Sally’s List presents 22 progressive women candidates for 2020
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY - Since 2010, Sally’s List mission has been to train, support and elect progressive women to public office in Oklahoma. The organization’s roster of 22 Democratic candidates for the 2020 election cycle is comprised of eleven women who are being endorsed by Sally's List for the first time, and eleven previously endorsed incumbents.
“We present twenty-two brave, committed, progressive women who have spent the last four months campaigning in innovative ways to win their elections,” said Sara Jane Rose, Founder and Executive Director of Sally’s List.
“We admire each of them for their perseverance during this unusual period and encourage you to find out more about them. Please take a look and support each of them in any way you can,” Rose added.
Sally’s List endorsed candidates running for office for the first time are:
Abby Broyles, for United States Senate
Christina Chicoraske, for Oklahoma County Clerk
Yasminda Choate, for Oklahoma House District 28
Susan Young, for Oklahoma House District 23
Mauree Turner, for Oklahoma House District 88
Summer Wesley, for Oklahoma House district 100
Madeline Scott, for Oklahoma House district 101
Alex Scott, for Oklahoma Senate District 15
Jo Anna Dossett, for Oklahoma Senate District 35
Shawna Mott-Wright, for Oklahoma Senate District 39
Jennifer Wilkinson, for Oklahoma Senate District 45
Incumbent candidates endorsed by Sally’s List include:
Kendra Horn, for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District
Trish Ranson, for Oklahoma House District 34
Merleyn Bell, for Oklahoma House District 45
Denise Brewer, for Oklahoma House District 71
Meloyde Blancett, for Oklahoma House District 78
Melissa Provenzano, for Oklahoma House District 79
Chelsey Branham, for Oklahoma House District 83
Cyndi Munson, for Oklahoma House District 85
Kelly Albright, for Oklahoma House District 95
Kara Joy McKee, for Tulsa City Council - District 4
Lori Decter Wright, for Tulsa City Council - District 7
“We also want to congratulate Representative Ajay Pittman for her re-election to H.D. 99. Representative Pittman won her primary and has no general election opponent. She will be serving her district for another two years.” Rose said.
“We know things are scary right now, but that won’t stop us,” she said. “Programs Manager Alyssa Fisher and I are busy developing virtual programs and events for both our candidates and supporters in the upcoming weeks and months.”
Sally’s List carries on the work of its namesake, Sally Rae Merckle Mock (https://ift.tt/3ad3ety), who passed away in 2009. An attorney and advocate for progressive issues, Mock’s legacy of working diligently to empower women and improve Oklahoma communities lives on through Sally’s List.
According to the website (https://sallyslist.org/), the women of Sally’s List support community-building issues like public education, healthcare, and a strong economy. The organization’s training programs mobilize women to make a long-lasting impact in their communities.
To learn more about Sally’s List endorsed candidates, visit here (https://sallyslist.org/candidates/).
The next election date in Oklahoma is Tuesday, August 25, for the Runoff Primary / Special Election.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3.
For more information about registration, absentee ballots and early voting, visit: ok.gov/elections.
Sally’s List presents 22 progressive women candidates for 2020 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY- Governor Kevin Stitt, First Lady Sarah Stitt, and Secretary of Human Services and Early Childhood Initiatives director Justin Brown have announced that $15 million in CARES Act Funds will be set aside to support 30+ Community HOPE Centers in Oklahoma.
The coronavirus relief bill funds will be used to support centers which will serve approximately 4,200 youth with safe places to go while their parents are at work if their schools offer virtual (remote) learning this fall due to the pandemic.
The centers will be open Monday through Friday serving youth ages 5 – 18.
The Boys & Girls Clubs (http://www.bgcokc.org/) of Oklahoma County’s Templo de Albabanza
site, located in the Capitol Hill area, will be the first Community HOPE Center to receive funds. The facility, at 301 SW 25th, will incorporate heightened safety and security protocols related to COVID-19.
Rachel Ramirez, director of operations at Templo de Alabanza, told KOCO reporter Dillon Richards (https://ift.tt/2Du35Gy), “the funding will be an answered prayer.
“I knew that there were so many families, especially in my community, that are essential workers who are going to need help, maybe can’t afford child care or the achievement gap is going to be even larger,” Ramirez told Richards. “So, we really needed to do something.”
Richards tweeted (https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/status/1290379278924775424)
that these funds “will allow existing providers, particularly ones that serve kids in low-income or vulnerable neighborhoods, to become HOPE Centers. OKDHS will provide an employee and some curriculum.”
In addition to the highest quality, evidence-based youth development programming, mentoring, and enrichment activities provided by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma City (BGCOKC), each Community HOPE Center will provide critical services to families, which include mental health services, access to OKDHS staff, nutritious meals and virtual learning tools.
Students will also receive valuable support throughout the distance learning process in partnerships with local school districts.
