Oklahoma Voters Reject State Question 820
Oklahoma voters soundly rejected a ballot initiative to become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana last night.
Special election results show roughly 60% of voters cast their ballot against approving State Question 820. This comes even though marijuana is widespread in the Sooner state.
There are thousands of dispensaries here and almost 10% of Oklahomans carry a medical marijuana card.
But, that obviously didn’t mean it was popular with Oklahomans, says Vote No campaign consultant Pat McFerron.
"It should be considered a strong message to the legislature that Oklahomans reject recreational marijuana. And that's really what we have with our current medical program. So I hope this gives them the ability and political cover to really make our medical program truly medical," said McFerron.
The campaign behind the legalization amendment, spent more than $4 million on the effort.
Campaign advisor Ryan Kiesel was succinct in his assessment of the loss.
"Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. And well tonight, we came up short," Kiesel said.
Rural voters were critical in knocking down the effort. Marijuana farms are commonplace throughout rural Oklahoma and despite the loss, they’re likely here to stay.
Library Restriction Bill Advances
Senate Republicans are moving closer to significantly restricting what kinds of material can be in public and school libraries as a bill moved off the Senate floor yesterday.
GOP State Senators Warren Hamilton and George Burns are the authors of Senate Bill 397, which would divide library material into four age categories: ‘Elementary’, ‘Junior High’, ‘Under 16’, and ‘Juniors and Seniors.’
Materials listed under ‘Juniors and Seniors’ may include material not suitable for minors and would be relegated to a section of the library only accessible to staff. Materials would only be made available to individuals under eighteen if they present written permission from parents or guardians.
The bill also bans any material at libraries that a legal adult “applying contemporary community standards would find has a predominant tendency to appeal to a prurient interest in sex.”
"We know the underlying currents that are in effect right now that are trying their best to stop education from being a process that is open. This is a problem that we are creating, not a problem that is trying to be solved, said Oklahoma City Democrat George Young.
The bill can now be heard in the House.
Love's Travel Stops Founder Dies
The founder of one of Oklahoma’s most iconic businesses has died.
Tom Love, founder of Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, died Tuesday at age 85.
In 1964, Tom and his wife, Judy, opened their first store in Watonga. Over the next several decades, their family business grew into a multi-billion dollar company with 600 locations as of last October.
Born in Oklahoma City, Love was involved with the Oklahoma City Thunder, OU and OSU, and multiple charities.
A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Love was inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 2019.
Several state elected officials released statements of their condolences on Tuesday.
OK House Republicans Censure OKC Representative
Oklahoma House Republicans are removing Oklahoma City Democrat Mauree Turner from all committee assignments. GOP lawmakers allege Turner “harbored a fugitive” in their office last week.
Republicans voted Tuesday morning to formally censure Turner - the body’s only openly nonbinary representative.
GOP lawmakers allege after last week’s House vote to restrict gender affirming medical care for minors, a transgender person assaulted a Highway Patrol trooper. They say that individual then took refuge in Turner’s office, and Turner refused to hand that person over to authorities.
In response, Turner pleaded with lawmakers to rethink their decision.
"Half of you won’t even look me in the eye. Some of you don’t even acknowledge my existence to this day. But I’m telling you, censuring me on this floor - right? - when we haven’t censured folks who have brought death threats to my office. Those of you who just write ‘kill’ on my bills and give them back, or those of you who ask me what my genitalia is. That’s not impeding on decorum for you, but the fact that I dared to protect Oklahomans, that I provided a space for grace and love in the face of hate, I’m asking you, please don’t censure the people of House District 88"
House Democrats issued a press release condemning the move, stating Turner did not impede law enforcement from their duties.
Daylight Savings Time bill gathers support
Daylight savings time is upon us - but it may not be for long.
There’s renewed support in Congress for the Sunshine Protection Act, which was reintroduced by Marco Rubio of Florida in the Senate.
Last session, the The Senate passed the measure unanimously, but it wasn’t voted on in the House. Here’s Oklahoma U.S. Senator James Lankford, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, in a video he posted on Twitter.
“It has been an issue that I’ve heard over and over again from moms of young kids at how much they hate all the time change stuff because it’s so hard on their kids…We need to actually lock the clock and be able to keep us at one time period on it.”
With bipartisan support and several states who have already adopted their own statewide version of this sort of measure - it remains to be seen if the bill passes during this session.
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 AM NewsBrief.