(The Center Square) – Florida joined a multi-state coalition led by Texas suing the Biden administration for reinstating an Obama-era program that allows illegal immigrants to enter and remain in the U.S., bypassing laws established by Congress.

In addition to Texas and Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alaska joined the lawsuit over the Biden administration's reinstating a 2014-era Central America Minors (CAM) Program that was halted by the Trump administration in 2017.

The lawsuit announcement came after attorneys general from 12 states, all Republicans, participated in a border summit in the McAllen, Texas, area hosted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody attended the summit and met with law enforcement officials “about the dramatic overrun of the border brought on by President Joe Biden’s reckless immigration policies – the impact of which is resulting in public safety ramifications for citizens and taxpayers far beyond U.S. states that border Mexico,” she said.

“After seeing the chaos in person, it is even more clear to me now that Biden and [Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas are building their own illegal organization to transport illegal immigrants into and around our country – thumbing their noses at federal laws. I will not only work aggressively to stop these illegal acts, but I will continue to inform Floridians about what their federal government is actually doing, and the dangers associated with those decisions,” she added.

This was the second time Moody has been to the border with Paxton, after having attended a border summit in Del Rio last year about the joint efforts between Florida and Texas in Operation Lone Star. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott discussed the border security initiative. At the time, DeSantis said he was astonished to learn of how many illegal immigrants being apprehended said their final destination, after coming through the southern border, was Florida.

Florida, like Texas, sued the administration over its immigration policies last year, as well as over vaccine mandates.

Of this latest lawsuit, DeSantis said he was glad AG Moody was “helping to block the reckless immigration policies of the Biden administration.”

“The Biden administration continues to disregard the laws of this country and allow massive numbers of illegal aliens across the border, without regard to possible criminal backgrounds or connections to illicit activity,” DeSantis said. “Not only are these illegal aliens allowed free reign in this country, but the administration also pushes the burden and costs onto the states and ignores the consequences of its policies.”

The CAM program provides certain minors who entered the U.S. illegally the ability to secure “protected status” instead of being deported. The status then enables them to petition the government to bring in extended family members, including adult caregivers, from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, “without going through the proper legal channels,” Moody said. CAM applies to illegal immigrants with a pending claim for asylum, though many may not be granted asylum or show up to their hearings, she added.

“There is no authority in federal law for this sort of program,” the AGs who sued argue, as Congress never authorized it.

The Biden administration reinstating CAM, the lawsuit argues, “usurps the power of Congress to dictate a national scheme of immigration laws and is contrary to the Immigration Naturalization Act.”

The Biden administration launched the program last March and expanded and revised it last June. It announced it would first begin processing eligible applications that were closed when CAM was terminated in 2017, and then begin accepting new applications with new guidance.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Mayorkas said reinstating CAM was “responsible” and another “component of the President’s multi-pronged approach to address the challenges of irregular migration throughout North and Central America.” Blinken and Mayorkas said they were “proud” to “expand access to the program to a greater number of qualifying individuals.”

Those eligible for the program, they said, include legal guardians and parents who are in the U.S. illegally under withholding of removal status, deferred enforced departure status, deferred action, on parole, have temporary protected status or lawful permanent residence.

The changes “will dramatically expand access to the CAM program,” Blinken and Mayorkas said, adding that they were “firmly committed to welcoming people to the United States with humanity and respect, as well as providing a legal alternative to irregular migration. We are delivering on our promise to promote safe, orderly, and humane migration from Central America through this expansion of legal pathways to seek humanitarian protection in the United States.”

The AGs argues that most individuals in the program don’t qualify as refugees and instead of the program being used on a case-by-case basis, depending on urgent humanitarian-related circumstances or significant public benefit, it’s being applied on a broad scale. It’s “arbitrary and capricious,” the AGs argue, “and violates the president’s duty to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed.”

