State House Lawmakers Approve Governor’s Proposed Tax Cut
State House members voted along party lines Wednesday to pass a quarter of a percent cut to the state income tax.
House Bill 1002 passed on a 71 to 20 party-line vote. It represents a quarter of a percent income tax cut.
But, the bill is unlikely to go anywhere for the moment as Senate leaders look to use their support for the measure as leverage on other legislative priorities.
House Republicans say an income tax cut means more money in Oklahomans' pockets. They say the state can afford it with more than $4 billion in savings.
Their Democratic rivals who opposed the measure argue the revenue lost could pay for infrastructure improvements or health care costs.
The State Senate can pick the bill up at any time during the regular session and cast its votes.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has thrown his support behind the bill and would likely sign it if it reaches his desk.
Monitoring Plan For Water Quality At Zink Lake
As Tulsa puts the finishing touches on a new low-water dam in the Arkansas River, some residents have expressed concerns about water quality. The city has announced plans to monitor pollution.
Tulsa is prepping to open Zink Lake to the public on Labor Day weekend.
But throughout planning and construction of its dam, Tulsans have raised concerns about setting up a water recreation facility downstream of multiple refineries. As recently as 2022, the section of the Arkansas River that will become Zink Lake had too much cadmium to be considered fishable or swimmable under the Clean Water Act.
Now, city officials say they will test the water twice a week in five different locations. They’re on the lookout for bacteria, heavy metals and oil byproducts.
Eric Lee is with the Tulsa Water and Sewer Department.
"We would be the first utility or first city in the state of Oklahoma to have kind of a water quality dashboard for a portion of a water body," said Lee.
He says that dashboard will make up-to-date water quality results easily available to the public.
Community members can share their feedback on the water monitoring plan in a public meeting on Feb. 27.
Former Ringling Football Coach Court Hearing Cut Short Due To Medical Emergency
Former Ringling football coach Phillip Koons was scheduled to have a court hearing on Wednesday, but the hearing was cut short by a medical emergency.
While testifying in a hearing on whether to withdraw his plea of no contest to a misdemeanor count of outraging public decency, Koons suffered an apparent medical episode on the stand. Officials cleared the courtroom and he was taken from the courthouse in an ambulance to receive medical attention at a nearby hospital.
Koons is accused of calling students racist and homophobic slurs and forcing them to complete exercise drills in the locker room while naked. He pleaded no contest last month after a judge rejected a plea agreement in which he would not spend any time behind bars but instead give up his teaching license while he served a seven-year probation. He faces up to one year in jail.
The hearing has been reset for March 12.
City Of Durant Unveils Weather App
The city of Durant has unveiled a life-saving tool ahead of the severe weather season.
The city’s free Durant Weather Radar app is now available to the public.
The app displays data from the city-owned radar and allows people to better see current conditions in the atmosphere below 12,000 ft.
Durant is halfway between two National Weather Service radars—one in Norman and the other in Fort Worth—but the distance makes it hard to detect tornadoes.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU PM NewsBrief.