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opinion
Shared journeys will build stronger future — together
Creating our future depends on sharing the truth of our collective pasts, seeing our reflections are alike and accepting our...
It’s time to send Postal Service into the future
Since the pandemic hit U.S. shores last year, mail service has been slower and, in some cases, halted altogether due to USPS...
Oklahoma Highway Patrol deserves investment
As a lifelong Oklahoma business owner, employment professional and supporter of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, I firmly believe...
New convention center marks milestone for OKC
Our new, state-of-the-art Convention Center is 500,000 square feet with a 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall on the first floor,...
When facts don’t matter, consequences don’t either
Another brother-in-law, a sister-in-law, two daughters-in-law, two cousins and several grandchildren are all recovering from...
Reflecting on the year
Little did I know that these worries were going to quickly subside, and be replaced with new, bigger worries — worries the size...
Point of View: Building cities, rebuilding careers: In construction, women see opportunity
Despite many sectors being in turmoil, Oklahoma is still growing. This is causing many women to look to a less likely industry:...
Point of View: HR 1 could undermine state system
Election nights in Oklahoma never end without a full count by midnight in our memory, if ever. On the rare occasion that...
Point of View: International Women’s Day is an Opportunity to Celebrate Women’s Achievements in Education
On March 8 — International Women’s Day — we celebrate women’s achievements. It is a day to recognize women worldwide who have...
Point of View: Yes, in many states, people can still be fired for being gay
After all, they gave it their best effort, endlessly admonishing about “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” They were insistent...
Point of View: State agency should not control local health departments
The autonomously governed health departments in Tulsa and Oklahoma City operate through the receipt of local county ad valorem...
Point of View: Remembering Vernon Jordan, a different kind of civil rights leader
His outsize personality, courtly manner, commanding presence, historic impact, strategic thinking and robust — occasionally...
Point of View: Lower prescription costs essential to better health outcomes
SB 734 will lower the costs of prescription drugs in this state by tens of millions of dollars. It will result in lower...
Point of View: How farmers could fight climate change (and make a profit)
The idea is fairly straightforward. Farmers would take steps to reduce their carbon output, such as reducing tillage to avoid...
Inhofe: Democrats should focus on what families need
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the largest relief package in history: $4 trillion over five laws passed...
Point of View: Make co-pay assistance count toward deductible, out-of-pocket expenses
One of the most difficult experiences of my life was watching my grandpa “papa” struggle with complications from rheumatoid...
Point of View: S.E. Cupp: Elite pedigrees are normal for the Right’s phony populists
But that’s what a Fox host, Pete Hegseth, said to an approving crowd at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference,...
Point of View: Lessons learned from state’s intervention in natural gas markets
This past year Oklahoma officials pursued a unique experiment — with the state Corporation Commission reducing how much natural...
Point of View: Bad medicine for Oklahoma
Senate Bill 734 would establish price controls on cutting-edge drug treatments, making it illegal for any health plan to...
Point of View: What we need to learn from power outages in Oklahoma
What can we learn from the problems facing both Oklahoma and Texas? The hard truth is we must recognize that our energy system...
Point of View: Legislation misses the mark
The rhetoric surrounding these bills is centered on narratives about failing schools, ZIP codes and helping marginalized...
Point of View: A different take on ERCOT’s failures
Record-setting cold weather took down Texas’ electrical grid, known as the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT),...
Point of View: Bipartisan OK lawmakers on saving Indigenous women
As Oklahomans born and raised, we saw the injuries inflicted upon our Indigenous brothers and sisters when land was repeatedly...
Point of View: Leonard Pitts Jr.: Black history is America’s history. It will not be erased — no matter how hard America tries
For 30 years, let’s require that young people are taught nothing about the moon. Let’s scrub Earth’s satellite from books and...
Point of View: Jonah Goldberg: ‘Return to normalcy’ isn’t really what Biden’s base wants
Biden didn’t actually use the slogan “return to normalcy.” But as numerous political observers (including yours truly) noted...
Commentary: Fighting human trafficking: A cause that should transcend politics
There can really be no difference of political opinion about the virtue of dismantling criminal networks that prey upon...
Point of View: Clarence Page: We have a ‘domestic terrorism’ double-standard problem
And in a similar vein, nothing divides lawmakers — even in the same party — like the question of what to do after the domestic...
Point of View: S.E. Cupp: The GOP knows exactly where it’s headed: CPAC 2021 is depressingly revealing
This week, CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Conference founded in 1974 — will lay siege to Orlando instead of...
Editorial: The pending charges against a Register reporter who was arrested while covering a social justice protest last spring are a clear infringement on...
That makes the upcoming trial of a Des Moines Register reporter who was doing her job covering a protest last spring all the...
Point of View: Proposed bill would hurt consumer protections, risk safety and security
The state Legislature is currently considering HB 1011, which would mandate that electronics manufacturers treat repair shops...
Commentary: After the pandemic, put women first
That approach won’t work for the COVID-19 crisis. As leaders face the enormous challenge of rebuilding post-pandemic economies,...
Point of View: Personal choices, public health — Eliminating mask mandates, vaccination standards is wrong for Oklahoma
National security is also threatened when our population is weakened through illness. That aspect of the pandemic is broadly...
YOUR VIEWS
Perils of party loyalty Now that Republican politicians have demonstrated it's more important to get reelected than to protect...
Point of View: Flawed energy policy blackouts
The short answer is a flawed energy policy built more on ideology than reality. We’ve shuttered coal plants and subsidized...
Point of View: Redistricting making progress in Oklahoma Senate
Additionally, the public comments made have been submitted to the Senate and House redistricting committees and posted for...
Point of View: History-making art exhibition
Last week, I had a sneak peek of what I’m willing to go on record as saying is the most important art exhibition in the history...
Point of View: The Rush Limbaugh I knew
Limbaugh, who died of lung cancer on Wednesday at age 70, spoke my values. He didn’t tell people what or how to think, as his...
Point of View: New Public Health Lab ushers in bright future for Oklahoma health
This time last year, Oklahoma’s Public Health Lab was antiquated, facing the real possibility of a loss in accreditation and...
Point of View: Washington, D.C., shouldn't be an armed camp
The city isn't divided down the middle between the forces of the United States government on one hand and secessionist rebels...
The anthem isn’t a litmus test of patriotism
We flunked big time. About a dozen preseason and regular season home games passed before someone noticed. But since many fans...
Point of View: Retaliation by legislation? In bills to curb initiative petitions, legislators choose power over democracy
Last year, with hundreds of thousands of uninsured and hospitals closing by the dozen, Oklahomans had had enough. After a...
Point of View: Gender identity, sexual orientation protection laws needed
State Sens. Micheal Bergstrom and David Bullard have brought Oklahoma’s current hate crime law into the spotlight by proposing...
Creating the education system students deserve
This past year Oklahoma’s teachers and parents faced what some might have believed was an insurmountable challenge. I am in awe...
