Oklahoma
Voters will decide minimum wage ballot measures in several states
Measures focused on workers who earn tips and on paid leave have drawn more opposition.
Food prices are high. To help, states are cutting the grocery tax.
The number of states that still tax groceries is shrinking. Voters in two states will decide in November whether to join a movement away from the sales tax.
States recognize 'something's got to give' in providing services to older adults
Helping older adults participate in society and stay engaged with the community as they age is a growing priority for state governments.
New bans on panhandling in medians spark debate over free speech rights
The efforts to pass pans have grown amid a nationwide homelessness crisis, with more people visibly soliciting money in the streets, and higher pedestrian deaths compared with before the pandemic.
Efforts to release prisoners from long sentences draw new interest
As America’s prison population both ages and increases, the “second look” movement has gained interest as a way to reduce overcrowding and potentially save money. But some say the laws could retraumatize crime victims and further burden a strained court system.
Who wants to live in Tulsa? Turns out, a lot of people.
A relocation incentive program that was fodder for a lot of jokes is thriving, and could be an important economic development tool for other cities.
A Model for Reducing Female Incarceration and Breaking the Generational Cycle
A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been changing lives for addicted women and their children. Here’s how it works.
A State Wildlife Agency That's Winning at Twitter
Oklahoma's Department of Wildlife Conservation has grown its follower count from around 8,000 to over 80,000, dishing out posts that are fun but also informative. The agency's social media team chatted with Route Fifty about the secrets to their success.
The Growing Movement to Halt Executions in Conservative States
Right-leaning activists are speaking out against the death penalty, saying capital punishment is morally wrong, fails to deter crime and is flawed in other ways as well.
State Officials Resist Supreme Court Ruling Affirming Tribal Authority Over American Indian Country
COMMENTARY | Local governments in Oklahoma are adapting to a 2020 Supreme Court ruling, but state officials have chosen a different path.
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Collaboration Provides Effective Approach to State's Human Services
Oklahoma is on the cutting edge of a national trend bringing foundations, nonprofits and the Department of Human Services together to help residents in need.
Idaho and Oklahoma Expected To Be First States To Pass Texas-inspired Six-week Abortion Bans
Clinics say they are preparing for bans to take effect as early as April. Texas offers a preview of what might happen if those bills go into effect.
Black People Killed by Police at More Than Twice the Rate of Whites
An analysis of police violence also shows that the National Vital Statistics System misclassified and underreported about 55% of the estimated deaths by law enforcement for nearly 30 years.
U.S. Covid-19 Testing Has Dropped Dramatically
Nationwide, COVID-19 testing has decreased by a third in the past two months, causing public health experts to worry they could miss future surges.
States Join Pilot to Investigate Cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
Federal, state, and tribal agencies will create guidelines for investigations into missing persons and murder cases where Native American or Alaska Native people are involved.
Two-Decade Push to Build a Grocery in a Food Desert Finally Pays Off
A mix of public and private support has come together to make the project in northeast Oklahoma City possible.
Philadelphia Imposes Curfew, Calls National Guard to Quell Violence Over Police Shooting
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Thousands in Oklahoma City are without power after an autumn ice storm… The Justice Department launches probe of New Jersey veterans’ homes… New study says a flu shot could reduce the risk of catching Covid-19.
Tulsa Unearths Mass Grave in Search for Race Massacre Victims
This week is the second time this year the city has dug for lost victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the first time they’ve found something.
Supreme Court Rules Nearly Half of Oklahoma is Native American Land
The full implications of the ruling on criminal justice—and maybe other areas of the law—are not yet known as Oklahoma negotiates with tribes in wake of the verdict.
Oklahoma Voters Narrowly Approve Medicaid Expansion that Republican Lawmakers Rejected
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Oregon voters might decide on psychedelic mushrooms … Kansas City mayor says he received a death threat over mask requirements … Florida’s governor says state is not “going back, closing things.”
