Change In Leadership Coming For OKC Police Department
Oklahoma City's Police Chief is retiring after 34 years with the department.
Chief Wade Gourley has led OKC Police since July 2019. He will stay on until his replacement is hired.
A news release from the city touted Gourley's efforts to change the way the police respond to mental health calls and the expansion of body-worn camera usage.
He led the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota.
Under his watch, a total of six Oklahoma City police officers were charged -- but never convicted for -- high-profile shootings.
Those include the 2021 death of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriguez and 2020 death of 60-year-old Bennie Edwards.
Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell Resigns Cabinet Post
Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell resigned his role as Secretary of Workforce Development on Wednesday.
News of Pinnell’s resignation surfaced the day after Attorney General Gentner Drummond released an opinion saying elected and appointed officials can only hold one state office at a time.
In a letter to fellow cabinet members and his own chief of staff, Pinnell cites his obligations to various boards and commissions as the reasoning for his decision.
Pinnell’s is one of two departures from Gov. Kevin Stitt’s cabinet this week following Drummond’s opinion.
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Tim Gatz, also vacated his positions as Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
A governor’s spokesperson says replacements for the two cabinet positions are pending.
School Cell Phone Ban Bill Passes Committee
A bill that would ban cell phone use at schools advanced through the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday.
Senate Bill 1314 by Edmond Republican Adam Pugh would require public school districts to adopt policies to prohibit student cell phone use on campus.
He says not only would it remove distractions from the classroom, but also help kids facing emotional crises.
“Teen suicide has doubled,” said Pugh. “Anxiety, depression, body image issues specifically in females, bullying and aggression in young males. Adolescents ages 12 to 16 spend 100 minutes less a day interacting with their peers than they did just ten years ago, face to face. So we don’t even have support networks anymore - friends that we can talk to, shake their hand, give them a hug, (and) look them in the eye. This is that important.”
Several Republicans expressed concern the bill would usurp control from local school boards.
Oklahoma City Democrat Carri Hicks originally supported the bill but changed her mind after parents voiced worries they wouldn’t be able to reach their children if there was a school shooting.
The bill can now be heard on the Senate Floor.
Four Men Guilty Of Construction Project Price-Fixing Scheme
Four men worked together to squeeze extra money out of Oklahoma Department of Transportation construction projects.
The final co-conspirator pleaded guilty in federal court this week.
Taxpayer-funded construction projects use a bid system, where companies compete to offer the most cost-effective services.
But the owners and operators of four specialized Oklahoma construction companies agreed not to compete with each other, conspiring to falsely inflate the price of erosion control projects along state highways.
The companies would intentionally submit high bids or refuse to submit bids at all, effectively guaranteeing another company’s bid would be accepted.
The companies took turns based on the location of each construction project, fixing prices for more than $100 million worth of contracts.
The four co-conspirators were owners or operators at erosion control companies around the state.
They’ve all pleaded guilty to violating federal antitrust laws. Each man faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
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