Deer Harvest on record pace

By OK Wildlife Conservation Commission

Deer hunters are on track to rack up an all-time record harvest for the 2022-23 seasons, based on raw numbers submitted to the online E-check system as reported during the regular January meeting Monday of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Chief of Wildlife Bill Dinkines of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said preliminary numbers show 128,786 harvested deer had been reported by hunters as of Monday. The previous record high for Oklahoma’s deer harvest was set in 2020-21, when 126,290 animals were taken.

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Rock the House

By David Arnett

Editorial: Elected Oklahoma Representatives are on both sides of the leadership contest for U.S. Speaker of the House. That does not bother grassroots activists in state.

Democracy is messy. Our State and County party conventions are known for such leadership fights with robust language and, as previously reported here, more than a few dirty tricks.

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Unsolved homicide advocate filing RICO case

By David Arnett

Western District Federal Courthouse, Seattle, WA

Justice for Gertrude, Part 4

Forty-one years after Tulsa’s Gertrude Marshall Blakey was beaten to death in her midtown doorway, summons are going out to a multitude of attorneys and organizations as filing is imminent in Federal Court on civil claims including a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case, Breach of Fiduciary Duty on behalf of the Trustees and Minority Shareholder Oppression claims specific to the TH Rogers Lumber Company, Blakey’s family business.

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ESG destroys assets and investments

By Mike Mazzei

After his landslide re-election victory, Governor Ron DeSantis declared that “Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die!” Sure enough, the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, Jimmy Patronis, recently announced the withdrawal of $2 billion of the state’s treasury funds from Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager.

Larry Fink, the CEO of Blackrock, has led the way towards environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors for a new approach to investment management. In fact, in his 2020 annual letter, Fink emphasized “making sustainability integral…launching new investment products that screen fossil fuels.” An energy-rich state like Oklahoma does not need to enrich this kind of thinking with taxpayer dollars.

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OK Gross Receipts remain strong

By David Arnett

Tulsa Business District, Photo: Tulsa Today

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gross Receipts to the Treasury for the past year set a new record high for the sixth consecutive month, but falling energy prices raise concerns about future collections, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced in a release today.

Twelve-month gross receipts through November are $17.36 billion, up by $2.44 billion, or 16.3 percent, from the prior 12 months. However, the monthly tax collections on oil and gas production fell below $160 million for the first time since April.

“The overall results continue to be strong,” said Treasurer McDaniel.

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