S.E. Cupp: Impeachment matters, even without conviction
It’s more than likely true. A whopping 17 Republican Senators would need to join Democrats to convict Trump, and all but five...
Point of View: Oklahoma can lead the nation in defining the future of higher education
There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has created historic disruption for education systems across America. From the...
Point of View: Biden is too timid on school reopening
It takes another level of chutzpah, though, to set out as a target something that has already happened. Some in the press has...
Point of view: The stuff of heroes in the COVID pandemic
Hurricane Harvey affected a larger area and population than Hurricane Katrina, yet resulted in 100 deaths while Hurricane...
Your View: On masks, lawmakers should set an example
Is Capitol rule just a masquerade? Regarding the headline in The Oklahoman’s 1-30-21 edition,“Lawmakers Exempted from Mask...
Point of view: Cookies make it all better
Just over 100 years ago, our nation was battling World War I, and citizens at that time also searched for ways to cope. There’s...
Point of View: Managed Medicaid: Bad for Rural Hospitals… Bad for Oklahoma
Privatizing Oklahoma's Medicaid program may prove to be too much for the long-term survival of rural health care. The governor...
Opinion: Stitt on leading Oklahoma toward becoming a 'top 10 state'
This week, we hit a milestone in our COVID fight: over half a million vaccines have been administered, meaning more Oklahomans...
History will repeat itself and our state’s most vulnerable population will suffer
Under Oklahoma’s previous experience with managed care, 90% of Oklahoma’s dentist providers quit the program for many reasons,...
Point of View: Oklahoma law forces small businesses to fire workers until they learn someone else’s job
Shazia Ittiq learned to thread in Pakistan when she was 14 years old. She learned from a friend, like many women in Middle...
Point of View: 'Privatize' doesn't capture Medicaid plan
“Privatize” is an often-used pejorative term to indicate the transfer of power and management of a governmental service to a...
110 years later, act may finally help tribal businesses
It can take the federal government a long time to do something. A really, really long time. After 110 years, the Indian Health...
Oklahoma should focus on improving all public schools
Likewise, Jesus’ teaching is clear that children are important and that we should care for them. A complementary Christian...
Point of view: Oklahoma school funding model needs fixing
This is because Oklahoma law states that school districts receive funding based off the highest student enrollment number from...
Jonah Goldberg: For Democrats, a Senate conviction of Trump isn’t the point
Let me say up front I think it’s an open-and-shut case that Trump committed numerous impeachable acts, and in a healthy...
Point of View: Reimagining branding in the "new normal"
Though 2020 was a challenging year for many, it also gave businesses opportunities to innovate. Out of necessity, brands...
Opinion: Worn out, it is time to bid farewell
On the day of Joe Biden’s swearing-in, a reader emailed to complain about a story that morning in The Oklahoman — printed ahead...
Point of View: On Medicaid, lessons unlearned in Oklahoma
The board of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the state’s Medicaid agency that provides health insurance coverage for nearly...
Your Views Sunday, Jan. 31
Improvements needed to immunization sign-up process I'm sure I have no clue as to the issues, including a smaller-than-expected...
Opinion: What awaits in year three of Stitt administration?
Year three of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration begins officially Monday with the start of the 2021 legislative session. Stitt...
Point of View: Oklahoma's school funding system needs a fix
Many of Oklahoma’s public school districts may be haunted. Official enrollment records show that nearly 90% of Oklahoma school...
Point of View: Celebrating 100 years of the Mother Road
Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans live within a few miles of Route 66, driving on it every day. Part of the fabric of their...
Opinion: With OKC arts fest, later date is better than none at all
Oklahoma City didn’t get to enjoy the Festival of the Arts last year — the COVID-19 pandemic saw to that. Thus, it’s good to...
Jonah Goldberg: For Dems, a Senate conviction of Trump isn't the point
The debate over whether to hold Donald Trump accountable for his role in the events that led to the siege of the U.S. Capitol...
Michael Barone: The United States of Racial Quotas and Preferences
On Tuesday, six days into Joe Biden's administration, it became clear why Susan Rice, hitherto a foreign policy specialist, was...
Opinion: ‘They’ve got to start seeing … hope’
Plans are taking shape in Clark County, Nevada, to get students back into public school buildings as quickly as possible. The...
Opinion: Biden's continued blitz against fossil fuels
The climate plan forwarded last year by candidate Joe Biden made clear that fossil fuels would be in his crosshairs. Even so,...
Jonah Goldberg: Biden needs to set even more ambitious vaccination goals
We are far from the destination, but the return to normalcy has begun — and so have the normal games presidents play. Donald...
Rich Lowry: "Free speech for me, but not for thee"
Long a stalwart defender of the First Amendment, the American media is now having second thoughts. For decades, it was a...
Point of View: Use school choice to live your family's values
As a child growing up in Colombia, attending a private bilingual school was a great privilege and a blessing that I never took...
Point of View: The hurtful use of Holocaust analogies
Last week at a Broken Arrow City Council meeting, a resident decided to use Holocaust imagery, including images of Anne Frank...
Your Views Wednesday, Jan. 27
Lankford’s pipeline comments incomplete I grew up in the oil pipeline industry. My dad worked operating pump stations for Shell...
Opinion: More turns of the crank from McGirt ruling
Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to be part of discussions regarding state-tribal relations as they relate to a historic U.S. Supreme...
Opinion: With elections, ballot security must remain paramount
The COVID-19 pandemic led to new voting procedures last year in Oklahoma and in many states across the country. Going forward,...
Cal Thomas: Is modern media more biased than before?
There is a perception, supported by many surveys, that what passes for contemporary journalism is more biased, even...
Point of View: Spreading the word about Earned Income Tax Credit
Supporting Oklahoma families and working to grow small businesses have been two of my focal points while in political office....
Opinion: With COVID, don't let your guard down!
This disease was the most feared of its time. It hit without warning, requiring long quarantine periods in which relatives were...
Point of View: Developing tomorrow's leaders through mentorship today
If you have ever had a mentor, you know how positive and impactful one can be. After the continuous turmoil we have experienced...
Clarence Page: Pragmatism is the focus of my 1776 Unites essay
I have an extra reason to be pleased that President Joe Biden has revoked the Trump administration’s 1776 Report, released on...
Point of View: Let's remove barriers to getting Oklahoma voters engaged
The 2020 presidential election saw record voter turnout as citizens overcame barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to make...
Point of View: This country needs the Electoral College
Many arguments for the so-called popular vote are based on a misreading of history. The foundational premise of the...
Jonah Goldberg: Both sides need to condemn bad actors
As many feared, after President Joe Biden was inaugurated, a mob unleashed destruction. They stormed the Democratic Party...
Opinion: Oklahoma knows something about power sharing
As the week ended, Sens. Mitch McDonnell, R-Ky., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were working to come to agreement on how to run the...