“When the pandemic hit our state, the needs of our kids and families expanded tremendously, and our motto of doing ‘Whatever it Takes to Build Great Futures’ took on a completely new meaning,” said President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, Teena Belcik.
“We are proud to expand our reach and to be the first site to open,” Belcik added. “We will begin serving kids next week, and we look forward to working with OKDHS, Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth-serving organizations across the state as we collectively serve more kids and families, and with deeper impact.”
Because safety is the number one priority of BGCOKC, the Community HOPE Center at Capitol Hill will follow safety protocols related to the use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), social distancing, sanitation, and use of masks, Belcik noted.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County is a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and a partner agency of the United Way of Central Oklahoma. BGCOKC’s mission is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”
BGCOKC offers evidence-based national programs in the areas of academics, the arts, college and career planning, athletics, health and nutrition, anti-bullying, drug and alcohol prevention, inclusion and diversity, and leadership.
These programs contribute toward achieving the organization’s three Priority Outcomes – Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Strong Character & Citizenship. For more information, visit bgokc.org
In March of this year, Congress passed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the nation’s third stimulus funding package (~$2 trillion) focused on responding to the coronavirus crisis. (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security – CARES, https://ift.tt/31CLfJ9 issues/cares/state-and-local-governments)
The CARES Act focuses on boosting the US economy and supporting the country to a path of recovery, by providing additional aid across healthcare, travel, defense, education, and other industries during the coronavirus pandemic.
To learn more, visit (home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares).
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County receives CARES Act funding for Community HOPE Center Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University (OCU) has announced that President Martha Burger announced will retire at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. After retirement, President Burger will continue to serve OCU in a new role as an active volunteer to help lead a strategic fundraising effort for the university.
On July 1, 2018, Burger, the university’s 18th president, took the helm at OCU.
During her tenure, the university was able to recapitalize its debt structure and add valuable assets to its balance sheet, providing a solid base for long-term financial sustainability.
President Burger added the university’s first vice president for diversity and inclusion and set into action dynamic plans for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“President Burger’s financial acumen, tenacity and heart have strengthened Oklahoma City University and her legacy will continue to drive success for the university for decades to come,” said Paul McLaughlin, chairman of the OCU Board of Trustees.
The university will conduct a national search for its next president during the upcoming year with opportunities for all campus constituencies to participate in the process. McLaughlin said he is pleased that President Burger will continue to lead OCU through the next year.
“Her thoughtful leadership will strengthen the campus response to an ever-changing and unknown landscape with the COVID-19 pandemic,” McLaughlin added. “I am also pleased that President Burger will continue to serve OCU after retirement. Her willingness to continue to serve OCU and our students demonstrates her personal commitment to the university and her heart for servant leadership.”
In a press release, President Burger said she looks forward to a meaningful and productive year ahead and then to continuing her service to OCU in strategic fundraising.
“Thank you to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends who have been such an encouragement to me during my presidency,” Burger said. “I am looking forward to building on the progress we have made and continuing to advance OCU and the chance for future Stars to have access to the remarkable educational opportunities at OCU.”
For more information about OCU, visit okcu.edu.
Martha Burger, Oklahoma City University President, will retire after 2020-21 academic year Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – The 10th annual Pets & People Humane Society’s Pawsitively Pampered Dog Wash, Grooming & Vendor Event is scheduled for Sunday, September 15, in Yukon. The fundraising project will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., outside of the Yukon National Bank, 1550 Garth Brooks Boulevard, south of Interstate 40.
Proceeds will benefit Pets & People Humane Society, a no-kill animal shelter, located at 701 N. Inla in Yukon. This is an outdoor family and dog friendly event.
“The purpose of Sunday's Pawsitively Pampered event is to help Pets & People Humane Society renovate when they move to a new location,” said event co-chair Peggy Nichols. “We typically wash about 200 dogs and anticipate even more this year.”
Pets & People has rescued more than 50,000 dogs and cats since 1992.
During Pawsitively Pampered, (https://ift.tt/3fFlxJ1), prices for dog washes will be $10 (under 60 pounds), $15 (over 60 pounds) and $20 (large breed with long and thick hair such as the Great Pyrenees and St. Bernard).
Basic grooming will cost $20 (de-shedding large dog), $25 (small fluffy breed) and $30 (large fluffy breed). Additional grooming services will be offered including nail trims, glands and nail polishes for $10 each.
While their four-legged friends are being spoiled, dog owners can enjoy shopping at 35-plus vendor booths and grab lunch or a snack at one of our 5 food trucks, according to event co-chair Stacy Sprague.
“We have many returning vendors,” Sprague said. “We'll have a wide variety of vendors ranging from clothing, dog accessories, jewelry and accessories, make-up, home and kitchen items, handmade items, gifts, and many, many more.”
Due to the event’s past success, vendors and volunteers contact Pets & People early to get involved.
