CNN:
Most Americans oppose Congress authorizing additional funding to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, as the public splits over whether the US has already done enough to assist Ukraine.
The US government does not serve the interests of the Americans.
The court ruled that a woman has the right under the state Constitution to receive an abortion to preserve her life if her doctor determines that continuing the pregnancy would endanger it due to a condition she has or is likely to develop during the pregnancy. Previously, the right to an abortion could only take place in the case of medical emergency.
“Requiring one to wait until there is a medical emergency would further endanger the life of the pregnant woman and does not serve a compelling state interest,” the ruling states.
In his vision, the solution to the crisis is to let Russia “take over” parts of Ukraine. The Republican apparently sees such an approach as credible, because there are “Russian-speaking areas” in Ukraine.
According to MSNBC, President Trump’s plan is bad/wrong because he wanted to achieve the exact same results that Joe Biden is achieving — minus the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, the displacement of tens of millions, the onset of global energy and food crises, he draining of Western arsenals, the weakening of EU and NATO, the emboldening of Russia, the destruction of Ukraine, etc, etc, etc.
The Obama-Biden Administration sponsored a coup to overthrow the constitutional, democratically-elected government of Ukraine in 2014. The is when, and why, the war in Ukraine began. The inauguration of President Trump occurred nearly three years later. Once Obama and Biden transformed Ukraine into a dumpster fire, there was no going back. President Trump could only play with the hand he was dealt. No matter who is POTUS, the war in Ukraine will end with Russia in possession of the Russian-speaking areas.
In an interview with Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti on Thursday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov blamed the Biden administration for explosions that damaged the gas transportation network in September, vowing there would be “consequences.”
As the Biden Administration does everything possible to escalate the war, the adults in the room are trying to pull us back from the edge of the cliff.
KOSU:
On Thursday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed parts of the $9.8 billion state budget, and called for a special session of the legislature to address eliminating the state grocery tax and reducing the personal income tax.
Under Oklahoma’s constitution, the legislature must adjourn by 5 p.m. on the last Friday of May, which was the following day.
So, the state legislature moved quickly on Friday, expressing their displeasure with Stitt’s criticisms and overriding several vetoes.
“It’s about safety, it’s about protection, it’s about common sense,” said Republican Rep. Danny Williams, the House author of the bill. “The goal of this bill is to protect our children.”
Democrats who opposed the bill said it singles out and targets transgender students, putting them at risk of ridicule.
The bill was proposed after Stillwater Public Schools declined to change a policy allowing students to use the bathroom that agrees with their gender identity unless forced by law to do otherwise.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed into law the nation’s strictest abortion ban, making the state the first in the nation to effectively end availability of the procedure.
State lawmakers approved the ban enforced by civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecution, similar to a Texas law that was passed last year. The law takes effect immediately upon Stitt’s signature and prohibits all abortions with few exceptions. Abortion providers have said they will stop performing the procedure as soon as the bill is signed.
Oklahoma is on the brink of enforcing a law that would require transgender students at public schools and public charter schools to use restrooms and locker rooms that do not match their gender identity. If Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signs the legislation — passed by lawmakers last week — it would be the third law the state has passed this year curbing the rights of trans residents.
Stitt is expected to sign the bill, which would apply to students from pre-K through the 12th grade. Trans students who do not comply will be required to use a “single-occupancy restroom or changing room” at their school.
Under the law, parents or students can report minors suspected of violating the rule to school officials, who are required to investigate and potentially discipline the students. School districts that do not enforce the law could lose up to 5 percent of their state funding, and the law would be effective as soon as Stitt signs it.
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.
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.
A bipartisan group of senators are calling for the creation of a Space National Guard, reviving a yearslong effort to place Air National Guard members working for the U.S. Space Force directly under the command of the military’s newest branch.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced the Space National Guard Establishment Act on Wednesday to correct a misalignment that has about 1,000 National Guard members working on space missions within the Air Force rather than the Space Force. The Guard troops are in 16 Air National Guard units stationed across eight states and territories.
“Without a National Guard component for Space Force, we risk losing many talented individuals who want to keep serving their country and their states after they leave active duty, and that is simply unacceptable,” Feinstein said. “Creating a Space Force National Guard would also save money and ensure a smoother process in the event we need to activate personnel.”
The legislation matches a House bill introduced last year and follows a request by the Space Force to integrate its active duty and Reserve personnel into a single command structure.
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.
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.
Congressional Democrats seeking accountability for civilian deaths caused by the U.S. military announced two bills Thursday to overhaul the Pentagon’s methods for investigating and preventing civilian harm.
The two pieces of legislation — the Department of Defense Civilian Harm Transparency Act and the Protection of Civilians in Military Operations Act — would expand requirements for reporting the incidents and disclosing them to the public as well as move investigations out of the units responsible for the strikes.
“The evidence is clear: after 20 years of mostly unfulfilled pledges on preventing civilian harm, the Pentagon has shown that it needs the involvement of others outside the chain of command in setting policy and ensuring accountability,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., a co-sponsor of both bills. “It is time to provide additional oversight through interagency partners and these bills do just that.”
Some lawmakers stepped up calls for reform after a botched drone strike killed 10 civilians during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year. The Pentagon said the strike was necessary to prevent an attack on U.S. troops but later acknowledged it was a tragic mistake.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