The complaint highlights the harm the program is causing Floridians by unlawfully admitting illegal immigrants into Florida, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

Florida spends more than $100 million every year incarcerating people who are in the U.S. illegally and commit crimes, the complaint states. This is in addition to the untold number of public benefits illegal immigrants receive, regardless of their immigration status, including education, emergency medical services and victim’s services.

Homelessness is on the rise in the United States. According to a study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the number of Americans experiencing homlessness has grown each year since 2015. As of January 2020, there were an estimated 580,466 Americans experiencing homelessness.

Though the exact effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on America's homelessness problem have yet to be determined, some early indications suggest little reason for optimism.

For reasons at least partly related to the pandemic, a portion of Americans - as high as 35% in some states - say they have missed their rent or mortgage payments or have low confidence that they can pay next month's, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. Additionally, in some parts of the country, the pandemic interrupted access to temporary housing locations, and social distancing rules meant fewer beds in shelter facilities.

Nationwide, men are far more likely to experience homelessness than women, and rates of homelessness tend to be higher among historically marginalized racial groups, including Native Americans and Black Americans. Homelessness rates also vary considerably by state.

In Oklahoma, an estimated 3,932 people are experiencing homelessness - or about 9.9 for every 10,000 people, the 22nd lowest homeless rate among states.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, many areas with a high cost of living, especially high housing costs, also have higher rates of homelessness. Similarly, areas with lower costs of living often have lower rates of homelessness. This pattern holds in Oklahoma. Just as the homelessness rate in the state is lower than average, so too is the cost of living. The overall cost of living in Oklahoma, which includes housing costs, is about 9.6% lower than the national average.

RankStateHomelessness rate (per 10,000)Homeless populationPoverty rate (%)Cost of livng (%)1New York46.991,27113.09.5 higher than avg.2Hawaii45.66,4589.311.3 higher than avg.3California40.9161,54811.89.9 higher than avg.4Oregon34.714,65511.43.5 higher than avg.5Washington30.122,9239.87.1 higher than avg.6Alaska26.61,94910.13.4 higher than avg.7Massachusetts26.117,9759.46.7 higher than avg.8Nevada22.46,90012.51.1 lower than avg.9Vermont17.81,11010.21 lower than avg.10Colorado17.19,8469.32 higher than avg.11New Mexico15.93,33318.26.8 lower than avg.12Maine15.62,09710.93.5 lower than avg.13Arizona15.110,97913.51.6 lower than avg.14Montana14.51,54512.65.9 lower than avg.15Minnesota14.17,9409.01.3 lower than avg.16Idaho132,31511.27.1 lower than avg.17Florida12.827,48712.70.1 lower than avg.18Nebraska12.42,4049.96.6 lower than avg.19New Hampshire12.31,6757.33.4 higher than avg.20Delaware121,16511.31.1 lower than avg.21South Dakota121,05811.97.7 lower than avg.22New Jersey10.99,6629.210.9 higher than avg.23Tennessee10.67,25613.98.1 lower than avg.24Missouri10.66,52712.97 lower than avg.25Wyoming10.661210.16.6 lower than avg.26Maryland10.56,3609.04.8 higher than avg.27Pennsylvania10.413,37512.02.1 lower than avg.28Rhode Island10.41,10410.81.6 higher than avg.29Oklahoma9.93,93215.29.6 lower than avg.30Utah9.83,1318.92.6 lower than avg.31Georgia9.610,23413.35.2 lower than avg.32Texas9.427,22913.60.9 lower than avg.33Ohio9.110,65513.16.8 lower than avg.34Kentucky94,01116.310 lower than avg.35North Carolina8.89,28013.67.8 lower than avg.36Michigan8.68,63813.04.9 lower than avg.37Indiana8.45,62511.96.6 lower than avg.38Iowa8.42,64711.28.1 lower than avg.39Kansas8.42,44911.46.9 lower than avg.40South Carolina8.34,28713.87.9 lower than avg.41Illinois8.210,43111.50.2 lower than avg.42Connecticut8.12,90510.02.9 higher than avg.43Wisconsin7.84,51510.45.5 lower than avg.44Arkansas7.82,36616.211.6 lower than avg.45West Virginia7.51,34116.011.7 lower than avg.46North Dakota7.154110.67.8 lower than avg.47Virginia75,9579.90.3 higher than avg.48Alabama6.83,35115.510.9 lower than avg.49Louisiana6.83,17319.08.2 lower than avg.50Mississippi3.71,10719.612.4 lower than avg.