“This has really become a very popular and highly anticipated metro-area event since we started in 2012,” Sprague said.
Some 150-200 volunteers are helping to plan and present the 2020 Pawsitively Pampered festivities.
“This includes many, many dedicated individuals and local organizations,” Nichols said. “We have returning volunteers every year. It really means a lot to see their dedication and time commitment.”
This year’s event will feature a “retro” theme, organizers said.
Event shirts will be available for $10 each at the Sprague’s Backhoe booth nearest to the dog washing area. Limited edition “retro” style shirts will be available for $20 and Pawsitively Pampered 2020 shirt sponsorships are available.
“We are very, very grateful that YNB (Yukon National Bank) allows us to have the event in that prime location,” Nichols said. “We have never even considered going anywhere else. Fairfield Inn & Suites allows us to use a large portion of their front parking lot as well.”
Merchants Pawtopia, Lowe’s and Target provided donations to support the event.
“As far as COVID-19 goes, we will be abiding by Yukon’s guidelines (https://ift.tt/30LsWCJ) for outside parades/events,” Nichols said.
Pets & People Humane Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit, no-kill humane society that rescues adoptable cats and dogs from municipal animal control facilities across the state of Oklahoma on the day they are to be euthanized.
The volunteer based group provides a safe harbor for pets until they are adopted into responsible, loving homes. All pets are vet checked, given appropriate vaccinations, microchipped, tested for various diseases, given preventative medications, and spayed or neutered to help end the cycle of homeless pets.
For more information, follow the Facebook event page for “Pawsitively Pampered 10th Annual Dog Wash and Vendor Event.” (https://www.facebook.com/pawsitivelypamperedyukon/).”
To learn more, make a donation, or to see photos and descriptions of all dogs and cats available for adoption, visit petsandpeople.com or call 405-350-7387.
10th annual Pawsitively Pampered Dog Wash & Craft Show set for Sept. 15 Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Oklahoma City – From an Editor’s Notebook: Backing Bice, a Michigan Senate race worth noting, non-violent advocacy, the awful pace of a pandemic, and lessons from the past.
State Sen. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, said she was “honored to receive the support and endorsement of Senator Rick Santorum. He is one of our nation's strongest voices for American families. He’s led the way on policies that put American workers first, including prioritizing US manufacturing. Sen. Santorum has fought to address the challenges confronting American workers and I am grateful for his support.”
Santorum ran first in the 2012 Oklahoma Republican presidential primary. He described Sen. Bice as “a proven conservative who is committed to defending our Second Amendment rights, protecting the unborn, and standing up for Oklahoma¹s taxpayers. He praised Bice for leading at the state Legislature “on conservative free-market principles,” saying he was “confident she will take these values to Washington.”
“Stephanie will be a strong voice for Oklahoma¹s conservative values in Congress,” Santorum said, “and I look forward to working with her campaign in the coming weeks to help her become the Republican nominee in Oklahoma¹s 5th Congressional District.”
A former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, Satorum is the author of “Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Works.”
Describing herself as a “pro-life conservative,” Bice says she wants secure borders and reforms to America’s “broken immigration system.” Bice faces Terry Neese in the August 25 Republican primary. The victor will face incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn. Bice’s state Senate District 22 includes Yukon, Piedmont, much of northwest Oklahoma City and Edmond. She is the assistant majority floor leader in the upper chamber at the state Captiol, and runs the Finance Committee.
Keep an Eye on the Michigan U.S. Senate Race
In a race to watch, John James is the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan challenging incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Gary Peters.
Michigan is one of two states with a 2020 Senate election that features a Democratic incumbent seeking reelection in a state which Donald Trump carried in November 2016.
In 2018, James garnered 45.8 percent of the vote, running a competitive but losing race against the incumbent Debbie Stabenow, who secured a 52.3 percent majority.
While James had to get past two primary opponents in 2018, the GOP appears united around James this year. Of note, he has outraised Sen. Peters several quarters in a row.
Sen. Peters has served in several lower offices , and held a U.S. House seat when he sought the Senate post in 2014, long-time incumbent Carl Levin lost office. Peters is a proven campaigner –- the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a Senate race in 2014. He is a multi-issue liberal, including close ties to the “Occupy” movement in its hey-day.
For his part, the Republican James is a West Point graduate, a combat veteran (Army Ranger/Apache pilot who served in Iraq), a respected Detroit businessman and a multi-issue conservative.
C.T. Vivian walked the walk in every moment, to peacefully confront a nation’s conscience
Dr. C.T. Vivian, who died in July, was perhaps underappreciated as a leader of the civil rights movement during and after the time of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. His book “Black Power and the American Myth” is an internal critique of the civil rights movement of the MLK era. (https://ift.tt/3eHkNTb)
Across 70 years of activism, Vivian stressed the spiritual and moral appeal of Dr. King’s message: “It was Martin Luther King who removed the Black struggle from the economic realm and placed it in a moral and spiritual context. It was on this plane that The Movement first confronted the conscience of the nation.”
