(The Center Square) – Oklahoma is the sixth most stressed state in the U.S., according to a new study, in large part because of financial and other work-related concerns.

Personal finance website Wallethub ranked the states based on more than 40 indicators across categories such as average number of hours worked per week, personal bankruptcy rate and average number of hours of adequate sleep by adults in the state.

"Oklahoma is the sixth most stressed state," Wallethub analysts Jill Gonazlez told The Center Square. "Work-related stress is one of the factors that contributed to this ranking, as its residents have the fifth longest work week in the country, the third lowest amount of leisure time per day, and the fourth lowest income growth rate, under 3%.

"Looking at money related stress, we found that Oklahomans have low credit scores, almost two thirds are not able to save for their children's college, and almost 16% of them are living in poverty."

Family-related stress also a major issue in Oklahoma, she said.

"The separation and divorce rate is higher than 23%, and the state scored high for parental stress," Gonzalez said. "As a consequence, 16% of parents had to change or quit their jobs due to child care problems – the highest percentage in the country."

Oklahoma also has a large share of adults in poor health at more than 21%, a high suicide rate, almost 17% of adults reporting they can't afford to see a doctor, and the second lowest percentage of insured population at nearly 86%," she said.

"Additionally, the physical activity rate is the second lowest nationwide, the state has a high crime rate, a low well-being index, and lacks in quality of infrastructure," Gonzalez added.

Overall, Nevada ranked as the most stressed state, followed by Louisiana and New Mexico.

South Dakota ranked as the least stressed state, followed by Utah and Minnesota.

Each year, Americans dread April 15 -- Tax Day. However, the IRS announced in March that American taxpayers would have an extra month to file their federal income taxes, pushing Tax Day to May 17 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, state filings will still proceed as planned in most places.

In 2019, the average state and local tax burden was 10.3% of income, but this figure varied widely from state to state -- ranging from less than 6% to over 14%, meaning differences of thousands of dollars in a given year.

To determine the states where Americans are paying the most taxes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on state tax burdens from tax policy nonprofit the Tax Foundation. States were ranked based on state and local taxes paid by each state's residents as a percentage of that state's net national product in 2019. State income figures are based on net national product, which measures the value of goods and services produced by U.S. residents, minus the value of the fixed capital used in production.

To calculate tax burdens the Tax Foundation included different kinds of taxes, -- on purchases like property, public utilities, alcohol, fuel, and general sales, as well as taxes on incomes, inheritance, and many other financial transactions. Property taxes can sometimes make up a large share of total tax burdens, depending on the state in which the property is located. While some states have property taxes of under $1,000 per capita, residents of other states pay over $3,000 per person in property taxes. These are the states with the highest property taxes.

The state and local tax burden in Oklahoma in 2019, represented 8.2% of incomes in the state. This tax burden was the fifth lowest among states and well below the overall national tax burden of 10.3%. On a per capita basis, Oklahoma residents paid $3,841 in state and local taxes, fifth lowest among states and lower than the national per capita taxes paid of $5,755.

The tax burden in Oklahoma has decreased in recent years. In 2010, the state and local tax burden represented 9.3% of incomes in the state, tied for 13th lowest of all states.

