Pinto Congress Returns to Tulsa

Pinto Horse Association of America is hosting the annual Color Breed Congress horse show in Tulsa, Okla., Nov. 1-9. The entire event is free to the public.    

Over the course of the horse show, around 15,000 people and as many as 1,500 horses in over 600 classes will make their way to Tulsa’s Expo Square according to a press release today.

There will be $250,000 given out in cash and awards throughout the show. Class exhibitors are eligible to receive jackets, halters and medallions. High point winners are eligible to be awarded buckles, and Kensington protective products.   

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Corrections Empowers Incarcerated

Shortly after his appointment as executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC), Steven Harpe recognized that a critical voice was absent from decision-making – the voice of over 21,000 incarcerated individuals in Oklahoma’s correctional facilities. To make meaningful improvements in facility conditions and support rehabilitation, Harpe established the Office of Offender Advocacy, appointing Nicole Flemming as chief to bring inmates’ perspectives directly to him the DOC announced in a release today.

Flemming, a long-time ODOC employee and former administrator of the Community Outreach Unit, which serves as a liaison between inmates’ families and the agency while also advocating for crime victims, took on the mission of gathering feedback from the inmate population. She began by attending inmate council meetings to hear directly from inmate representatives elected by their peers. However, to fully understand the population’s perspectives, she initiated a direct survey of the entire inmate population. This inaugural survey, conducted in November 2023, is believed to be the first of its kind nationwide.

Chief of Offender Advocacy Nicole Flemming meets with inmates to discuss taking the survey and hear about any issues or suggestions they have for enhancing inmate services and living conditions.
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AG Asks to Expedite Election Integrity

With a presidential election only days away, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Virginia to remove non-citizens from its voter roll. In an amicus brief filed Monday, Drummond and a coalition of 25 other states argue that a preliminary injunction halting the state of Virginia from removing self-identified non-citizens from its rolls undermines a state’s authority to determine voter qualifications. Virginia’s law provides mechanisms to protect election integrity, while ensuring only U.S. citizens remain on voter rolls.

“Election integrity is non-negotiable,” said Drummond. “Voters across the country are already casting ballots for next week’s presidential election. It is critical that states have the authority to police voter qualifications and keep non-citizens from voting.

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Ignite the Night Ceramics Event

Back by popular demand November 8th, the “Ignite the Night” fundraiser will kick off Red Heat Ceramics’ 4th Annual Sale weekend with live Raku firings throughout the evening. Red Heat opens its doors to the public only once a year. The Ignite the Night show draws hundreds over three days and all are welcome.

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National Report on OK Fiscal Policy

In a report released last Friday, The Cato Institute and Truth in Accounting judged the fiscal policy of each of the states. This report grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited‐​government perspective. Governors receiving an “A” are those who have cut taxes and spending the most, whereas governors receiving an “F” have increased taxes and spending the most.

The following is what they found for Oklahoma.

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