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ENJOY OETA FOR FREE ANYTIME.

TUNE IN OVER THE AIR OR VISIT OETA.TV.

REACTION TO MARKWAYNE MULLIN CONFIRMATION.

AS THE NEW SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR.

PRESIDENT, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

I WON'T LET YOU DOWN.

MEET THE ENERGY EXECUTIVE APPOINTED TO FILL MULLEN'S SENATE SEAT.

REALLY DO LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE SHORT TIME THAT THAT I'M IN THE SENATE.

WHAT IMPACT WILL GOVERNOR STITT'S TENURE REFORM HAVE ON THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AT OKLAHOMA'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES?

THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER GROUND TO A HALT.

ONGOING SEARCHES.

WE HAD CANDIDATES WHO HAD APPLIED FOR JOBS, WHO WITHDREW THEIR APPLICATIONS.

MEET THE OU PROFESSOR WHO HELPED CONSULT ON A MULTIPLE OSCAR WINNING FILM.

I ALWAYS KIND OF WATCHED THE OSCARS WITH A YAWN, LIKE, OKAY, THEY WON.

ALL RIGHT.

WHATEVER THEY WANT.

BUT WHEN SINNERS WON, IT WAS LIKE, YES, IN IN DEPTH CONVERSATION.

ON THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING MILITARY DRONE INDUSTRY IN OKLAHOMA.

WE ARE IN A GREAT POSITION BECAUSE WE ARE A COLLABORATIVE STATE.

THERE ARE PARTNERSHIPS GOING ON ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS BREAKING GROUND ON $1 BILLION COLISEUM IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

HELLO EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

I'M RICH LENZ.

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT WASTING LITTLE TIME IN NAMING MARKWAYNE MULLIN TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT IN THE U.S.

SENATE FOLLOWING MULLEN'S CONFIRMATION ON TUESDAY, REPLACED KRISTI NOEM AS THE NEW SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

JASON DOYLE JOINS US NOW WITH REACTION FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

JASON RICH, DESPITE LOSING SUPPORT FROM A KEY REPUBLICAN, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, WAS STILL CONFIRMED BECAUSE TWO DEMOCRATIC SENATORS VOTED HIS WAY.

THIS SETS OFF A DOMINO EFFECT FOR OKLAHOMA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.

AS GOVERNOR, STITT APPOINTS AN ENERGY EXECUTIVE WHO WILL HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.

FORMER U.S.

SENATOR MARKWAYNE MULLIN WAS ADMINISTERED THE OATH OF OFFICE AT THE WHITE HOUSE LATE TUESDAY MORNING.

AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WATCHES.

THE PRESIDENT PRAISED MULLEN'S SERVICE IN CONGRESS, HELPING HIM TO ACCOMPLISH PARTS OF THE MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN AGENDA.

AND HE REALLY HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING.

IT'S BEEN A CLOSE AND VITAL PARTNER IN HELPING US SECURE THE BORDER, STOP MIGRANT CRIME AND THE SCOURGE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS, AND MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.

TRUMP ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF MULLEN BEING THE ONLY NATIVE AMERICAN SERVING IN THE SENATE, BEFORE HE RESIGNED TO TAKE THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY JOB.

HE'S NOW THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE CHEROKEE NATION EVER TO SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE CABINET.

I DIDN'T KNOW ALL THESE THINGS.

I WOULD HAVE PICKED HIM FASTER IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE MADE A QUICKER DECISION.

AFTER TAKING THE OATH, MULLEN SAID THAT HE WAS HUMBLED BY THE APPOINTMENT.

IT JUST SEEMS SURREAL BEING IN THE OVAL OFFICE AND HAVING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SPEAK SO HIGHLY OF ME AND THEN RECOGNIZE MY FAMILY AND KNOW MY FAMILY BY NAME, IT'S IT'S HUMBLING.

