(The Center Square) - Democrats and Republicans voted against a bill that would allocate nearly $109 million for health care after lawmakers inserted a provision that would have banned using the money for children's gender reassignment treatment at Oklahoma University Health.

The money is part of the $1.87 billion funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding whittled down many requests to just over 60 projects.

Senate Bill 3 allocated $5.2 million to improve dental health through mobile dental units, $20 million for cancer treatment, $44 million for an electronic record system and $39.4 million for children's mental and behavioral health through Oklahoma University Health.

Senate Speaker Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said lawmakers learned in June that OU Health was offering gender reassignment treatment for children. That's when they added wording to the bill that prohibited the funding from being used for the treatment.

"People want to make sure we are not using taxpayer monies to perform a service that they find reprehensible and not a valid medical intervention for people, especially under the age of 18," Treat said.

The House and Senate both held lengthy debates, with some Republicans calling gender reassignment surgery "genetic mutilation" and "child abuse."

Some Republicans voted against the bill, saying it should be expanded to health care providers besides OU Health.

"Under this bill, these ARPA funds can be used, taxpayer dollars, can be used by OU to form sex-change surgeries on 18-years-olds," said Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow. "We shouldn't just have this limited scope. We should have a statewide ban and prohibition on the this taking place on minors. We should have a statewide ban on taxpayer dollars going to these procedures."

Democrats said the ban would harm children diagnosed with gender dysphoria and keep them from getting treatment.

Rep. Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, who identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns they, them and theirs, called the bill "policy in the place of bigotry."

"I feel like it's so odd that the party of small government is a party that says 'Small government for me but for you with a microscope,'" Turner said. "I find it so odd that the party of small government says, 'You can have the best medical practices as long as I get to choose what your best medical treatments are.'"

Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, called the bill "cheap political tricks."

"It's typical red meat," Dollens said. "You got your way with Roe [vs. Wade] and now you need something else. The dog finally caught the car, it doesn't know what to do so you throw out more red meat, something socially divisive to stir up your base and get them to go out to the polls."

The bill passed by a vote of 31-13 in the Senate and 67-24 in the House.

(The Center Square) – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is leading a group of 21 attorneys general in an amicus brief regarding federal immigration law.

The attorneys general are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold a federal statute to enforce federal immigration law in United States v. Hansen.

“In the middle of this man-made disaster at our southern border, we need every tool and law available,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a press release. “The last thing we need is anyone incentivizing migrants to come here illegally and further straining our social safety net. Border communities are being overwhelmed by the influx of people.”

A grand jury charged California resident Helaman Hansen with multiple crimes in 2017 for scamming hundreds of noncitizens out of more than $1 million by promising them a nonexistent path to citizenship.

According to the release, Hansen was charged under a federal statute for encouraging people to come to the United States illegally for “commercial advantage or private financial gain,” according to the release.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then struck down the statute arguing that the words “encourage” and “induce,” in the law are too broad.

General Brnovich and the attorneys general argue in their amicus brief that the Ninth Circuit decision jeopardizes the constitutionality of criminal law in all 50 states. They worry that the decision may cause other state and federal courts to invalidate existing criminal laws.

The other attorneys general who signed the brief is from the states of: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Education levels are on the rise in the United States. According to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 79.9 million American adults - 35% of the nation's 25 and older population - have a bachelor's degree or higher. As recently as five years ago, fewer than 33% of American adults had a bachelor's degree.

A college education has long been a key driver of upward economic mobility in the United States. However, enrollment costs at colleges and universities have soared in recent years, making a four-year postsecondary education prohibitively expensive for many working- and middle-class families.

Cost is not the only factor to consider before attending college. The chosen career path is another. For some business owners and those pursuing a career in the trades, the military, law enforcement, or public safety, a bachelor's degree may not be necessary. Regardless of personal considerations, in some parts of the country, Americans are far less likely to have a four-year college degree than in others. (Here is a look at the highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree.)

In Oklahoma, an estimated 27.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the 35% share nationwide and the eighth lowest among all states.