Opinion: Out with the Keystone XL pipeline, again
As expected, President Joe Biden wasted no time using executive orders to undo many of former President Trump's initiatives....
Point of View: Financial bridge available to Oklahoma families seeking education alternative
One of the most sacred values in our society is encouraging nurturing parents to raise children based on the academic and...
Your Views Sunday, Jan. 24
Common sense needed with vaccine plan We have National Guard and Reserve medical units in every state that could be set up in...
Opinion: Historic judicial career coming to an end
Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert is retiring effective Feb. 1, ending an honorable and historic career as a public...
Rich Lowry: No, there won't be unity
After the events of Jan. 6, there is much to be said for more unity, or at least less poisonous division, and Biden’s emphasis...
Michael Barone: Biden's heartfelt appeal for unity likely to be unavailing
"We must end this uncivil war," Joe Biden proclaimed Wednesday shortly after he became the 46th president. Hours earlier, in...
Opinion: Biden hit many high notes in inaugural speech
It will take some time to measure the effectiveness of President Joe Biden’s inaugural address. As delivered, however, it was...
Opinion: No hospital administrator should have to make these choices
Every little while we’re offered another reminder of why it is so important that Oklahomans from border to border and all walks...
John Kass: Biden seeks an end to ‘uncivil war,’ but will he defend free speech?
As Joe Biden was sworn in as our 46th president, he delivered a simple yet eloquent speech about America’s “uncivil war” and...
Cal Thomas: For Trump, what might have been
“For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been’.” — John Greenleaf Whittier There are many...
Opinion: Trump's absence from inauguration probably best
President Trump will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s swearing-in Wednesday, and perhaps that’s for the best, given what...
Opinion: Biden's pledge likely to be tested by Democratic House, Senate
President-elect Joe Biden has tried to assure Republicans and conservatives that their concerns about his administration...
Your Views Wednesday, Jan. 20
Cole looking to avoid accountability U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3-ranking Republican in the House, said, "The President of...
Rediscovering America: A quiz on presidential inaugurations
The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who will be the 46th president of the United States, takes place Jan. 20. The...
Being ‘boring’ may work for Biden
The words will be heard as sensible by any sensible person. Unless he somehow sought help from the wrong speechwriter, some...
New administration point-counterpoint: Brace yourself, change is coming
On Jan. 20, the Biden administration will enter the Oval Office in the midst of a pandemic and economic crisis, with the...
New administration point-counterpoint: Biden's perilous congressional road map in 2021
If you thought 2020 was a surprising year, 2021 will give it a run for its money. As President-elect Joe Biden enters the White...
Point of View: MLK's call to service against hunger
It was Martin Luther King Jr. who called us to action saying, "Everyone can be great because everybody can serve.” Each of us...
Your Views Sunday, Jan. 17
Parents don’t need vaccine instruction Regarding “Vaccine rule should stay in place” (Opinion, Jan. 13): I disagree that...
Opinion: New Oklahoma guidelines aim at keeping kids in classrooms
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced new guidelines last week designed to get school children back into classrooms and keep them there....
Point of View: Apprenticeships provide economic solutions
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work and has had a serious impact on workers in certain industries. During this...
Opinion: Lankford apology provides a lesson in listening
U.S. Sen. James Lankford apologized Thursday to Tulsa's Black community for partaking in a misguided effort to question 2020...
Point of View: Oklahoma governor's worrisome spin about coronavirus and schools
Gov. Kevin Stitt continues to misrepresent public health research and U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines while...
Rich Lowry: The Flight 93 post-election
President Donald Trump finally did what the foremost metaphor associated with his political rise would have suggested — he...
Opinion: A good idea to vaccinate legislators
There is potential good news for anxious older Oklahomans seeking to fend off the coronavirus: More COVID-19 vaccine is on the...
Clarence Page: Twitter’s action against Trump opens a can of First Amendment worms
Ironies abound in the debate over free speech, now that Twitter has taken away President Donald Trump’s favorite bullhorn. “We...
Michael Barone: From impeaching incitement to canceling conservatism
It wasn't just Donald Trump's detractors who felt a sudden sense of relief when they heard that Twitter was blocking his feed...
Your Views Friday, Jan. 15
Concerns about Big Media and free speech First they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a...
Opinion: Big Tech's actions problematic indeed
Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, deemed it “problematic” that Twitter had kicked President Trump off its platform forever....
Opinion: A prayer for peace, respect in days ahead
The FBI’s warning in an internal bulletin could not be more clear, or distressing: “Armed protests are being planned at all 50...
Jonah Goldberg: Violence at Capitol was horrific, but don’t lose sight of the attempted theft
An attempted bank robber who doesn’t hurt anybody is still guilty of attempted bank robbery. If someone gets hurt, though, the...
USA Today Opinion: Impeach Donald Trump, start Senate trial without delay
President Donald Trump incited thousands to march on Capitol Hill last week, where they sacked America's seat of government in...
Point of View: Collective response with vaccine is a must
It is the beginning of the end. Three coronavirus vaccines have shown promising results, and the first wave of vaccinations is...
Opinion: Oklahoma vaccine rule should stay in place
The state Health Department is mulling whether to roll back a rule requiring parents to receive some instruction before...
Opinion: Country doesn't need impeachment proceeding
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, is on the mark with his analysis that impeaching President Trump in the waning days of his...
Point of View: Lankford, Bice, Cole should resign over Jan. 6 events
On the morning of Jan. 6, a violent takeover was instigated at our nation’s capital during the ceremonial counting of Electoral...
Your Views Wednesday, Jan. 13
Once again talk from political leaders is cheap I strongly agree with Jerome Murray (Your Views, Jan. 9). Due to recent events,...
Cal Thomas: Free speech is being tested again
Twitter and Facebook have permanently banned President Trump from their social platforms. Former National Security Adviser...
Point-Counterpoint: No, removing the president now lacks precedent
There’s no doubt Jan. 6 will be remembered as a dark day in American history. But was the breaching of the U.S. Capitol by...
Point-Counterpoint: Yes, Trump must go
The scene at Capitol Hill on Wednesday was surreal. A violent mob, egged on by President Trump, attacked a building that stands...
Point of View: Omni Hotel makes Oklahoma City's future that much brighter
The new Omni Hotel is about to become the latest jewel of downtown Oklahoma City's expanding skyline. Set to open Jan. 26, the...
Opinion: Sharing their son's story could save a life
The year could not have ended more horribly for U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and his wife Sarah. To their great credit,...
Your Views Sunday, Jan. 10
How does the country move forward now? Under siege by a president bent on insurrection, our Congress voted to approve all...
Point of View: Attacks on Epic hurt kids, discourage innovation in public education
America is a land of innovators. From the invention of the telephone in 1876 to the release of the first iPhone in 2007, we...
Opinion: Delagation's tenacity, teamwork pay off for OKC bombing memorial
Every now and then in Washington, items added to pieces of seemingly unrelated legislation are worth pursuing. This is true of...
