Congressman Cole Supports Ukrainian Soldiers Training at Fort Sill
Two members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation were in Lawton Thursday.
Congressman Tom Cole and Senator Markwayne Mullin attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new park and facility meant to bridge the community with the defense industry.
They also talked about the Ukrainian soldiers training at Fort Sill.
Congressman Tom Cole says on a national level, the collaboration happening in Lawton will mean a stronger military, and cites the ongoing training for Ukrainians and how American equipment is shaping their fight against Russia.
“In other words, our equipment has made an incredible difference on the battlefield with everything from javelins that have decimated Russian tanks to PATRIOTS that are now being deployed and frankly Ukrainians trained right here at Fort Sill to try and protect their air space,” Cole said.
Senator Markwayne Mullin praised the Fires Innovation Science and Technology Accelerator program as the gold standard for defense innovation.
It’s expected to create dozens of $100,000 dollar per year jobs and increased investment in community STEM education and workforce development.
Stitt Confirms Project Ocean Is Back In The Running For LEAD Act Funds
Panasonic is back in the running for a multi-million dollar incentive to bring a new facility to Oklahoma.
Governor Kevin Stitt confirmed that Panasonic, whose code name is Project Ocean, is considering options in the state.
"We’ve had a company that has applied for that LEAD Act funds. I'm not sure if it obligates them post that, or if there has to be a contract, so we’re still working through those details," Stitt said. "The good news is it’s a major company that feels like that they apply or they can qualify for that. ...That’s Project Ocean that has applied for that LEAD funds, yes."
The governor's comments Thursday comesas the deadline on LEAD Act funding gets closer.
The nearly $700 million in LEAD Act funding has been in limbo over the past year after Panasonic and, more recently, Volkswagen chose other locations to build electric vehicle battery manufacturing plants.
Lawmakers have set an April 15th deadline on the LEAD Act funds. If the money isn’t claimed by that date it will be returned back to the general revenue fund.
Oklahoma Tax Revenues Dip in March
Oklahoma's red hot economy appears to be cooling down.
Tax revenues collected by the state only grew by about 1 percent when comparing March 2023 to March 2022.
Year-over-year growth rates have consistently been higher than 10 percent in recent months.
Oil and gas revenues, corporate collections and motor vehicle sales tax money have all fallen... when compared to last year.
And though the economy appears to remain strong, state Treasurer Todd Russ says high inflation seems to be taking a toll.
DA Seeks To Close Hughes County Jail
The newly elected district attorney of Hughes, Pontotoc and Seminole counties has recommended closing the Hughes County jail. D.A. Erik Johnson is wanting to shut down the jail due to unsafe conditions for both detainees and detention officers.
According to reporting from Oklahoma Watch, the jail has failed seven health inspections over the past four years. Inspectors found numerous violations such as detainees wearing torn clothing, sleeping on the floor in cells with leaking toilets and blocked emergency exits.
The jail is located in the basement of the courthouse, and it’s designed for 36 prisoners, but last year, there were nearly 12 times that number detained there pushing the facility well past capacity.
Johnson has proposed a plan to house detainees in nearby Seminole County. If the jail is shut down, Hughes would become the only county in Oklahoma without its own jail.
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