Nationwide, median earnings among workers with a bachelor's degree stood at $61,073 in 2021, compared to $35,019 among working adults with no more than a high school diploma. Due in part to lower-than-average bachelor's degree attainment rates, the median earnings among all working adults in Oklahoma is $40,163 a year, less than the comparable national median of $45,943.

All income and education data in this story is from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey. Annual unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

RankStateAdults with a bachelor's degree or higher (%)Median annual earnings, all working adults, 2021 ($)2021 unemployment rate (%)1West Virginia24.139,4495.02Mississippi24.837,1485.63Arkansas25.337,9364.04Louisiana26.440,5625.55Kentucky27.040,4484.76Alabama27.440,3623.47Nevada27.641,2377.28Oklahoma27.940,1633.89Indiana28.942,9553.610Wyoming29.241,8984.511New Mexico30.139,8266.812Tennessee30.541,1814.313Iowa30.544,6444.214Idaho30.740,8003.615Ohio30.743,7945.1

(The Center Square) - Oklahoma senators said they want a tax policy working group to make recommendations on tax cuts and rebuffed a call from Gov. Kevin Stitt to eliminate the grocery tax.

Stitt said Tuesday the state could use some of its $3 billion in savings to cover the revenue loss. The state is also predicted to add $1 billion to savings next year, the governor said. He wants lawmakers to consider the proposal when they begin a special session on Wednesday.

But senators said economic conditions require more caution.

"Economists predict this recession is going to be durable and painful," said Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah. "We have lived through years where we've had $1.3 billion shortfalls. We don't want a repeat of those years."

What is happening in Washington is affecting Oklahoma, said Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville.

"There is reckless spending on the federal level that is leading the country in the wrong direction," Daniels said. "Doing tax cuts wrong will put the burden on the backs of Oklahomans for generations. Our tax working group is examining our tax code to determine the best way to cut taxes for the citizens of our state."

The tax reform working group was created by Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat in June. It is chaired by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa.

Stitt said rising food prices are hurting families. The price of food has risen 13% recently and the price of butter is 29% higher.

"I've been calling to end the grocery tax since 2019 and I called for it again in my state of the state address," Stitt said. And since then, both the House and Senate have proposed and passed several bills to get it done."

Stitt vetoed a tax relief bill passed by lawmakers that would have given taxpayers an average $75 rebate. The governor called the rebate a "slap in the face to hard-working Oklahomans" and called lawmakers back into a special session to consider a new plan that included eliminating the grocery tax.

The Oklahoma House passed a bill in June that would have eliminated the grocery tax but the bill did not make it to the Senate floor.

Lawmakers are returning to Oklahoma City this week to approve more than 60 projects for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The projects, which range from broadband expansion to water projects, will use almost all of the $1.87 billion allocated to the state, lawmakers said.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled last week that State Question 820, an initiative to legalize marijuana, could not be placed on the 2022 general election ballot because legal challenges were still pending and the question could not be printed in time for the state to meet its deadline of mailing absentee ballots.

The court’s order said the measure will be decided on at a later election date, either Nov. 5, 2024, or at a special election. The governor can call special elections for ballot questions.

In August, the Oklahoma secretary of state announced that Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, the campaign behind the measure, submitted a sufficient number of signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.

Following signature verification, there was a period for legal challenges to be filed contesting the ballot measure. The challenge period for State Question 820 began on Sept. 1 and ended on Sept. 15. Two challenges were filed related to the validity of signatures submitted for the initiative and two challenges were filed related to the initiative’s ballot language. The state Supreme Court rejected the signature validity challenges and denied motions requesting rehearings. The court also rejected the ballot language challenges; however, the plaintiffs can request rehearings.

After the challenges have been resolved, the secretary of state notifies the governor, who issues an election proclamation. The governor’s election proclamation must be issued and certified to the State Election Board at least 70 days before an election for a state question to appear on a ballot. Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said August 29 (70 days before the general election) was the deadline to formally certify measures for the ballot. Additionally, the deadline to print and mail absentee voters is 45 days before the general election, which is Sept. 24.

