Queen Esther Celebration, hosted by artist Sara M. Novenson
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
from the website: Women of the Bible, Landscapes of the Soul (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Celebrate Esther’s courage and faith. She will re-awaken us to the Esther we carry within ourselves.
It is the time of the year to celebrate Queen Esther. Sara M. Novenson, an artist with many Oklahoma fans, promised in a recent reflection: “I will guide you deep into Esther’s world through the painting and her story. While I studied and focused on the story of Esther she began to appear in my life in mysterious and synchronistic ways.”
Novenson continued, “The power of women of the Bible comes alive in our lives when we focus on them. Through active meditation we will embody Esther using the Sacred Women Guidance Cards. Queen Esther awakens us to our great feminine archetype of Courage and her attributes of Inner Radiant Beauty, Power from the Ancestors and Fearlessness. Esther’s story lives within us all.”
Join Novenson for a 60 minute Zoom celebration:
Thursday, February 25, 7pm ET • 6pm CT • 5pm MT • 4pm PT • 3pm AK time
Order tickets to register for the celebration. Click and paste to follow this link:
https://ift.tt/37pVCDU
Add an extra ticket and invite your friend! Makes a wonderful gift for friends and family.
Pat McGuigan, founder of CapitolBeatOK and publisher of The City Sentinel newspaper in Oklahoma City, owns a beautiful print of one of Sara Novenson’s works, and is among advocates for her creations:
“Novenson’s paintings reside at the top of my listing for favorites among contemporary American artists. I learn something useful for spirit and gain hope every time I read something by or about her.”
To purchase tickets for the Zoom Celebration, go to Sara Novenson’s original link, here:
https://ift.tt/37pVCDU
Queen Esther Celebration, hosted by artist Sara M. Novenson Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Three Oklahoma City residents have earned medals at Oklahoma School for the Blind’s (OSB) eighth annual Oklahoma Regional Cane Quest competition, held in Muskogee.
Two sophomores, Elbin Carillo and Julio Valdez, earned medals in the Trailblazers category for competitors in grades 10-12. Carrillo won a gold medal and Valdez was awarded the silver medal.
Six-grader Quante Sellers earned a Top Scouts award for grades 3-6.
All the medalists are OSB students. They competed to earn points and win prizes with 31 other cane users from across the state.
Cane Quest contestants each received t-shirts, goodie bags, and certificates.
Effective cane travel is a key to independence and therefore employment, according to OSB, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Traditionally, Cane Quest occurs on a single day in Muskogee. This year OSB organizers adapted to safely hold the event in spite of COVID-19.
Students in Seventh through Twelfth grades are judged on their use of appropriate cane skills and travel techniques on downtown routes. Younger contestants in 3rd through 6th grades compete in a variety of travel tasks on the OSB campus.
“This year was markedly different,” said Faye Miller, OSB certified orientation and mobility instructor (COMS) and Cane Quest regional organizer. “Contestants worked one-on-one with an OSB COMS either in person or virtually.”
“The contest took several weeks to complete instead of just one day of fun, and contestants had to wait to see how they fared against their peers,” Miller said.
Scoring criterion was changed to accommodate the virtual format.
“Instead of outdoor routes in the community, contestants competed indoors and were scored on a variety of specialized cane techniques,” Miller said. “They followed multiple-step directions to demonstrate their understanding of spatial concepts and used lateral and cardinal directions to locate targets as well as techniques for traveling with human guides.”
Lateral directions use is an understanding of the left and right sides of competitors’ bodies.
Contestants must also keep track of their spatial relationship to cardinal directions, which represent north, south, east, and west.
“We made the commitment to continue Cane Quest in 2020 because this important competition helps students demonstrate mobility skills and make the connection between efficient cane travel and independence,” OSB Superintendent Rita Echelle said.
Event sponsors are Oklahoma School for the Blind, Braille Institute of America, Liberty Braille, Frank Dirksen, NanoPac, NewView Oklahoma, Oklahoma Association for Education and Rehabilitation and Oklahoma Council of the Blind.
Additional sponsors include Ruth Kelly Studios, OG&E, Reliant Rehabilitation, Sapulpa Lions Club, SERVPRO and OSU Cooperative Extension Services.
The Oklahoma School for the Blind is a fully accredited public school that offers a complete educational program, tuition free, for blind and visually impaired students from pre-school through high school.