StateTax as a share of incomeRankTaxes per capitaRankIncome per capitaAlabama9.0%38$3,89345$43,256Alaska5.8%50$3,60549$62,155Arizona8.7%45$3,92644$45,126Arkansas10.4%16$4,58131$44,048California11.5%8$7,5296$65,470Colorado9.4%34$5,67717$60,394Connecticut12.8%2$9,7052$75,820Delaware10.3%18$5,55019$53,883Florida8.8%43$4,55532$51,761Georgia8.9%39$4,22140$47,427Hawaii12.7%3$7,1447$56,252Idaho9.6%30$4,33635$45,167Illinois11.1%10$6,45010$58,108Indiana8.9%39$4,28937$48,191Iowa10.8%13$5,49921$50,917Kansas10.1%21$5,29223$52,396Kentucky9.9%25$4,27939$43,222Louisiana9.2%35$4,29236$46,652Maine11.0%12$5,49222$49,927Maryland11.8%6$7,5395$63,890Massachusetts10.5%15$7,6584$72,933Michigan10.0%23$4,84129$48,410Minnesota12.1%5$7,0018$57,860Mississippi9.5%32$3,65448$38,463Missouri9.2%35$4,43134$48,163Montana10.1%21$4,95626$49,069Nebraska10.3%18$5,54820$53,864Nevada9.7%28$4,89527$50,464New Hampshire9.7%28$6,09013$62,784New Jersey11.7%7$8,1343$69,521New Mexico8.8%43$3,73647$42,455New York14.1%1$9,9871$70,830North Carolina9.5%32$4,49033$47,263North Dakota8.9%39$4,99625$56,135Ohio10.3%18$5,10724$49,583Oklahoma8.2%46$3,84146$46,841Oregon11.1%10$5,80916$52,333Pennsylvania10.4%16$5,97014$57,404Rhode Island11.4%9$6,33411$55,561South Carolina8.9%39$4,00043$44,944South Dakota9.1%37$4,85528$53,352Tennessee7.0%48$3,36850$48,114Texas8.0%47$4,14341$51,788Utah9.6%30$4,63630$48,292Vermont12.3%4$6,6939$54,415Virginia10.0%23$5,85415$58,540Washington9.8%27$6,24512$63,724West Virginia9.9%25$4,11442$41,556Wisconsin10.7%14$5,63218$52,636Wyoming7.0%48$4,28238$61,171

Until a few decades ago, Hollywood studios and surrounding areas were the filming locations for many classic movies. If the movies aren't filmed on the West Coast, studios tend to go to New York City to take advantage of some of America's enduring images, such as Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.

Still, each state has unique characteristics that make it attractive to filmmakers. The best movie filmed in Oklahoma is "Rumble Fish" (1983).

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather"), "Rumble Fish" follows a low-level street thug (Matt Dillon) who is trying to live up to his older brother's (Mickey Rourke) reputation. The movie was shot at various locations throughout Oklahoma, but mostly in Tulsa.

The second best movie filmed in Oklahoma is "The Outsiders" (1983).

The film industry's need for genuine locations also means more states can benefit financially. A movie shoot can create jobs and create other economic advantages for the state. For this reason, states welcome and promote film shoots, setting up film commissions or offices with robust websites touting the advantages of filming in their state.

24/7 Wall St. has tapped critic and audience ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb to find the best movie filmed in every state. These are the best movies filmed in every state and D.C.

StateBest movieYearIMDb ratingTomatometer scoreSecond best movieYearAlabamaGet Out20177.798Just Mercy2019AlaskaInsomnia20027.292Runaway Train1985ArizonaPsycho19608.596Once Upon a Time in the West1968ArkansasSling Blade1996896Mud2012CaliforniaModern Times19368.5100City Lights1931ColoradoBadlands19737.898Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade1989ConnecticutThe Ice Storm19977.485We Need to Talk About Kevin2011DelawareDead Poets Society19898.184Blue Ruin2013District of ColumbiaMr. Smith Goes to Washington19398.196All the President's Men1976FloridaThe Truman Show19988.195Edward Scissorhands1990GeorgiaAvengers: Endgame20198.494The Peanut Butter Falcon2019HawaiiFrom Here to Eternity19537.692Papillon1973IdahoNapoleon Dynamite20046.972N/A IllinoisThe Dark Knight2008994Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018IndianaHoosiers19867.589Rudy1993IowaThe Straight Story1999895The Bridges of Madison County1995KansasPaper Moon19738.193Mars Attacks!1996KentuckyGoldfinger19647.799Stripes1981Louisiana12 Years a Slave20138.195Logan2017MaineIn the Bedroom20017.493It2017MarylandPhilomena20137.691The Barbarian Invasions2003MassachusettsGood Will Hunting19978.398Spotlight2015MichiganAnatomy of a Murder19598100Vishwaroopam2013MinnesotaA Simple Plan19987.591Beautiful Girls1996MississippiMississippi Burning19887.884The Help2011MissouriUp in the Air20097.490Winter's Bone2010MontanaLittle Big Man19707.696A River Runs Through It1992NebraskaNebraska20137.791Election1999NevadaCasino19958.280Leaving Las Vegas1995New HampshireOn Golden Pond19817.693In Your Eyes2014New JerseyOn the Waterfront19548.199The Wrestler2008New MexicoAce in the Hole19518.192No Country for Old Men2007New YorkThe Godfather19729.298The Godfather: Part II1974North CarolinaEvil Dead II19877.895Blue Velvet1986North DakotaFargo19968.194N/A OhioThe Shawshank Redemption19949.391The Deer Hunter1978OklahomaRumble Fish19837.274The Outsiders1983OregonOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest19758.794Stand by Me1986PennsylvaniaThe Silence of the Lambs19918.696Night of the Living Dead1968Puerto RicoAssassins19956.498GoldenEye1995Rhode IslandMoonrise Kingdom20127.893Hachi: A Dog's Tale2009South CarolinaCold Mountain20037.270The Big Chill1983South DakotaDances with Wolves1990883Nomadland2020TennesseeThe Green Mile19998.678October Sky1999TexasParis, Texas19848.197The Last Picture Show1971UtahJeremiah Johnson19727.695Wind River2017VermontBeetlejuice19887.585The Trouble with Harry1955VirginiaLincoln20127.389Loving2016WashingtonCaptain Fantastic20167.982Dancer in the Dark2000West VirginiaSuper 82011781We Are Marshall2006WisconsinMajor League19897.283The Last Kiss2006WyomingDjango Unchained20128.487N/A