(The Center Square) – Eight states are suing the Biden administration claiming it is abusing an Obama-era immigration program that allows minors who entered the U.S. illegally to seek to bring in family members from their home countries.

The lawsuit alleges President Joe Biden challenging the Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program was filed by the state of Texas and includes as plaintiffs the states of Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma.

The lawsuit is the ninth border/immigration-related lawsuit, and 20th lawsuit filed overall, against the Biden administration by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The CAM program provides certain minors who entered the U.S. illegally the ability to secure “protected status” instead of being deported. The status then enables them to petition the government to bring in extended family members from Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala.

“There is no authority in federal law for this sort of program,” Paxton said, noting that Congress never authorized CAM. It was created under the Obama administration in late 2014 and terminated by the Trump administration in 2017.

The Biden administration reinstating it, the lawsuit argues, “usurps the power of Congress to dictate a national scheme of immigration laws and is contrary to the Immigration Naturalization Act.”

The administration “has sown nothing but disaster for our country through its illegal, unconstitutional immigration policies,” Paxton added. “Biden’s latest round of flagrant law-breaking includes his CAM, which has contributed significantly to many states being forced to take in even more aliens. My fellow attorneys general and I are suing to stop it.”

Paxton and several of the attorneys general who sued made the announcement Friday in Edinburgh, Texas, at the close of a two-day border summit at the Texas-Mexico border.

“After seeing the chaos in person, it is even more clear to me now that Biden and Mayorkas are building their own illegal organization to transport illegal immigrants into and around our country – thumbing their noses at federal laws,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who participated in the summit, said. “I will not only work aggressively to stop these illegal acts, but I will continue to inform Floridians about what their federal government is actually doing, and the dangers associated with those decisions.”

Indiana Attorney General Rokita, who also attended the summit, said taxpayers are paying the cost for Biden's lax border policies.

“Every elected official has a constitutional duty to protect our liberties, and that is why I am taking action. The flood of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. is a problem that harms all of us,” Rokita said. “The ones paying the price for this lawlessness are Hoosier taxpayers, who must bear increased costs for health care, education and other services used by illegal immigrants.”

Rokita also pointed out that CAM beneficiaries “are not only permitted to enter and reside within the United States for a practically indefinite period, but their travel arrangements from their home countries are provided through taxpayer funds.”

While “we welcome migrants to the United States who are grateful to be here and want to restart their lives” here, Rokita said, “The first way they can show that is by following our laws. Those who do not should not be allowed to stay.”

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who also participated in the summit, said, “President Trump was right to cancel this program, and the Biden administration exceeded its statutory authority in reimplementing it. My office has been a national leader in taking concrete action to secure the border. I’ve taken the Biden administration to court and won following their cancellation of the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, and I intend to win in court again.”

The lawsuit states, “Illegal aliens do not have the right under federal law to petition the federal government for their relatives abroad to join them in residing in the United States. There are no lawful paths for aliens who lack status to come join other aliens who lack status in the United States."

But the administration created a program for “certain illegal aliens who are from El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras (the region known as the Northern Triangle) and who reside in the United States, so long as they meet certain arbitrary qualifications” the administration created. “In short, if an illegal alien from one of those three countries has so much as a pending application for asylum, they can petition the U.S. government to bring their minor children into the U.S. – despite no explicit authority from Congress to do so. And not just the illegal alien’s minor children, but also the in-country parent of a qualifying child, a legal guardian, or a child’s primary caregiver.”