MULLEN SAYS HE'S READY TO GET TO WORK AND ADDS, THE DHS WORKFORCE IS DEDICATED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONTINUING TO PERFORM DESPITE A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, WHICH HAS KEPT THEM FROM GETTING PAID FOR MORE THAN A MONTH.

THESE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 30 DAYS WITHOUT PAY, AND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING TO KNOW THEIR DEDICATION TO SHOW UP AND STILL PROTECT THE HOMELAND THAT YOU AND I ENJOY AND THE FREEDOMS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.

THEY'RE WORKING FOR FREE BECAUSE OF POLITICAL POLITICS.

REACTION TO MULLEN'S NEW POSITION CAME FROM SEVERAL LEADERS, INCLUDING OKLAHOMA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CYNDI MUNSON, WHO SAID IN PART, MY HOPE FOR SECRETARY MULLEN IS THAT HE DOES BETTER THAN HIS PREDECESSOR AND SPEAKS TO PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES WHO ARE AND HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED BY ICE.

IT IS IMPERATIVE WE WORK TO ENSURE HUMAN BEINGS ARE TREATED WITH THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY THEY DESERVE.

I HOPE HE CAN HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE AFFECTED AND WORK TO MAKE NECESSARY CHANGES THAT PREVENT FOLKS FROM LIVING IN FEAR.

AS MULLEN PREPARES TO TAKE ON THE NEW JOB, GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SENDS HIS CONGRATULATIONS AS HE PREPARES TO NAME MULLEN'S REPLACEMENT IN THE SENATE.

I WANT TO COMMEND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS NOMINATION OF OKLAHOMA'S OWN MARKWAYNE MULLIN TO SERVE ON HIS CABINET AS SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

MARK WAYNE'S GOING TO DO A TREMENDOUS JOB AND AND FIGHT FOR OKLAHOMA.

VALUES.

STITT HAS TAPPED TULSA OIL AND GAS EXECUTIVE ALAN ARMSTRONG TO BE OKLAHOMA'S CARETAKER SENATOR.

ALLEN'S STORY, AS YOU GUYS GET TO KNOW HIM, REFLECTS THE VERY BEST OF OKLAHOMA.

OUR VALUES, OUR WORK ETHIC, AND OUR PURSUIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM THAT IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT, STITT AND ARMSTRONG TRAVELED TO MAR A LAGO, WHERE THE PRESIDENT SIGNED OFF ON THE APPOINTMENT.

I'VE TOLD THE GOVERNOR THIS MANY TIMES, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN DOING THIS AT ALL IF I HADN'T SEEN THE KIND OF COURAGE THAT YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED AS OUR GOVERNOR IN TAKING ON THE TOUGH ISSUES, STANDING UP FOR THE RIGHT THINGS AND STANDING UP FOR THE LONG TERM THINGS.

AND HONESTLY, IT'S VERY INSPIRING TO ME.

ARMSTRONG IS THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR TULSA BASED WILLIAMS.

HE'S PLANNING TO LEVERAGE HIS EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY IN THE BELTWAY, TRY TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY GREAT AND MAKE CONTINUE TO DRIVE BETTER AND BETTER POLICIES THAT ALLOW US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND BE ABLE TO CONNECT IT TO THE CONSUMERS THAT DESERVE THE CHOICE, AND LET THEM BE MAKING THE CHOICE FOR FOR AFFORDABLE ENERGY.

ARMSTRONG CAUGHT A FLIGHT TO D.C.

AFTER THE STATE CAPITOL ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE SWORN INTO OFFICE, HELPING TO MAINTAIN THE THIN REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE SENATE.

THAT YOU TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION, AND THAT YOU WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE ON WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER, SO HELP YOU GOD, I DO.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU.

WE'RE BACK ON MONDAY.

IT TOOK THE U.S.

SENATE A WHILE TO TAKE UP MULLEN'S NOMINATION VOTE.

MULLEN HAD HIS CHAMPIONS AND DETRACTORS MAKING SPEECHES.

