Oklahoma lawmakers are buying themselves some extra time by calling for a concurrent special session.
The Oklahoma Constitution says lawmakers must have the upcoming fiscal year’s budget done by the final Friday in May. That typically is the last day Senators and Representatives meet for the year.
But thanks to the contentiousness of an education budget compromise only unveiled this week, they’re asking for a bit more time. In their request, lawmakers say they will consider addressing state budget appropriations, other legislation and federal American Rescue Plan money.
By adding extra time, lawmakers can also override any of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s vetoes that they may not have otherwise. Stitt has vetoed dozens of bills this session and could be posed to veto more.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals says the reservations of three tribal nations in Northeast Oklahoma were never disestablished.
Winston Whitecrow Brester is a citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga nation. He filed for post-conviction relief in November of 2020 over a string of convictions for crimes in Ottawa County.
After the landmark McGirt ruling, Brester claimed he was tried in the wrong court and his crimes were committed on the Ottawa, Peoria and Miami Tribes' reservations. So, he should be tried in federal court instead of state court because their reservations were never disestablished.
Last week, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals sided with Brester after the state objected, saying the reservations were terminated and tried to assert concurrent jurisdiction under last summer's Castro-Huerta ruling.
A bill that would give the Governor the power to launch investigations through the Department of Public Safety failed on Tuesday.
Republican Representative Justin Humphrey’s House Bill 1976 was met with bipartisan opposition during its fourth reading on Tuesday.
The bill would have given the Commissioner of Public Safety, who takes direction from the Oklahoma Governor, the ability to launch investigations on anyone “reasonably believed to be engaged in terrorism, threats to public safety, organized crime, criminal conspiracies, or any other threats of violent crime.”
Democratic Rep. Jason Lowe spoke in opposition and said the bill was full of unconstitutional provisions and due process violations.
"You can be investigated for anything. We’re not just talking about terrorism. Anything," said Lowe.
The bill failed with a vote of 30 to 63.
Oklahoma City Animal Welfare is facing a new challenge after recently reopening its shelter.
Following a 47-day closure due to a rapidly spreading upper respiratory infection among the animals, the facility reopened to the public on Monday.
Officials say the shelter took in 143 abandoned animals the first day of reopening. In a post on social media, the shelter says they are now over capacity for dogs and are needing help to clear the shelter.
To encourage adoptions, the shelter has waived all dog adoption fees.
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