Although the government screens people through the Refugee Admission Program, most who apply rarely meet the standard for a refugee. The lawsuit alleges, “The crux of the CAM program is its use of the parole authority – an authority only available on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit – to allow the very same individuals who did not qualify as refugees to come into the United States. A result that is entirely inconsistent with the law.”

In addition to the CAM program, the administration over the past year first attempted to freeze deportations, then halted construction of the border wall, implemented a policy to stop arresting and deporting a broad category of illegal immigrants, and terminated the Remain-in-Mexico program, which was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The crisis at the border continues to grow every day, and as human traffickers and drug cartels take advantage of the Biden Administration’s weak border policies, every state is now a border state – this porous border affects all of us,” Schmitt added.

(The Center Square) – An increase to the maximum loan forgiveness for Oklahoma’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund could enable local water systems to make needed infrastructure improvements that have more longevity, a rural water organization official said.

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed an amendment to the fiscal year 2022 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan to increase the maximum loan forgiveness amount from $250,000 to $1 million.

When applying for infrastructure funding, community water systems often propose economical improvements designed to make water more affordable for their customers. That comes at the cost of a reduction in efficiency and effectiveness, Brand Bowman, Oklahoma Rural Water Association programs director, told The Center Square.

“Also, increasing the maximum loan forgiveness amount would help more financially distressed communities and systems make needed infrastructure improvements that they might not otherwise be able to pursue at all, which would help protect public health and would economically benefit such places,” he said.

Water and wastewater infrastructure are the lifeblood of rural Oklahoma, Bowman said. It protects public health with safe drinking water and the environment with effective wastewater treatment.

“This infrastructure is also an economic engine, creating jobs and driving commerce to benefit our citizens,” Bowman said. “However, much of our rural infrastructure is aging, showing signs of wear and occasionally having trouble meeting the water resource needs of today.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers graded the state’s infrastructure as a C-minus and said the state has $6.9 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs.

“One of the great things about Oklahoma is we're one of the newer states in the country, so we don't have infrastructure that's 150, 200 years old because we didn't exist then,” Shellie Chard, DEQ’s Water Quality Division director, told The Center Square.

In a lesson learned from the experience of older states, Oklahoma made the decision in 1907 not to combine sewer with storm water, keeping them from flowing through the same pipes, she said.

"Now, with that said, we have pipes in the ground, anywhere from 50 to 100 years old in many parts of the state,” she said.

The typical lifespan of pipes is 50 years. Issues arise as they are used beyond their expected lifespan, she said.

Bowman said systems designed with yesterday’s standards have trouble meeting today’s demands. He identified some of the top issues for water and wastewater sustainability in Oklahoma.

“With the legalization of medical cannabis sales and production, we have seen an explosion in the number of grow house operations in the state, which were over 9,300 at last count,” Bowman said.

Water demands at a cannabis grow house can exceed 100,000 gallons per day. The average three-bedroom home uses around 8,000 gallons a month.

It doesn’t happen every time, but he said the association recommends water systems have a hydraulic model completed to know whether the system can provide the service for customers who grow cannabis.

Another potential problem is the cybersecurity threat. He said it is a matter of time before a water system suffers an attack.

The state has 31 projects slated for 2022 in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan grant program, Chard said, which is just under $300 million in projects. The DEQ provides part of that funding. It works with other agencies, such as USDA Rural Development, to help fund those projects.

“For 2023, we're looking at over $400 million in projects, so we have a long list of projects and dollars to be spent,” Chard said. "The agency is focusing on our health-based violations, primarily disinfection byproducts."

With many Americans working from home now, far fewer commuters get behind the wheel every day compared to before the pandemic. Still, travel has picked up considerably over the last year. And gas prices have followed suit. Drivers were paying an average of $3.31 per gallon as of mid-January, according to AAA, up considerably from the early months of the pandemic when gas prices tumbled to less than $2.00 per gallon.

Indeed, the price of gasoline has been a sore spot for inflation-strapped consumers. From December 2020 to December 2021, the energy index portion of the consumer price index leaped 29.3%, contributing to an overall index jump of 7%, the largest 12-month increase in nearly four decades.

