Oklahoma lawmakers are again considering a bill that would allow medical researchers to look into psychedelics to treat mental illness.
House Bill 2107, like its predecessor last year, would let colleges and research facilities study the effects of psilocybin on Oklahoma residents who struggle with conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in mushrooms.
The measure doesn’t require veteran status, but supporters tout the potential benefits to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality.
The bill got a lot of pushback in its hearing Thursday. Critics said the measure isn’t financially responsible, and Oklahoma should let other states take the lead on this research.
"I want us to make sure we’re at the decision-making table, having this nationwide conversation — because, again, this is about research, this is about saving lives, and this is about addressing the mental health crisis that’s facing our country and our state right now," said the bill's author, Lawton Rep. Daniel Pae.
The measure passed and is headed to the Senate, where it died last year.
Two bills that could help in the collection and processing of evidence following sexual assaults are advancing through the state legislature.
Democratic Senator Kay Floyd’s Senate Bill 993 would create a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator position to oversee forensic medical examination training across the state. The new position would also be responsible for creating and expanding local sexual assault nurse examiner programs.
Senator Floyd says having a dedicated coordinator would be especially helpful for sexual assault survivors in rural areas.
The rural areas sometimes don’t have access to a nurse with those kinds of qualifications.
Another of Floyd’s bills, Senate Bill 1000, would authorize the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations to contact local law enforcement agencies to inquire about unsubmitted sexual assault evidence kits.
Both bills passed unanimously out of the Senate Thursday, and are headed to the House.
Oklahoma City Representative Mauree Turner is the target of attacks on their race, gender and religion following a move earlier this week by House Republicans to formally censure the democratic lawmaker. Turner’s office says it’s received many threatening calls and emails since the censure.
Turner is the legislature’s only open nonbinary member, and in one email, they’re called worthless, a terrorist, a homophobic slur, multiple racist slurs, and their religion, Islam, is ridiculed. It’s so obscene, there’s not much I can quote on the radio.
House Republicans stripped the lawmaker of their committee assignments, alleging after a bill hearing to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth, Turner hid a transgender person in their office who was wanted for questioning following a scuffle with a state trooper. Turner’s censure can be overturned if they issue an apology, but they say that’s not happening.
"I absolutely will not apologize for being able to create a safe space where the Oklahoma legislature continues to tell trans folks that they should not show up here. I will absolutely continue to create a space to show trans folks, gender nonconforming folks, two-spirit folks that this is a safe space, right, that even in the midst of everything going on in the Oklahoma legislature, that they can always come to my office," said Turner.
"Do you feel safe right now?," asked StateImpact reporter Beth Wallis.
"No. When the people who are supposed to protect you are those that are the folks that you fear, right? Or that might cause you to think twice about, like, should I be doing this work? It creates a hostile work environment and I think that wouldn’t make anybody feel safe," Turner said.
Turner says even if they aren’t allowed to speak in committee meetings, they’ll still be there.
Members of Oklahoma's Black Caucus are criticizing Republican legislation that proposes tax credits for families with students enrolled in private schools. Rep. Jason Lowe said at a press conference earlier this week that there is not enough oversight included in House Bill 1935 allowing for a $5,000 tax break per private school student.
"There is very little protection for fraud and abuse. We don't want another EPIC. We don't want another Class Wallet," said Lowe.
Tulsa Rep. Regina Goodwin called the proposed tax credits a gift to the wealthy.
"It's unfair. We are taking public dollars to fund private entities, and that is not what our public education is about," said Goodwin.
The Black Caucus also criticized State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who this week published details about so-called school choice on the state department of education website. Rep. Lowe said Walters should focus on keeping quality teachers in Oklahoma and improving educational outcomes for students.
The only Indigenous centered comic con comes to Oklahoma City after a pandemic hiatus.
The event known as Indigipopx features Native interpretations of everything from Marvel Super Heroes to cosplay to Strawberry Shortcake to Grogu. Kristin Gentry is the director of community engagement at the First Americans Museum.
"Think of everything pop culture, but indigenous pop culture. So all the fandoms that, like everybody loves everything from the 1960s, 70' 80s, all the way through to today," said Gentry.
Events include Indigenous super heroes, cosplayers, artists-both local and national, panels on Indigenous representation in media and entertainment and a cosmic yoga glass. There will also be a screening of the film Prey in Comanche and a screening of Star Wars in the Navajo language.
The full schedule and ticket information is available at their website.
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