Residential and commuter students meet all state-mandated education requirements and receive specialized instruction in Braille, orientation and mobility, optimum use of low vision, adaptive equipment technology and tactile graphic skills not readily available at other public schools in the state.
As the statewide resource for the education of blind and visually impaired students, OSB also provides thousands of hours of free services each year for students attending local public schools, their families and local school staff.
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For more information about OSB or Cane Quest, call toll free 877-229-7136 or visit online: osb.k12.ok.us
Oklahoma City residents medal at School for the Blind Cane Quest contest Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
CapitolBeatOK Staff Report
February 14, 2021 – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol have shut down the Turner Turnpike due to multi-vehicle accident.
In a release sent to CapitolBeatOK, The City Sentinel and other news organizations. OTA officials said:
“Westbound traffic is being diverted to the Kickapoo Turnpike. Eastbound traffic is being diverted to I-35. First responders are at the scene treating the injured and expect the westbound lane to be closed at least several hours."
The news bulletin continued: "If you must travel, seek an alternate route. Visibility is extremely poor. Avoid area. If you’re involved in an accident, please call the Oklahoma Highway Patrol at *55, stay in your vehicle and try to clear your vehicle to the side of the roadway."
For more information on road conditions, follow the OTA on Twitter at @okturnpike. (https://ift.tt/2ZfpI8C)
Icy roads causing slick and hazardous travel conditions -- Turner Turnpike is shut down Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
At first, Maurice Belliere was weak and uncertain.
Some serious sin, never fully revealed in the letters he wrote in the late Nineteenth Century, made him doubt his worthiness to fulfill a call to join the White Fathers, a French order of priests who in those days brought the Gospel to the most remote corners of Africa.
In an amazing exchange of letters, a cloistered nun named Therese built up his confidence. She assured him that because of his contrite heart and his reliance on Jesus, "He has forgotten your infidelities long ago." Her letters were laced with references to the Gospels, Psalms and the Song of Songs.
When death -- from the awful scourge of consumption -- lay just months away; she broke the news in little pieces. The letters became peppered with endearments: "from the bottom of my heart" and appreciation for the "tenderness" of a thought or phrase.
As her illness advanced, the two almost changed places. Her pain mounted. She who had been strong confessed weakness: "I am a baby who can't take any more!" She made Maurice promise not to idolize her or ignore her own sinful nature. She compared herself to "a little bird" - or, more frequently, "a little flower."
He who had been awkward and inarticulate in early letters soared like an eagle as he sought to comfort the one he called his true sister. He gave her words of honor: "There is no doubt that Jesus is the Treasure, but I found Him in you." Her love made him stronger.
Today's world often defines love the way we see it in movies or certain novels of romance. That "love" means sexual relationships in most stories - portrayed graphically enough to titillate but not so raw as to miss the "R" rating.
But their love was caritas or charity -- giving beyond what seems rational. It is memorably described in Chapter 13 of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, the pure love of God Himself. Therese lived that love as she lay dying.
Their love letters are preserved in 'Maurice & Therese: The Story of a Love' (New York: Doubleday Books, 1998, 283 pages). The book shares with modern readers this remarkable correspondence between a nun and a priest who never met face to face. The late Patrick Ahern (1919-2011), an auxiliary bishop of New York's Catholic archdiocese, compiled this masterpiece after studying the writings of Therese of Lisieux and her intimates -- family and a small number of friends.
The least distinguished and unlikely member of that circle was Maurice Belliere. After Therese died, he served in Africa for a few years, contracting a terrible disease that gradually robbed him of his priesthood, his mind and his life. His final days passed in an asylum. But his letters to and from Therese survived and were printed with the permission of his friends and her order, the Carmelites.
Ahern wrote, "Maurice was the quintessential 'little soul' to whom Therese was attracted, the prototype of most of us. He deserves our attention for that very reason – not because he was great but because he was not." He was not great, but she was -- and their love was great because it reflected God's love for every human soul.
In simplicity, he was a prophet. Outside the sisters who shared her life, he was the first to declare her a saint.
We remember her now as St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. She lived 1873-1897. Her conversion at the age of 14 (some might say she was ‘born again, again’ after growing up in a devout Roman Catholic Family) reads like the stuff of legend, but it is all true.