The ‘Black Power’ book might be his most enduring intellectual contribution to America.
In terms of hands-on activism, his labor in Nashville (Tennessee) initially and later in Atlanta (Georgia) – and his lifelong steady, principled insistence on non-violent action – might be compared to the similar efforts of the late Clara Luper of Oklahoma City.
His legacy was restored to broader public consciousness in 2013, when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony.
I do not read the New York Times as much as I used to, but in a recent editorial the newspaper of record reflected: “In a nation trying to come to grips with racial inequality in the 1960s, Mr. Vivian was a paladin of nonviolence on the front lines of bloody confrontations. ...”
Watching the Virus
Jim Geraghty of National Review has been a steady monitor of the rise and fall and rise again of the virus pandemic since early this year. His regular presentation of data and information in this area is commended to readers.
He reflected, in a July 17 commentary, on the frustration felt because of frequent accusations that he has written “panic porn.”
Well, there’s panic, and then there is measured reflection.
In last month’s commentary, he observed “the conclusions are very rarely absolute or simple. Masks help, but they’re not a guarantee. The George Floyd protests were not super-spreader events, but they did spread the virus in some cases. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may be useful for coronavirus patients experiencing cytokine storms, but probably not useful in other situations. The threat to children is very small, but not nonexistent.” Here and there across the country, including Oklahoman, childhood deaths have been attributed to COVID.
Geraghty observed the present virus is “the most serious contagious threat to our health that we have seen since the influenza pandemic of 1918. That’s scary! That pandemic was so bad, people didn’t want to talk about it afterwards, and more or less chose to forget.”
In that NR article, he wrote, “I get that a lot of people are sick — no pun intended — of hearing about the coronavirus, sick of reading about it, and sick of living with it and its consequences. But sometimes life doesn’t give you much of a choice about what you face. After about two months of reports from China that were more ominous than John Williams’s theme to Jaws, this pandemic hit us full-force in mid March. We’re four months into what I suspect will be at least a year-long ordeal."
IN a recent editorial, The Oklahoman called attention to one of Geraghty's columns.
(https://ift.tt/31zyW0d)
Steve Fair, a frequent contributor to CapitolBeatOK, took a measured approach to the ongoing toll of the virus, writing, "Wearing a mask or not wearing a mask may or may not stop the spread of COVID-19 – only God knows – but wearing or not wearing a mask will not be the instrument that destroys America. Not recognizing that others have a right to disagree impedes liberty more and is far more destructive.” (https://ift.tt/39R8lQh)
NOTE: Pat McGuigan is founder of CapitolBeatOK, an independent news website based in Oklahoma City, and publisher of The City Sentinel newspaper.
Editor’s Notebook: Backing Bice, Michigan race, a hero of non-violence, and the Virus Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
(NOTE: This movie review/cultural commentary appeared in earlier ‘incarnations’ on CapitolBeatOK.com, and at The City Sentinel. It is updated to highlight a showing tonight – Friday, August 7, 2020, on FX – and to touch on yet another ‘reboot’ of the CBS-TV classic.)
When it opened in movie theaters in 2014, ‘The Equalizer’ had the third most successful opening weekend of Denzel Washington’s acting career. It was a powerful and poignant addition to the incredible body of work he is crafting in Hollywood.
Warning: The film and its sequel depict deaths so harsh that the “R” ratings are fully merited.
The movie appears at 6 p.m. Central Time tonight (Friday, August 7) on FX (Channel 35 in the Oklahoma City Cox Cable system). Many credible film critics have sneered at Washington’s interpretation of the title character, while others (I am one) wrote analyses declaring it stellar film-making, at least for adults who can stomach turning, shocking on-screen killing.
This review contains, if not full “spoilers,” some specific reflections on this excellent story.
Instruments of Death and a Message of Life
Think of implements you might purchase, or look at, in a Wal-Mart, or a Loew’s, an independent hardware or department store. Imagine those things as instruments of death: sledge hammer, electric drill, tree trimmer, wine corkscrew, and nail-gun. Yup.
Still the story does not pivot on the violent abilities of Robert McCall (Washington), who formerly served in secret U.S. “black ops,” far outside public scrutiny or Congressional oversight.
To outward appearances, McCall is living the ordinary life of a hard-working middle income person. He mentors Ralphie (Johnny Skourtis), an awkward but likable geek – with whom he works at “Home-Mart” – someone who is underestimated and taken for granted. Ralphie’s transformation is a pivotal plot line.
Unable to sleep at night, Robert haunts a short-order joint to drink tea and read literary classics. He is working his way through the 100 greatest books in American literature, in part to share (ex post facto) an experience with his late, beloved wife.