Proponents filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court to expedite the ballot title verification process and include the measure on the November 2022 ballot, arguing that “The new [signature verification] process took about 48 days from the time we turned in our signatures until the time they were verified. In the past, that was usually about two weeks or a little longer. It’s been a new process for them, which has caused a lot of missteps along the way. They have dropped the ball, which is why we have asked the Supreme Court to intervene.”

On Sept. 21, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that proponents “have no clear legal right and [elections officials] have no plain legal duty to put SQ 820 on the November 8, 2022, general election ballot” unless it has met all statutory requirements and that “SQ 820 cannot be printed on ballots in time to comply with the deadline for mailing ballots to absentee voters.”

Marijuana legalization measures are certified to appear on the 2022 ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Votes on the Arkansas initiative may not be counted pending a state Supreme Court ruling.

(The Center Square) - Visitors to Oklahoma's 35 state parks generated $15.5 million in state tax receipts and $9.3 million in local tax receipts in 2021, according to a new report from the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department.

Visitors to state parks spent more than $354 million in the parks and surrounding areas, according to the report. That is 10% higher than 2020, according to OTRD.

Travel-related businesses generated $59 million in earnings and benefits as the result of visits to state parks, according to the report.

Research firm Dean Runyan Associates compiled the report, which shows that the majority of the spending was on food and beverages and gasoline and transportation, with both coming in at over $114 million.

The amount spent on food includes money spent in local communities surrounding the state parks. The report does not have any number on individual food services, Rylie Mansuetti, public information office for OTRD told The Center Square.

Swadley's Bar-B-Q operated four restaurants at state parks in 2021. Their contract was terminated after the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency found several incidents of excessive spending that included $11,000 for a cheese melter and 164,903 miles in travel expenses for one month. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is probing the deal.

The report did not consider how much service providers spend on capital and operational expenses.

As for now, the four restaurants formerly operated by Swadley's are empty.

"The department is currently researching alternative options to provide dining amenities in those locations," Mansuetti said. "There is a potential for new solicitations within the next calendar year."

The majority of state park visitors were from in-state and made up about 59% of overnight visits. Many of the out-of-state visitors were from Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri, according to OTRD.

The state parks also generated jobs, according to the report. Nearly 3,000 jobs are a result of state park activity.

“Oklahoma's state parks are a crucial part of the state’s tourism industry, generating jobs and dollars in our communities from traveler spending,” said Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who also serves as Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage. “Travelers are discovering what Oklahomans have known all along — the Oklahoma outdoors are incredible.”

Large cities and metropolitan areas have long been hubs of economic activity and prosperity in the United States. Large employers that can pay enough to attract top talent from around the country often have operations in places like Austin, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. As a result, these cities, and many others like them, have a high concentration of high-income residents. But while some American cities stand out for the economic opportunity they offer, many others are notable for the opposite reason.

There are 384 metropolitan areas in the United States, and in dozens of them, incomes are far lower than average, and serious financial hardship is widespread.

The typical household in the Lawton metro area in Oklahoma earns $49,422 a year - the 30th lowest among the 384 U.S. metropolitan areas with available data, and about $20,300 less than the national median household income of $69,717.

Lawton also has a higher-than-average poverty rate. An estimated 20.1% of the metro area population live below the poverty line, compared to 12.8% of all Americans nationwide.

Across broad populations, incomes tend to rise with educational attainment, and in the Lawton area, only 24.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 35.0% of all Americans in the same age group.

All data in this story is based on one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey.

