• Obama Administration Threatens Veto of Rep. Frank Lucas' Farm Bill

    Chris Casteel | Updated: 55 min ago

    The Obama administration issued a veto threat for the multi-year farm bill set for consideration by the U.S. House this week. The statement says the bill cuts too much from the food stamp program and not enough from subsidies to farmers. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, is the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and will be managing the legislation on the House floor. Lucas said last week that he was optimistic the bill would garner enough votes for passage. The normally laid-back rancher delivered a fiery defense of his bill on the House floor on Tuesday, saying he had seen the devastation wrought in his home county, Roger Mills, in far western Oklahoma, as the result of bad farm policy.…

  • Inhofe Secures $104 Million for Construction at Oklahoma Bases

    Chris Casteel | Published: Mon, Jun 17, 2013

    Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, secured $100 million for construction at Oklahoma military bases in the defense bill approved last week by the committee. According to Inhofe, the bill includes about $71 million for construction and maintenance of hangars, fuel distribution facilities and squadron operations at Tinker. Altus Air Force Base, which was recently named the site for the Formal Training Unit for the KC-46A refueling tanker, will get $33 million for facilities maintenance and construction projects, Inhofe’s office said.…

  • A solemn reminder

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    The recent death of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, was a reminder that a dwindling number of World War II veterans remain with us, and even fewer are still involved in public service.

  • A rare legal victory for state of Oklahoma

    J.E. McReynolds | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    The state won a rare legal victory in the area of reproductive services when a federal judge nixed Planned Parenthood’s attempt to keep its northeastern Oklahoma WIC contract in place.

  • Election shows times are changing

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    South Koreans have just elected their first female president, Park Geun-hye.

  • Greening the grade

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    We’ve noted before that legislative leaders tend to give their handiwork high marks.

  • Bond debt bravado

    Owen Canfield | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    State Sen. Josh Brecheen and House Speaker T.W. Shannon noted this week that Gov.

  • Party on, Joe!

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    Some conservatives complain that the Obama administration often gets a free pass from the press.

  • Ethics rule an improvement

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    A new state Ethics Commission rule should reduce abuse of the ethics system.

  • Exploiting a tragedy

    J.E. McReynolds | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., reached a new low in classless crassness with his rant accusing Republicans of ignoring perils of the planet that he says affect the weather.

  • 'Lack of diversity' a bipartisan affair

    J.E. McReynolds | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    A seeming lack of diversity in the Oklahoma Legislature is sometimes cited as a sign that the state is slow to embrace change, unlike other states that lean to the left and favor the Democratic Party.

  • Howard Dean's foot in mouth disease

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    When Howard Dean sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, a National Review cover famously declared, “Please nominate this man.” Dean showed why Republicans wanted him to be the face of the Democratic Party when, in a recent TV appearance, he proclaimed, “Benghazi is a laughable joke.” When a Republican National Committee spokesman pointed out that the death of four Americans didn’t seem funny, Dean responded, “Oh, stop it.” As we now know, the Obama administration insisted on claiming the Benghazi attack was a protest of a YouTube video, not a terrorist attack, long after the administration knew better.

  • Dank's dogged determination

    Owen Canfield | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    Say this for state Rep. David Dank: He doesn’t give up easily.

  • One legislator's mixed message

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, says a group of private citizens has asked him to help launch a website that will “draw connections between campaign contributions and tax credits.” That’s a perfectly legitimate exercise.

  • Accountability effort rejected

    Owen Canfield | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin this week rejected an idea aimed at ensuring that state agencies are operating as efficiently as possible.

  • Going to the other extreme

    Owen Canfield | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    “They froze us out completely,” the state lawmaker said.

  • About those voter ID concerns

    Owen Canfield | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    Statistics keep getting in the way of Democrats’ arguments that voter identification laws place an unfair burden on minorities.

  • Hope springs eternal

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    In a news release this week announcing the election of their leadership team for 2015-2016, Oklahoma House Democrats noted that Rep.

  • Yet another pointless pipeline protest

    J.E. McReynolds | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    Another day, another pointless protest along the route of the Keystone XL pipeline’s southern leg.

  • Is this a "fair" share?

    Ray Carter | Updated: Fri, Jun 14, 2013

    President Barack Obama claims he’s for “balanced” deficit reduction that relies on the rich paying just a little more.