In 2021, 48.6% of Oklahoma school board races covered by Ballotpedia will not be on the ballot due to lack of opposition, which is the lowest unopposed rate since Ballotpedia began tracking this figure in 2014. Thirty-five seats are up for election across 26 school districts included in Ballotpedia’s comprehensive coverage in 2021. Candidates ran unopposed in 17 of those races.

Across eight years of tracking, the highest unopposed rate for Oklahoma school board elections occurred in 2015, when 85.7% of races had an unopposed candidate. Below is a list of unopposed rates from 2014 to 2021.

2021: 48.6%2020: 62.1%2019: 53.3%2018: 76.7%2017: 52.9%2016: 80.0%2015: 85.7%2014: 62.5%

The general election for races that do have opposition is scheduled for April 6. For races that had more than two candidates file, the primary election was held on Feb. 9. Candidates were able to win the election outright if they earned more than 50% of the vote in the primary.

The following districts will hold a general election on April 6:

Banner School DistrictCrooked Oak Public SchoolsDeer Creek Public SchoolsEdmond Public SchoolsMidwest City-Del City SchoolsMustang Public SchoolsOklahoma City Public SchoolsOwasso Public SchoolsPiedmont Public SchoolsPutnam City SchoolsTulsa Public SchoolsUnion Public SchoolsWestern Heights Public SchoolsYukon Public Schools

These fourteen school districts served a total of 190,878 students during the 2016-17 school year.

(The Center Square) – The state Senate has passed a bill declaring Oklahoma a Second Amendment sanctuary state.

Senate Bill 631 says that any order demanding the confiscation, buy-back or surrender of firearms infringes upon Oklahomans' Second Amendment rights.

Don Spencer, president of the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association, told The Center Square there are currently more than 20 active bills in the Oklahoma State legislature that directly deal with returning self-defense rights to the people.

"The average Oklahoman can have some comfort the state of Oklahoma is going to protect their Second and Tenth Amendment rights," Spencer said. "The people must always be able to defend themselves from tyranny from local or a federal overreaching government."

Spencer said being a Second Amendment sanctuary state merely means that the people of Oklahoma can rest assured that the state will defend them from the potential federal overreach of confiscating firearms from peaceable citizens.

"The gun laws as you see them right now are as restrictive as we're willing to let them get," state Sen. Warren Hamilton told The Center Square. "There are several proposals right now running afoot in Washington that would restrict people's Second Amendment rights from what they are today, types of firearm restrictions that are legal today would be illegal tomorrow. What we're saying is that those things that are legal today will be legal tomorrow."

Hamilton is one of the authors of the bill.

"We recognize that the federal government has authority, but their authority is not all-encompassing," Hamilton said. "Power here in the United States comes from we the people, and we the people have delegated our power to our authorities. We simply need to remind each other from time to time where the left and right and up and down limits of those parties are. This is simply an attempt to do that."

There is also a version of the bill being considered in the state House of Representatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lifestyle restrictions have changed alcohol consumption habits, including shifting consumer preferences to wine and spirits. But beer is still a favorite alcoholic beverage in the U.S.

The average American adult consumed nearly 26 gallons of beer in 2020, which was about 3.2 gallons less than in 2010 but about the same as in 2016. Beer consumption tends to vary considerably across the country.