Not long after she died, only in her 20s, the Catholic Church recognized her sanctity, in part because of her autobiographical (and astonishing) ‘Story of a Soul’. The late Pope John Paul II declared her a doctor of the church.
Long after his death, own Maurice garnered his own honor. Some years ago, on the wall of a little church in Caen (Normandy), France, where he first felt the call to priestly life, admirers placed near his grave a plaque which reads: "Maurice Belliere, spiritual brother and protege of Saint Therese."
In truth, most of us are not great.
But imagine the possibilities, when we find Him in one another.
Note: This reflection is adapted from a personal column first printed in The Sunday Oklahoman on Dec. 16, 2001 https://ift.tt/3d9pwA9
Archive ID: 875344
Their Love: A Valentine – and Christmas, and Every Day – Story Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
NOTE: This story first appeared online in October 2020 at The City Sentinel website, which is presently ‘under reconstruction’. This report was subsequently the page one story in the November 2020 print edition of the newspaper. The story, which was not posted on CapitolBeatOK.com, is presented here without links. Additional death penalty news and information is anticipated for posting in the next several days.
OKLAHOMA CITY – There have been no executions in Oklahoma since 2015.
Many citizens wonder if that lengthy moratorium should ever end. Some who defend use of executions have, over the past half-decade, come to believe the process has become problematic.
A recent interim study by an important legislative panel that met on Wednesday, October 14, underscored multiple concerns about the Ultimate Sanction.However, supporters of the death penalty stressed an intention to, sooner or later, resume state-managed killing.
The legislative interim study, led by state Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, was held at the state Capitol last week.
McDugle has declared that one of the state’s most prominent death row inmates – Richard Glossip – is actually innocent. He drove the dynamic that led to this study, the sum of which was critical of past execution practices.
The meeting itself, guided by House Public Safety Committee Chairman Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, was a rare moment in Oklahoma policy development. Sympathy for major changes in the death penalty process – along lines suggested by the historic work of a review commission of Oklahomans – was overt. Indeed, McDugle said weeks ago he believes executing Glossip would be a mistake.
While the direction of questions hinted at significant reform possibilities, outright abolition of the Ultimate Sanction seems unlikely, for now. Don Knight, attorney for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip, told members of the panel he had located more than 400 people who might have information and who should have been talked to by the police or defense investigators– regarding Justin Sneed, the actual killer in the murder of an Oklahoma City inn-keeper, for which Glossip was sentenced to death as alleged mastermind.
Knight, who has worked on the case pro bono, indicated that many of them are willing to testify that Sneed was a desperate intravenous methamphetamine user willing to trade anything he had for access to drugs and women.
Knight told the panel, “We found people who had extensive knowledge of Sneed’s intravenous methamphetamine use.”
The opening speaker, Knight addressed the recent interim study at McDugle’s invitation.
Because of intimidation other individuals faced by prosecution after they came forth with potentially exculpatory information some years ago, Knight is not disclosing the identities of the new witnesses whose testimony, he believes, effectively exonerate Glossip and/or raise significant questions about police or prosecutorial misbehavior in his case.
Early in the proceedings, after a suggestion from Knight, Rep. McDugle asked that the review commission’s final report be admitted into the record. It was, as the expression goes, “without objection, so ordered.”
Knight pointed to letters, found after lengthy investigative work, from Fred McFadden, an inmate, who early in the Glossip proceedings corresponded with Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy saying he had information concerning Sneed’s responsibility for the murder of hotel operator Barry Van Trease, and Glossip’s innocence.
Knight showed, on a screen, a redacted version of one letter.
“The new evidence we presented, which is only a small sample of the evidence no one has ever seen, shows that if Rich Glossip is executed, Oklahoma will be killing an innocent man,” Knight told The City Sentinel in a post-hearing interview.
“I’m thankful to Representatives McDugle and Humphrey for giving us the opportunity to use Rich’s case to highlight the serious problems that grow from defense attorneys who fail to do even the most basic work on behalf of their clients, and how the appeals are not designed to remedy these problems,” he continued.
“By bringing these issues to the attention of all Oklahomans, we also want to acknowledge the suffering of the members of the Van Treese family. Our thorough investigation has clearly shown that Justin Sneed murdered Barry Van Treese for drug money and that Rich had nothing to do with it.
