Articles written by trevor brown
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As victims' rights law makes ballot, other states grapple with pitfalls
Oklahoma House members’ unanimous vote Tuesday to put a constitutional amendment expanding crime-victims’ rights on the 2018 ballot suggests the need for it is obvious and indisputable. “Marsy’s Law,” as it is called, would amend the constitut...
State looks to roll back required health-care benefits
The fate of health coverage for thousands of Oklahomans continues to hang in the balance despite the failure of Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. GOP leaders pulled their health-care proposal Friday after it was clear there w...
In search of a grand bargain: Ways to bridge budget gap
As Oklahoma’s 2017 legislative session enters its fourth week, one thing is abundantly clear: Republicans, Democrats and Gov. Mary Fallin are nowhere close to a budget deal. The Legislature and governor’s office have until the end of May to sign off...
Time to panic? Policymakers, public divided on 'dire' budget warnings
Moments after explaining how another state revenue failure will require millions of dollars of mid-year budget cuts, Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger issued a warning to lawmakers and top state officials. “I don’t know how much more I can...
Did gerrymandering give Republicans dominance in legislature?
A recent federal court ruling could open a new wave of redistricting challenges across the country. And that includes Oklahoma, where Republicans now control 78.5 percent of the statehouse seats – a...
Calculating Oklahoma's efficiency gap
To calculate the efficiency gap for legislative elections in 2014 and 2016, Oklahoma Watch compiled the total votes cast for each district’s Republican and Democratic candidates, plus the total combined vote. For uncontested races, a total vote numbe...
A redder, and greener, Legislature faces steep challenges
Republicans built further on their dominance of the state Legislature on Tuesday by securing a net gain of four House seats and three Senate seats. The change was relatively slight, but contrasted with intensive efforts this year by Democrats, educat...
Q&A on 'Right to Farm' question
A ballot measure, State Question 777, would place in Oklahoma’s constitution a “right to farm,” setting new limits on elected officials’ ability to pass laws that might infringe on farming rights. Farming, in this case, refers to Oklahom...
Federal ruling may end nursing homes' no-lawsuit agreements
A new federal ruling could settle a long-disputed question of whether Oklahoma nursing homes can force patients or their families to sign away their rights to sue in court as a condition for admission. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...
Okla. polling, fundraising data hints at tighter Trump win
Recent polling and fundraising numbers seem to confirm that Donald Trump will likely win Oklahoma’s seven electoral votes this November. Trump has now outraised Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the state for the third consecutive month. And a...
In Oklahoma, child care providers are closing their doors
After 23 years in the child-care industry, Laura Hatcher is edging toward a decision she doesn't want to make. The 51-year-old Antlers resident runs one of the four licensed day-care facilities in... Full story