What Americans pay at the pump depends on the price of crude oil, determined by global supply and demand forces, the cost of transporting the fuel and refining costs, and taxes. Taxes are one of the factors responsible for the variation in gas prices from state to state.

On top of the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, Oklahoma levies an additional excise tax of 20.0 cents - the seventh lowest gas tax rate among states. Revenue from these taxes typically go to fund road construction and repair.

The average price of a gallon of gas across Oklahoma was $2.94 as of mid-January 2022, the third lowest price in the country. Taxes levied by the state account for about 6.8% of the total cost of fuel.

RankStateTotal state gas taxes & fees (¢/gallon)Avg. gas price, Jan. 2022 ($/gallon)State taxes as share of avg. price per gal. (%)1California68.24.6514.62Illinois59.63.4517.33Pennsylvania58.73.5216.74Hawaii51.74.3411.95New Jersey50.73.3815.06Nevada50.53.8213.27Indiana49.83.1915.68Washington49.43.9512.59New York48.23.4813.810Michigan45.23.1614.311Florida43.63.2213.512Oregon38.83.929.913North Carolina38.83.0912.614Ohio38.53.0912.515Georgia37.63.1112.116Maryland36.13.2511.117Connecticut35.83.4910.218West Virginia35.73.2111.119Rhode Island35.03.3610.420Virginia34.43.1410.921Montana33.33.399.822Idaho33.03.559.323Wisconsin32.93.0410.824Vermont32.13.369.625Utah31.93.429.326Alabama31.32.9910.527Minnesota30.63.129.828Maine30.03.418.829South Dakota30.03.159.530Iowa30.03.109.731Tennessee27.43.029.132South Carolina26.83.018.933Massachusetts26.53.377.934Kentucky26.02.988.735Nebraska25.73.118.336Arkansas24.82.948.437Kansas24.02.988.138Wyoming24.03.317.239New Hampshire23.83.267.340North Dakota23.03.127.441Delaware23.03.217.242Colorado22.03.306.743Louisiana20.03.046.644Texas20.02.936.845Oklahoma20.02.946.846Missouri19.92.976.747Arizona19.03.595.348New Mexico18.93.235.849Mississippi18.82.956.450Alaska15.13.764.0

(The Center Square) - The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded more than $1.3 million to tribal organizations in Oklahoma for public transportation projects.

Tribes go through an application process to receive the grant money, which the FTA makes available to federally recognized Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages, groups or communities, according to information from the agency.

The Kaw Nation received the largest grant, $784,963, which is earmarked for funding the creation of a fixed route and demand transit service system for tribal members.

The FTA granted $107,196 to the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma to expand on-demand shared ride public transportation services in Ottawa County.

The Cherokee Nation plans to buy new vehicles to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements with a $108,329 FTA grant.

“This project will help the tribe address state of good repair needs and continue safe and reliable transit services for residents traveling to jobs, healthcare and other community services,” according to the FTA.

A grant of $130,380 was awarded to the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians in Noble and Kay counties to help support transit service and provide rides to work, health care and other services.

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians received $198,000 to help maintain transit services for tribal and community members.

Smaller grants include $24,500 to the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes to develop a transit plan.

“This project will improve access to and within the community so that the tribe may better serve its members and the rural communities of Caddo County in southwestern Oklahoma,” FTA said on its website.

The Alabama Quassarte Tribal Town also received an $18,500 grant to fund the development of a transit plan.

Ballotpedia is tracking 20 citizen-initiated measures in nine states related to marijuana that could appear before voters in 2022. As of 2022, recreational marijuana is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C., and medical marijuana is legal in 36 states and D.C.

In Ohio, sponsors of an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana submitted an additional 29,918 signatures on January 13, after the secretary of state verified their initial petition contained 119,825 valid signatures–13,062 less than the number required. If enough of the additional signatures are found to be valid, the initiative will go before the state legislature. If the state legislature does not enact it outright, sponsors will have to collect a second round of 132,887 signatures to place it on the 2022 ballot. In 2015, Ohio voters defeated Issue 3 with a margin of 63.65% to 36.35%.

