Governor Unsure About Signing Immigration Legislation
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says he’s not sure if he’s willing to sign a controversial piece of immigration legislation if it reaches his desk.
Stitt says he agrees with lawmakers and the attorney general on the need to secure the state’s borders and address the increased human and drug smuggling that accompanies illegal immigration into the heartland.
He’s just not sure if House Bill 41-56, a measure criminalizing anyone without a legal immigration status in Oklahoma, is the best approach.
"I'm not going to make a decision right now whether I'll sign it or not. There's too many variables on what's in the bill. Our team, we'll look at it and we'll review that," Stitt said.
Stitt says he plans to consult with the Mexican consular general in Oklahoma City, Edurne Pineda. The goal is to learn how Oklahoma can tackle illegal immigration while also protecting contributing members of the Latino community – most of whom are Mexican.
OSU Extension Offering Workshop On PFAS
You may have heard of so-called “forever chemicals.” But how much do you know about their uses and health risks? OSU Extension is offering a workshop for Oklahomans to learn more.
PFAS are manmade chemicals that don’t often react with other substances. That makes them useful in waterproof and non-stick materials. But they’ve also caught the public’s attention in recent years as we’ve learned more about the health risks they can pose.
That’s why OSU Extension is teaming up with environmental consulting firm Trihydro to offer a free workshop for people to learn about PFAS.
Extension specialist Keima Borsuah says it’s important to let people know how close to home PFAS are — they’re often in things like mascara, nonstick cookware, and microwave popcorn bags.
"If you have an alternative option, like instead of going for a microwave popcorn, I would say do it the traditional way," said Borsuah.
Borsuah will speak alongside researchers, state regulators and more at OSU Tulsa on May 8. Anyone who wants to learn more about PFAS can attend in person or stream the workshop online.
Cashless Tolling Coming To The Turner Turnpike
Travelers from Oklahoma City to Tulsa will soon be unable to pay cash at a toll booth on the Turner Turnpike.
It’s a change coming May 1: No more stopping on the Turner Turnpike to dig that $5 dollar bill out of your wallet.
Instead, drivers will breeze right through and have a picture of their license plate taken to be billed later in the mail.
The move is thanks to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s new PlatePay system, which replaces toll booths. For drivers with PikePass – the OTA’s existing cashless system – nothing will change and prices will stay the same. But for drivers switching from cash to a bill… it will cost $8.75 each way instead of $5
You can still purchase a PikePass from the OTA. Visit PikePass.com for more details.
OKC Thunder Win First Game of NBA Playoffs
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first game of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs Sunday night.
The No. 1 seed in the NBA's Western Conference survived a physical, back-and-forth game with the 8-seeded New Orleans Pelicans, by a score of 94 to 92.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named a finalist for the league’s MVP earlier in the day, led the way for the Thunder with 28 points and 6 rebounds.
He referenced the competitive nature of the game after it was over.
“It’s playoff basketball - full of lead changes, every possession matters. We didn’t execute down the stretch the way we wanted to. We let them believe, but we did enough to get a W. We’re one game closer to our goal.”
Jalen Williams added 19 points for the Thunder, while NBA Rookie of the Year finalist Chet Holmgren had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks.
Game 2 takes place Wednesday evening at the Paycom Center.
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