To determine the states where people drink the most and least amounts of beer, 24/7 Tempo reviewed annual beer shipment data per capita provided by Beer Marketer's Insights, a brewing industry trade publisher. We used shipments as a proxy for consumption.

In 2020, beer consumption per capita was the 25th highest in Oklahoma. The average resident drank 26.8 gallons, about 1.0 gallons more than in 2016.

The five-year increase of 3.9% in beer consumption per capita in the state was the second largest increase in the U.S.

The 10-year change in Oklahoma of 6.6% was the 11th smallest decrease in the country, down from 28.7 gallons in 2010.

There were 6,400 brewing facilities around the U.S. in 2019, producing the equivalent of more than 2.8 billion 24-container cases of 12-ounce cans or bottles, according to a report by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Most of the beer people drink does not come from where they might think it does -- there are at least 10 "imported" beers that are actually brewed in the U.S.

StateBeer shipment per adult 21+ in 2020 (gallons)5-yr changeRank10-yr changeRankMaryland18.5-11.1%4th largest decrease-22.93rd largest decreaseConnecticut19.8-7.0%18th largest decrease-12.818th largest decreaseUtah19.97.0%the largest increase2.6the largest increaseNew Jersey20.0-6.5%19th largest decrease-13.014th largest decreaseRhode Island20.1-14.5%the largest decrease-26.6the largest decreaseNew York20.2-10.6%6th largest decrease-13.313th largest decreaseMassachusetts21.5-10.8%5th largest decrease-18.66th largest decreaseGeorgia23.0-8.4%10th largest decrease-12.917th largest decreaseKentucky23.1-5.3%18th smallest decrease-6.59thsmallest decreaseWest Virginia23.3-4.5%16th smallest decrease-11.123rd smallest decreaseIndiana23.6-0.8%2nd smallest decrease-12.916th largest decreaseMichigan23.6-8.2%12th largest decrease-14.212th largest decreaseArkansas23.9-1.6%5th smallest decrease-10.522nd smallest decreaseVirginia24.2-4.0%11th smallest decrease-12.323rd largest decreaseTennessee24.2-5.5%19th smallest decrease-9.418th smallest decreaseCalifornia24.7-3.1%8th smallest decrease-7.513th smallest decreasePennsylvania24.9-7.8%14th largest decrease-15.610th largest decreaseIdaho25.0-6.4%20th largest decrease-15.311th largest decreaseOhio25.5-9.9%7th largest decrease-18.57th largest decreaseFlorida25.6-4.8%17th smallest decrease-9.521st smallest decreaseNorth Carolina25.80.4%the smallest increase-6.510th smallest decreaseAlaska26.0-4.4%14th smallest decrease-8.815th smallest decreaseIllinois26.1-7.8%15th largest decrease-12.719th largest decreaseMissouri26.6-7.3%16th largest decrease-16.99th largest decreaseHawaii26.7-12.5%3rd largest decrease-11.924th largest decreaseOklahoma26.83.9%2nd largest increase-6.611th smallest decreaseArizona27.0-0.4%the smallest decrease-12.620th largest decreaseMinnesota27.1-5.9%21st smallest decrease-6.27th smallest decreaseKansas27.43.4%3rd largest increase-5.25th smallest decreaseDelaware27.4-9.9%8th largest decrease-20.64th largest decreaseNew Mexico27.7-4.5%15th smallest decrease-17.68th largest decreaseOregon27.7-9.5%9th largest decrease-11.524th smallest decreaseWashington27.8-1.1%3rd smallest decrease-9.419th smallest decreaseLouisiana28.1-7.3%17th largest decrease-19.35th largest decreaseColorado28.4-1.7%6th smallest decrease-6.912th smallest decreaseAlabama28.7-4.3%12nd smallest decrease-5.96th smallest decreaseNevada28.8-14.3%2nd largest decrease-23.22nd largest decreaseWyoming30.01.7%2nd smallest increase-11.825th largest decreaseIowa30.9-5.5%20th smallest decrease-12.521st largest decreaseNebraska31.3-8.2%11th largest decrease-12.322nd largest decreaseMississippi31.5-2.2%7th smallest decrease-9.017th smallest decreaseTexas32.0-1.5%4th smallest decrease-8.014th smallest decreaseWisconsin32.3-8.0%13th largest decrease-12.915th largest decreaseSouth Carolina32.52.8%4th largest increase-3.32nd smallest decreaseMaine32.5-3.8%9th smallest decrease0.3the smallest increaseVermont33.91.8%3rd smallest increase-3.74th smallest decreaseNorth Dakota37.2-4.4%13th smallest decrease-9.520th smallest decreaseSouth Dakota37.3-3.9%10th smallest decrease-3.43rd smallest decreaseMontana41.02.2%4th smallest increase-1.2the smallest decreaseNew Hampshire41.40.0%no change-6.38th smallest decrease

