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The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden recently introduced its great ape species, including Western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and Sumatran orangutans, to a novel enrichment activity, the Animal Vending Machine. Collaborating with WildThink, the creator of the Animal Vending Machine, the OKC Zoo is excited to offer this inventive enrichment activity to these select species as part of the Zoo’s ongoing enrichment program.
Read moreThe Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASI and DI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, one year later than projected last year, with 80 percent of benefits payable at that time.
Read moreThe second extraordinary session of the 58th Oklahoma Legislature will reconvene to a Call of the Chair at some point during the summer and fall to address allocation of approximately $1.7 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds. A separate special session called by Governor Kevin Stitt is also expected to convene possibly as early as June 13 to address tax relief for Oklahomans. Options expected to be discussed are reducing the individual income tax by .25% and elimination of the state sales tax on groceries. The question remains as to whether both special sessions will occur concurrently when possible in order to consolidate lawmakers’ time at the Capitol. The first regular session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature will convene February 6, 2023.
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We officially concluded the 2022 legislative session at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 27. Of the many accomplishments this year, I’m very proud of the historic budget we approved, especially in how it will support our rural communities.
Read moreU.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) sent a letter to President Biden last week urging the administration to rethink its proposals under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program which would hurt small oil refiners like those in Oklahoma and instead to immediately bring relief to these job-creators by granting all Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) pending before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Read moreCongressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) sent a letter to President Biden Thursday, calling attention to the ways his environmental policy has forced our country to rely on the Communist Party of China to meet our critical mineral needs. Mullin outlines how President Biden’s decision to roll back President Trump’s modernization of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) increases wait times for environmental reviews and eliminates regulatory certainty for our producers, hereby forcing our producers to turn to China to meet the president’s own climate goals.
Read moreA bill creating a fund to help counties and municipalities impacted by natural disasters has been signed into law.
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