While much has been focused on the disaster known as the Oklahoma State Budget, I want to turn your attention to a more familiar topic - tornado season. The best defense for a disaster is to prepare a household emergency plan. This includes: * Investigate options for purchasing a tornado shelter, which includes rebate programs […]
We’re now entering into the eighth week of session meaning we’re almost halfway through the legislative session. No budget agreement has been made yet but negotiations are continuing and according to leadership they’re going well. Hopefully, we’ll know something soon. Our state’s education standards have been a topic of major discussion the last few years. […]
by Shawn Garza, Publisher With elections being held tomorrow, I have thought long and hard about who EastWord should endorse or whether or not we should endorse anyone at all. The campaigns have been ugly, and the words and actions of many of the supporters of various candidates even uglier. There have been so many […]
On Monday, the 108th Oklahoma Statehood Day, the state Democratic Party officially opened its door to political Independents. State Democratic Party Chairman Mark Hammons signed, and delivered to the State Election Board, a letter announcing that voters registered in Oklahoma as Independents will be allowed to vote in Democratic Party primaries and runoff primaries. Independents […]
In 1993, the U.S. government signed the General Agreement of Trades and Tariffs (GATT) with 123 foreign nations eliminating import taxes on foreign goods. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had been signed previously in 1991, which had eliminated trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The 1991 fall of the Soviet Union […]
I laud University of Oklahoma President David Boren for his concern for education, but I have some misgivings about his statewide 1-cent sales tax proposal to fund education. Admittedly, it would raise about $615 million per year and provide funding for much-needed teacher raises, programs to increase reading in early grades, and would help to […]
Blue pills. Pink pills. Some have little dots. Fat pills. Skinny pills. Even pills for chicken pox. Today, there is a pill for whatever ails us. An apple a day used to keep the doctor away. But that was before the age of pharmaceuticals. September 2015 has been rough for the image of mega-corporations. Their […]
by Senator Ron Sharp One of the most complex processes of government is the enactment of legislation. From the bill’s original draft to its final approval by the governor, the process is long and tedious. Once the legislator requests a bill, a legislative analyst is assigned to draft it, and then forwards it to a staff attorney to determine its “constitutionality”. That […]
I would like to submit the following as a letter to the editor: With all the noise over presidential politics readers may have missed some very important action on Capitol Hill last week. That’s when Rep. Tom Cole and 343 other Democrats and Republicans cast their votes in support of more medical research funding. The […]
by Congressman Tom Cole After three full weeks of legislative business in Washington, it’s refreshing to be back in Oklahoma just in time for Small Business Week. Throughout my service to the Fourth District, I’ve had the great privilege of meeting numerous individuals who either own or work for a small business. During every visit […]