In Arkansas, voters could decide on two marijuana initiatives. One initiative would decriminalize marijuana, give limited immunity to cannabis businesses, and create regulations on the cannabis industry. The other would legalize marijuana use for individuals 21 years of age and older regardless of residency. Both campaigns have until July 8, 2022, to collect 89,151 valid signatures.

Florida voters could decide changes to the state’s medical marijuana amendment approved by voters in 2016 with two separate initiatives. Initiative #18-02 would add nine mental health disorders to the list of qualifying conditions to purchase and use medical marijuana. Initiative #18-05 would redefine medical use under the measure to include growing up to nine marijuana plants.

Nebraska has four initiatives cleared for circulation related to marijuana. Three of the initiatives would establish a state medical marijuana program and are sponsored by State Senators Anna Wishart (D) and Adam Morfeld (D). One initiative is a constitutional amendment, and the other two are state statutes. ​​The Nebraska Hemp Company filed a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana. The Nebraska signature deadline is July 7, 2022.

In North Dakota, an initiative was cleared for signature gathering that would legalize marijuana use for residents 21 years of age and older and allow a person to possess, grow, process, or transport up to 12 cannabis plants for personal use. In 2018, North Dakota voters defeated Measure 3, an initiative that would have legalized marijuana, in a vote of 59.45% to 40.55%.

Kind Idaho filed an initiative to establish a state medical marijuana program. Sponsors attempted to qualify an identical initiative for the 2020 Idaho ballot but suspended their signature-gathering campaign in April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Voters could also decide on an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. The initiative is sponsored by The Idaho Way. The campaigns need to submit 64,945 valid signatures by May 1, 2022.

In Missouri, there are three initiatives cleared for circulation that would legalize and regulate recreational marijuana. The initiatives were filed by three different sponsors. A constitutional amendment to change the state’s medical marijuana program approved by voters in 2018 was also cleared for circulation. It would allow medical marijuana patients to grow marijuana for personal use, decrease the cost of a patient identification card from $100 to $25, and allow up to three primary caregivers for a medical marijuana patient. The signature requirement for constitutional amendments is 160,199 signatures by May 8, 2022.

Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action filed three initiatives. Two initiatives would (1) amend the state constitution to legalize marijuana for persons 21 years old and older and (2) impose a 15% excise tax on marijuana sales for purchases by an individual without a medical marijuana license. The third initiative would make changes to the state’s medical marijuana program to create the State Cannabis Commission to replace the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.

In South Dakota, an initiative to legalize marijuana was cleared for signature gathering. In 2020, 54.18% of voters approved Amendment A, which would have legalized marijuana, but it was later overturned by a supreme court ruling that found the initiative violated the state’s single-subject rule and constituted a revision of the constitution rather than an amendment. The 2022 initiative was filed by New Approach South Dakota, which also sponsored the 2020 amendment.

Motor vehicle theft, one of the most serious offenses tracked by the FBI, is on the rise in the United States. There were a total of 810,400 motor vehicle thefts nationwide in 2020, the most in over a decade.

Motor vehicle theft can be either the theft or attempted theft of a vehicle, such as a car, truck, ATV, or motorcycle. Some experts attribute the rising rates of vehicle theft to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to vehicles sitting unattended and unused for longer than usual. Additionally, vehicle theft is often committed for monetary gain, and the pandemic sent unemployment soaring and left many Americans struggling financially.

While motorists nationwide now face a greater risk of vehicle theft than they have in many years, in some parts of the country, car owners are far more likely to be victims of car theft than in others.

The Oklahoma City metro area, located in Oklahoma, has one of the highest motor vehicle theft rates in the United States. According to data from the FBI, there were 5,613 vehicle thefts in the metro area in 2020, or 393 for every 100,000 people - far higher than the motor vehicle theft rate nationwide of 246 per 100,000 people.

