TSET investment in rural medicine
One of Oklahoma’s public health agencies will invest $4.5 million in the state’s rural health care.
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, otherwise known as TSET, announced a major investment in continuing education and mentorship for Oklahoma’s rural health providers on Thursday. TSET is a state agency that oversees several public health initiatives, including smoking cessation.
It will be investing in an Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes — or ECHO — program. That model is designed to connect medical providers in underserved areas virtually with specialists who can mentor them and help improve care. They exist across the globe, and Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Sciences manages the one here. The hub connects rural providers with specialists in obesity medicine, infectious diseases, obstetrics, and palliative care.
The new TSET funding will help the project incorporate more specialities into the program, including diabetes, pediatric obesity and hypertension management.
Update on OKCPD lawsuit
The Oklahoma City Police Department will amend protocol for stopping people on FBI terror watchlists following a lawsuit filed last week.
Saadiq Long, the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against OKCPD by the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Affairs, will withdraw his motion in exchange for the police department instructing officers not to stop anyone based solely on their appearance on FBI terror watchlists.
Long is a Muslim-American Air Force veteran who has been stopped by OKCPD five times since November of last year, including a stop last month which resulted in him being handcuffed and arrested at gunpoint while his car was searched.
Long sued the federal government in 2015 for placing him on a terror watchlist without explanation. He has never been charged with any terrorism-related crimes.
Legislative session preview - Broadband
Oklahoma lawmakers are looking to get the ball rolling on broadband internet expansion.
The state’s broadband office aims to bring high-speed internet to 95% of homes by June 2028.
So this year, legislators are looking to open up permission for electric companies to expand broadband services and encourage internet providers to work with the state’s broadband office.
Republican senator Brent Howard of Altus filed a bill easing regulations for electric companies to provide broadband services to customers.
And Republican Senator Lonnie Paxton of Tuttle filed a bill that would encourage internet providers to share information with the Oklahoma Broadband Office.
The state’s broadband office was established last year to oversee millions of dollars in broadband spending, but continues to struggle to find a permanent director.
Tulsa County sheriff refuses to enforce new gun mandate
The Tulsa County sheriff is openly refusing to enforce a new federal mandate concerning a gun accessory, arguing it’s punishes law-abiding citizens.
Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado refuses to enforce the federal government’s new pistol brace rule, which requires owners of the gun accessory to register with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives within the next four months.
The DOJ argues the braces turn pistols into short-barreled rifles. The accessory was used in at least two high-profile mass shootings in recent years.
"We can spend all day talking about the dynamics of a mass shooter and why we're having those and why we're seeing them, what appears to be more in recent history, but braces are not the cause of that problem," said Regalado.
Regalado also said he doesn’t expect his noncompliance to trigger federal enforcement or legal action against the county. He said he’s worked with ATF agents, and that they’re "solid individuals who care about their communities and the safety of their citizens."
In response to Regalado’s statement, an ATF spokesperson simply said it’s his agency’s job to enforce such federal mandates.
Oklahoma City Receives Transportation Grant
Oklahoma City will receive an $800,000 grant to improve safety on its roads. The federal grant will pay for a detailed plan to reduce roadway deaths and injuries to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
It’s part of a broader Department of Transportation initiative to improve safety on roads and sidewalks across the country.
OKC had 402 vehicle-involved deaths between 2016 and 2020, the fourth highest rate of deaths for any city in the nation.The city has more than 3,500 miles worth of streets.
The plan will take over a year to complete and officials will invite public comment as it shapes how OKC improves infrastructure in the future.
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