RankMetro areaMedian household income, 2021 ($)Poverty rate, 2021 (%)Adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021 (%)1Beckley, WV38,73722.720.42Valdosta, GA42,23327.622.33Sumter, SC43,21020.322.04Morristown, TN43,21319.518.25Greenville, NC44,45022.533.66McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX44,81829.320.07Monroe, LA45,00127.223.98Las Cruces, NM45,17819.430.19Gadsden, AL45,29816.818.210Anniston-Oxford, AL46,52419.819.411Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ46,61618.215.112Decatur, IL46,80717.619.013Pine Bluff, AR46,82615.023.314Alexandria, LA47,03219.921.615Homosassa Springs, FL47,19716.120.816Goldsboro, NC47,59519.920.317Dothan, AL47,66519.520.518Hot Springs, AR47,69413.423.819Farmington, NM47,81926.715.620Jonesboro, AR47,93521.028.721Brownsville-Harlingen, TX48,11524.720.622Shreveport-Bossier City, LA48,16421.425.823Sebring-Avon Park, FL48,56413.418.324Albany, GA48,65918.723.025Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA48,77116.921.926Grants Pass, OR48,78516.721.027Fort Smith, AR-OK49,06519.620.328Danville, IL49,09120.915.929Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH49,36216.922.530Lawton, OK49,42220.124.331Mobile, AL49,69117.922.332Florence, SC49,72419.321.433Hinesville, GA49,73319.320.834College Station-Bryan, TX49,92723.438.135Texarkana, TX-AR50,07018.120.936Terre Haute, IN50,44018.019.737Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH50,45617.322.738Muncie, IN50,49718.124.539Saginaw, MI50,60621.822.540Carbondale-Marion, IL50,95317.128.941El Paso, TX51,00220.126.042Johnson City, TN51,11915.129.843Mansfield, OH51,15812.317.444Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA51,19416.625.045Cumberland, MD-WV51,44013.522.846Lima, OH51,49715.518.547Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL51,63917.424.848Rocky Mount, NC51,76915.121.249El Centro, CA51,80916.413.550Laredo, TX51,86722.420.6

Large cities and metropolitan areas have long been hubs of economic activity and prosperity in the United States. Large employers that can pay enough to attract top talent from around the country often have operations in places like Austin, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. As a result, these cities, and many others like them, have a high concentration of high-income residents. But while some American cities stand out for the economic opportunity they offer, many others are notable for the opposite reason.

There are 384 metropolitan areas in the United States, and in dozens of them, incomes are far lower than average, and serious financial hardship is widespread.

The typical household in the Fort Smith metro area, which spans parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma, earns $49,065 a year - the 27th lowest among the 384 U.S. metropolitan areas with available data, and about $20,650 less than the national median household income of $69,717.

Fort Smith also has a higher-than-average poverty rate. An estimated 19.6% of the metro area population live below the poverty line, compared to 12.8% of all Americans nationwide.

Across broad populations, incomes tend to rise with educational attainment, and in the Fort Smith area, only 20.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 35.0% of all Americans in the same age group.

All data in this story is based on one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey.

RankMetro areaMedian household income, 2021 ($)Poverty rate, 2021 (%)Adults with a bachelor's degree, 2021 (%)1Beckley, WV38,73722.720.42Valdosta, GA42,23327.622.33Sumter, SC43,21020.322.04Morristown, TN43,21319.518.25Greenville, NC44,45022.533.66McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX44,81829.320.07Monroe, LA45,00127.223.98Las Cruces, NM45,17819.430.19Gadsden, AL45,29816.818.210Anniston-Oxford, AL46,52419.819.411Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ46,61618.215.112Decatur, IL46,80717.619.013Pine Bluff, AR46,82615.023.314Alexandria, LA47,03219.921.615Homosassa Springs, FL47,19716.120.816Goldsboro, NC47,59519.920.317Dothan, AL47,66519.520.518Hot Springs, AR47,69413.423.819Farmington, NM47,81926.715.620Jonesboro, AR47,93521.028.721Brownsville-Harlingen, TX48,11524.720.622Shreveport-Bossier City, LA48,16421.425.823Sebring-Avon Park, FL48,56413.418.324Albany, GA48,65918.723.025Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA48,77116.921.926Grants Pass, OR48,78516.721.027Fort Smith, AR-OK49,06519.620.328Danville, IL49,09120.915.929Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH49,36216.922.530Lawton, OK49,42220.124.331Mobile, AL49,69117.922.332Florence, SC49,72419.321.433Hinesville, GA49,73319.320.834College Station-Bryan, TX49,92723.438.135Texarkana, TX-AR50,07018.120.936Terre Haute, IN50,44018.019.737Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH50,45617.322.738Muncie, IN50,49718.124.539Saginaw, MI50,60621.822.540Carbondale-Marion, IL50,95317.128.941El Paso, TX51,00220.126.042Johnson City, TN51,11915.129.843Mansfield, OH51,15812.317.444Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA51,19416.625.045Cumberland, MD-WV51,44013.522.846Lima, OH51,49715.518.547Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL51,63917.424.848Rocky Mount, NC51,76915.121.249El Centro, CA51,80916.413.550Laredo, TX51,86722.420.6