“Since 1997, Rich has also been forced to pay a terrible price for Sneed’s murderous meth addiction,” Knight stated. “Only by allowing Rich a fair opportunity to present his evidence can justice be obtained, both for the Van Treese family, and Rich Glossip. We hope the attention can now be turned to consideration of changes that will provide innocent people, like Rich, a truly fair opportunity to present their newly discovered evidence before it is too late.”
Attorney Bob Ravitz — a career public servant who has long guided the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office — expressed various frustrations over the realities of limited resources and prosecutorial use of “snitches who will tell you anything to save themselves” – with Sneed (from the Glossip case) as among the most notable examples of an actual killer making a deal to allow a death sentence for an alleged accomplice who was not the murderer.
Ravitz said the system can only work honorably when defense attorneys can count on “super-ethical prosecutors” on the other side. Many examples were given of what happens when that is not the case.
Weaknesses in the Glossip case garnered much of the panel’s scrutiny, but other notable past and present death row inmates were referenced.
“There’s a guy who’s been out of prison for some time now and got a lot of money from the state of Oklahoma.
Jeffrey Todd Pierce was inappropriately convicted for the crime of rape. Ultimately, he was exonerated because of DNA evidence,” Ravitz told the panel.
While covering a broad front and multiple issues, Ravitz’s presentation was nonetheless compelling, including this reflection: “I’m pulling my hair out today and every day because I saw the number of capital cases in my office today and it’s horrifying – that is ineffectiveness of counsel. Unless there is sufficient funding for lawyers to represent defendants and do the adequate investigation. I’m almost convinced that there ought to be a specialized unit that handles capital cases that has trained expert witnesses. It’s really hard to find lawyers that want to do capital cases. I had one lawyer die, one lawyer who got cancer, another one retire and another one leave. I have nobody who is first chair in a capital case.”
Ravitz stated that his agency is sorely underfunded in its ability to hire expert witnesses in order to defend its clients properly.
In an exchange with conservative Republican lawmakers, he drew astonished reactions when he said – in response to questions – “My expert witness budget for all my capitol cases for the whole year is $75,000.”
Scott Crow, interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, told legislators “As of today there are 56 inmates on Oklahoma’s death row and of that number 31 have exhausted their appeals.”
Craig Sutter, representing the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System (OIDS) pointed to the work of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission:
“Since 1976 and [until] 2014 there were 321 people sentenced to death in Oklahoma and of that 163 were reversed for one reason or another. And 156 were taken off of death row completely. I think those numbers go towards the fact that there’s always the potential for mistakes and errors and the inability to come back and fix those errors. We’re pretty limited when it comes to doing an investigation.”
That’s a 50 percent reversal of those sentenced to death row.
One pro-death penalty legislator asked if Sutter believes “Oklahoma has executed innocent people in the past.” Sutter’s succinct response: “Yes.”
Also speaking was Christy Sheppard, whose cousin was murdered, and after five years of legal proceedings, two men were convicted in the killing. Ron Williamson, of John Grisham’s “The Innocent Man” fame, received the death penalty and Dennis Fritz avoided the death penalty (in penalty phase) by one vote.
Later the two men were exonerated through a review of DNA evidence.
As Sheppard recalled, “What I have learned about the criminal justice system is that it is not what I thought it was. I have a degree in criminal justice and that’s not what I learned at higher levels of education.
“I think just as general lay people we get hung up in the end game. We get concerned about how that individual may or may not have suffered and is that equivalent to what the victim has gone through. But we don’t give much thought about how that person made it to death row. We have a system that doesn’t anticipate itsown failure.
“We can say that we have checks and balances and that while we’ve exonerated innocent men off of death row to see the system worked – we were able to get that done. … I believe this is the most accurate statistic I have right now is that 87 percent of all exonerations had gone through the entire appeals process and we can’t give them that time back. We can’t make up for what’s gone.”
Referring to the “snitch” issue, she told the panel, “I don’t’ know that it’s justice that we have the wrong man is prison when the real perpetrator goes free. And in many cases committed other violent crimes…rape and murder. Just in my cousin’s case we know that he [the actual killer] committed three other violent rapes after my cousin’s murder. He was eventually imprisoned, where DNA investigations tied him to multiple crimes.”
State Attorney General Mike Hunter, known as a defender of the status quo, told the interim study he believes the state’s three-drug protocol – aiming to bring back the use of the death penalty, will be approved. “Issues in these drugs in the past have always led back to human error. We’re confident that the lethal injection protocol will clear the judicial process,” Hunter said.