The books include “Invisible Man” by Oklahoman Ralph Ellison, deemed by many the greatest novel (albeit heavily autobiographical) work of the Twentieth Century.
In the diner, McCall chastely befriends a young prostitute named Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz). Their discussion of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” is the kind of thing we simply don’t see enough of in modern motion pictures. Moretz is captivating in the role of a troubled soul who knows she can do more than turn tricks, but who needs someone to love her enough to nudge her in a better direction.
McCall is a careful man, reluctant to return to his old ways. But then Teri is snatched before his eyes by her pimps, who are heartless Russian mobsters. She is beaten by thugs who have offered McCall special access to the services she and her abused girlfriends offer. Robert tracks her down in a hospital, where he encounters another troubled woman, portrayed with tenderness by Haley Bennett.
Leading up to his second encounter with the gangsters, McCall transforms. In Washington’s on-screen face and dialogue come hints of previous characters, including leading roles in “Man on Fire,” “The Book of Eli,” and even “American Gangster” or “Training Day.”
Still, his interpretation of McCall is an authentic addition to the Washington canon.
Love for others, not a desire to be the meanest bad-ass on the planet, leads McCall to abandon dreams of peace.
Portraying Teddy, the screen villain, is Marton Csokas – one of the most memorable bad guys ever. He kills with awful brutality, in ostensible service of a crime syndicate, but actually in thrall to his own depravity. Teddy’s face-to-face encounters with McCall feature palpable tension.
In deft cameos from Bill Plummer and Melissa Leo, friends from McCall’s former life appear. (They each returned in the second Equalizer film, released in 2018.)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the story is adapted from a television program of the same name that had a three-year run in the 1980s.
Remembering the original TV series
In that version, Edward Woodward portrayed McCall as English, a naturalized American who served “the agency” during the Cold War.
His home contained a variety of lethal weaponry which McCall used to forge justice in response to inquiries for a classified ad in the New York Times, reading “In Trouble? Need a Friend? Call The Equalizer.”
Guest stars on the TV version included Robert Lansing as “Control” – McCall former’s boss – and, in one unforgettable episode,Telly Savalas as a terrorist-turned-pacifist monk.
Queen Latifah has spoken – Will there ever be an ‘Equalizer 3’?
In 2019, many faithful fans of Washington and of all incarnations of “The Equalizer” had just started getting used to rumors of a third motion picture. I speculated about how an aging McCall/Washington would deal with bad guys and where life took him after the second installment. In imagination I tried to think through how Denzel would remain tough enough for the work – a la Daniel Craig’s James Bond installments – but smarter in his use of power.
Then, boom! Over this past winter came news (confirmed in recent weeks) that director Fuqua has joined forces with Queen Latifa (Dana Elaine Owens) and a talented ensemble for a reboot of the television series. She will play the lead character: Robyn McCall.
This could be a disaster, but might be superb (as has been Craig’s Bond reworking).
Or, perhaps, something in between.
I will patiently await the results on-screen in the coming television season’s programming (no doubt delayed for the same reasons everything is getting delayed, of late).
More on the movie version of ‘Equalizer’
Back to what some now call “Equalizer 1 – the Movie.”
While it is different in some particulars from the original CBS program, not merely in the ethnicity of the principal character, the film reboots are true to the spirit of the original TV program.
In the 2014 movie, credit film scriptwriter Richard Wenk and cinematographer Mauro Fiore for source-fidelity, while fashioning a contemporary narrative. I applaud the mix of musical genres that serve the story throughout.
In the first Washington installment, we see on the screen hints of a likely future. Washington’s McCall returns to the short-order joint where he befriended Teri. From his laptop, McCall reaches out to the hopeless via a Web posting.
‘The Equalizer 1’ is really about friendship and decency, and loving one another, with or without government sanction.
A mysterious and powerful parable on human decency and the limits of government, this is in truth a story about how diverse human beings ought to treat each other, rather than how they often do in the “real world”. This was one of the best-crafted movies of 2014.
In recent tinkering with its programming platforms, FX has been wont to last-minute shifts in schedule, sometimes depending on where a viewer lives in America.
An early afternoon double-check found this superb motion picture still listed for tonight.
So:
Tired of lame action-story plot lines? In need of a great movie fix?
Watch ‘The Equalizer 1’ tonight on FX, at 6 p.m. Central Time.
Note: McGuigan’s review of the first Equalizer film appeared in previous online versions. The foregoing is adapted form his original and updated from his 2014 review in The City Sentinel newspaper.
Still first in the heart of this American film-goer (and others): Denzel Washington delivered in ‘The Equalizer’ Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reestablished Indian reservations in Oklahoma is creating broad uncertainty and threatens to result in regulatory chaos that will drive businesses away from the state, according to state leaders.
“Businesses need certainty, and if we want businesses to locate in Oklahoma, they have to know what the rules are to locate here,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt.
