-
2 days ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
State lawmakers are advancing some bills that would increase certain penalties. House Bill 1689: Penalizing stealing shopping carts“This bill creates a specific offense for larceny of a shopping cart, which is punishable by the 3 options that are given,” said Sen. Jack Stewart (R), Yukon. HB 1689 provides that it is unlawful to remove a shopping cart from the parking area of a retail establishment.
-
3 days ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
Two bills making their way through the Oklahoma Legislature would allow women to receive a full year’s supply of birth control, replacing the current limit of a three-month prescription. Aimed at Expanding AccessRep. Cindy Roe, R-Lindsay, is backing the legislation, saying the goal is to improve access to oral contraceptives, particularly for women living in rural areas who may struggle to make frequent trips to the pharmacy.
-
4 days ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
Moore Police say that Erika Lott and her 12-year-old son, Rivers Bond, are the two people who were swept away and died in dangerous floodwaters Saturday night. Related: 2 killed after truck swept away in Moore floodwaters“We had floods like we've haven't seen in quite a while here in town. At one point in time you couldn't cross from any low points in the city on any of the east-west roadways because of the flooding,” said Maj. Kyle Dudley, Moore Police Department.
-
1 week ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
State lawmakers spent hours Tuesday questioning the head of Oklahoma’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, digging into a $43 million funding gap that could require the state to step in and cover. This is the first of several hearings as part of a legislative investigation into the department’s finances. The probe runs alongside a LOFT (Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency) review and an audit requested by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
-
1 week ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
State lawmakers are hearing hundreds of bills ahead of the next legislative deadline, today, passing a handful of education bills. Senate Bill 105: Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship updateSB105 makes changes to the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship, which provides school choice for Oklahoma students with special needs.
-
1 week ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
House Bill 1178, which would criminalize the misrepresentation of a service animal, is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are not required to wear a vest, badge or carry a license. Lawmakers say that has contributed to ongoing issues. The goal of the bill, lawmakers say, is to protect certified service animals and their handlers. They argue that people misrepresenting their pets as service animals has become too common.
-
1 week ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger |Anna Denison
State Representative Cyndi Munson, the first Asian American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature and current House Minority Leader, has announced her candidacy for governor. Announcement: Oklahoma House Rep. Cyndi Munson announces run for governorIn an exclusive one-on-one interview with News 9, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson opened up about her decision to run for governor of Oklahoma. Q: Why did you decide now is the time to run for governor?
-
1 week ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
State lawmakers are advancing a bill that would increase the compensation for anybody who has been wrongfully convicted in Oklahoma. Under current state law, the compensation for wrongful conviction is capped at $175,00, regardless of how long the person was incarcerated. There have been 46 wrongful conviction cases in Oklahoma, and more than half were overturned based on some form of prosecutorial misconduct. The innocent defendants in those cases served a collective prison sentence of 292 years.
-
2 weeks ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
A bill that would set the stage for gradually phasing out Oklahoma’s personal income tax cleared the Senate on Tuesday with a 36-9 vote and now returns to the House for final approval. Revenue Growth Triggers Required for Rate ReductionsHouse Bill 1539, as amended on the Senate floor, establishes annual revenue growth triggers that would reduce the personal income tax rate by 0.10 percentage points each year qualifying conditions are met.
-
2 weeks ago | 
news9.com | Haley Weger
Oklahoma City Sen. Michael Brooks-Jimenez, who is also an immigration attorney, shared his concerns about the recent revocation of student visas. He spoke with News 9 about the potential impacts on international students and Oklahoma universities. Q: What are your initial thoughts on visas being revoked? "There's always been discretion as far as who visas are being issued to. However, I think it's a mistake when things become political.
