Lawmakers Question Gov. Stitt’s DOGE-OK Report
Legislative leadership in both parties expressed concerns about Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recently published DOGE-OK report.
Senator Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton says the governor’s DOGE-OK efforts look an awful lot like those of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, or LOFT, which came about in 2019 after a reported lost – and later found – $30 million at the state health department.
"There is concerns that we're duplicating efforts that we're already accomplishing. Long before DOGE, LOFT was here, and the legislature uses that now, as far as DOGE goes, if it is complimenting the efforts that we're already doing, I'm all for it," said Paxton.
Through LOFT, lawmakers can audit state agencies, officials and other government entities, which can be useful for budgeting purposes and formal investigation requests.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert shared Paxton’s sentiment toward the governor’s efficiency efforts. He says the House is working on getting the DOGE-OK report authors to visit his caucus at the Capitol.
Lawmakers are worried about the listed $157 million federal grant dollars being returned to the feds and possibly sent to other states and how Stitt’s administration aims to pare down the state’s workforce.
New Proposal Seeks to Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Oklahoma
Oklahoma voters could soon be casting ballots on a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana for people over 21.
Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action filed the proposal.
It also gets rid of the excise tax for medical marijuana and replaces it with a 10% excise tax on recreational cannabis. State and local taxes would still apply to all purchases.
Jed Green is the director of Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action. He says his organization opposed the past effort to make an adult use law, which voters rejected.
“So we actually have been this is something that we've been working on for a while." Green said.
Green says this proposal focuses on individual rights, protects the medical program and addresses business licensure and regulation issues.
Supporters will have to gather nearly 173,000 signatures for the proposal to appear as State Question 837 on the ballot.
Potential Measles Exposure At Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health
The Oklahoma State Department of Health released a notice of a public measles exposure in Oklahoma City.
The potential exposure occurred between 6:15 and 10 p.m. on March 23rd at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health.
Locations listed within the hospital include the main entrance atrium, atrium elevators to the lower level and emergency department.
OSDH said if someone visited this location within the provided date and timeframe, and they are unvaccinated, unsure of their vaccine or immune status, or have concerns, they are encouraged to provide their name and contact information on a form available on its website.
A news release from OU Health said the hospital is taking swift action to address the recent exposure and strongly urges vaccination to protect Oklahoma children.
So far, at least ten measles cases have been reported in Oklahoma.
As coal declines, Oklahoma continues to replace it with renewables
A new report shows renewable energy overtook coal generation nationwide last year. Chloe Bennett-Steele has more on how the country and Oklahoma’s energy landscape is changing.
It’s the first time wind and solar surpassed coal in U.S. energy production. A report from think tank Ember shows electricity was made up of 17% renewables in 2024, while coal accounted for 15%. The data comes from the nation’s Energy Information Administration.
Oklahoma is one of 28 states where renewable energy is outpacing coal, which is known to have significant environmental and health impacts.
Wind and solar made up 41% of the state’s generation, while coal was at about 6%. That’s down from more than 60% of the state’s electricity in 2001.
The report’s authors also say solar is outpacing natural gas by adding more generation in 2024. Data show Oklahoma saw an increase in both last year.
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