Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond Announces Campaign For Governor
State Attorney General Gentner Drummond is running for governor of Oklahoma.
The 61-year-old Republican announced his candidacy Monday in Pawhuska, the home of his prominent cattle ranching family.
Drummond is the first major candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the position. He’s vowed to be a law and order candidate, cracking down on crime like opioid distribution and illegal marijuana operations.
“I don't bow down to the political elite. I don't answer the party bosses. I stand up for the people of Oklahoma,” Drummond said.
Drummond recently vowed to carry out Trump’s immigration goals, which include carrying out “the largest deportation in U.S. history.”
He’s also been a leader in defending House Bill 4156, which allowed local police to arrest unauthorized immigrants and jail them — a job usually reserved for federal authorities – before a federal judge paused it.
It remains to be seen who else will join him in what promises to be a crowded GOP primary to replace outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who emerged from a large Republican field of contenders before taking office after the 2018 election.
Drummond is unlikely to garner support from the current governor.
The pair have been involved in several high-profile scraps related to tribal sovereignty, a legal settlement over mental health services and cabinet secretaries.
Drummond also came into office after defeating Stitt’s hand-picked AG, John O’Connor, appointed by the governor after Mike Hunter resigned amid scandal.
Political ally Cindy Byrd recently filed paperwork to run for lieutenant governor.
DOJ: Tulsa Law Enforcement 'Participated in Murder' During Race Massacre
The U.S. Department of Justice has a new report following a fresh investigation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
The report released Friday said Tulsa police deputized hundreds of white residents for the massacre and detained Black residents in makeshift camps.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the investigation found evidence white law enforcement officers committed murders and arsons.
"The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community," Clarke said.
By the end of the Massacre, the mob had killed up to 300 people and leveled 1,000 homes.
The report concludes that had modern civil rights laws been in effect at the time, "federal prosecutors could have pursued hate crime charges against the massacre’s perpetrators, including both public officials and private citizens."
However, all the identified perpetrators are dead.
The DOJ says the study of the incident should continue to ensure its horrors are fully understood.
Proposed Legislation Changes Who Selects State Board of Education Members
A state representative has filed a bill to check the power of the State School Superintendent.
Currently, the governor appoints the six members of the State Board of Education, and any of them can be removed at the governor's discretion.
Democrat Jacob Rosecrants of Norman said because of that, all the current board members support the controversial initiatives of State Superintendent Ryan Walters such as teaching the bible in public schools.
“I just want to make sure that Oklahomans have more say on that board and that it is a true check on the power of the superintendent and the governor rather than a rubber stamp,” Rosecrants told News Gurus.
The bill would make two members each appointed by the governor, house speaker and senate president pro tem, and they could only be removed for specific improper actions.
Rosecrants said he hopes his bill will get bipartisan support because last year some republicans also proposed changing board appointments.
What Does La Nina Weather Pattern Mean For Oklahoma?
Scientists confirmed the long-awaited weather phenomenon Thursday.
Oklahoma may experience above-average warm and dry conditions for the rest of the winter season with the long-awaited arrival of La Niña.
The phase is one part of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, which alters weather patterns globally and is driven by sea surface temperatures.
Although La Niña is known for its cooling effect, the event impacts regions differently. Conditions for drought in Oklahoma’s winter and spring months become more likely under its influence.
“ La Niña, generally, is a fairly serious climatic pattern for us here in the Southern Great Plains because it does result in even drier than normal winters and springs,” said Todd Lindley, science and operations officer for the National Weather Service in Norman. “So, it's something we're always keeping an eye on.”
Still, this year’s La Niña will likely have less of a sway over weather patterns because of its delayed development, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The federal scientists suggest the globe’s unusually warm oceans may have slowed its formation.
Sea surface temperatures have risen significantly over the past 30 years, largely driven by fossil fuel emissions trapping heat in the atmosphere.
La Niña could last through the spring, though researchers can’t predict its exact duration.
The last one stretched over three years from 2020 to 2023.
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