Still, in an exchange with Rep. Humphrey he agreed transparency between the prosecution and defense counsel is vital. When Humphrey asked if Hunter agreed “there needs to be a little bit more transparency by the prosecution?” Hunter replied, “Prosecutors have a legal and ethical responsibility to share evidence that they’ve gathered in connection with their case, including exculpatory evidence.”
He continued, “If there’s exculpatory evidence that a prosecutor has uncovered, whether it’s during the trial process or subsequently, that person has a responsibility to the justice system to make it available. There are sufficient safeguards and responsibilities to ensure that exculpatory evidence is provided to defendants and their attorneys thru the appellate process as far as I’m concerned.”
However, Hunter did not directly address issues raised repeatedly during the meeting regarding exonerations, or attempted exonerations or the inability of defense counsel to visit apparent new evidence after appeals have been exhausted under existing law.
Hunter said executions could resume early-to-mid 2021.
Terry Baggett, representing the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, said the review commission had four recommendations touching on training and counselor notification, and believes “we have done what we were asked to do.” Concerning ineffective counsel for capital defendants, he asserted: “Not many cases are overturned due to ineffective assistance of counsel. Does it happen, yes, but it is not routine.”
The 300-page, Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission report, released in May 2017 and the first of its kind in the nation, acknowledged the strong support Oklahomans have for the death penalty, but said, “Nevertheless, it is undeniable that innocent people have been sentenced to death in Oklahoma. And the burden of wrongful convictions alone requires the systemic corrections recommended in this report.”
In addition to the Commission’s recommendation that the current moratorium be extended, the report made 45 additional recommendations that it said would significantly improve how the state carries out executions.
The Commission concluded that,” Many of the findings of the Commission’s year-long investigation were disturbing and led Commission members to question whether the death penalty can be administered in a way that ensures no innocent person is put to death.”
Since 1973, 172 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to their wrongful convictions. Ten people have been exonerated from Oklahoma’s death row.
Tom Bates, new executive director of the Pardon and Parole Board, told the study members the first training session for board members will take place in December, led by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Miller. Bates noted that no one now on the board has ever dealt with a death row clemency hearing. Bates said P&P Board hearings take place after all other appeals have been exhausted, and “I don’t know if it’s the Pardon and Parole Board’s place to decide cases.”
In closing remarks, Rep. McDugle reflected: “When all of the evidence is not laid on the table to where people can’t decide without seeing everything that’s involved in the case…that personally bothers me, especially when it comes to death row.
“If you find yourself outside the appeals process with a new attorney, without the ability for new evidence to be laid on the table, and now the new attorney who is an outstanding attorney doesn’t have the ability to go back and get the evidence that should have been presented in the first place. Is it possible for someone to be on death row and be innocent? It is my personal opinion that it is possible.
“My conviction here is that we’ve got to get it right. If we’re going to put somebody in the chair, as Oklahomans, we have to get it right.”
House Interim Study members examined multiple concerns about Oklahoma’s death penalty processes and practices [in October 2020 hearing] Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Justice for Julius Coalition to hold Rally and Petition Delivery of over six million signatures2/13/2021
OKLAHOMA CITY – On Thursday, February 18, supporters of Julius Jones — including local clergy, elected officials and members of the Jones family – will present the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board with a petition calling for Jones’ death sentence to be commuted.
Julius’ supporters will meet at 12 p.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, located at 1401 NW 25th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. The group will hear from a number of faith leaders and will listen to the performance of a gospel choir.
The petition (https://ift.tt/2zxXexL) was started in 2019 on Change.org (https://www.change.org/) by Oklahoma activist, faith leader and Justice for Julius Coalition founder Cece Jones-Davis; it now has over 6.2 million signatures.
At approximately 1230 p.m., Julius’ supporters will walk three blocks from the church to the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board offices at 2915 N Classen Blvd.
Upon arriving, members of the Jones family and the clergy will present state officials with the petition and signatures calling for Jones’ release.
Letters of support of Julius’ innocence written to the Pardon and Parole Board and Governor Kevin Stitt will also be presented.
The letters raised concerns about evidence of racial bias, prosecutorial misconduct, and poor legal representation, and other issues, creating serious doubts about Jones’ guilt.
Jones has been on death row in Oklahoma since 2002 despite compelling evidence of innocence.