Opinion: A new sheriff for Oklahoma County
Tommie Johnson III made a good first impression at his swearing-in Monday as the first Black sheriff in Oklahoma County...
Your Views Saturday, Jan. 9
Most of the state's delegation must resign Article II of the U.S. Constitution states, “Each State shall appoint, in such...
Opinion: Challenges clearly remain for Oklahoma County jail
The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same when it comes to the Oklahoma County jail. A recent spate of...
Opinion: A sad spectacle at the U.S. Capitol
Unprecedented. Shocking. Troubling. Scary. Pathetic. Pick your adjective to describe Wednesday’s scene at the U.S. Capitol,...
Point of View: The day that jolted Congress back to life
The mob that breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday did unforgivable violence to one of our nation’s most hallowed spaces. But...
USA Today: Trump triggers the American carnage he vowed in his inaugural address to stop
In a divided America, the events that unfolded on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon should unite us all. In a universal sense...
Point of View: Private philanthropy is the indespensible force in the pandemic
As 2020 came to a close, Congress finally agreed on COVID-19 relief measures — and President Trump signed them into law — after...
Point of View: Oklahoma AG can right these wrongs
One of the first things Mike Hunter did when he became Oklahoma's attorney general was to right a wrong that happened years...
Your Views Wednesday, Jan. 6
Lankford’s stance a profile in cowardice Sen. James Lankford’s position against counting state-certified electoral votes is a...
Point of View: Where is concern over national debt?
When Barack Obama assumed office in 2009, the national debt was about $10 trillion. When Obama left office in 2017, the debt...
Opinion: Trump's distressing election ploy
Donald Trump has said and done his share of questionable things during his four years as president. Few if any compare to his...
Opinion: Lankford's disappointing "Hail Mary"
Sen. James Lankford is part of what he calls a “Hail Mary” attempt to take yet another look at the 2020 presidential election...
Clarence Page: Politics in 2021 — Will the blurring of reality and fantasy continue?
President Donald Trump is on his way out of the White House, but not much else seems as certain. If anything, 2020 will be...
Point of View: Electoral College needs to be scrapped
I strongly disagree with your contention that the “Electoral College serves us well” (Our Views, Dec. 18). The fact that twice...
Point of View: Developing the future of aerospace education in Oklahoma
Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” The statement, while simple, is profound. We gain...
Opinion: Putting a name to editorials
For generations, unsigned editorials have been a staple of the nation's newspapers, including The Oklahoman. Traditionally,...
Clarence Page: When Hollywood came to my Ohio hometown
Among other momentous events, I’ll remember 2020 as the year when, decades after leaving my Ohio hometown, Hollywood brought it...
Opinion: Gov's approval numbers could always be worse
Nearly two years into the job, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s approval rating is good-not-great, according to a recent poll. Stitt should...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: A reminder of threats first-responders face
It can become shopworn to say police officers and firefighters put their lives on the line every day they're on the job. The...
Opinion: An overarching wish for 2021
This page has used the past several Jan. 1 editions to offer various wishes for the new year in Oklahoma. These have run the...
Point of View: 2020 the worst year ever? Not quite
Humans don’t rule the world, it turns out. COVID-19 is too small to see, as President Trump pointed out. It has still killed...
Cal Thomas: A better 2021?
I don’t like making predictions for a new year because they are just guesses and like palm readers, fortune tellers and...
Your Views Wednesday, Dec. 30
Clock is ticking on the nation’s debt Our nation in heading toward $30 trillion in debt. Both parties know it is immoral to...
Opinion: Oklahoma's foster care need as great as ever
In a recent op-ed in The Oklahoman, local attorney Lorenzo Banks issued a call made on these pages many times through the years...
Point of View: Amazed, grateful for care provided while hospitalized for COVID
As someone who spent Dec. 19-25 in an isolated COVID-19 floor of Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, I want to commend the brave...
Steven Moore: After 40 years, Mitch Rutledge has paid his debt to society
Nearly everyone has seen the classic movie "The Shawshank Redemption." Well, it turns out there is a real life "Red" Redding,...
Rich Lowry: Behold, the delivery revolution
It's been a terrible year for the American worker, with a notable bright spot courtesy of one of the tech firms in the...
Opinion: Off-putting pay raise for Oklahoma County officials
Gov. Kevin Stitt drew criticism recently as being tone-deaf for encouraging tourism to Oklahoma at a time when COVID-19 cases...
Point of View: Don’t let COVID relief packages be a bridge to nowhere
In March, our elected leaders in Congress developed a broad-based COVID-19 relief package designed to build a bridge over the...
Point of View: To stem pandemic, public health action plan urgently needed
Our haphazard and disjointed COVID-19 pandemic response is worsening this national catastrophe. Although vaccines provide a...
Your Views Sunday, Dec. 27
Disappointed in votes for so-called stimulus I for one am very disappointed in our U.S. senators, as well as other...
Opinion: Business as usual for Congress en route to COVID deal
A coronavirus relief package finally made it through Congress last week, with broad support. Among those voting against the...
Opinion: OKC district right to pursue return to school
With any luck, far more Oklahoma City Public School students will be attending class in school buildings during the second...
Point of View: How to help others with their anxieties and depression
Do you know a friend or loved one who suffers from fear, anxiety or depression and you do not know what to do? It can be...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Good news about new OKC shelter
A project more than two years in the making is expected to be completed next month, to the benefit of Oklahoma City’s...
Jonah Goldberg: Ted Cruz shows why the GOP isn’t going back to Reaganism
Throughout Donald Trump’s captivity of the GOP, many Republicans have held fast to the hope that after he leaves office, the...
Opinion: Thinking back on the night before the night before Christmas
During his 30 years with The Hartford Courant, Owen Canfield, late father of The Oklahoman’s Opinion editor, wrote 22 columns...
Point of View: Canceling student debt would narrow the racial wealth gap, stimulate the economy
President-elect Joe Biden has the power on day one as president to help close the racial wealth gap and stimulate the economy...
Point of View: Canceling student debt by presidential decree is wrong on many levels
If you lent someone money to start a business that made big bucks, you would expect to be repaid, right? You took a risk and...
Cal Thomas: The power of Christmas
Of all the great and small events of 1991, the death of CBS News’ "60 Minutes" co-host Harry Reasoner probably rates near the...
Opinion: One poll federal lawmakers should note
Christmas week began with news of a gift from Congress — roughly $900 billion in pandemic assistance in a deal reached after...
Cal Thomas: Gifts that keep on giving
A phrase one hears this time of year is about gifts that “keep on giving.” Most store-bought gifts are soon forgotten, but are...
Opinion: Program making a lasting difference to Oklahoma's outdoors
For those of us who love the outdoors, our hope is to leave Oklahoma in better shape than when we first took steps into the...