THEY ALSO TOOK SHOTS AT EACH OTHER FOR HOLDING UP FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

BECAUSE OF THE IMPASSE OVER IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT REFORMS.

IT'S A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT MADE ALL THE MORE CHALLENGING RIGHT NOW BY DEMOCRATS HAVING SHUT DOWN DHS FOR FIVE WEEKS.

WE ALL KNOW THAT MARK TWAIN ISN'T AFRAID OF A CHALLENGE.

THE PROBLEMS OF DHS ARE LARGER THAN ANY ONE PERSON, AND I REMAIN CONCERNED MY COLLEAGUES WILL NOT REIN IN THEIR ABUSES.

SENATOR MULLEN HAS NOT CRITICIZED THE DEPARTMENT'S PAST VIOLENCE OR TACTICS IN THE PRESIDENT'S MASS DEPORTATION CAMPAIGN.

HE HAS ISSUES WITH MANAGING HIS TEMPER.

WE'VE SEEN THAT.

AND HE HAS VIRTUALLY NO EXPERIENCE WITH DHS.

AFTER TAKING HIS OATH IN THE OVAL OFFICE, MULLEN PROMISED HE WOULD NOT CONSIDER POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS WHEN DHS IS NEEDED BY A STATE.

I MADE THIS VERY CLEAR THAT I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR STATE IS.

I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE RED OR BLUE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, MY JOB IS TO BE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND AND TO PROTECT EVERYBODY.

THE SAME.

ALAN ARMSTRONG WILL HOLD THE SENATE SEAT UNTIL THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION IS CERTIFIED IN OKLAHOMA.

THE WINNER OF THAT ELECTION WILL BE SWORN INTO OFFICE BEFORE THE FULL NEXT CONGRESS BEGINS IN JANUARY 2027.

RICH.

JASON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NOW, COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST, AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ON THE MILITARY DRONE INDUSTRY IN OKLAHOMA.

IT'S GROWING.

AND BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN IRAN, MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, BOTH IN TERMS OF BUILDING DRONES AND DEVELOPING COUNTER-DRONE TECHNOLOGIES.

HERE'S CASSIDY MUDD WITH A PREVIEW OF THAT CONVERSATION.

THE ABILITY FOR ALMOST ANYBODY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU SIT WITHIN THE TECHNOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEM, TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE CONSUMER GRADE SYSTEMS, MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THOSE, AND HAVE AN ATTACK SYSTEM THAT DECADES AGO WOULD REALLY BEEN SOLELY THE DOMAIN SPACE OF THE US.

THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS RESHAPED THE BATTLEFIELD IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO INCLUDE THREATS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR SOLDIERS, ALL THE WAY UP TO WHAT KIND OF THINGS OTHER NATIONS WILL TARGET WHEN THEY COME AT US IN A FUTURE CONFLICT.

IT'S REALLY MASS PRECISION AT LOW COST.

YOU CAN SWARM 500 OF THESE THINGS INTO A LOCATION AT ALMOST NO COST, AND YOU CAN DO IT PRECISION WITHOUT TAKING OUT CITY BLOCKS.

YOU'RE TAKING OUT THAT RADAR.

YOU'RE TAKING OUT THAT POWER STATION.

THE REST OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

AND ALSO LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST, WE WILL HAVE OUR WEEKLY DEBRIEF ON THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH QUORUM CALL PUBLISHER SHAWN ASHLEY THIS WEEK, LAWMAKERS DEALING WITH THE DEADLINE, AND SHAWN WILL GIVE US ALL THE DETAILS ON THAT FOLLOWING OUR IN-DEPTH SEGMENT IN EARLY FEBRUARY, GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PUSHING FOR TENURE REFORM FOR COLLEGE PROFESSORS THAT WOULD, QUOTE, TIE ACCOUNTABILITY TO PERFORMANCE AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, WITH MORE ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND THE REACTION FROM FACULTY MEMBERS.

WE'RE JOINED NOW BY STEVE SHAW, STEVE RICH.

