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Independent Journalism Center Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. He previously served as senior Capitol reporter for The Journal Record, media director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and chief editorial writer at The Oklahoman. As a reporter for The Journal Record, Carter received 12 Carl Rogan Awards in four years—including awards for investigative reporting, general news reporting, feature writing, spot news reporting, business reporting, and sports reporting. While at The Oklahoman, he was the recipient of several awards, including first place in the editorial writing category of the Associated Press/ Oklahoma News Executives Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition for an editorial on the history of racism in the Oklahoma legislature.
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The first month of the legislative session has been eventful with committee work, passing a grocery tax cut and working on the state budget.
Read moreLegislation to move Oklahoma school-board elections to a November ballot has received strong support from a state House committee.
Read moreOCPA President Jonathan Small issued the following statement following passage by the House Rules Committee of HB 2949, which would provide income tax relief for working Oklahomans: “This bill provides families and small businesses with immediate relief from the Biden administration’s inflationary policies while putting Oklahoma on a sustainable path to completely eliminating Oklahoma’s penalty on work, the state income tax,” Small said. “Taxpayers have helped the state government grow to record levels for years, and the state government currently has a $543 million surplus, leaving plenty of room to pass income tax relief without putting the state in a difficult situation. Now is the time to give families and small businesses some of their hard-earned money back rather than continue to grow state government.”
Read moreReps. David Smith, R-Arpelar, and Rick West, R-Heavner, held a meeting Feb. 21 with 11 rural fire coordinators from across the state who voiced concerns about new mandatory training requirements from the state fire marshal in accordance with state statutes.
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VIEW from behind the plow
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When I was young I loved going to the Saturday afternoon movies with my sister.
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