Details On Curry Resignation From Stitt Cabinet
A former member of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s cabinet says she left her role due to concerns about State Superintendent Ryan Walters' fiscal mismanagement.
Former Secretary of Education Katherine Curry resigned in July after just a few months on the job.
In her first interview since then with the nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice, she cites worries over how the State Department of Education was being managed.
The Secretary of Education is charged with approving high-dollar expenses for the agency.
But Curry says she was denied access to some financial documents. And when she tried to reach out to Walters to remedy the situation, he simply ghosted her.
Communications obtained by Oklahoma Voice via a Freedom of Information Act request show no response to repeated calls, texts and emails.
More Than 200 New Oklahoma Laws In Effect
More than 200 new state laws went into effect Wednesday.
Some of the highlights include a raise in juror pay.
The daily pay for jurors is now $50, up from $20. It's the first pay hike in more than two decades.
Also, a new law largely shields restaurants and school cafeterias from the threat of civil lawsuits for donating prepared food.
And, State employees will now be eligible to receive maternity leave.
Full-time employees who have worked for the state for more than two years can request up to six weeks of paid maternity leave.
Drought Insurance Payments
In the past 21 years, more than $2 billion in drought payments went to Oklahoma farmers. That’s according to a new study from the Environmental Working Group focused on the top weather-related causes of loss for farmers.
Researchers say as climate change progresses, the number of insurance payments will increase.
Drought was the priciest cause of loss in the study.
Almost three-fourths of all drought payouts went to ten states, including Oklahoma which ranked ninth in drought payments and fourth in freeze payments.
Anne Schechinger, an agricultural economist and the group’s Midwest director, says insurance costs from weather tied to climate change have been increasing.
“So it's just really important for farmers to be adapting to climate change, doing things to make their farms more resilient, to kind of reduce the cost to both farmers and taxpayers of this program going forward," Schechinger said.
Extreme weather has also led to more government assistance. USDA is offering about $3 billion to producers who weathered natural disasters in 2022 in its latest round of financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program.
Research Collaboration On Substance Use Problems Affecting Native American Communities
A new research project will focus on substance use problems affecting Native American communities.
It is a collaboration between the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa and the Shawnee Tribe.
The National Institutes of Health will fund the initiative.
The project aims to integrate clinical neuroscience and community-driven research, with a focus on cultural perspectives and knowledge.
Chief Ben Barnes emphasizes the importance of combining Shawnee cultural knowledge into healthcare services, recognizing that cultural practices have a significant role to play in improving the well-being of the tribe's members.
The project combines cultural knowledge, neuroscience, and community involvement to address substance use issues within Native American communities.
Researchers hope to influence healthcare practices and policies beyond the Shawnee Tribe and Indian Country.
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