(The Center Square) - Oklahoma's high court has allowed mask mandates in schools but the state's Department of Education says no districts have yet to make the change.

Two parents and two doctors with children in the Oklahoma School System sued the state over a bill passed by Oklahoma lawmakers that required an emergency order from the governor before school boards could require masks. The Oklahoma State Medical Association was also a plaintiff in the suit originally filed in 2021.

The plaintiffs claimed the bill was unconstitutional and "were a violation of Oklahoma children's right to a free education in a safe environment guaranteed by the Oklahoma Constitution. The court agreed.

"At the heart of the legislation in this matter is local control usurped or impeded by requiring the governor to declare or not declare a state of emergency," the court said in its ruling. "The statutes remove the school board's authority to act independently and exercise the authority granted to the school board and it grants that authority to the Governor -- who has neither constitutional nor statutory authority over the operation of schools."

The ruling comes as COVID-19 transmission rates are varying from county to county, which some considered to be high transmission areas. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 62.7% of Oklahoma residents are fully vaccinated.

No school districts have indicated they would begin mask mandates as of Thursday, according to Rob Crissinger, executive director of communications for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The ruling came a day before a federal judge in Louisiana struck down President Joe Biden's mask and vaccine mandate for Head Start child care centers. Oklahoma was one of two dozen states that sued the federal government over the mandate. The federal government has not indicated if it will appeal.

(The Center Square) — With a permanent injunction issued in a case against President Biden's mask and vaccine mandate for Head Start child care centers, the only question is whether federal officials will appeal the ruling.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty struck down the mandate on Wednesday, finding the edict poses a "substantial threat of irreparable injury" to the two dozen states that sued.

He granted a permanent injunction against federal agencies enforcing the mandate, which required masks for toddlers and staff, as well as a requirement for a COVID vaccination or weekly tests for adults.

Any appeal would be filed with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which handles cases from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

"I am grateful Judge Doughty applied the law and blocked this federal overreach from burdening some of our neighbors most in need," Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said. "As I said when we first filed suit, masking two-year-olds and force vaccinating teachers in our underserved communities would impede child development and cost jobs; fortunately, this attack has been thwarted."

Doughty found the Head Start teachers and 24 states that sued over the mandate would face a "substantial threat of irreparable injury" if it wasn't struck down.

"Plaintiff States will incur the increased cost of training and of enforcing the Head Start Mandate, will be unable to enforce their laws, and will have their police power encroached. The Court finds that this would be an irreparable injury," Doughty wrote. "The Plaintiff States' citizens will suffer irreparable injury by having a substantial burden placed on their liberty interests because they will have to choose between losing their jobs or taking the vaccine."

The lead plaintiff in the case, Louisiana preschool teacher Sandy Brick, was represented by the Pelican Institute and the Liberty Justice Center.

"Louisiana teacher Sandy Brick has been serving her students through adversity and uncertainty the last two years. Today, this decision vindicates her right to teach without sacrificing her freedom," Sarah Harbison, attorney with the Pelican Institute, said Wednesday.

Liberty Justice Center attorney Daniel Suhr vowed to "continue to fight for teachers like Sandy and the low-income students they serve until every illegal and unjustified mandate is wiped from the books."

"Today's decision is a significant step toward undoing the injustice perpetrated against everyday Americans throughout the COVID-19 crisis," he said in a Wednesday release.

Doughty, who previously struck down the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, explained the Head Start ruling boils down to a balance between the public interest and individual liberty.

"Although vaccines arguably serve the public interest, the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines," he wrote.

Doughty's permanent injunction applies to Head Start programs in Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.