SQ 832: If the majority of Oklahomans vote for the raise for their own personal gain, is not the majority rule harmful for the rest of Oklahoma?

By James Finck, Ph.D.Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced that State Question 832 will be included on the June 16, 2026, ballot. This will be a difficult question for Oklahomans as, if passed, it will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029.

Trump, Harrison and Presidential Do-Overs

By James Finck, Ph.D.It’s not often in life that we get a do-over, and in politics it’s even rarer. Most of the time, once a candidate is associated with defeat, they are never considered for office again. What is even rarer is a president losing reelection and getting a second shot.

How the auto industry lost me as a customer (at least for now)

I drive a 1975 Chevy Nova. When I say I drive it, I mean it’s my daily transportation. This leap of faith was a recent one after my 2014 Subaru Forester engine died – in no small thanks to my horrible abuse.

Constitutional Amendments That Impacted Our Election Day

As Americans gather at the polls this week to choose our next president it may look a bit different than it has in the past. For good or bad, early voting and mail-in voting has become much more common, meaning the lines may be shorter. But at what cost?

State Question 834 and prohibiting noncitizens voting in local elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. recently experienced two significant hurricanes that left massive destruction in their wakes. Some of the hardest-hit areas are hundreds of miles inland and nowhere near the coast, with one profound impact: flooding.

Off-the-cuff: unscripted comments that sank presidential campaigns

At the time of writing this column, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is currently leading in most polls to win the Presidency of the United States.

State Question 834 and prohibiting noncitizens voting in local elections

The Oklahoma Legislature wants voters to change one word in the state constitution to explicitly forbid noncitizens from participating in state and local elections.State Question 834, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that appears on the Nov.

Reviewing “The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China and The Next World War”

As we approach the next election, Jim Sciutto’s latest international political book is one of the timeliest books to be read.

Reviewing Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis”

By James Finck, Ph.D.In 2016 J.D. Vance released a memoir of his formative years as a member of a hillbilly family just trying to survive. His story was about overcoming obstacles as he eventually made it out of his small town to attend college and Yale Law School.

New committee examining economic development proposals meets

From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – Robust economic development is the goal of a new act created through the passage of Senate Bill 1447 in the recent legislative session.The “Creating Oklahoma’s Modern Plan for Economic Transformation and Effectiveness (COMPETE) Act” was approved by Gov.