State Lawmakers Pass Tax Cut On Groceries
The Oklahoma Senate voted overwhelmingly this morning to cut the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries.
House Bill 1955 passed the Senate with a 42-2 vote.
The measure cuts the state’s four-and-a-half-percent tax on groceries and prohibits cities and counties from raising their sales taxes until next summer.
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat was the sponsor of the bill which passed the House last session and stalled in the Senate until today.
He’s repeatedly advocated a cut to the state’s grocery tax rather than its income tax. He says it means faster inflation relief for Oklahomans.
Okemah Sen. Roger Thompson chairs the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee. He worries the bill could harm local municipalities that rely on sales taxes as their main source of revenue.
He voted against the measure.
Shoppers will see the grocery tax cut on their receipts in August when the new law goes into effect.
Oklahoma Panel Passes Judicial Age-Limit Bill
A bill that’s already stirring controversy in the legal community is advancing through Oklahoma’s State Senate. The measure that would require some judges to retire at 75.
Senate Bill 1672 would mandate appellate and district court judges to retire following their 75th birthday.
The real world fallout of the bill: It would oust two justices appointed by Democrats on Oklahoma’s Supreme Court.
That means Gov. Kevin Stitt would be able to appoint the majority of the court, when adding those two… to three he’s already appointed.
The bill’s author, Sen. Julie Daniels of Bartlesville, says she’s upset with the actions of the state’s highest court.
"In many cases the court has drifted over into making its own policy, canceling out things the legislature has done because it doesn’t approve of them. Not necessarily because they’re actually unconstitutional," Daniels said.
The bill narrowly passed out of the judiciary committee and can now be considered by the full Senate.
Ukrainian Surgeons Learning Cutting Edge Medical Technology In Oklahoma
As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, more and more Ukrainians need complex reconstructive surgery after facing life-altering injuries.
OU Health is teaching a group of Ukrainian surgeons how to perform those procedures.
The program is called “Operation Ukraine,” and through it, OU Health has now taken in three groups of surgeons since May 2023 to offer training they can bring back home.
The current group of four head and neck surgeons is receiving training to help them handle the injuries they see in their hospitals.
Mark Mims, an OU Health surgeon is helping with the program.
“The ultimate goal for Operation Ukraine at OU Health is to allow the Ukrainian surgeons to train their own future generations,” Mims said.
The Ukrainian surgeons are also the first to use advanced technology that OU Health is giving them.
This includes surgical glasses that allow them to call surgeons from OU who can provide real-time consultations during their operations at home.
OKC Thunder Back In Action Tonight
The Oklahoma City Thunder return to the court tonight in their first game since the All-Star Break.
The Thunder sit in second place in the NBA’s Western Conference.
They’ll host the Los Angeles Clippers, who are a half-a-game behind OKC in the standings.
The game could see the debut of former All-Star Gordon Hayward in a Thunder uniform.
He was acquired by the team in a trade on February 8th, but has not played an NBA game since December due to leg injuries.
Tip-off for tonight’s contest is set for 7 p.m.
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