Articles
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Law & Principles
Judges and property taxes: What Oklahoma voters should know about SQ 845 and SQ 847
Oklahoma voters will decide on two proposed constitutional amendments on Nov. 3, 2026. State Question 845 would alter the composition and eligibility requirements of the Judicial Nominating Commission. State Question 847 would limit annual increases in property valuations while expanding property-tax protections for seniors.Staff | September 15, 2026
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Education, Higher Education
SPLC challenged Oklahoma’s anti-racism law. Then it faced federal charges over alleged payments to people tied to extremist groups
Oklahoma’s HB 1775 restricts public-school employees from teaching eight specified concepts about race and sex, prompting legal challenges—including one from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which now faces separate federal charges over alleged payments to people associated with extremist groups.Ray Carter | September 15, 2026
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Higher Education
Oklahoma college students lean left despite state’s conservative politics
Oklahoma’s college campuses are considerably more liberal than the state’s electorate, according to new data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).Ray Carter | September 14, 2026
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Local Government
OKC commuter-rail plan could spread big-city problems along the tracks
Oklahoma City metro officials are pursuing a $1.8 billion, 39-mile commuter-rail system from Edmond through Oklahoma City to Norman, but taxpayers statewide should consider the problems that have accompanied similar transit projects elsewhere.Jonathan Small | September 14, 2026
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Education
Racists lose in court
Unlike the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, and the “Black Emergency Response Team” at the University of Oklahoma, most Americans are not obsessed with race. They agree with MLK that people should “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”Trent England | September 14, 2026
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Education
Federal appeals court clears the way for Oklahoma to enforce anti-racism law
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for Oklahoma to enforce the K-12 provisions of its 2021 law (HB 1775) restricting public-school employees from teaching eight race- and sex-based concepts as truths.Ray Carter | September 10, 2026
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Local Government
Denver transit official warns Oklahoma about the high cost of commuter rail
A Denver transit official is warning Oklahoma against repeating the mistakes of a rail system that has struggled with aging infrastructure, changing commuting patterns, rising costs, and chronic financial pressure.Ray Carter | September 10, 2026
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Local Government
Oklahoma should learn from Dallas before betting on rail
When major transit projects run over budget or behind schedule, the consequences can extend beyond the transit agency itself, affecting the cities and taxpayers expected to help finance them. Oklahomans should take note.Curtis Shelton | September 10, 2026
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Education
‘We intentionally structured it this way’: School choice freeing up millions for Oklahoma public schools
Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides a per-student funding boost for public schools even as it helps families afford private education. “We intentionally structured the tax credit this way,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, “to provide choice while protecting funds for public education.”Ray Carter | September 9, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma school-choice program keeps growing, with lower- and middle-income families leading the way
Participation in Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program continues to grow, with lower- and middle-income families accounting for a majority of beneficiaries, according to final Oklahoma Tax Commission figures for the 2026-27 school year.Ray Carter | September 8, 2026