Tribal Nations Not Advised On Governor's Sports Betting Plan
Last week Oklahoma's governor put forth a plan for sports betting, but tribal nations say they were not consulted on the plan.
Gov. Kevin Stitt released a proposal to introduce sports betting to Oklahomans that would largely exclude tribal nations in the state from the most lucrative part of the deal. The proposal would allow in-person betting at tribally run casinos but would open up mobile sports betting to anyone willing to pay a $500,000 license fee and renewal fees in the future.
A statement released by the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association says tribal nations were not consulted on the plan. They say they are disappointed Stitt has not had a "respectful government-to-government discussion with tribal nations on the issue."
Any offer on sports betting must include a discussion with the Oklahoma State Legislature and must be within the terms of the state-tribal model gaming compacts.
In 2022, gaming tribes in Oklahoma paid the state $191.5 million in exclusivity fees on more than $3 billion in revenue.
New Mental Health Laws
Four laws related to improving mental health care in Oklahoma are now in effect.
Zack Stoycoff is with Oklahoma’s Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. He says it worked diligently with legislators to pass its four priority bills, which is the most policy Healthy Minds has seen succeed since it started in 2019.
“These bills are designed to really help Oklahoma families and help Oklahomans who struggle with these issues in real and meaningful ways, immediately,” Stoycoff said.
The initiative found that out of the state’s five largest private insurance providers, 65% of their behavioral health providers were unreachable, and half of those had disconnected or out-of-service phone lines.
Now, Oklahoma insurance companies will have to update their directories every 60 days to ensure they're accurate.
Another law will require commercial insurance companies to arrange behavioral health care for their members if they can’t find timely access.
The cost for members will be capped based on individual plans to match copays and deductibles for in-network providers.
Oklahoma Conservation Department's 'Gar Week' Gets Underway
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is hosting its second annual Gar Week this week on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Sarah Southerland, who runs the ODWC’s account, says many people think of gar as a nuisance.
"They take these large, long-lived species, and then just dump them on the bank, ‘cause there’s a misconception there," said Southerland.
But she says last year’s event achieved the Department’s goal of teaching people about this native apex predator and changing some Oklahomans’ minds about it.
"What's most important are the people who message us like, ‘Oh, I thought they were trash fish. Now, I don't think that.’ And we got an outpouring of that," Southerland said.
Gar Week starts Monday and runs through Sunday, with educational theme days, quizzes and giveaways to be found on the Department’s social media feed.
New Military Exhibit Opens In Enid
Several gathered on Saturday in Enid for the grand opening of the Oklahoma Military Exhibit as part of the city's kick off to Veterans Week.
The 40,000 square foot exhibit inside Oakwood Mall pays tribute to veterans and showcases military artifacts and memorabilia including military trucks, engines and aircraft.
Artifacts range from constitution times to World War I and II, and Vietnam.
The Military Exhibit is open to the public Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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