23rd & Lincoln Expertise and insight to exclusive online coverage of the Oklahoma Capitol

Who said, “The car has gone off the road into a ditch because of its bald tires, and it will go off the road again. We need new tires, we need a new tax system.” Would it help if you ...

Tagged with: David Blatt David Dank Frank Keating income tax Mike Mazzei Penny Williams study task force trigger

It is out of character for Connie Plumlee to speak up in public, but her life circumstances have placed her front and center in the Oklahoma lawsuit reform debate. Plumlee, a Collinsville teacher, was burned in December 2009 when her ...

Tagged with: Anthony Sykes breast reconstruction surgery burn cancer Connie Plumlee hard cap HB 2128 Kent King Kris Steele lawsuit reform Marie Price Mike Mazzei noneconomic damages Oklahoma State Medical Association Patrick Anderson Rodney Cook

The year was 1981, there was a strong Democratic majority in both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature (73-28 in the House), and it was time for redistricting, as it is this year. In a House meeting room, lawmakers were chuckling ...

Tagged with: commission Glenn English Marie Price Mickey Edwards reapportionment redistricting Tom Steed

Oklahoma students will be in the Senate chamber Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. to discuss anti-bullying legislation. HB 1461, by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, adds cyberbullying to statutes that establish how schools should deal with bullying. It also expands the issues school ...

Tagged with: Anastasia Pittman bullying Environmental Protection Agency HB 1461 HB 1976 Lee Denney Marie Price meeting Oklahoma Corporation Commission regional haze plan Scott Pruitt suicide Ty Field

A House immigration measure that has critics on both sides of the issue made its way out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday with a stricken enacting clause. Sponsor Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, called HB 1446 a “work in progress” ...

Tagged with: HB 1446 immigration Marie Price Ralph Shortey Ron Justice

Another plank in the legislative leadership’s lawsuit reform platform moved to within shouting distance of Gov. Mary Fallin’s desk on the second floor of the State Capitol late Monday afternoon, as the House Judiciary Committee approved a measure to abolish ...

Tagged with: Dan Sullivan Marie Price Richard Morrissette SB 862 joint and several liability Scott Inman

… a 21-year-old drinking age has not always been the case, at least not for Oklahoma women? Until 1976, under Oklahoma law, women over the age of 18 could purchase what was then referred to as “nonintoxicating 3.2 beer,” but ...

Tagged with: beer Craig v. Boren gender classifications Marie Price men unconstitutional women

Now that the floor-deadline dust has settled after a contentious final week in the larger chamber, House Republicans are pointing to several bill passages they’re counting in the win column for their 2011 session agenda, including among others: Three measures ...

Tagged with: 1002 Dave Dank HB 1380 HB 1446 HB 2023 HB 2038 HB 2128 HB 2139 HB2024 HJR 1001 Kris Steele Marie Price

And what a week it was. Not only were members of both houses careening along on the runaway train known as original-house floor deadline week, but dissent in one body boiled over in public and two lawmakers were hit with ...

Tagged with: appoint directors ballot questions Cory Holland deportation foreign law funding George Faught HB 1001 HB 1225 HB 1380 HB 1446 HB 1552 immigration Mark Allen Mary Fallin Mike Reynolds Pat Ownbey prayer Sally Kern SB 606 SB 820 Steven Russell trial de novo

(Meeting all alone, the Senate having aced the original-house deadline and left the Capitol Wednesday, a day early, saving taxpayers a whopping $5,000—so says Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa) Ongoing fractiousness among the House GOP contingent (not to ...

Tagged with: attorney general attorneys bodily harm Brad Henry Brian Bingman business owner deadly force Dustin Roberts HB 1062 HB 1223 HB 1439 legislators Mark McCullough opt out outside counsel protect Richard Morrissette Scott Pruitt state agencies Steve Vaughn