Opinion: COVID alters, but doesn't stop, this OKC Christmas tradition
The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be no match for one of Oklahoma City's dearest Christmas traditions. The Red Andrews Dinner...
Point of View: Continued silence from Lankford, Inhofe is no longer an option
For nearly two months, soon-to-be-former President Donald Trump and some of his supporters have filed numerous challenges...
Your Views Wednesday, Dec. 23
Gov. Stitt’s complete lack of respect Recently, Oklahoma made the national news twice. Surely Gov. Kevin Stitt's advice...
USA Today Opinion: Relief deal reached after Americans were left feeling abandoned
Now that Congress has finally reached a deal on COVID-19 relief, it would be nice to say the system worked. But it didn’t,...
Opinion: Pay people to get vaccinated? It might be worth a shot
In a recent editorial, USA Today proposed five ways to persuade Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine. One suggestion was...
Point of View: Tribe's unilateral actions hurt Oklahoma oil-gas businesses
As someone active in Oklahoma’s oil industry, I am dismayed at the recent actions of the Seminole Nation. Attempting to create...
Opinion: Restaurants, clubs feeling the pain from COVID-related decisions
An 11 p.m. curfew intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is hurting Oklahoma’s restaurants and clubs. Several bar owners are...
Point of View: A "course correction" on Medicaid
Every year, the cost of Oklahoma's Medicaid program is the result of blind luck. The vagaries of the health status of the...
Your Views Sunday, Dec. 20
Much to like about Electoral College The fact that criticism of the Electoral College persists demonstrates two things: the...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Moving teachers up the vaccine list is sensible
The state’s initial plan for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine had teachers in the third phase, with a rollout date uncertain....
Rich Lowry: Trump should not pardon Snowden
No one will ever accuse President Donald Trump of being overly careful in his exercise of his pardon power. So, it makes sense...
Opinion: Electoral College serves country well once again
Perhaps all the attention paid to the Electoral College this year will serve to curb efforts to do away with the system, which...
Opinion: Fears of Oklahoma court case's impact being realized
An effort by the Seminole Nation to tax oil and gas companies working in the tribe’s “jurisdictional area” gives credence to...
Jonah Goldberg: Give globalism its due for speedy vaccine rollout
In normal times, most people don’t think of vaccines as a political issue at all. But a small minority — one that defies easy...
Your Views Wednesday, Dec. 16
Oklahoma has indeed become Top 10 state The latest Coronavirus Task Force report says that in Oklahoma, "Unlike other states in...
Opinion: Oklahoma City man an example of how refugees enrich America
The life of Loc Van Le, whose funeral is scheduled Thursday in Oklahoma City, provides a reminder of the wonderful...
Opinion: The mayor’s insightful response to OKC police shootings
Some are criticizing Mayor David Holt for his response — lack of it, in their view — to two recent fatal shootings by Oklahoma...
Point of View: Support the adoption community this holiday season
Home can have many meanings to different people. Home is as much a feeling as it is a place. Everyone deserves a chance to feel...
Point of View: Without re-entry support, I didn't stand a chance
Several years ago, if you had told me I could succeed after prison, I might not have believed it. I grew up in a middle-class...
Point of View: How a Biden administration can lower military suicides
If the incoming Biden administration wants to tamp down the troubling rise in military and veteran suicides, it needs a much...
Stephen Moore: Potential 900% tariffs on mattresses could wallop consumers
When import tariffs are under discussion in Washington, D.C., they typically revolve around rates of 5% to 25% on foreign...
Point of View: A COVID deal both sides might go for
Cowards. Liars. Traitors. Those are some of the nicer terms that my fellow liberals have been hurling at Republicans who...
Opinion: Oklahoma's medical marijuana program needs evidence-based educational resources
On Monday, Dec. 14, Oklahoma legislators are scheduled to discuss the current state of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program,...
Point of View: Raising resilient Oklahomans
Three years ago, the Potts Family Foundation began a journey like nothing we had pursued before. We purchased a license to show...
Opinion: Sen. Tim Scott's sensible approach to police reform
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina led the work this summer on a Republican police reform bill that got sidelined by...
Point of View: Reclaiming grace for a new year
When 2020 began, no one could have imagined what this year would look like. Within a short time, COVID-19 made our world — and...
Point of View: Oklahoma's $60 billion miracle
Ten years ago, I wrote an op-ed titled “Oklahoma needs to celebrate entrepreneurs.” The message was simple, yet surprisingly...
Your Views Sunday, Dec. 13
We're failing the test in fight against COVID The city of Choctaw recently extended its mask mandate until April. It also added...
Opinion: Another effort to curb initiative petitions in Oklahoma
An Oklahoma lawmaker’s proposal to require supermajority approval of initiative and referendum petitions is in line with...
The glory of President Trump's judges
One of President Donald Trump's foremost achievements has been to erect a formidable obstacle to his own post-election legal...
Your Views Saturday, Dec. 12
Hoping for equal scrutiny of Biden by media I hope the “unbiased” national news media and elected officials give as much...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Well-earned promotion for OKC deputy chief
The Oklahoma City Police Department is losing one of its leading members. Deputy Chief Paco Balderrama is heading for Fresno,...
USA Today Opinion: Five ways to increase trust and persuade Americans to get vaccinated
Even as the first two coronavirus vaccines near federal approval for emergency use, the next obstacle on the pathway out of...
Opinion: Film studio plan is worth pursuing for OKC
One unknown that accompanied construction of Oklahoma City’s new convention center was what would happen with the building it...
Jonah Goldberg: Trumpism is unlikely to be an enduring ideology
In the aftermath of President Trump’s 2016 victory, many of his supporters wanted to construct an ideological worldview that...
Opinion: Stitt erred with short-lived appointee to state Board of Education
Politics has always touched the state Board of Education. Ideological debates over whether to adopt or scrap Common Core, or...
Point of View: Oklahoma needs to address preventable child deaths
Imagine this headline: “350 Oklahoma infants to die in 2021.” During a normal year, this would shock most of us. While the...
Opinion: Forgiving student debt may be a tough sell
President-elect Joe Biden is putting together his team in preparation for inauguration day, when policy proposals will move...
Opinion: Inhofe on the right side in defense bill spat with Trump
Few, if any, members of the U.S. Senate have supported President Trump more earnestly and consistently than Oklahoma’s Jim...
Your Views Wednesday, Dec. 9
Trumpism causing great harm to country Trumpism, like a virus, has invaded our country and particularly the GOP Senate and...
Point of View: A plea to help vulnerable Oklahoma children during this pandemic
Positive Tomorrows was the scene of a recent protest. A kindergarten student discovered there would be no school the week of...
Point of View: Oklahoma's governor needs to sacrifice, lead
Much has been said about Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent day of prayer and fasting. Many in the community participated and look...
Point of View: Hunker down with a nonprofit
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading epidemiologist, recently told a Harvard Medical School audience it’s time to “hunker...