Within weeks of taking office, President Joe Biden issued a series of executive orders aimed at making the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050. This goal hinges on eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in electricity production -- which necessitate a shift away from fossil fuels, like natural gas and coal, toward clean renewable energy sources, like wind and solar.

Currently, only 17.7% of electricity produced in the United States comes from renewable sources. Nationwide, wind turbines generate the most electricity, followed by hydroelectric power plants and solar thermal power. Biomass, such as wood and agricultural waste, as well as geothermal energy, are renewable sources that account for a very small share of the U.S. energy mix.

Meanwhile, greenhouse gas-emitting coal and natural gas-fired power plants account for over half of all U.S. electricity production.

While, as a nation, the U.S. has a long way to go to achieve carbon neutrality, at a state level, progress is patchy. In some states, less than 5% of electricity production comes from renewable sources, while in others, fossil fuels have been virtually phased out.

Nearly 40% or electricity produced in Oklahoma comes from renewable sources, a larger share than in all but 10 other states. Like many other states in the Great Plains region, Oklahoma's power grid relies substantially on wind. Over one-third of all electricity in Oklahoma comes from wind alone, the third largest share among states. Hydro power also accounts for nearly 5% of electricity generation in the state.

Oklahoma is also home to many of the largest natural gas fields in the United States. And although the largest power plant in the state is coal fired, natural gas is Oklahoma's largest source of electricity, accounting for over half of all annual production.

To determine renewable energy production by state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on electricity generation by source in 2019 from the Energy Information Administration. States were ranked based on the electricity generated from renewable sources -- which include conventional hydroelectricity, wind, wood and wood-derived fuels, other biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal and photovoltaic -- as a percentage of electricity generated from all sources. Data on electricity from non-renewable sources and historical electricity data also came from the EIA. Data on the average sale price of electricity came from the EIA and is for 2019.

It is important to note that not all renewable energy sources are carbon neutral, just as not all non-renewable energy sources emit greenhouse gases. Biomass, such as waste wood and crop residue is renewable, however, when burned to produce electricity, it creates carbon. Similarly, though nuclear power plants are not classified as renewable sources, they do not produce air pollution. Still, some forms of biomass produce far less carbon emissions than fossil fuels.

Rank:State:Electricity production from renewables:Largest renewable energy source:Largest non-renewable energy source:1Vermont99.9%HydroelectricNatural gas2Maine78.6%HydroelectricNatural gas3Idaho76.3%HydroelectricNatural gas4South Dakota73.8%HydroelectricCoal5Washington69.8%HydroelectricNatural gas6Oregon62.2%HydroelectricNatural gas7California48.2%HydroelectricNatural gas8Montana44.7%HydroelectricCoal9Iowa43.6%WindCoal10Kansas41.7%WindCoal11Oklahoma39.1%WindNatural gas12North Dakota35.0%WindCoal13Alaska29.7%HydroelectricNatural gas14New York28.5%HydroelectricNatural gas15Nevada28.4%SolarNatural gas16Colorado24.9%WindCoal17Minnesota24.3%WindCoal18New Mexico24.2%WindCoal19Nebraska23.2%WindCoal20Texas18.8%WindNatural gas21New Hampshire17.2%HydroelectricNuclear22Massachusetts15.6%SolarNatural gas23Tennessee13.9%HydroelectricNuclear24North Carolina12.7%SolarNuclear25Wyoming12.7%WindCoal26Hawaii12.1%WindPetroleum27Utah10.9%SolarCoal28Arizona10.8%HydroelectricNatural gas29Alabama10.6%HydroelectricNatural gas30Wisconsin9.4%HydroelectricCoal31Maryland9.1%HydroelectricNuclear32Georgia8.9%WoodNatural gas33Arkansas8.8%HydroelectricCoal34Michigan8.5%WindCoal35Illinois8.2%WindNuclear36Indiana7.1%WindCoal37Missouri6.8%WindCoal38Kentucky6.5%HydroelectricCoal39Virginia6.4%WoodNatural gas40Rhode Island6.2%BiomassNatural gas41South Carolina6.0%HydroelectricNuclear42West Virginia5.2%HydroelectricCoal43Pennsylvania3.9%HydroelectricNatural gas44Louisiana3.6%WoodNatural gas45Florida3.5%SolarNatural gas46Connecticut3.3%BiomassNatural gas47New Jersey2.8%SolarNatural gas48Ohio2.7%WindNatural gas49Mississippi2.6%WoodNatural gas50Delaware2.3%BiomassNatural gas

