Two Senate committees conducted a rare joint meeting Monday to vote on new versions of two House bills that feature massive education measures.
House Bill 1935 is Oklahoma’s version of a private or homeschool voucher, but it’s paid in the form of tax credits. The bill’s seen some changes since its House Floor vote - changes Democratic Sen. Carri Hicks says members received only 45 minutes before the meeting.
This version adds an income cap of $250,000 for eligibility, raises the private school credit amount to $7,500 per student and the homeschool credit to $1,000 per family. One major change is the removal of the trigger clause that would have eliminated the tax credit program if public education funding dipped.
But all of this is contingent on the passage of House Bill 2775, which the committees also reviewed. This one adds about $530 million to the state aid formula for public ed, with $284 million of that earmarked for teacher raises. Both bills passed and can now be heard on the Senate Floor.
Oklahoma's Attorney General has filed a motion to delay death row inmate Richard Glossip‘s execution once again.
Glossip is set to be executed May 18, but The Oklahoman newspaper reports, Attorney General Gentner Drummond Monday asked for another delay in the death row inmate’s execution until August 2024. Drummond made the request as Glossip filed another new challenge to his conviction.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is expected to grant the delay.
Glossip has been on death row for 25 years for the murder of Barry Van Treese.
Oklahoma’s House of Representatives is censuring Broken Arrow Republican Dean Davis.
Oklahoma City Police accuse Davis of public drunkenness. He was arrested outside a Bricktown bar in the early morning hours last week.
A majority of lawmakers say his conduct is unbecoming of a legislator. This comes in the wake of a censure of Democrat Mauree Turner after they were accused of sheltering a person wanted for questioning in a law enforcement investigation at the Capitol.
Turner and a number of Democrats defended Davis during the vote.
The move means Davis is stripped of his committee assignments. But he was told if he apologizes in writing to OKC police and to other members he will get them back.
Davis serves on several committees including the House Alcohol, tobacco and controlled substances committee.
The highly anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon” has a release date.
The announcement was reported first by Osage News. Killers of the Flower Moon will be coming to the big screen in October.
Apple Original Films says the movie will have a limited theatrical release in partnership with Paramount Pictures worldwide on October 6, before being widely released on Oct. 20, then streaming later on Apple TV.
The film directed by Martin Scorsese is based on David Grann's bestselling book about a series of brutal murders committed against Osages that came to be known as the reign of terror.
The movie has some serious star power including Lily Gladstone, Leonardo di Caprio and Robert de Niro. It was mostly filmed within the Osage Nation reservation communities of Pawhuska, Fairfax and Ralston.
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