Motor vehicle theft - along with larceny and burglary - is one of three criminal offenses that comprise the property crime category. Due in large part to the higher than average vehicle theft rate, the overall property crime rate in the metro area also exceeds the comparable national rate. There were 2,916 property crimes reported for every 100,000 people in the metro area in 2020, compared to 1,958 per 100,000 nationwide.

All crime data used in this story is from the FBI's 2020 Uniform Crime Report. Limited data was available in the 2020 UCR for areas in Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, though these states were not excluded from our analysis. Only metro areas for which the boundaries defined by the FBI match the boundaries defined by the U.S. Census Bureau were considered.

RankMetro areaVehicle thefts per 100k people, 2020Total vehicle thefts, 2020Total property crimes per 100k people, 20201Bakersfield, CA8397,5373,1062Denver, CO73422,0113,3033Albuquerque, NM6636,1203,6544Fairbanks, AK6442124,1525Pueblo, CO6401,078N/A6San Francisco, CA60428,5753,0087Yuba City, CA5941,0392,4408Salt Lake City, UT5446,7853,8179Billings, MT5439983,47210Tulsa, OK5355,3783,11011St. Joseph, MO-KS5316633,54112Odessa, TX5188762,95713Chattanooga, TN-GA5142,9233,07014San Jose, CA50610,0582,22715Vallejo, CA5022,2432,39116Merced, CA4851,3462,14617Salem, OR4802,0982,85418Portland, OR-WA47211,8452,67819Seattle, WA45718,4283,15720Los Angeles, CA44858,8232,09521Memphis, TN-MS-AR4456,0013,71922Amarillo, TX4401,1683,04323Riverside, CA43520,2221,98524Yakima, WA4261,0672,72525Omaha, NE-IA4204,0122,28126Santa Maria, CA4131,8371,98627Fresno, CA4094,0722,48128Rapid City, SD4065842,97129Pine Bluff, AR4043503,04830Kalamazoo, MI4041,0743,30731Florence, SC4048283,60132Joplin, MO4037253,53233Lubbock, TX4001,2973,68234Anchorage, AK3941,2023,40535Oklahoma City, OK3935,6132,91636Visalia, CA3881,8022,02537Colorado Springs, CO3852,8962,65338Columbia, SC3823,2343,27239Sioux Falls, SD3811,0402,52440Modesto, CA3812,0911,97441Stockton, CA3802,8972,33342Greeley, CO3781,2512,16343Houston, TX37426,8772,61744Las Vegas, NV3708,5642,04745St. Louis, MO-IL36910,327N/A46Hanford, CA3685571,65448Midland, TX3686882,16847New Orleans, LA3684,6862,75549Santa Cruz, CA3679982,26650Macon, GA3678422,746

Motor vehicle theft, one of the most serious offenses tracked by the FBI, is on the rise in the United States. There were a total of 810,400 motor vehicle thefts nationwide in 2020, the most in over a decade.

Motor vehicle theft can be either the theft or attempted theft of a vehicle, such as a car, truck, ATV, or motorcycle. Some experts attribute the rising rates of vehicle theft to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to vehicles sitting unattended and unused for longer than usual. Additionally, vehicle theft is often committed for monetary gain, and the pandemic sent unemployment soaring and left many Americans struggling financially.

While motorists nationwide now face a greater risk of vehicle theft than they have in many years, in some parts of the country, car owners are far more likely to be victims of car theft than in others.

The Tulsa metro area, located in Oklahoma, has one of the highest motor vehicle theft rates in the United States. According to data from the FBI, there were 5,378 vehicle thefts in the metro area in 2020, or 535 for every 100,000 people - far higher than the motor vehicle theft rate nationwide of 246 per 100,000 people.

Motor vehicle theft - along with larceny and burglary - is one of three criminal offenses that comprise the property crime category. Due in large part to the higher than average vehicle theft rate, the overall property crime rate in the metro area also exceeds the comparable national rate. There were 3,110 property crimes reported for every 100,000 people in the metro area in 2020, compared to 1,958 per 100,000 nationwide.

