Another Bird Flu Outbreak Detected In Northeast Oklahoma
More cases of a deadly bird flu were detected in poultry in northeast Oklahoma in late December.
So far, about 130,000 turkeys were culled in the outbreak.
This is the fourth detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Oklahoma commercial poultry flocks since late last year.
In all, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports more than 221,000 birds have been culled because of the outbreaks in Adair County.
Alicia Gorczyca-Southerland, Oklahoma’s Assistant State Veterinarian, said the most recent detections were found during pre-movement testing.
“But the cause really is just the delay in those birds for truly finishing their migration to Central and South America because it's still warm here,” Gorczyca-Southerland said.
Control zones for the birds are in place.
Other cases in commercial flocks have been detected in neighboring states in recent months. Gorczyca-Southerland said state veterinarians are staying in touch to manage the virus.
Supporters of Open Primaries In Oklahoma Refile Petition
Supporters of open primaries in Oklahoma refiled their initiative petition Monday.
The effort is now known as State Question 836 instead of State Question 835.
Organizers clarified language in the petition to avoid misinterpretation.
They said this step was taken as a precautionary measure to clarify any concerns regarding presidential electors in their original petition (SQ 835) and to strengthen the petition’s language.
Under the proposal, primaries would be open to all voters. The two candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election.
Presidential elections are unaffected by the proposed open primary petition. Additionally, State Question 836 clarifies that candidates will appear on the ballot identified by party “registration” (SQ 835 used the term “affiliation”).
Supporters say a signature-gathering drive is expected to begin this year. The plan is to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot.
Proposal Would Ban Student Cell Phones In School
A state lawmaker has filed legislation that would ban student cell phones in schools.
The effort comes after failed attempts during last year’s legislative session and a surge of legislative interim studies this fall on the topic.
Claremore Republican Senator Ally Seifried authored the measure. She’s also the vice chair of the Senate Education Subcommittee, where the bill would need to overcome its first legislative hurdle.
She said this year, there’s momentum to get it passed.
“Every legislator that I’ve talked to have said, ‘Wow, I really see this issue,’ or ‘My people see the need to remove cell phones from the classroom.’ So I would just say locally, it’s grown, and then also nationally, it’s grown,” Seifried said.
The bill would require school districts to craft their own policies that include exceptions for emergency situations and student medical monitoring.
It would also create a grant fund with a $2 million cap to get schools any supplies needed for securing phones.
U.S. Department of Justice Accuses Prosecutors of Overstepping
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing two Northeastern District Attorneys.
The lawsuits involve tribal jurisdiction.
Prosecutors Matthew Ballard and Carol Iski are the DAs for counties within the Cherokee and Muscogee reservations.
According to the lawsuit filed by the DOJ, the two prosecutors have improperly filed a total of seven cases involving Native American defendants on behalf of the state.
Jurisdictional clashes have risen since the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma case, with multiple federal lawsuits being filed within the last year due to legal confusion.
But federal authorities say the law is clear on one thing. The state of Oklahoma does not have the authority to prosecute Native Americans who commit crimes on reservations.
Both DAs and Gov. Kevin Stitt say the move is federal overreach.
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