Category Archives: Business

Permitting Process Holds Us Back

By Monica Collison, President & Exec. Director, OK Rural Association

Opinion: Everyone rails about how government red tape is a problem. I’ve seen it firsthand, and they’re absolutely right—especially when it comes to permitting new energy and infrastructure projects.

Our country’s burdensome permitting process is one of the biggest obstacles to modernizing infrastructure, unleashing American energy production, and spurring economic growth in rural and underserved communities. The capital and technical capabilities exist—they are just sitting on the sidelines because the process of obtaining federal approval for major projects has become so slow, uncertain, and fragmented that it discourages investment altogether.

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Stop D.C.’s Push to One-Size Agreements

By Jessica Garvin

For nearly two decades, I have dedicated my career to caring for Oklahoma’s seniors and supporting the professionals who make their long-term care possible. As co-owner of Bison Health Management, Executive Director of West Wind Assisted Living, and owner and COO of Refuge Care, I see firsthand the challenges of building strong teams and running businesses in a heavily regulated field. Add to that my experience as a small business owner and former Oklahoma state senator, and I have learned one thing above all: when government oversteps, workers and businesses both suffer.

That’s why I am deeply concerned about the so-called Faster Labor Contracts Act recently introduced in Washington. On its face, the bill claims to streamline negotiations between employers and newly certified unions. In reality, it hands unprecedented power to government bureaucrats at the expense of Oklahoma workers and businesses.

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Osage LLC Welcomes WindShape

By David Arnett

Osage LLC is celebrating a major milestone in the growth of Skyway Range by welcoming WindShape Inc. as the first tenant at the newly expanded facility. The Swiss-based company opened its first U.S. site with a ribbon-cutting on Sept. 25, bringing advanced indoor drone testing capabilities not available anywhere else in the country. This marks an important expansion of Osage LLC’s footprint in the aerospace and innovation economy and a continuation of Tulsa’s long aviation history.

As an indoor drone test center, WindShape’s eight labs enable companies to simulate real-world conditions, including wind, rain, snow, and freezing temperatures, all within controlled laboratory settings. These capabilities help accelerate safety validation, product development, and certification for drone companies worldwide.

Behind a net at WindShape’s new Tulsa facility, a drone undergoes a live demonstration, simulating smoke and wind in a controlled environment.
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Economy Is Back on Track

By David Arnett

After falling to an 11-year low during the Biden Administration, new polling shows “Americans’ faith in the economy and direction of the nation is back on track and shooting higher” amid President Donald J. Trump’s relentless America First agenda. The Washington Examiner reports, “the latest McLaughlin & Associates national survey, the percentage of voters who believe the country is on the right track has jumped 10 points since Inauguration Day, to 44%, and those viewing it on the wrong track have dropped 16 points to 49%.”

In fact, the share of Americans who say gas prices are a “major problem” is down by 15% over last year; the same is true for housing costs (down 11%) and grocery prices (down 8%). Meanwhile, small business owners are feeling renewed optimism driven by a sharp rise in approval “across the political spectrum” for President Trump’s economic policies.

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AG Drummond Seeks Action Against Temu

By David Arnett

Attorney General Gentner Drummond, currently campaigning for governor, has issued a request for proposals for outside counsel to investigate and pursue legal action against the Chinese e-commerce company Temu amid concerns of consumer protection violations.

Temu is a popular mobile app and website that offers low-cost goods to consumers. The company is accused of deceiving consumers by unlawfully collecting data and providing that data to the Communist Chinese government as well as engaging in other deceitful practices. Security and privacy concerns and the presence of malware led Apple and Google to suspend the Temu app.

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