Alcohol is enjoyed responsibly by millions of Americans every day, but many people also report heavy alcohol use. Approximately 19.0% of adults in the U.S. report regularly consuming unhealthy amounts of alcohol. In some states, excessive drinking rates are higher.

To identify the states with the lowest and highest adult excessive drinking rates, including binge or heavy drinking, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the adult excessive drinking rate in every state from the 2020 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

Excessive drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes binge drinking, which is defined as four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more for men, and heavy drinking, which is defined as eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more for men.

Oklahoma has the 5th lowest share of adults who report excessive drinking at 14.1% compared to 19.0% nationwide.

The metro area in Oklahoma with the highest share of the adult population reporting drinking excessively is Oklahoma City. About 15.4% of adults in the city consume unhealthy amounts of alcohol. Though this is the highest share in the state, it ranks 331 among all 384 metro areas in the U.S.

The drunkest county in Oklahoma is Payne. About 16.2% of adults there report excessive drinking, which ranks 2,074 among all 3,142 counties in the country.

Roadway fatalities involving alcohol are one of the most common causes of preventable death in the United States. Nearly 28% all fatal car accidents in the U.S. involve an alcohol-impaired driver.

Not surprisingly, states with higher excessive drinking rates are more likely to have deadly roadway accidents involving alcohol. In Oklahoma, 26.4% of fatal car accidents involve alcohol. These are America's 50 worst cities to drive in.

In the short term, excessive drinking can increase the likelihood of violence, risky sexual behavior, alcohol poisoning, and injuries. The potential long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption include alcohol dependence, heart disease, liver disease, certain types of cancer, and mental health problems, including depression. This is the least healthy county in every state.

StateExcessive drinking rateAlcohol-related driving deathsRankDrunkest cityCity excessive drinking rateUtah12.2%22.5%7th lowestSalt Lake City15.6%West Virginia12.3%27.4%17th lowestMorgantown16.5%Mississippi13.6%20.0%2nd lowestHattiesburg16.3%Alabama13.9%27.6%19th lowestDaphne-Fairhope-Foley18.0%Oklahoma14.1%26.4%13th lowestOklahoma City15.4%Tennessee14.3%25.1%9th lowestChattanooga16.9%Georgia14.4%21.5%4th lowestSavannah17.1%Arkansas15.8%26.3%12th lowestFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers17.2%New Mexico16.2%30.5%20th highestAlbuquerque16.5%Idaho16.6%30.2%23rd highestCoeur d'Alene20.3%Maryland16.6%28.9%20th lowestCalifornia-Lexington Park19.0%Arizona16.7%25.4%10th lowestPhoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale18.0%Delaware16.8%30.3%22nd highestDover16.6%North Carolina16.9%29.5%23rd lowestJacksonville22.3%Connecticut17.1%32.0%16th highestBridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk19.4%Florida17.1%23.3%8th lowestJacksonville19.8%Kentucky17.3%26.1%11th lowestLexington-Fayette19.8%South Carolina17.4%33.1%12th highestCharleston-North Charleston21.0%Virginia17.4%30.2%24th highestBlacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford19.4%Washington17.4%32.1%15th highestBellingham22.7%Indiana17.6%19.7%the lowestSouth Bend-Mishawaka19.8%New Jersey18.1%21.9%6th lowestTrenton19.0%Oregon18.6%30.9%19th highestCorvallis21.3%Kansas18.7%21.9%5th lowestLawrence24.0%New York18.8%20.9%3rd lowestBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls22.2%South Dakota19.0%36.7%4th highestSioux Falls19.7%Pennsylvania19.2%26.8%14th lowestState College24.0%California19.2%29.6%24th lowestSanta Cruz-Watsonville23.2%Nevada19.3%29.4%22nd lowestReno24.3%Vermont19.5%34.7%8th highestBurlington-South Burlington21.5%Texas19.5%26.9%15th lowestAustin-Round Rock23.4%Louisiana19.6%33.1%13th highestBaton Rouge21.5%Michigan19.6%29.0%21st lowestGrand Rapids-Wyoming21.8%Rhode Island19.6%36.2%7th highestProvidence-Warwick19.9%Missouri19.8%27.4%18th lowestColumbia24.2%Wyoming19.8%34.2%9th highestCasper18.3%Ohio20.2%32.7%14th highestColumbus20.6%Maine20.2%36.7%5th highestPortland-South Portland22.1%Colorado20.5%34.1%10th highestFort Collins22.0%New Hampshire20.7%30.5%21st highestManchester20.2%Montana20.9%45.1%the highestMissoula25.3%Hawaii21.1%31.2%18th highestKahului-Wailuku-Lahaina21.1%Alaska21.3%38.1%3rd highestFairbanks22.8%Massachusetts21.3%30.0%25th lowestBoston-Cambridge-Nashua22.2%Illinois21.4%31.9%17th highestBloomington21.8%Minnesota21.7%30.0%25th highestMankato-North Mankato24.4%Nebraska21.7%34.0%11th highestLincoln25.0%Iowa22.1%26.9%16th lowestDubuque24.0%North Dakota24.1%43.2%2nd highestFargo25.1%Wisconsin24.2%36.2%6th highestMadison27.8%