IT'S BEEN HARD TO GET OKLAHOMA'S REGIONAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO WEIGH IN ON THIS, SINCE GOVERNOR STITT SAID HE WANTED TO DO AWAY WITH LIFETIME TENURE LAST MONTH.

THEN A FEW WEEKS AGO, I GOT A CALL FROM A TENURED PROFESSOR AT SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY IN DURANT.

DOCTOR STEVE CHALKY'S PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO THE U.S.

FROM GERMANY IN 1962.

CHALKY'S MOTHER WAS A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR.

MY FATHER WAS A CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEON.

DID THE FIRST OPEN HEART SURGERY IN KANSAS CITY.

SO I. I'M LUCKY TO HAVE HAD THOSE PARENTS.

CHALKY CAME TO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY SIX YEARS AGO.

HE TEACHES PHILOSOPHY ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF MORRISON HALL.

THE SCHOOL GRANTED DOCTOR CHALKY TENURE LAST YEAR.

SO TENURE IS BASICALLY A. IT CAN BE VIEWED IN A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.

IT CAN BE VIEWED AS A SORT OF PROMISE MADE BY THE UNIVERSITY TO A PROFESSOR OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF JOB SECURITY.

BUT THAT JOB SECURITY IS REALLY SIMPLY A FORM OF.

THE PROMISE IS THAT THERE WILL BE DUE PROCESS INVOLVED IN ANY TERMINATION.

THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY PROMISE THAT THERE IS.

WELL, IT'S AN HONOR TO TO BE WITH YOU.

AT LAST MONTH'S STATE REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION MEETING IN OKLAHOMA CITY, GOVERNOR STITT ANNOUNCED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT WOULD END WHAT HE CALLED LIFETIME TENURE APPOINTMENTS AT REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

O U O S U AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS WOULD BE EXEMPT.

DON'T LET SOMEONE TEACH NO CLASSES AND BRING NO RESEARCH DOLLARS IN, RIGHT?

THAT'S PRETTY SILLY.

AND JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE TENURE, THEY SIT THEIR DOCTOR, CHALKY SAYS.

TENURED PROFESSORS AT SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE ARE ALWAYS BEING EVALUATED.

ONCE YOU HAVE TENURE, ONCE YOU HAVE EARNED TENURE, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED FOR LIFE.

IT IS HERE AT SOUTHEASTERN, ONLY GUARANTEED FOR THREE YEARS.

AFTER THREE YEARS, YOU GO THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED POST TENURE REVIEW WHERE YOU WOULD PUT TOGETHER ANOTHER PORTFOLIO, BUT THIS ONE OBVIOUSLY SMALLER BECAUSE IT ONLY COVERS THE THREE YEARS.

AND BASICALLY THE UNIVERSITY WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE STILL DOING YOUR JOB AND THAT YOU'RE STILL DOING YOUR JOB AT A HIGH LEVEL.

IF YOU DO NOT PASS YOUR POST TENURE REVIEW PROCESS, YOUR TENURE WILL BE REVOKED, CHALKY SAYS.

STATISTICS COMPILED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS SHOW PROFESSOR PAY AT SOUTHEASTERN IS COMPARATIVELY LOW.

SOUTHEASTERN DOESN'T MAKE THE LOWEST 10TH PERCENTILE, SO WE ARE PAID LESS THAN 90% OF OF PROFESSORS IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO PART OF THE REASON THAT SOMEONE WOULD TAKE SUCH A LOW PAYING JOB IS TO HAVE THAT PRESTIGE OF, OF EARNING TENURE AND HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, OF SAFETY IN, IN TERMS OF, OF, OF EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION, ELIMINATING TENURE WOULD BE VERY, VERY PROBLEMATIC.

DOCTOR MEG CARTER LYNCH HAS TAUGHT ENGLISH AT SOUTHEASTERN FOR 21 YEARS.