In 1999, authorities arrested Jones days after businessman Paul Scott Howell was killed in a predominantly white suburb of Oklahoma City. Julius Jones was a 19-year-old student at the University of Oklahoma on a partial academic scholarship and a former high school basketball state champion and star football player with an apparently bright future.
“We will rally and pray at the Wesley United Methodist church, then proceed three blocks to the Pardon and Parole Board office to deliver the Change.org petition (https://ift.tt/2zxXexL) that has over 6 million signatures,” Jones Davis said.
Jones’ case has garnered the support of celebrities including activist Kim Kardashian West and renowned attorney Bryan Stevenson as well as NBA players Russell Westbrook, Trace Young, and Blake Griffin.
According to the press release, the next step in Julius’ commutation application, supporters hope, will be for the Pardon and Parole Board to grant Julius a “stage one” hearing, or a brief overview of his case, before voting on whether or not to advance his application to “stage two,” a lengthier process that might result in a recommendation to commute his sentence.
Pastor Jon Middendorf with the Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene said that standing up for Julius has become an important issue for his congregation.
“As people of faith, we can’t just stand by and let this man be executed,” said Middendorf. “There is real and compelling evidence that Julius is innocent. Taking his life would be a grave injustice as well as a terrible tragedy. We are lending our voices and prayers to this effort in the hopes that we can finally bring Julius home to his family.”
Members of the Jones’ legal team, federal public defenders Dale Baich and Amanda Bass, filed a commutation application for Julius with the state Pardon and Parole Board on October 15, 2019. The Jones’ commutation application can be accessed here: https://www.change.org/p/julius-jones-is-innocent-don-t-let-him-be-executed-by-the-state-of-oklahoma.
Baich’s hope is for commutation commutation of Jones’s sentence to time served.
Since 1973, 173 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated – ten are from Oklahoma. (https://ift.tt/2HUPqGN)
“It has been incredible to see Oklahomans from all walks of life and all political beliefs come together in support of Julius,” Baich told The City Sentinel. “To me, that reflects a universal understanding that executing someone when there is compelling evidence of innocence is fundamentally at odds with the values of Oklahomans.
“The purpose of this event is to drive home that point, and to remind the Pardon and Parole Board that the people of Oklahoma are watching and want the Board to deliver a just outcome,” Baich added.
“Julius’ case needs to be reviewed thoroughly and fairly,” he said. “At a minimum, that means granting him a ‘stage two’ hearing in front of the Board.”
The Julius Jones’ commutation petition and more information regarding his case can be found at: https://ift.tt/37x6gYh.
Justice for Julius Coalition to hold Rally and Petition Delivery of over six million signatures Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
January Gross Receipts to the Treasury dropped by almost six percent compared to monthly collections from January of last year. This is the largest one-month revenue reduction in eight months, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced last week.
Collections from all sources in January total $1.19 billion, down by $72.1 million, or 5.7 percent, from January 2020. Combined gross receipts from the past 12 months of $13.12 billion are below collections from the trailing 12 months by $610.4 million, or 4.4 percent.
This January had two less tax collection days than last January because of how the weekends fell. In addition, a pause in stimulus-related unemployment payments in late December is thought to have impacted income tax remittances. Combined individual and corporate income tax collections of $432.4 million dipped by 8 percent in January, down by $37.9 million during the month.
“Oklahomans have demonstrated remarkable strength and resiliency during the past year, but the state economy is clearly not immune to the fiscal impact caused by the pandemic,” Treasurer McDaniel said. “Even so, we continue to anticipate recovery as public health improves and economic activity increases.”
Collections from the gross production tax on crude oil and natural gas followed a more than yearlong pattern, falling by almost 35 percent, to $57.5 million, during the month. Gross production tax payments in January are based on production from November, when the average price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil at Cushing was just under $41 per barrel. Crude oil prices rose to more than $50 per barrel in January, which will be reflected in future receipts.
Combined sales and use tax receipts of $506.4 million in January rose above prior year collections by $8.1 million, or 16 percent. However, the growth came exclusively from use tax, paid on out-of-state purchases including internet sales. January motor vehicle taxes collections of $64.5 million were below those of the prior year by $1.5 million, or 2.3 percent
Combined gross receipts from the past 12 months show contraction in all major revenue streams, ranging from 40.9 percent in gross production to 0.7 percent in total income tax collections.