Cal Thomas: Trump is still winning on the economy
Some people can’t handle success. The latest jobs report shows that despite the pandemic, President Trump’s policies of lower...
Point of View: Response to day of prayer the same as it ever was
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent announcement of a day of fasting in Oklahoma led to a round of grumbling that made its way all the...
Stephen Moore: Trump shouldn't fall for Pelosi's gambit
Judging from the media's collective primal scream this weekend, you would think the American economy were lying flat on its...
Point of View: COVID-19 threatens education in low-income countries. Here are 3 ways to help.
COVID-19 has upended education in the US and around the world. For students in this country without access to computers and the...
Point of View: Oklahoma families cannot wait any longer for relief
Normally, my extended family gathers to celebrate Christmas together. This year, I will stay home. There will be nothing to...
Point of View: Technology tools helping Oklahoma residents
Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the spring, many states have been overwhelmed by as much as $26 billion in unemployment...
Navy undersecretary: The enduring need for U.S. sea power
Seventy-nine years ago, Imperial Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. One of the greatest...
Your Views Sunday, Dec. 6
When it’s available, get vaccinated against COVID As a physician, I feel strongly compelled to ask all Oklahomans to seriously...
Rich Lowry: The conspiracy theory that could hand Joe Biden the Senate
There is no evidence that Lin Wood and Sidney Powell are secretly working for the Democratic National Committee, but no one has...
Opinion: Purdue case has familiar ring to it in Oklahoma
In the run-up to Thanksgiving and with COVID-19 dominating our lives, it may have been easy to miss a recent story out of New...
Point of View: COVID-19 financial, legal relief still available for Oklahoma residents, families
I heard a story recently about an Oklahoma City resident who had three months of living expenses in savings. Then the COVID-19...
Opinion: Survey shows school choice resonates with Oklahoma voters
About two dozen Oklahoma legislative candidates won their elections last month after including support for school choice among...
Your Views Saturday, Dec. 5
Stitt refuses to do his job on pandemic Gov. Kevin Stitt’s statewide day of prayer came across as very condescending. Does he...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: OKC poorer after two leaders' COVID-related deaths
The number of deaths related to COVID-19 has climbed past 1,800 statewide. The total includes two men lost recently who meant a...
Jonah Goldberg: Conspiracy theories have no place in serious conservatism
You aren’t a conservative if you believe in conspiracy theories. Before I defend this statement, I should say that as a general...
Michael Barone: Democrats reaping what they sow
"My sense is that if Trump wins, Hillary supporters will be sad," left-wing writer Sally Kohn tweeted the day of the 2016...
Opinion: 54 deaths should be virus wake-up call for Oklahomans
If Wednesday’s COVID-19 report from the state Department of Health doesn’t serve to figuratively shake every Oklahoman by the...
Opinion: Trump needs to end his far-fetched pursuit
President Trump plans to visit Georgia on Saturday to campaign for two incumbent Republican U.S. senators who face runoff...
Point of View: A day of prayer and the common good
I am grateful to Gov. Kevin Stitt for calling Oklahomans to unite Dec. 3 on a day of prayer and fasting. This is a wise call to...
Point of View: Oklahoma lawmakers should look at extending foster care
For more than 23,000 American teenagers, the excitement of turning 18 is overshadowed by a sense of dread, uncertainty and...
Jonah Goldberg: Republicans need to find a way out of this mess
“How do we get out of this?” That’s the question preoccupying the right these days. The specific “this” varies, but what unites...
Your Views Wednesday, Dec. 2
Republicans need to stop propping up Trump Why are all of the gutless Republicans afraid of Donald Trump, who has violated the...
Opinion: In COVID fight, "lost liberties" argument is shortsighted
COVID-19 has killed more than 265,000 Americans. About 406,000 American soldiers died during World War II, and even...
Opinion: The importance of cannabis testing
Recent numbers from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority show that in the two years since medical marijuana became legal in...
Opinion: High court's welcome ruling for religious liberty
On Thanksgiving eve, a 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court issued a welcome ruling for religious liberty when it temporarily...
Opinion: Community must rally to help OKC schoolchildren
A Page 1 headline in Sunday’s Oklahoman — “Districts plead for help curbing virus” — captured the frustration many Oklahoma...
Cal Thomas: Worship the state, or else
In totalitarian societies, governments suppress the church and religious worship. That’s because dictators believe citizens...
Opinion: Innovation, free rein evident in vaccine development
This awful pandemic cannot end soon enough. When it does, it will be due in large part to one thing that is worth celebrating...
Opinion: Service stands out with Oklahoma health commissioner
Among other things, a profile of the state’s health commissioner, Dr. Lance Frye, in Friday's Oklahoman underscores the...
Point of View: Oklahoma Standards means including everyone
While government officials should not promote religion at all, when they choose to do so in spite of constitutional concerns,...
Your Views Sunday, Nov. 29
If Biden can do the job, anyone can Now that the national elections are about over and the news media have declared Joe Biden...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Good advice about tough 2020
Charlotte Lankard has dispensed volumes of sage advice during her years writing a weekly column for The Oklahoman. Her latest,...
Rich Lowry: Thanksgiving is not a lie
We live in a time of heedless iconoclasm, and so one of the country's oldest traditions is under assault. Thanksgiving is...
Michael Barone: GOP retains a marginal advantage in redistricting
One of the many big surprises in this month's surprising election was the Democrats' failure to overturn Republican majorities...
Jonah Goldberg: Conservatism a mere tool for today's Republicans
In 1965, William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review magazine and, as much as anyone, of modern American conservatism,...
Opinion: Thanksgiving proclamations by Lincoln, Washington still resonate
In 1863, two years into the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued the following proclamation. (Secretary of State William Seward is...
Point of View: Giving thanks "in all circumstances"
“He preached as a dying man to dying men.” Rev. John Burns’ congregation in Lawrence, Massachusetts, knew he was suffering from...
Opinion: Oklahoma needs schools, health systems up and running
There are many reasons why it is so important to drive down the number of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma. Chief among them, of...
Your Views Wednesday, Nov. 25
Courageous Republicans needed against Trump I had hoped, as a lifelong Republican, that a victory by Joe Biden would let me...
Rep. Frank Lucas: As COVID-19 winter approaches, Oklahoma must act
Oklahoma set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations last week, and the United States reached a grim milestone of more than...
Stephen Moore: Paris climate treaty puts America last
Here we are in the midst of the second wave of a once-in-a-half-century pandemic, with the economy flattened and millions of...
Point of View: A plea for personal responsiblity
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s guiding philosophy over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic has been “personal responsibility.” He refuses...
Opinion: Time for Trump to face the facts about election
President Trump certainly had every right to challenge the results of a 2020 election that proved closer than many predicted....
Thanksgiving Counterpoint: Still plenty of reasons for conservatives to be thankful
Lockdowns for churchgoers but not protesters. Election fraud. Media bias and social media censorship that’s been worse than...
