Category Archives: State

Accountability Over Public Universities

Rep. Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow, has filed House Joint Resolution 1037, a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at increasing public accountability and oversight of Oklahoma’s publicly funded colleges and universities.

“This measure, if passed, would allow the people of Oklahoma to hold our publicly funded universities and colleges accountable,” Woolley said. “How tax dollars are utilized should always be subject to the will of the people.”

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State Question 842

Free’s Homeowners From Ad Valorem Taxation and Turbocharges the Economy

Oklahoma is now engaged in a relentless fight for fiscal prudence and taxpayer sovereignty. The newly updated State Question 842 stands as a beacon of true conservatism, a citizen-led assault on the oppressive yoke of ad valorem property taxes levied on owner-occupied homesteads. Filed on December 5, 2025, by principled proponents such as former State Rep. Mike Reynolds, Rep. Jay Steagall (R-Yukon), and Sen. Shane Jett (R-Shawnee), this initiative isn’t about reckless giveaways but a calculated strike against government bloat, liberating hard-earned dollars from bureaucratic clutches to fuel free-market dynamism. Here at the Sooner Sentinel, staunch defenders of limited government and rock-bottom taxes, we hail SQ842 as a masterstroke: it slashes a regressive tax that stifles home ownership, injecting those savings back into the economy where they multiply through voluntary spending, ultimately swelling consumption-based revenues far beyond the initial relief.

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‘Tis the Season: Celebrating Jennie Williams

This holiday season, TFI Family Connections (TFI) honors Jennie Williams, an inspiring advocate and foster parent. With over nine years of fostering, Jennie has passionately built a caring environment for children, while striving to influence positive change in foster care practices and policies for a brighter future.

Advocate Jennie Williams with her daughter
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Order Reinforces Fiduciary Discipline

Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ said today that the newly issued Executive Order on Protecting American Investors from Foreign-Owned and Politically-Motivated Proxy Advisors reflects concerns Oklahoma has raised and acted on for years regarding the growing influence of proxy advisory firms that operate outside traditional fiduciary standards.

For Oklahoma, this is not a new conversation,” Treasurer Russ said. “We have been clear and consistent: investment decisions must be driven by financial returns and fiduciary duty, not political ideology, foreign influence, or outsourced voting decisions that do not serve retirees or taxpayers.”

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Diseased Deer Found Near OK Border

A white-tailed deer in southwestern Arkansas within four miles of the Oklahoma border has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Although not inside of Oklahoma borders, due to the proximity, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) announced late this afternoon that it has activated the next stage of the CWD Response Plan jointly produced with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

“With the ability of deer to easily travel many miles in a day, the CWD Response Plan dictates that we respond to this finding as if it were found in Oklahoma” said Joey McAllister, Wildlife Programs Supervisor with ODWC. “We will be working through our response plan, and our ultimate goal is to ensure healthy and well-managed deer with as little impact to either the resource or our constituents as possible.” 

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