The number of people experiencing homelessness appears to be rising in Oklahoma City. Here's details from the city’s 2023 Point in Time count released Thursday.
Census takers identified almost 1,500 people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City during the annual January count. Last year’s count found a little more than 1,300.
The point-in-time count is federally mandated and meant to serve as a snapshot of homelessness in the city. It is not a full picture of homeless people in OKC, but offers several insights.
One major problem detailed in the report is a lack of affordable housing in Oklahoma County. The authors write that more than 4,500 units are needed to meet housing demand.
They also found that $50 million in investments by the city toward affordable housing will help ease the burden in years to come. Voters approved that investment as part of the MAPS 4 program in 2019.
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday he is committing to send Oklahoma National Guard Troops to the Southern Border in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for reinforcements.
Stitt is joined by 12 other Republican governors in stating their commitment to send troops. All told, the governors plan to send more than 1,300 national guardsmen and more than 200 law enforcement personnel.
Also on Thursday, state Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced he's suing the Biden Administration over a proposed new rule to regulate the entry of asylum seekers into the U.S. following the expiration of pandemic-related rules that had given authorities greater ability to crack down on illegal immigration. Seventeen other states are joining with Drummond in the suit, which claims the new rule redefines -quote- previously illegal border crossings as lawfull pathways.
It's election season for the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee citizens living in at-large areas and the tribal nation's 14 county reservation will decide whether or not Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. should get to keep his job.
Hoskin Jr. says he's running on his record: over the last 3 1/2 years he led the tribal nation through the pandemic, the landmark Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma and has built up the tribal nation's health care system.
His three opponents say his administration lacks transparency and one of them would be better suited for the top job.
"So this group has epically failed to increase the wages for not just our behavioral health, but for all of our health care providers and staff," said former tribal council woman Cara Cowan Watts.
Wes Nofire and David Cornsilk, the two other candidates running for the top job say there needs to be a plan to staff the new hospital the nation is building and more accountability for the $3 billion in COVID-19 relief funds the tribal nation received.
If no candidate for Principal Chief gets more than half the vote, there will be a runoff in.
The election will take place Saturday, June 3 and polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will also include Deputy Principal Chief and several tribal council seats.
A new law gives the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority more ways to test for compliance to state standards.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Republican Senator Jessica Garvin’s Senate Bill 813 on Wednesday.
The law now allows the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to operate its own quality assurance laboratory in addition to contracting with a private lab to conduct compliance testing on medical marijuana businesses licensed in the state.
The new law also creates a petty cash fund for the authority to conduct undercover operations, including providing money for secret shoppers to purchase medical marijuana to prove compliance with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act.
The Women's College World Series began Thursday at the USA Softball Hall Of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
The defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners won their opening contest against the Stanford Cardinal, by a score of 2 to 0. OU's Jordy Bahl pitched a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts, as the Sooners now move on to face Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at 2.
Meanwhile, the Florida State Seminoles run-ruled the Oklahoma State Cowgirls by a score of 8 to 0. The game was delayed twice by rain for a total of nearly three hours.
The Cowgirls now play the loser of Washington and Utah Friday at 8:30.
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