“When there is uncertainty with regard to commerce and economic development, that’s not good for anybody,” said Attorney General Mike Hunter.
The similarity of those comments, made at separate press conferences in recent days, are notable because Stitt and Hunter have often been at odds, particularly over tribal issues. But both say the state faces potentially severe fallout from the court’s ruling in the 'McGirt v. Oklahoma' case.
In its ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court found certain crimes involving American Indians on tribal land in Oklahoma must be prosecuted in federal, not state, court. While the decision directly affected land held by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, it is expected also to apply to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole nations.
The cumulative effect of the ruling could impact nearly half the state of Oklahoma, where 1.8 million people reside, including the city of Tulsa.
Because the McGirt decision declared the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation boundaries were never formally disestablished and that territory remains “Indian country,” the decision is expected to also expand tribal government authority in a wide range of areas, including regulation and taxation.
Exactly how tribal government leaders plan to respond to their newfound power remains unclear. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation did not respond when asked how the tribe plans to administer its police power over lower-level crimes involving tribal citizens committed within the tribe’s reservation boundaries, which include much of Tulsa.
While tribal officials have provided few specifics, some have indicated they hold an expansive view of their newfound authority.
“We are looking at ways to expand our sovereignty with the McGirt decision while balancing meeting the needs of our citizens and the communities in which they reside,” Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma said in a July 17 statement (https://www.choctawnation.com/news-events/press-media/tribal-leaders-stand-firm-sovereignty-helping-chart-way-forward-state).
“Our commitment is to strengthen not weaken our tribal hard-earned rights to self-government.”
Stitt has formed the Oklahoma Commission on Cooperative Sovereignty to study the potential challenges created by the McGirt ruling. Stitt notes the ruling could affect everything from police power to Department of Human Services (DHS) authority to transportation issues.
“I did an executive order and I told every state agency they need to report what that means for their state agency, what it means for DHS by going in and removing kids from an abusive situation on a reservation because it’s considered a reservation now,” Stitt said. “What does it mean for tax policy? So we have the tax folks letting us know. What does it mean for the Corporation Commission? Can they regulate how much the weight limits can be on vehicles driving now on our roads if they’re a reservation? There’s a lot of uncertainty, there’s a lot of questions that have to be solved, and we’re in the fact-finding process right now.”
Benjamin Lepak, a legal fellow at the 1889 Institute, said the court’s ruling creates an opportunity for legal challenges that could dramatically alter state government and also increase the costs of business for Oklahoma companies.
“Just imagine the state revenue implications,” Lepak said. “If you’ve got Indians on tribal lands saying they’re exempt from, say, the state income tax, and at the same time you have the tribes levying tribal taxes on non-Indian businesses or individuals in ‘Indian country,’ it’s kind of a double-whammy. And taxes are just one narrow problem set that may play out in litigation. You could apply similar arguments to countless aspects of life and come up with scenarios that at a minimum — even if they ultimately end up in the same place as before McGirt — there’s a process between now and then and it’s likely expensive and disruptive.”
Hunter also predicts the “civil aspects of McGirt are going to be a subject of litigation that could have a checkerboard sort of consequence over time.”
Even so, he downplayed some concerns about the ruling.
“McGirt does not affect real property ownership. It does not affect oil-and-gas interests. It does not affect existing contracts,” Hunter said. “In order to subject yourself to tribal jurisdiction, there has to be consent. You have to have an agreement that’s in the nature of a contract where you’re going to do business with a tribe and you’re therefore consenting to jurisdiction.”
The attorney general said tribal citizens living outside of tribally owned lands would not be exempted from paying taxes.
“You have the same responsibilities to the state, in our opinion, as non-Indians,” Hunter said.
However, while Hunter’s statements may reflect the legal arguments the state will make, there’s no certainty those arguments will prevail in court. And there have already been indications some tribal entities disagree with Hunter’s assessment.
One notable example is the Seminole Nation’s issuance of letters (https://ift.tt/33Bd2fH) to oil and gas producers in 2018 that sought payment of fees and tribal taxes.
That document, issued by the Seminole Nation Business and Corporate Regulatory Commission (BCR), stated, “This letter is intended to provide notice to all operators in our area that to actively produce oil and/or gas within our jurisdictional area an Operator’s Permit issued by the Seminole Nation is required. If you have an active oil and gas lease in our jurisdictional area a Lessee Permit is required for each lease containing all or a portion of restricted interest. If you are actively producing oil and/or gas within our jurisdictional area you are required to pay a severance fee of 8% of the gross market value and file a monthly remittance report with the BCR.”
While that letter was issued prior to the court’s McGirt ruling, it occurred as McGirt-style cases were being litigated, and the letter was seen by many as a signal of how the Seminole Nation would proceed if the court gave a ruling favorable to its interests.