Other economic indicators
The unemployment rate in Oklahoma was set at 5.3 percent in December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s jobless rate is down from 6.1 percent in November, but up from 3.4 percent in December 2019. The U.S. unemployment rate was set at 6.7 percent in December.
The Oklahoma Business Conditions Index in January remained above growth neutral for a second month. The January index was set at 65.4, compared to 55.9 in December and 49.4 in November. Numbers above 50 indicate economic expansion is expected during the next three to six months.
January collections
Compared to gross receipts from January 2020, collections in January 2021 showed:
• Total January 2021 gross collections are $1.19 billion, down $72.1 million, or 5.7 percent.
• Gross income tax collections, a combination of individual and corporate income taxes, generated $432.4 million, down by $37.9 million, or 8 percent.
• Individual income tax collections are $381.5 million, a decrease of $30.8 million, or 7.5 percent.
• Corporate collections are $50.9 million, down by $7 million, or 12.2 percent.
• Combined sales and use tax collections, including remittances on behalf of cities and counties, total $506.4 million – up by $8.1 million, or 1.6 percent.
• Sales tax collections total $415.1 million, a decrease of $156,089, or 0.04 percent.
• Use tax receipts, collected on out-of-state purchases including internet sales, generated $91.2 million, an increase of $8.3 million, or 9.9 percent.
• Gross production taxes on oil and natural gas total $57.5 million, a decrease of $30.8 million, or 34.9 percent.
• Motor vehicle taxes produced $64.5 million, down by $1.5 million, or 2.3 percent.
• Other collections composed of some 60 different sources including taxes on fuel, tobacco, medical marijuana, and alcoholic beverages, produced $126.2 million – down by $10 million, or 7.3 percent.
◦ The medical marijuana tax produced $5.2 million, up by $2 million, or 59.7 percent from January 2020.
Twelve-month collections
Combined gross receipts for past 12 months compared to the trailing 12 months:
• Gross revenue totals $13.12 billion. That is $610.4 million, or 4.4 percent, below collections from the previous period.
• Gross income taxes generated $4.73 billion, a decrease of $34.2 million, or 0.7 percent.
• Individual income tax collections total $4.08 billion, down by $99.4 million, or 2.4 percent
• Corporate collections are $650.1 million, an increase of $65.2 million, or 11.1 percent.
• Combined sales and use taxes generated $5.48 billion, a drop of $112.5 million, or 2 percent.
• Gross sales tax receipts total $4.68 billion, down by $182.7 million, or 3.8 percent.
• Use tax collections generated $798.4 million, an increase of $70.2 million, or 9.6 percent.
• Oil and gas gross production tax collections generated $599.3 million, down by $415.3 million, or 40.9 percent.
• Motor vehicle collections total $774.2 million, a decrease of $18.2 million, or 2.3 percent.
• Other sources generated $1.54 billion, down by $30.1 million, or 1.9 percent.
• Medical marijuana taxes generated $58.2 million, up by $31.1 million, or 114.6 percent.
About Gross Receipts to the Treasury: The monthly Gross Receipts to the Treasury report, developed by the state treasurer’s office, provides a timely and broad view of the state’s economy.
It is released in conjunction with the General Revenue Fund report from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which provides information to state agencies for budgetary planning purposes.
The General Revenue Fund, the state’s main operating account, receives less than half of the state’s gross receipts with the remainder paid in rebates and refunds, remitted to cities and counties, and apportioned to other state funds.
Gross Receipts slipped to start the year, Oklahoma Treasurer Randy McDaniel says Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
OKLAHOMA CITY, - OKC Beautiful is seeking high school seniors who display leadership skills in the area of service, sustainability, and environmental initiatives to receive their $2,500 service scholarship for 2021.
The mission of Oklahoma City Beautiful is to improve the image and appearance of Oklahoma City through programs, education and community engagement.
High school seniors who live or go to school in Oklahoma City and have displayed leadership skills in the area of service may apply. Special consideration will be given to students who have an emphasis in environmental and sustainability initiatives.
Applications are due by Sunday, February 21. Those interested can complete the online application here: https://ift.tt/3plqdsI .
Applicants need to submit two letters of recommendation to kristen@okcbeautiful.com.