(The Center Square) – Gov. Kevin Stitt joined other governors in writing a letter of support to Congress on the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act.

The act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, and Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, and Reps. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, and David McKinley, R-West Virginia, promotes the buildout of necessary infrastructure to transport carbon dioxide from its source to manufacturers or be safely stored underground.

The letter is co-signed by Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming, Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.

The goal of the legislation is "to develop an interconnected CO2 transport and storage infrastructure to help the U.S. reach net-zero emissions and meet mid century climate goals,” according to a news release from Gordon's office.

“We urge Congress to prioritize the inclusion of this critical legislation in any broader infrastructure package, given its essential role in helping to achieve net-zero emissions economywide,” the letter reads. “As a group of collective states with a shared interest, we stand ready to work with you to implement policies that scale up the regional and national CO2 transport infrastructure to achieve net-zero emissions goals.”

(The Center Square) – The Oklahoma Senate is considering a bill that would allow the state to ignore presidential executive orders deemed unconstitutional.

The state House already passed HB 1236, introduced by Republican House Speaker Charles McCall and state Rep. Mark McBride, by a vote of 79 to 18.

Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader Kim David has not yet said if she supports the measure, according to KOCO.

The bill would allow the state legislature to review every executive order issued by the White House to determine if Oklahoma should follow it. The legislature could request the state attorney general to review the order, or the legislature could declare the order unconstitutional itself by a simple majority vote, according to the bill.

If the order is referred to the AG, the AG would determine if it is constitutional. If it is deemed constitutional, then Oklahoma would adhere to it. If not, then Oklahoma could sue to invalidate the executive order.

The AG could also choose to take no action, leaving the decision up to the legislature to vote on the matter, according to the bill. If the legislature were to declare an executive order unconstitutional, it remains unclear if the state would then sue or simply ignore the order. If Oklahoma were to ignore it, the federal government would then determine if it would enforce the order or sue Oklahoma.

The bill states: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the state, county, political subdivision or any other publicly funded organization shall not implement any action that restricts a person’s rights or that the Office of the Attorney General or the Legislature by a majority vote determines to be unconstitutional.”

The bill outlines different categories of orders lawmakers would review, ranging from public health crises and emergencies, to land use, oil and gas regulations, education, and agriculture regulations.

House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, a Democrat, called the bill “pandering” and “shenanigans.”

Last month, state Republican Rep. Jay Steagall introduced a resolution, HR 1005, asserting state's rights protected by the 10th Amendment.

House Republicans also reinstated a State's Rights Committee to prevent federal overreach encroaching on Oklahomans’ rights.

A long-held constitutional debate among states and the federal government is the tension between the 10th Amendment, which grants powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, and the Supremacy Clause, which stipulates that federal law generally takes precedence over state laws, and sometimes even over state constitutions.