Legal experts have also warned that business interests, particularly in the energy industry in Oklahoma, face significant potential increases in regulatory costs and complexity.
A recent column (https://ift.tt/2PKNuoB) by Adam Dinnell and Andrew Hicks, attorneys with the Schiffer Hicks Johnson law firm, warned those in the oil and gas industry that the McGirt ruling “raises the specter of added uncertainty, dueling requirements, and the prospect of increased litigation.”
Dinnell and Hicks said the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s traditional role as primary oil and gas regulator “could be supplanted in eastern Oklahoma” and that tribes could impose their own wildlife protection clauses, land-use restrictions, and prohibitions against water contamination, as well as implement their own oil and gas permitting processes, drilling plan requirements, and zoning restrictions.
Dinnell and Hicks also note that under the federal Indian Mineral Leasing Act (IMLA) and Indian Mineral Development Act (IMDA), the Secretary of the Interior has ultimate authority to approve and disapprove mineral leases or energy development contracts involving certain Indian lands.
“As a result, oil and gas producers operating in eastern Oklahoma should prepare to face tribal arguments that their leasehold rights are invalid because they were never approved under IMLA or IMDA,” Dinnell and Hicks write.
The attorneys also note that “oil and gas business in eastern Oklahoma could see tribes seeking to impose their own taxes on non-Indian oil and gas lessees” and that the Oklahoma government “will likely be unable to tax the sale of oil and gas by and of the affected tribes or their members within the area identified as reservation.”
“As a result, oil and gas companies owned by a tribe or tribal members could have a distinct advantage in the post-McGirt landscape, potentially incentivizing the sale of oil and gas operations to tribes for tax advantages,” Dinnell and Hicks write.
While differing on the details, most officials agree Oklahoma is entering uncharted territory.
“There’s really no reservation like this in the country,” Hunter said, “where you have Indians and non-Indians basically inculcated, doing business with each other, living across the street from each other in a way that we’ve existed for 113 years.”
NOTE: Ray Carter is a veteran journalist now working as director of the Center for Independent Journalism, based at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA). This news story first appeared here: https://ift.tt/3fH2b6h . This storyis reposted here with permission. Carter’s stories often are posted at the website for CapitolBeatOK.com -- an independent, locally-operated and non-partisan news organization – and more often in morning aggregation shared on our Facebook page. Patrick B. McGuigan, founder of CapitolBeatOK, selected the photographs accompanying this story.
McGirt decision could upend Oklahoma’s regulation, taxes Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Letter sent via email to OSU Foundation supporters:
In the spirit of maintaining transparency with our Oklahoma State University Cowboy Family, I want to let you know that on July 16 our third-party vendor, Blackbaud, informed us that it was the victim of a data security incident in May 2020.
There was no unauthorized access into OSU Foundation systems.
Upon its discovery of the incident, Blackbaud, with the assistance of independent digital forensics experts and law enforcement, conducted an investigation. Please be assured that your Social Security number, bank account number, and credit/debit card information were not involved in the incident, as the OSU Foundation did not share this information with Blackbaud.
The Foundation will continue to work diligently with Blackbaud and our own cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident. We take data protection and privacy very seriously at the OSU Foundation and have multiple internal systems in place to preserve the integrity of this information. We are grateful for the continued support of our Cowboy Family alumni and friends.
For more information on this matter, visit the OSU Foundation’s website (https://ift.tt/3ibRgTU). Please call 800-622-4678 or email [email protected] if you would like an OSU Foundation representative to contact you.
Sincerely,
Blaire Atkinson, President
Oklahoma State University Foundation
Notice of Blackbaud Data Breach Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Gross Receipts to the Oklahoma Treasury jumped by more than 25 percent in July due primarily to the delayed income tax filing deadline, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced on Wednesday (August 7).
July receipts from all sources total $1.43 billion and exceed collections from July 2019 by $306.1 million, or 27.2 percent. It marks only the second time in six months that total receipts have topped those of the prior year.
“While July collections were strong, a different picture emerges when taking into account the delay of income tax filing,” said Treasurer McDaniel. “The details show the positive bottom line is concealing some less than favorable developments.”
With the income tax filing deadline moved to July 15, gross income tax collections were up by $360.5 million, or 106.3 percent, from the prior July. However, the increase failed to entirely offset the reduction of $414.4 million in income tax collections from April by $53.8 million.
July collections from the gross production tax on oil and gas extraction, totaled $22.9 million, down by $57.8 million, or 71.6 percent, compared to the same month of last year. The latest employment data show the state has shed 16,100 oil field jobs in the past year as prices and demand have fallen.
Sales tax receipts rose by a modest 1 percent in July, generating $421.5 million and reflecting an increase of $4.1 million from July of last year. Motor vehicle collections contracted slightly in July, down by just less than 1 percent over the year.
