Oklahoma Joins Lawsuit Against Voter Registration Executive Order
Oklahoma has joined eight other states in suing the Biden Administration over its voter registration efforts.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is one of eight attorneys general listed in a federal lawsuit filed in Wichita, Kansas last week.
The lawsuit stems from an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in 2021 directing federal agencies to expand access to voter registration.
Methods outlined in the order include the consideration of “ways to provide access to voter registration services and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public”.
The states claim the executive order is unconstitutional and may cause monetary and procedural harms.
Additionally, they say it infringes on their right to regulate their own voter registration process.
Oklahoma High School Faces Backlash Over Creation, Christianity Assignment
Skiatook High School is facing backlash about a recent world history assignment focusing on creation and Christianity. This comes on the heels of the State Superintendent’s mandate on Bibles in the classroom.
Former Osage Principal Chief Jim Gray and his wife Olivia are parents to a sophomore named Nettie, who last week asked for help on a world history project.
The assignment asks students to explain how the world started, with questions like, “What does it mean to be Christian?”
“Nettie was like, ‘How do I write this?’ And the more I started trying to break it down and talk to her about different way she could write it, the more angry I was getting," Olivia said.
After their conversation, Olivia made a Facebook post, which garnered more than 400 shares.
Twenty-four hours after the post went live, Nettie’s teacher, Erich Richter, took down the assignment.
But Olivia says that isn’t enough. She wants to ensure her daughter’s education promotes critical thinking and sets her up for her dream job of being a psychologist.
Tourism Among Top Industries For Oklahoma City
A new report shows visitors to Oklahoma City generated $4.5 billion for the local economy last year.
The report by Tourism Economics says more than 24 million people visited the city.
Spending on food, drinks, and retail topped the list.
Visit Oklahoma City says tourism is now one of the city’s largest industries, with one in 20 jobs tied to the sector.
Visit OKC predicts more growth, with new developments like the Horizons District.
Next week, voters will decide whether to raise the hotel tax from 5.5% to 9.25% for the first time in two decades.
Freshwater Mussels Planted In Tulsa-Area Creek
Boggy Creek in Claremore is home to 1,000 new freshwater mussels.
Federal biologists planted them where the creek dumps into the Verdigris River.
This marks the first time the Neosho National Fish Hatchery has released mussels in Oklahoma.
Amy Maynard is a biologist at the hatchery.
She tells the Oklahoma Ecology Project the mussels are native to the area and well-prepared for their new life.
“They were living in a pond before this. So they're already ready for this hot Oklahoma weather. They're acclimated, and they'll just do their thing,” Maynard said.
Mussels have an important role in river ecosystems, where they act as a filter, eating algae and bacteria.
Maynard said Oklahoma is home to about 60 species of freshwater mussels.
But six are federally listed as endangered or threatened, largely due to habitat degradation and the arrival of invasive competitors like zebra mussels.
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