IN 2018, SHE WON THE OKLAHOMA MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE FOR BEST PROFESSOR AT A REGIONAL OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

SHE'S HAD TENURE SINCE 2010.

WE HAD ONGOING SEARCHES FOR TO BRING IN NEW PROFESSORS, AND IT'S GREAT NEWS THAT WE'RE THE FASTEST GROWING UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

WE CONSTANTLY STRUGGLE TO HIRE IN ENOUGH FACULTY TO TEACH THE STUDENTS WE HAVE, WHICH ON THE ONE HAND IS A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER GROUND TO A HALT.

ONGOING SEARCHES.

WE HAD CANDIDATES WHO HAD APPLIED FOR JOBS, WHO WITHDREW THEIR APPLICATIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE UNINTERESTED IN COMING IF THEY KNEW THAT TENURE WASN'T A POSSIBILITY, SHE SAYS.

SEVERAL INSTRUCTORS HERE AT SOUTHEAST WERE ON TRACK TO EARN TENURE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF COLLEAGUES WHO ARE EITHER IN THE TENURE PROCESS OR ON THE TENURE TRACK, WHO THEN THEY'RE NOW IN LIMBO.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THEIR JOB IS.

THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL BE ELIGIBLE IN THE FUTURE FOR PROMOTION.

DOCTOR CLARK TEACHES BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING AND FIRST AMENDMENT STUDIES AT SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA STATE.

HE'S TAUGHT HERE FOR 12 YEARS AND EARNED TENURE FOUR YEARS AGO.

I'M ALWAYS BEEN SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL OF IT.

SEEMS LIKE THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY HIGHER EDUCATION, AND THE SEEMINGLY UNKNOWN, THE THE THE NON-DESIRED TO SEE ADVANCEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

IT'S AS THOUGH THERE'S THIS EXPECTATION THAT THE THE STATE ITSELF CAN PROGRESS AND MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT GOOD, STRONG, WELL EDUCATED, WELL ROUNDED PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF ADVANCING AND MOVING THE STATE FORWARD.

DOCTOR SCOTT CARTER IS PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT AT TULSA UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS PRIVATE.

BUT CARTER SAYS THEY'RE NOT REALLY EXEMPT.

WE'RE IN THIS STATE, OKAY, THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE BEST NOR THE BRIGHTEST TO COME TO THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA IN ORDER TO GIVE US THEIR SKILLS, THEIR RESEARCH DOLLARS, THEIR INTELLIGENCE, THEIR PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS, EVERYTHING.

YOU JUST WILL NOT ATTRACT THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST TO THIS STATE.

WE ARE GOING TO BE BASICALLY UNDERCUTTING OUR ENTIRE FUTURE FOR WHAT?

OWN SOME, SOME BOOGEYMAN, SOME SOME STRAW MAN, THIS TENURED PROFESSOR WHO'S GOING TO BE WHAT THE NEW WELFARE QUEEN KIND OF THING.

IT'S JUST REALLY KIND OF PROBLEMATIC.

SENATE BILL 1782, WHICH WOULD HAVE REMOVED TENURE FOR FACULTY AT.

OH, YOU FAILED TO GET A VOTE THIS WEEK, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE ISSUE IS NECESSARILY DEAD IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

RICH.

STEVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY.

COUNTY FRIDAY, YOU'VE GOT 20 MORE DAYS TO FILE YOUR INCOME TAXES.

AND THIS YEAR THERE ARE SOME BIG CHANGES THAT COULD LEAD TO SOME MUCH BIGGER REFUNDS FOR TAXPAYERS.

TAELYR JACKSON JOINS US FROM OUR NEWSROOM NOW WITH THE DETAILS.

TAYLOR.

RICH.

SOME FOLKS TEND TO GET NERVOUS AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR IN FEAR OF POSSIBLY OWING THE IRS.

BUT SOME OF THESE NEW TAX CHANGES UNDER THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL COULD PROVE TO BE HELPFUL FOR SOME.

