OKC Prepares To Make $34 Million Promise To Host 2028 Olympics
Oklahoma City officials are considering a resolution that puts their money where their mouth is for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
City Council is expected to vote on that resolution at a meeting Tuesday.
Oklahoma City confirmed last month it will host canoe slalom and softball for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
Host city Los Angeles doesn’t have existing facilities for those events.
Now, City Council is voting whether to go all-in. If the city passes this resolution but doesn’t stage those events, it (or its financial partners, which include the Greater OKC Chamber) will have to pay Olympic planning organization LA28 more than $34 million.
Mayor David Holt told The Oklahoman newspaper he doesn’t anticipate ever having to write that check.
The resolution also promises to ensure the facilities for those events comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that the city will prioritize anti-discrimination and sustainability practices as it prepares to host the games.
State Lawmakers Looking To Ease Food Truck Permits
A bill making its way through the state legislature would allow food truck operators to set up anywhere in the state.
The Food Truck Freedom Act would allow food truck owners to set up their business anywhere in Oklahoma without needing a new permit in every city and to operate with just their food establishment license.
Currently food truck owners are required to get a new permit to operate within a city depending on the city’s requirements.
Republican Representative Derrick Hildebrant from Catoosa filed the House Bill after he said a business owner in his district was forced to close down because of the cost of permits and differing requirements across the state.
Hilderbrant tells Oklahoma’s News 4 this bill will give food trucks the freedom to move and operate across the state freely.
The bill has passed the state House and is now in the state Senate.
Oklahoma Set to Acquire Suborbital Spacecraft for Research and Defense
A spacecraft designed for scientific research could soon be coming to Oklahoma.
The state’s Space Industry Development Authority approved an acquisition of the vehicle Friday.
It’s a suborbital spacecraft – meaning it won’t reach a full orbit around the Earth – but it will travel to space and gather information for various kinds of research.
Dawn Aerospace owns the vehicle and plans to set up its U.S. operations in Oklahoma.
"I dare say this is probably the second biggest date in OSIDA’s history. The first is when we were granted the launch license, and this is a very close number two, " said OSIDA board member, Michael Shulz.
It’s unclear how much the acquisition costs, though the board expects a profit of $5 million within two years.
The spacecraft could also be used for military and national security operations.
The organization said this is just the first small step in its agreement. Perhaps a giant leap for science in Oklahoma is on the way.
Tribes Raise Alarms Over HHS Cuts
Earlier this year, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rescinded Indian Health System layoffs and pledged to prioritize tribes. But tribal leaders are still concerned about plans for cuts.
In a letter to Secretary Kennedy, the National Indian Health Board expressed concern over the restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services.
They write layoffs and budget cuts could unintentionally harm tribes, citing multiple departments up for reorganization, and the critical tribal grants that flow through them.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Governor Reggie Wassana said in a February interview, he believes cuts laid out by the Trump administration are rash.
"I don't think they really care as to who it is or how they are, or how they're living, or the small communities they provide for. It's just, it's just a numbers game," Wassana said.
In the letter, the Indigenous-led health board calls for consultation and discussion with the tribes as the HHS reorganizes.
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