Thanksgiving Point: Left is thankful for our (imperfect) democracy
This year has brought significant hardship to millions of Americans. We have endured an unprecedented pandemic, a major...
Opinion: One lesson for Democrats from 2020 election
One lesson the national Democratic Party might learn from the 2020 election is that extreme positions are a tough sell outside...
Point of View: Time to stop the nonsense in Washington
The election is over. The challenges to this country are not. America is in crises of unprecedented proportions. Much is at...
Opinion: Laudable move by Oklahoma's restaurant industry
The economic shutdown that followed arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March delivered a gut punch to Oklahoma’s restaurants...
Your Views Sunday, Nov. 22
Stitt needs to issue mask mandate Nurses and doctors in Oklahoma and nationwide are calling on everyone to wear a mask. A nurse...
Point of View: Privatizing Medicaid not the right solution for Oklahoma
Something everybody can agree on in 2020: Health care is expensive. It affects our personal finances, local economies and the...
Point of View: The tragic case of Cathy Lamb and the question of mercy
When is enough enough? At what point does mercy alight on our shoulders? How can we achieve grace amid the suffering? I often...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: A sober Thanksgiving holiday
Oklahoma’s health commissioner, Dr. Lance Frye, got straight to the point this week in urging residents to be extra careful...
Your Views Saturday, Nov. 22
Masking up is the most pro-business thing you can do Business is one of the greatest platforms for change. There is no...
Opinion: Mark your calendars for Oklahoma redistricting
The Legislature’s work of drawing boundaries for Oklahoma’s legislative and congressional districts will occur next year, as it...
Cal Thomas: Justice Alito and warning signs
Everywhere one looks there are warning signs, from labels on cigarette packs warning that smoking causes cancer, to ridiculous...
Opinion: Cole offers interesting insights about GOP, Trump
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, one of the country's sharpest political minds, always provides thoughtful insight about goings-on in...
Jonah Goldberg: To the end, Trump’s presidency is all about him
“Despite the Left’s attempts to undermine this Election, I will NEVER stop fighting for YOU,” President Trump assured me in a...
Point of View: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address still speaks to us
On Nov. 19, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln stood up to deliver brief remarks at a hillside cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, no...
Clarence Page: How "defund the police" sabotaged Democrats on Election Day
Democrats won the White House, whether President Donald Trump wants to face that non-alternative fact or not. But, as the...
Opinion: Vaccine is coming; Oklahomans need to embrace it
The head of an Oklahoma company that has been conducting clinical trials on a COVID-19 vaccine offered his views recently about...
Your Views Wednesday, Nov. 18
It’s simple — Trump needed to go The thing that seems to be missing from conservative opinion pieces since the election is the...
Opinion: A targeted effort to slow virus spread in Oklahoma
The COVID-19 trend line in Oklahoma is not good. The steady and substantial increase in new cases is burdening hospitals, a...
Opinion: Regarding COVID, wake up and smell the coffee
Except I can’t — I have COVID-19. Overnight, I lost my sense of smell and turned into a statistic — an Oklahoma statistic, a...
Gleanings: Reaction to good news about a COVID vaccine
Here are some of the reactions to Monday’s news from drug maker Moderna that its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective...
Point of View: For Trump, grasping at legal straws nothing new
Donald Trump’s greatest skill as a businessman is using the courts to turn failure into success. He has led companies into...
Cal Thomas: Who needs faith advisers?
If I am deficient in my knowledge about chemistry, or a medical issue, or what kind of car to buy, I consult people who know...
Point of View: America's political realignment is still underway
It has become commonplace to say that America is undergoing a political realignment, as working class and rural people become...
Point of View: Post-election, nonprofits will need a seat at the table
It was only 35 years ago when many of us didn’t wear seatbelts. Car seats for babies and children weren’t the norm. We laugh...
Opinion: Democrats could learn a little from Horn
In a tweet last week about President Trump’s election challenges, U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma City, said the election is...
Point of View: Health information exchange helps in COVID-19 fight
As COVID-19 cases surge across Oklahoma, we continue to recognize front-line heroes who put their lives on the line: doctors,...
Your Views Sunday, Nov. 15
Time for Congress, GOP to intervene Words like conservative, socialist and liberal are frequently used to define political...
Opinion: Vote-tallying uniformity would help elections
The 2020 presidential election highlighted the many ways that states conduct the business of distributing and tallying their...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Good news about OKC's First National building
We can always stand a little good news during this pandemic, and Steve Lackmeyer provided a dose with his story this week about...
Rich Lowry: The completely insane Electoral College strategy
Why limit yourself to the far-fetched when the utterly fantastical is an option? President Donald Trump's challenges of the...
Michael Barone: A country where people are afraid to tell pollsters what they think
"I like a good contrarian argument as much as the next guy," tweets mild-mannered RealClearPolitics senior elections analyst...
Opinion: All eyes now turn to the Peach State
The Nov. 3 elections gave Democrats control of the White House and continued control of the House. Now, two U.S. Senate runoffs...
Opinion: C'mon Oklahomans, mask up
The rising number of COVID-19 cases is stoking the debate over a statewide mask mandate. Gov. Kevin Stitt opposes the idea. His...
Jonah Goldberg: Trump-GOP marriage heading toward ugly divorce
Bad marriages usually lead to ugly divorces, and that’s where the GOP is heading. After Donald Trump secured the Republican...
Cal Thomas: Where should evangelicals turn now?
Evangelical Christians have unquestionably been a loyal and largely unmovable base of support for President Trump since he has...
Clarence Page: Time for both parties to examine themselves
Call me skeptical, but something doesn’t make sense about President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the election to Joe Biden...
Point of View: Don’t just thank veterans for their service; Ask them hard questions
“Thank you for your service.” Every veteran learns his or her own way to respond to those reflexively stated words from our...
Opinion: Mask mandate coming to Oklahoma schools?
No one should be surprised if the state Board of Education reverses course and votes to implement a mask mandate for Oklahoma...
Oklahoma City physicians: Wearing a mask isn't political
As we come out of a national election, it is apparent there is disagreement on a number of issues. The country feels divided...
Your Views Wednesday, Nov. 11
Trump has no one to blame but himself I was very proud of the major television networks for breaking challenging President...
A glimmer of hope
Out of 94 people who contracted COVID-19 in a trial involving 43,500 volunteers, the split in cases between those who had been...
Opinion: New tone, new direction in Oval Office
Joe Biden declared during one of the presidential debates that, “I am the Democratic Party.” During the next four years, the...
Lankford: State in touch with the veterans in your life
Veterans Day represents an opportunity to thank our heroes and reflect on how our nation serves those who served us. Some of...
Point of View: Voter fraud's greatest hits
Votes were still being cast in the 2020 presidential election when accusations of voter fraud began making the rounds. As the...