All crime data used in this story is from the FBI's 2020 Uniform Crime Report. Limited data was available in the 2020 UCR for areas in Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, though these states were not excluded from our analysis. Only metro areas for which the boundaries defined by the FBI match the boundaries defined by the U.S. Census Bureau were considered.

RankMetro areaVehicle thefts per 100k people, 2020Total vehicle thefts, 2020Total property crimes per 100k people, 20201Bakersfield, CA8397,5373,1062Denver, CO73422,0113,3033Albuquerque, NM6636,1203,6544Fairbanks, AK6442124,1525Pueblo, CO6401,078N/A6San Francisco, CA60428,5753,0087Yuba City, CA5941,0392,4408Salt Lake City, UT5446,7853,8179Billings, MT5439983,47210Tulsa, OK5355,3783,11011St. Joseph, MO-KS5316633,54112Odessa, TX5188762,95713Chattanooga, TN-GA5142,9233,07014San Jose, CA50610,0582,22715Vallejo, CA5022,2432,39116Merced, CA4851,3462,14617Salem, OR4802,0982,85418Portland, OR-WA47211,8452,67819Seattle, WA45718,4283,15720Los Angeles, CA44858,8232,09521Memphis, TN-MS-AR4456,0013,71922Amarillo, TX4401,1683,04323Riverside, CA43520,2221,98524Yakima, WA4261,0672,72525Omaha, NE-IA4204,0122,28126Santa Maria, CA4131,8371,98627Fresno, CA4094,0722,48128Rapid City, SD4065842,97129Pine Bluff, AR4043503,04830Kalamazoo, MI4041,0743,30731Florence, SC4048283,60132Joplin, MO4037253,53233Lubbock, TX4001,2973,68234Anchorage, AK3941,2023,40535Oklahoma City, OK3935,6132,91636Visalia, CA3881,8022,02537Colorado Springs, CO3852,8962,65338Columbia, SC3823,2343,27239Sioux Falls, SD3811,0402,52440Modesto, CA3812,0911,97441Stockton, CA3802,8972,33342Greeley, CO3781,2512,16343Houston, TX37426,8772,61744Las Vegas, NV3708,5642,04745St. Louis, MO-IL36910,327N/A46Hanford, CA3685571,65448Midland, TX3686882,16847New Orleans, LA3684,6862,75549Santa Cruz, CA3679982,26650Macon, GA3678422,746

(The Center Square) – The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) has reached a $4.8 million settlement with CVS Caremark over its collection of Medicare Part D and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plan claims, according to a news release.

Oklahoma pharmacies will receive $2.3 million of the claim, and the remainder of the $2.5 million is assessed as penalties.

CVS Caremark is a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM). State lawmakers passed the Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act (PRPCA) in 2019. It regulates PBMs, which act as a middleman between patients and insurers. In some cases, PBMs may influence the costs of prescription drugs and what drugs are covered, according to the OID.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association challenged the law in court, saying federal law prohibits the regulations. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Oklahoma. The settlement is contingent upon the outcome of the case, according to the news release.

"While questions remain about the extent to which enforcement of the Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act may ultimately be preempted by federal law, we must not stand idle while fees charged in violation of the law are being paid by Oklahoma businesses and consumers," OID’s Director of PBM Compliance and Enforcement Kelli Price said.

The investigation began in September 2020.

"CVS Caremark was cooperative during our investigation, we were able to work together through negotiations to ensure there is a level playing field that is abiding by the rules of PRPCA and other PBM statutes,” Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said. “With the rising cost of healthcare throughout the pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure companies fully comply with our laws to protect consumers and other businesses.”

The Legislature passed a bill last year that would have added new restrictions to PBMs, but it was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The bill would have defined a PBM as any entity conducting pharmacy benefit manager activities and allowed pharmacists to discuss the costs of prescriptions.