The recipient will be notified via email by March 1. Applicants are not required to go to a university or college in the Oklahoma City area or study a particular subject
The scholarship award will be presented during Oklahoma City Beautiful's 36th Annual (live and virtual) Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon (https://ift.tt/3tQi3Mc ) on Thursday, March 25. More details will follow.
During the luncheon, OKC Beautiful will celebrate the outstanding efforts put forth by individuals, businesses, and organizations to improve Oklahoma City.
This year’s honorees include: Mayor’s Award – Chisholm Creek, the LitterBlitz Volunteer award – Elliott Roofing, Volunteer Spirit Award – Valerie Naifeh, Community Spirit Award – Together Square, Aubrey McClendon Corporate Award – Bank of Oklahoma, President’s Special Recognition – Green Tree Project, Oklahoma Visionary Award – OKC Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the Pendleton Woods Lifetime Achievement Award – Governor Bill Anoatubby.
Event Honorary Chairwoman for 2021 is Pat Potts.
Serving the Oklahoma City area for over 50 years, OKC Beautiful believes that the appearance of the city directly impacts its economic viability as well as affecting the quality of life and self-image of its residents.
Each year, OKC Beautiful members plant hundreds of trees and wildflowers, pick up thousands of pounds of litter, landscape public spaces, maintain city parks and teach each thousands of students how to keep the environment clean.
OKC Beautiful's major funding source is private donations from citizens and local businesses dedicated to improving the image and appearance of the community. Foundation grants, special events, endowments and other sources of income provide funds for OKC Beautiful's operating expenses and programs.
OKC Beautiful does not receive funds from city, state or federal government.
In 1962, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce organized a beautification committee, which expanded to become the Mayor's Committee for City Beautification, appointed and organized by Mayor James H. Norick.
On March 26, 1971 the organization was incorporated as Oklahoma City Beautiful Inc. as the only nonprofit organization dedicated to the beautification of Oklahoma City.
For more information, visit okcbeautiful.com or call 405-525-8822.
Call for 2021 Oklahoma City Beautiful Service Scholarship applicants Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
Due to continued winter weather conditions, Thursday, February 11 will be another SYNCHRONOUS Remote Learning day for ALL students in the Oklahoma City Public Schools.
This means teachers will continue to provide synchronous (live) instruction to all students as they log in to their classes (via Google Meet) from home using their device at a designated time, according to a press release sent to The City Sentinel, CapitolBeatOK.com and other news organizations Wednesday evening, February 10.
There will be no school on Friday, February 12 due to Parent/Teacher conferences. The release said, “Your child’s teacher should have connected with you to schedule a virtual or phone conference. If you do not have an appointment scheduled for either Thursday evening or sometime Friday, please reach out to your child’s teacher.”
OKCPS Curbside Meal Service is suspended for Thursday and Friday. All district-sponsored activities have been cancelled for the remainder of the week as well. District facilities will be closed for the remainder of the week, and staff will be working from home.
This means that schools and some offices will not be able to answer phones, so families will need to use email or the parent portal to connect with school staff.
Winter weather is expected to continue into next week.
District officials will provide updates as needed through social media, phone and text messages and on OKCPS.org.
For Thursday, Oklahoma City Public Schools will hold Remote Learning Day for all students Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK The full Senate has given its approval to a measure codifying the authority for cities and towns to adopt ordinances enabling the painting of blue lines and the posting of signage in support of law enforcement. Senate Bill 834, by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, was approved on Wednesday. “This legislation simply clarifies that these displays are appropriate, permissible, and it also reflects the Senate’s support for law enforcement,” Weaver said. “I think law enforcement today has been under attack. I was in law enforcement for three decades, and I can tell you, these men and women are heroes who put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe.” A pro-police group in New York City filed a lawsuit against Mayor Bill de Blasio this past August, saying he had violated their First Amendment Rights by blocking a mural from being painted outside police headquarters. News reports stated the organization had intended to pay for the cost of the mural privately. “I believe Oklahoma towns and cities should be able to honor law enforcement,” Weaver said. “My legislation simply ensures that authorization is in statute so there is no question about it.” S.B. 834 next moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, is the House principal author. Oklahoma State Senate approves bill allowing communities to support law enforcement with street paintings Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
Pat McGuiganThe dean of all Oklahoma Journalism, Mr Patrick McGuigan; has a rich history of service in many aspects of both covering the news and producing the information that the public needs to know. Archives
September 2021
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