Judge Blocks Non-Binding Vote on New Norman Entertainment District
Norman residents won’t vote on diverting hundreds of millions of tax dollars toward a new entertainment district in August after all.
The vote was blocked due to a lawsuit claiming the city council’s authorization of it was invalid.
Norman could still be getting the $1 billion entertainment district that includes a new arena for OU athletics.
But, citizens won’t get to weigh in with a special election. At least not in August.
There were procedural questions about a vote Norman’s City Council requested in June. Council members asked for a non-binding election to gauge interest in the project.
But former Norman mayors Bill Nations and Dick Reynolds sued the city over authorization of the vote, saying it didn’t follow Norman’s charter.
A Cleveland County judge heard them out and granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday.
Total Wine and More Faces Legal Battle to Enter Oklahoma Market
The liquor megastore Total Wine and More is trying to come to Oklahoma. However, it's facing a significant legal hurdle — the Oklahoma Constitution.
The state Constitution is pretty plain. If you want to open a liquor store here, you must live in Oklahoma for at least five years.
The owners of the massive wine chain Total Wine and More live in Maryland. And though they’ve set up a Limited Liability Company, Oklahoma regulators are putting a cork in their plans.
The state is barring the chain from opening up a store in Moore.
The Oklahoman reports the liquor emporium chain owners argue that the rules in Oklahoma’s constitution violate the U.S. Constitution by creating a protectionist policy for people already in the state.
They’ve made that argument before an administrative judge, who now has two weeks to rule on whether Total Wine has a case to come to the Sooner State.
Mobile Dental Clinics To Travel Across Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Dental Foundation is bringing five new mobile dental clinics to Oklahoma using about $5 million in federal pandemic relief money.
The dental facilities will travel across the state to provide free care.
The legislature appropriated this money to the clinics, which allow patients to receive everything from cleanings to fillings from a licensed professional.
John Wilguess, the dental foundation’s executive director, said last year, these clinics mostly served patients with an annual income of less than $20,000.
“We're trying to make certain that those patients who have needs are not limited to access to care because of geographic reasons, which we're now overcoming, and not because of cost," Wilguess said.
Four dental clinics will provide care in each corner of the state, and the fifth unit will travel between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Proposal Would Bring Data Centers To Stillwater
A new data center development may be coming to Stillwater.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce announced new data center facilities may be built north of the city. The proposal is for up to six data centers on the site of the former Armstrong Flooring plant owned by the state.
Joyce said he can’t yet disclose the company involved. However, he says the centers would not be for data mining or cryptocurrency mining, which can cause significant noise pollution.
“I am confident that this development will be ultimately seen as a really great addition to Stillwater and that the concerns that folks are seeing about some of the other places around the country won't really come much into play here,” Joyce said.
Joyce said this proposal will generate new revenue because the city currently doesn’t get any tax benefit from the land.
The company involved wouldn’t pay property taxes but would make direct payments in lieu of taxes to the city instead.
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