Board of Education arrest
An Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting was interrupted by the arrest of an activist Thursday afternoon.
Audra Beasley was at the meeting to advocate for better access in public buildings for people with disabilities. But when the three minutes she was given to address the board were over, she continued, and refused requests to stop. The mother of three was escorted out of the meeting in handcuffs by state troopers.
"Y’all are arresting me in front of my children. Because this man over here is a bigot and a bully picking on trans kids. Picking on disabled kids. Picking on my kids. My kids are crying Ryan Walters," she said during the meeting.
News outlet Oklahoma Voice reports she was booked into Oklahoma County jail and faces misdemeanor charges of willfully disrupting state business. A family friend took the kids away from the scene. Board meetings under Walters have become raucous affairs as members of the public camp out in front of the state department for hours to grab one of the few spots in the public comment queue.
Storm damage
Oklahomans are being encouraged to report damage following early morning severe storms. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says residents can report damages to their property at damage.ok.gov. Damage to homes, businesses, or agriculture can be submitted through the online survey. Emergency management officials say reporting your damage helps local and state emergency managers better coordinate response and recovery efforts.
Chaplains in schools
Lawmakers are advancing a bill allowing chaplains in schools. According to the Oklahoma Voice, SB 36 is returning to the Senate after it was narrowly approved by a 54 to 37 vote in the House on Wednesday. Supporters say it could give students another option for therapy, but opponents say student mental health support should only come from certified school counselors. The measure was amended to prohibit chaplains from converting anyone to a religion as well as completing background checks and facing dismissal for misbehavior.
Thunder Game 3
The Oklahoma City Thunder has a two to nothing lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans. OKC now heads out on the road for Game 3 Saturday afternoon.
The Thunder defended their home court in the first two games of the series, but they now face the next two in enemy territory. Coach Mark Daigneault said they expect the crowd to be loud and their opponent to be hungry for a win, but his team must continue to work and compete.
“We can’t get distracted by the series being 2-0. We can’t get distracted by the road crowd or really anything else. We’ve just gotta stay focused on the things that are gonna stack up to a win, and that’s what we’re gonna focus on,” he said.
Game 3 against the Pelicans tips off in New Orleans at 2:30 Saturday afternoon on TNT.
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