Since the start of the national recession, cumulative Gross Receipts to the Treasury are down by $411.8 million, or 5.9 percent, compared to the same six months of 2019. Twelve-month collections, an indicator of economic performance over a one-year period, are down by 2.8 percent with all major revenue streams except corporate income tax and use tax showing a pullback.
Economic indicators
The unemployment rate in Oklahoma was reported as 6.6 percent in June, down from 12.6 percent in May and 14.7 percent in April. The seasonally adjusted number of Oklahomans listed as jobless was listed at 116,602, according to figures released by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. The U.S. unemployment rate was listed at 11.1 percent in June.
The Oklahoma Business Conditions Index in July remained above growth neutral for a second month, following three months of numbers indicating economic contraction. The July index was set at 69, up from 53.1 in June. Numbers above 50 indicate economic expansion is expected during the next three to six months.
July collections
July gross collections total $1.43 billion, up by $306.1 million, or 27.2 percent, from July 2019.
Gross income tax collections, a combination of individual and corporate income taxes, generated $699.5 million, an increase of $360.5 million, or 106.3 percent, from the previous July.
Individual income tax collections for the month are $551.1 million, up by $230.5 million, or 71.9 percent, from the prior July. Corporate collections are $148.4 million, an increase of $130 million, or 706.7 percent.
Combined sales and use tax collections, including remittances on behalf of cities and counties, total $487.5 million in July. That is $12 million, or 2.5 percent, more than July 2019.
July sales tax collections total $421.5 million, an increase of $4.1 million, or 1 percent from the same month of the prior year. Use tax receipts, collected on out-of-state purchases including online sales, generated $65.9 million, an increase of $7.9 million, or 13.6 percent, over the year.
Gross production taxes on oil and natural gas total $22.9 million in July, a decrease of $57.8 million, or 71.6 percent, from last July. Compared to June 2020 reports, gross production collections are up by $3.3 million, or 16.8 percent.
Motor vehicle taxes produced $75.3 million, down by $658,083, or 0.9 percent, from the same month of 2019.
Other collections composed of some 60 different sources including taxes on fuel, tobacco, medical marijuana, and alcoholic beverages, produced $145.8 million during the month. That is $7.9 million, or 5.2 percent, less than last July.
Twelve-month collections
Gross revenue totals $13.32 billion during the past 12 months, August 2019 through July 2020. That is $376.8 million, or 2.8 percent, below collections from the previous 12-month period.
Gross income taxes generated $4.73 billion for the period, reflecting an increase of $95.4 million, or 2.1 percent, from the prior 12 months.
Individual income tax collections total $4.09 billion, down by $27.2 million, or 0.7 percent, from the prior period. Corporate collections are $641 million for the period, an increase of $122.6 million, or 23.6 percent, over the previous 12 months.
Combined sales and use taxes for the 12 months generated $5.48 billion, a drop of $100.8 million, or 1.8 percent, from the prior period.
Gross sales tax receipts total $4.73 billion, down by $151.6 million, or 3.1 percent, during the period. Use tax collections generated $750.7 million, an increase of $50.9 million, or 7.3 percent, over the previous 12 months.
Oil and gas gross production tax collections generated $771.4 million during the 12 months, down by $393.7 million, or 33.8 percent, from the previous 12 months.
Motor vehicle collections total $783.6 million for the 12 months. This is a decrease of $3.7 million, or 0.5 percent, from the trailing period.
Other sources generated $1.54 billion, up by $26.1 million, or 1.7 percent, from the previous period.
About Gross Receipts to the Treasury: The monthly Gross Receipts to the Treasury report, developed by the state treasurer’s office, provides a timely and broad view of the state’s economy. It is released in conjunction with the General Revenue Fund report from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which provides information to state agencies for budgetary planning purposes. The General Revenue Fund, the state’s main operating account, receives less than half of the state’s gross receipts with the remainder paid in rebates and refunds, remitted to cities and counties, and apportioned to other state funds.
Treasurer Randy McDaniel says delayed tax filing deadline boosts gross receipts Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
On August 25, Republicans in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District must discern whether or not to nominate their best option to present a serious challenge to incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn.
State Sen. Stephanie Bice, an experienced public servant with a solid conservative record, is the candidate best positioned to make the case for a change.
Senator Bice is pro-life, a defender of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, an energetic campaigner and a proven candidate.
She was a top GOP vote-getter in her last state Senate race, and ran second in a strong multi-candidate field in the June 30 primary.
Her opponent has sought public office before, and was defeated. There is no dishonor in that, but it should be kept in mind to answer the question in voters minds:
Can she win in November?
Stephanie Bice is a winner and a leader. She is a woman of integrity and determination.
The City Sentinel supports the nomination of Stephanie Bice to face the incumbent in November.
www.City-Sentinel.com
Fifth Congressional District, Republican Runoff: For Stephanie Bice Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
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