Teacher unions invest in Oklahoma GOP?

Opinion: As the Oklahoma legislative session progresses, it is worth noting not only what bills advance, but which bills do not—and why the latter were rejected.

As always, education is a big issue with voters, but close observers of the Oklahoma Legislature may have already noticed an unexpected pattern. While the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate has voted on significant education legislation, the GOP-dominated Oklahoma House of Representatives has not.

It’s worth asking why.

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The Damn Quails return

Widely-celebrated leaders in the modern Okie folk/singer-songwriter movement, The Damn Quails return in 2022 with Clouding Up Your City, the outfit’s first official release since a quasi-breakup in 2016 left their future in question. Born from the mind of singer-songwriter Bryon White, this is the work of a seasoned veteran feeling refreshed in his craft; the culmination of two decades of honing songwriting chops and storytelling skills in the regional scene alongside like-minded Okie-folkies John Moreland, Turnpike Troubadours, John Fullbright, Parker Millsap, Samantha Crain and others. There must be something in the waters of the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers running through the Sooner State, and Clouding Up Your City pours you a tall glass.

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Bassmaster Kayak at Grand Lake

Talented kayak anglers from around the country take to the waters of two-time Bassmaster Classic fishery Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Okla., on April 16 for the third regular-season stop of the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX season.

Competition Saturday starts at 7:15 a.m. CT, with lines out at 3:15 p.m. An award ceremony will be held at Grove Civic Center at 4:45 p.m. 

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The Fox Guarding the Herpetarium

A red fox responsible for biting at least one journalist and a lawmaker has been euthanized, according to health officials in Washington, D.C.

Several days ago, a congressman had a nasty encounter with a rabid fox on the D.C. Capitol building grounds. Let’s trust that he is no worse for the wear. But the question lingers: How did the fox know he was from California? Is this some sort of sign from above?

They—whoever they are—say “as California goes, so goes the nation.” Let’s hope not. The California state legislature has put forth some bills that boggle the mind and seek to change family, physicians, and their relationship to the government forever.

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