inaugural Oklahoma Craft Beer Week!
The fun is set for May 16-20.
During the week, several special events will happen in taprooms around the state.
Something unique in the spotlight of this event is the rollout of ‘Trail Mix’ a beer collaboration among 44 Oklahoma Breweries.
Nine-Foot Alligator Found In Northeast Oklahoma Lake
KOAM:
Authorities euthanized an alligator measuring more than nine feet after residents reported the reptile dwelling in Claremore Lake.
Wildlife personnel determined the alligator was a public hazard illegally brought to the lake.
News on 6 says the alligator was unable to be trapped, therefore, game wardens made the decision to euthanize the reptile.
Officials think someone released the alligator recently, but they are unaware of how long the creature has been in Claremore Lake.
Whoever brought that thing up here and let it go should be banished from Oklahoma for life.
KISS’ Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons Hosting Grand Opening Party For Rock & Brews Casino
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS will host a grand opening party Tuesday, May 10 for the Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, Oklahoma.
Gates open to the public at 1 p.m. The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, food, drinks and live music from the AC/DC tribute band Back in Black.
Rock & Brews, co-founded by Stanley and Simmons, is a rock-inspired restaurant and entertainment brand. The Rock & Brews team oversees more than 20 restaurants across the U.S., but the Rock & Brews Casino Braman is the first foray into owning and operating a casino (formerly SouthWind Casino Braman).
The casino includes a Rock & Brews Restaurant. The restaurant’s decor includes a “Great Wall of Rock,” a KISS-inspired selfie wall and art murals paying tribute to Oklahoma music artists like Hanson and JJ Cale. The restaurant also features a stage for live music performances.
Rock & Brews Casino Braman is located at 9525 N. Hwy. 177 in Braman, exit 231 off I-35.
Move over, Detroit.
A Tornado In Oklahoma Traced A Near-Perfect Loop-De-Loop
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.
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.