Category Archives: State

Sen. Mullin Warns of Shutdown Impact

By David Arnett

As the Schumer Socialist Breakdown Shutdown continues, Oklahoma Senator Mullin issued a warning to Oklahomans bracing for the November 1st, cliff which is, “set to put many U.S. households at risk of new hardship.”

If Congress fails to pass a government funding bill by Saturday, popular programs that provide nutrition and food assistance, early childhood education, and the Essential Air Service will likely run out of funds. Thousands of federal employees in Oklahoma, including members of the military, are also on track to miss full paychecks this week.

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Literacy Crisis is a Bureaucracy Problem

By Dr. Rebecca Pellam, Academic Consultant and Literacy Researcher

Debunking the Partisan Myth of the “Southern Surge”

This Sunday morning, as I sipped my coffee and scrolled through the latest headlines, I stumbled across yet another piece framing the “Southern Surge”—the remarkable literacy gains in states like Mississippi and Louisiana—as a red-state triumph over blue-state failures.

As a conservative educator with a passion for teaching kids to read, I’d love to cheer for a partisan win. But let’s be honest: this red-versus-blue narrative is a lazy oversimplification that muddies the real story. It lets Oklahoma off the hook for a literacy crisis that’s left 73% of our third-graders non-proficient in reading (Oklahoma State Department of Education [OSDE], 2023a; National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2022).

This isn’t about politics. It’s about an entrenched bureaucracy that’s squandered $150–250 million over the past decade on outdated, ineffective programs, leaving our kids to struggle while other states soar. Let’s celebrate the Southern Surge’s success by crediting its true drivers—explicit, systematic instruction over politics—and demand Oklahoma learn from it.

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College Student Invite for Internships

By Staff Report

U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) welcomes Oklahoma college students to apply for his Spring 2026 internship program. The deadline to apply for a Spring 2026 internship is October 31st, 2025.

“The Mullin intern program is a great way for college students to learn about the legislative process and give back to the Sooner State,” said Senator Mullin. “Our interns gain firsthand experience helping constituents, researching legislation, giving tours of the U.S. Capitol, attending committee hearings, and more. We receive many applications for a limited number of spots, so I encourage interested college students to submit their applications right away.”

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OSU President Hargis Honored

By Staff Report

Oklahoma State University’s Hargis Leadership Institute is established to mentor the leaders of today and tomorrow; now in a newly renovated space. Nearly four years to the day after its launch, HLI was the site of another ribbon-cutting ceremony. This time, for its revamped home on the second floor of the Student Union.

“The Hargis Leadership Institute empowers our students to lead with character, humility and purpose,” OSU President Jim Hess said. “It’s about learning how to lift others, living the Cowboy Code and making a difference in the world.”

OSU President Jim Hess and Burns Hargis, Photo: Eric Priddy/OSU
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Bureaucrats Stifling Student Athletes

By Marven Goodman, Sooner Sentinel

From COVID Mandates to Crony Cover-Ups: Why Oklahoma Must Dismantle the OSSAA and Restore Local Control Over Student Athletics

Investigative Analysis: In Oklahoma, where freedom and local control have long been cherished values, an unelected nonprofit bureaucracy has quietly amassed power over the lives of thousands of young student athletes. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), founded in 1911 as a voluntary organization, now wields near-monopolistic control over high school interscholastic activities, from athletics to music and debate. This entity, governed by a board of superintendents and principals without direct accountability to voters or taxpayers, enforces eligibility rules, classifications, transfers, and safety protocols that often trample on individual liberties and school choice. From 2019 to 2025, the OSSAA’s missteps have exposed it as a prime example of government overreach by proxy, meddling in decisions best left to local school boards, families, and communities.

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