Oklahoma News Oklahoma approves OG&E $30 million rate increase: Amid heavy public scrutiny and customer frustration about rising electric bills, Oklahoma Gas & Electric received permission from state regulators to raise the base rate charged for utility service by about 1.9%. [The Oklahoman] Panel OKs another $70 million in Tulsa ARPA projects: A legislative panel gave preliminary approval Thursday to $70 million in American Rescue Plan Act allocations for medicine-related projects in Tulsa. [Tulsa World] State Government News State tax revenue continues to grow: State tax revenue continued growing at a record pace in August, Oklahoma Treasurer Randy McDaniel said Thursday. McDaniel said gross receipts of $1.37 billion for August set an all-time high for the month and brought the 12-month total to $16.82 billion, also a record. [Tulsa World] Voting and Election News Column: Initiative petition process stymied at expense of state voters: The state Supreme Court showdown over State Question 820 isn't solely about whether Oklahomans will get to vote this November on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record] Race for Tulsa's District 7 city council seat heading to November runoff following recount: The race for the District 7 city council seat is heading to a runoff in November following a recount of August's votes by the Tulsa County Election Board. [Public Radio Tulsa] Health News Column: Our mental health providers need Oklahoma to invest in rural youths: Increasing numbers of infants, young children and their families who need mental health support is a pressing issue across rural Oklahoma. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs (IECMH) are difficult programs to deliver, especially as infants are not always able to tell caregivers or their parents what is wrong. We face a huge responsibility in meeting this need. [Kevin Evans Guest Column / The Oklahoman] Criminal Justice News Oklahoma AG Urges Prosecution for Performing An Abortion: Republican Attorney General John O'Connor, a fierce opponent of abortion, issued guidance for law enforcement and prosecutors on how to navigate the state's new anti-abortion laws, which make it a felony to perform an abortion in the state. [The Oklahoma Eagle] Longtime public servant Michael Thompson retires from state service: Michael Thompson on Thursday announced his retirement as deputy director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation after a lengthy public service record. Oct. 1 will be his last day in the office. He started working for the agency in early 2022. [Tulsa World] Education News TPS board member concerned redistricting will affect schools' representation: Tulsa Public Schools' Board of Education met this week to discuss potential plans to address redistricting that one board member says could potentially affect representation on different TPS campuses. [Public Radio Tulsa] Oklahoma Schools Dealing With Shortage Of Registered Nurses: Oklahoma is not only dealing with a teacher shortage but also a lack of school nurses. According to the State Department of Education, there are less than 400 school nurses for the more than 700,000 students across the state. [NewsOn9] Oklahoma Local News - Updated COVID boosters are here. Here's how and where to get an OKC appointment [The Oklahoman]
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