OKGOP demands stop to petition

Dave Weston, Chairman, OKGOP

Dave Weston, Chairman, OKGOP

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Dave Weston this morning called on State Representatives Morisette and Dorman to cease formation of a Petition Initiative which violates state ethics rules and calls into serious question private political motives.

The initiative calls for a ballot drive to gain signatures sufficient to put a question on the 2014 ballot that would mandate a $500 million bond for tornado shelter construction around the state.

Weston opined, “Whether or not we can do more to ensure better public safety is a valid question. However, the temptation to use another man’s money to satisfy a personal concern is the road to perdition.” Continue reading →

Bikes ‘n Blues back to Stillwater

BikesNBluesFestivalThe Stillwater Community Center Foundation is excited to announce the return of the Bikes ‘n Blues Festival September 20 & 21, 2013, at the Payne County Expo Center. The event is all-ages and free for all to attend.

The Stillwater Blues Festival was an annual event by the City of Stillwater for more than a decade until it played its last show in 2009. The event drew thousands of local and regional fans for what came to be known as “Oklahoma’s largest free blues festival.”  Cutbacks to the city’s recreational and community arts budget and econmic hard times closed the door on the Stillwater Blues Festival to fevered citizen response. This year, officers of the Stillwater Community Center Foundation decided it was time for the rebirth of the Blues.

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Deer management workshop scheduled

OkDeer1The Noble Foundation’s White-tailed Deer Management Workshop will be held in partnership with Oklahoma State University Extension from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds’ Frye Auditorium/Sutton Wilderness in Norman. The workshop will provide key insights into deer behavior, nutrition and biology as well as facts, myths and misconceptions about deer. There will also be presentations on deer food plant identification, population management, aging whitetails and antler development.

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Fallin reappoints Regent Joseph Parker

JosephParkerGovernor Mary Fallin today announced she has reappointed Joseph Parker of Tulsa to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

He was first appointed in 2005 by Governor Brad Henry. Parker will serve a nine-year term pending confirmation from the Oklahoma Senate.

“Joseph Parker has spent the last seven years as a regent working to ensure Oklahoma continues to provide world class opportunities in higher education,” Fallin said. “The regents will continue to benefit from his experience and dedication.”

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Unions demand Obamacare changes

AFLCIOAccording to their official web site, delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention last week [September 11] passed a resolution expressing support for the goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but also addressing a number of issues about the ACA’s implementation, including the way the ACA treats multi-employer health care plans. The resolution reiterates that the labor movement’s ultimate health care goal is health care for everyone under a single-payer [communist] model.

The resolution calls for preservation of high-quality coverage under multi-employer plans. It also calls for greater employer responsibility, especially in regards to part-time workers. Sean McGarvey, president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), said the resolution, “Points out the key facts that must be addressed by the administration and if needed, by Congress.”

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