Opinion: Anonymous shell companies need to go
As a sheriff, I face all kinds of criminals. Investigating shootings, preventing assaults, maintaining public order — all are...
Opinion: Oklahoma getting redder all the time
Republican candidates in Oklahoma enjoyed sweeping successes on Tuesday. If voter registration trends are any indication, those...
Opinion: Immigrants offer a reminder of this country’s appeal
At a time when the United States is so deeply divided and its founding ideals are under attack by many Americans, newcomers to...
Point of View: Biden energy plan means dark days for Americans
Oklahomans thawing out from October’s ice storm may have gotten a sneak peek at a future fueled by presidential candidate Joe...
Opinion: Maintaining election integrity is vitally important
Standing position inside the undisclosed ballot drop-off site, I could see the ballots being unboxed and categorized by region...
Tamping down health care hysteria
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court stimulates America's most vibrant industry, which manufactures synthetic hysteria. The nomination...
Rich Lowry: Trump's staying power
Pending the outcome in a few key states, Donald Trump may be leaving the White House, but he's not exiting the room. The...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: The "R" designation a benefit in Oklahoma County races
In Tuesday’s election, President Trump dominated statewide but won Oklahoma County by 1.1 percentage points, which was down...
Point of View: Lessons learned from first wave can keep our homes safe from COVID-19
For the past eight months, we have all lived in a sea of information — and misinformation — about the coronavirus, as it has...
Jonah Goldberg: Trump was right — the election was about him
At rally in Wisconsin the day before the election, President Trump was talking about the choice between him and Joe Biden. He...
Opinion: Another flip in Oklahoma's 5th District
Oklahoma’s 5th District representative in Washington next year will once again be a Republican, the result of a solid campaign,...
Opinion: State questions fall flat with Oklahoma voters
In rejecting two state questions this week, Oklahoma voters made it known they are not keen on amending the state constitution...
Clarence Page: Are we a ‘democracy’ or a ‘republic’? How about both?
Are we a “republic” or a “democracy?” Every time I think this question — a golden oldie for grade school civics classes, high...
Cal Thomas: It's time for meaningful reforms to election process
The pollsters got it wrong again. Some claimed going into Tuesday’s election that Joe Biden had an unbeatable margin of 17...
Point of View: COVID, competition and community
Catastrophic. That’s the only way I know how to describe what has happened to the live events industry. This shutdown has had...
Opinion: Change in Oklahoma prison program difficult, but necessary
The head of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections recently announced a program change that took effect this week and is the...
Your Views Wednesday, Nov. 4
Why the rush to privatize Medicaid? Why is Gov. Kevin Stitt rushing to privatize $7 billion in Medicaid hospital, outpatient...
Point of View: Protect one another to keep our kids in school
COVID fatigue is real. Nowhere is that more evident than in our schools. Oklahoma public schools working hard to provide...
Opinion: Long lines to vote reflect heightened interest
Several months ago, some groups in Oklahoma insisted that concerns about in-person voting during the COVID-19 pandemic...
Jonah Goldberg: Pandemic and politics aside, it’s a great time to be alive
Whatever is going to happen with the election is going to happen. The polls have been stable for literally years now, and as of...
Point of View: Oklahoma leaders have embraced mental health as priority health concerns
Today there are many more people, including policymakers, law enforcement and families, advocating for the need to prioritize...
Point of View: Five myths about America's elections
During my misspent youth as a GOP political consultant, one of the lessons I learned is that elections are fundamentally a game...
Point of View: Medicaid managed care is the right idea for Oklahoma
Recently, Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority invited private-sector Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to...
Point of View: Count every vote
In an unprecedented year, it’s only natural that we have an unprecedented election. It’s the first in most of our lifetimes to...
Point of View: Here's the truth about Oklahoma's SQ 805
Oklahoma’s legal system is adversarial by nature, and it has become increasingly rare for prosecutors and defense attorneys to...
Opinion: Openness important with Oklahoma vaccine plan
Oklahoma’s plan for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine, once one becomes available, includes many facets. Foremost among them may...
Opinion: Take advantage of a great American privilege: Vote
You may have heard that Tuesday is Election Day. Our hope is that those Oklahomans eligible to do so will take advantage of...
Point of View: SQ 805 is well indended, yet more dangerous to Oklahoma families than it appears
Over 20 years, I have had the honor to work with thousands of crime victims. I know their stories and the profound damage...
Your Views Sunday, Nov. 1
Stances on ACA clarify the choice I do not understand why Stephanie Bice and the Republicans do not want ordinary Americans to...
Rich Lowry: Justice Kavanaugh is right about Wisconsin's ballot deadline
For now, Vladimir Putin has been supplanted as the chief threat to the integrity of the presidential election by an American in...
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Virus puts damper on Halloween in Oklahoma
As it has with just about everything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on Halloween, leaving many parents to worry...
Michael Barone: The perils of political trifectas
If the final election returns, when they finally come in, match the current polls, then Joe Biden's Democrats will win a...
Opinion: Kindness produces a starring role for Oklahoma City woman
The everyday folks used as props in Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical comedies can be made to look foolish or worse. An Oklahoma...
Opinion: Turbulent waters remain between tribes, Oklahoma governor
Response to his Commission on Cooperative Sovereignty provides the latest example that regardless of the tack Gov. Kevin Stitt...
Clarence Page: Don’t let politics come between friends
As an old feminist movement slogan goes, “the personal is political.” Unfortunately, in today’s polarized atmosphere you may...
Point of View: Changing clocks twice a year hurts your wallet, health
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, and most Americans — those not living in Arizona, Hawaii, or our outlying...
Jonah Goldberg: GOP disdain for big cities is a losing strategy
“God bless real Michigan. God bless real America. God bless the greatest president in our lifetime, Donald Trump,” Ted Nugent...
Point of View: Oklahoma voters should protect TSET's resources
State Question 814 threatens decades of progress to make Oklahoma healthier. This ballot initiative would take invaluable...
Opinion: Oklahoma families knock down stigma of mental illness
It takes some bravery to acknowledge publicly that a loved one suffers, or suffered, with mental health or substance abuse. The...
Point of View: Oklahoma voters should protect TSET, reject SQ 814
We have all heard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” No situation is more applicable than State Question 814, a...
Your Views Wednesday, Oct. 28
Request for clarification isn’t an allegation “AG: Stitt’s use of COVID funds for private schools is OK” (Tulsa World, Oct. 23)...
Cal Thomas: Oil and America’s energy future
During last Thursday’s debate, Joe Biden said his goal as president would be to “transition away from the oil industry.” He has...
Point of View: Moving Oklahoma's public health lab is a bad idea
Moving Oklahoma’s public health lab from Oklahoma City to a temporary site in Stillwater during a pandemic is the wrong move...
Opinion: A well-earned retirement for OSU's Hargis
When Burns Hargis became president of Oklahoma State University in 2008, the Stillwater campus did not have a sprinkler system...