Legal Protest Filed Against Petition Involving Norman Entertainment District Project
The city of Norman has announced that a legal protest was filed against the petition to bring the Rock Creek Entertainment District to a public vote
The 119-page legal notice contests the certification of Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development’s petition. Opponents argue that the petition is misleading and violates state referendum laws.
Supporters of the vote say the $1 billion district deserves public input.
Previously, the Norman city clerk verified more than 10,000 valid signatures--meeting the requirements for a ballot question.
The Cleveland County District Court will now decide if the petition is valid. If so, the question will be on the ballot for the Feb. 11 election.
The project includes an arena, retail and dining funded by private donors and two tax increment financing (TIF) districts.
Oklahoma House Members Take Oath Of Office
House Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert said his goals for the 60th Legislature await his majority caucus’s retreat in the coming weeks.
Hilbert's comments to media came after the swearing-in ceremony for House members
Wednesday morning.
With 17 new members and 101 representatives to lead, House Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert said it’s too soon to get into a full list of priorities.
He hasn’t met with his fellow Republican majority caucus to sus that out.
Following the House’s swearing-in ceremony, reporters asked Hilbert about his chamber’s direction.
“Obviously, we've voted for various tax cuts as a House in the past, but we're going to see what does the economy look like. What does the Board of Equalization report look like coming out in December? And then decide as as a caucus, where do we want to go from here?” Hilbert said.
Senate Bill 1, the first measure filed across the rotunda, proposes an income tax cut given certain revenue increases year after year.
Either way, Hilbert said he looks forward to working with the Senate to continue tax, and budgetary talks.
He said the two chambers have a great relationship heading into lawmaking season.
State Education Department Purchased Trump-Endorsed Bibles
New details are emerging about the state Department of Education's purchase of more than 500 Bibles for Advanced Placement Government classrooms.
The Tulsa World newspaper obtained a purchase order showing the 532 Bibles were the “God Bless the USA” Bibles, endorsed by President-Elect Donald Trump.
This order is separate from a bid solicitation to purchase 55,000 Bibles that was canceled earlier this month.
That proposal was revised before its cancellation at the urging of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services after speculation it was tailored to the Trump-endorsed Bibles.
The revision broadened the requirements for the Bibles and added pricing to its evaluation criteria. The Trump-endorsed Bibles are $60 each.
Agencies don’t have to solicit bids for purchases under $25,000. Because the Bibles were purchased for $24,500, the agency was able to circumvent that process.
New Bee Species Discovered In Oklahoma
A newly discovered species of bee in Oklahoma has researchers abuzz across the country.
The insect is one of more than 1,500 kinds of mining bees in the world.
The bee Andrena androfovea flew under the science community’s radar until researchers from the University of Oklahoma, Washington State University and the Central Texas Melattological Institute analyzed DNA information.
They observed what they say is unusual behavior: bees pollinating plants in the tomato family.
That information came from a new research paper and news release this month.
Scientists think it likely formed its own branch in the mining bee family more than 12 million years ago.
The pollinator was documented in Oklahoma and Texas in the years before its naming.
OU Assistant Professor of Biology James Hung helped discover the bee. He said Oklahoma is a treasure trove of biodiversity, but more environmental protections are needed for pollinator habitats.
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