ELISE OGLE IS GETTING READY FOR HER NEXT SHIFT AT SEAN CUMMING'S IRISH PUB.

SHE'S ALREADY THINKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S FILING TAX DATE.

OGLE SAYS SINCE SHE WASN'T WAITING TABLES LAST YEAR, THE NO TAX ON TIPS CHANGE HASN'T IMPACTED HER YET.

I JUST RECENTLY GOT BACK INTO SERVING MYSELF, BUT AT THE TIME, WHENEVER IT HAPPENED, MY BROTHER WAS SERVING AND BECAUSE OF IT, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, HE OWES A TON OF MONEY.

HE HAD TO PICK UP EXTRA GIGS IN ORDER TO PAY WHAT HE OWED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T REPORT HIS TIPS PROPERLY.

WHEN YOU FILE NEXT YEAR, DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AS YOUR BROTHER AND HAVE TO PAY IN?

OH YEAH, 1,000%, 1,000%.

JUST BECAUSE AT THE TIME HE WAS DOING THREE JOBS.

ONE OF THEM WAS A HIGH END RESTAURANT.

EVEN THEN, SO MUCH MONEY JUST GONE.

AND I KNOW EVEN IN LOCAL RESTAURANTS THAT I WORK IN, SAME THING UNDER THE NEW FEDERAL TAX CHANGES, IF YOU EARN TIPS AT WORK, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DEDUCT UP TO $25,000 ON YOUR FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN.

CPA JOSH MULLINS SAYS IF YOU MAKE TIPS AT WORK, BE SURE TO TRACK THEM WITH YOUR EMPLOYER TO AVOID MAJOR ISSUES WHEN FILING.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE SELF-EMPLOYED OR THEY HAVE TIPS, YOU KNOW, CASH TIPS THAT THEY'RE GETTING AND THOSE HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTED TO AN EMPLOYER, THEN THEY DON'T GET TO TAKE A DEDUCTION FOR TIPS THAT THEY'RE NOT REPORTING ON THEIR TAXES.

RIGHT?

SO THAT THAT'S WHERE WE GET TO LIKE THAT GOOD RECORD, KEEPING SOME KIND OF LOG THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH THEIR TIPS WERE ON, YOU KNOW, FOR A GIVEN SET OF HOURS OR A GIVEN DAY.

BUT YOU CAN'T GET THE DEDUCTION IF YOU DON'T REPORT YOUR TIPS ON YOUR TAX RETURN.

IF THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH ON YOUR W-2 FROM AN EMPLOYER, THEN THERE'S A FORM 4137 THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE TO FILL OUT, REPORT ALL THOSE TIPS ON SO THAT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE STILL GET DEDUCTED.

OTHER CHANGES INCLUDE NO TAX ON CAR LOAN INTEREST, WHICH ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO DEDUCT INTEREST PAID ON A CAR LOAN USED TO PURCHASE A MADE IN AMERICA VEHICLE.

THE MAXIMUM ANNUAL DEDUCTION FOR THAT IS $10,000, AND NOW THERE WILL ALSO BE NO TAX ON OVERTIME, ENABLING EMPLOYEES TO DEDUCT UP TO AROUND $12,000.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HEARD LIKE NO TAX ON OVERTIME.

AND WE'RE LIKE, AWESOME.

I'M, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TO REPORT A WHOLE LOT OF, OF INCOME.

AND IT'S TRUE TO AN EXTENT, BUT NOT ALL OVERTIME IS, IS TAX FREE.

INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE OVERTIME COMPENSATION MAY DEDUCT THE PAY THAT EXCEEDS THEIR REGULAR PAY.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF LET'S SAY YOU MAKE $20 AN HOUR AND THAT'S KIND OF YOUR YOUR BASE PAY RATE AND YOU WORK AT A PLACE WHERE YOUR EMPLOYER PAYS YOU TIME AND A HALF FOR, FOR OVERTIME HOURS.

SO YOUR TIME AND A HALF RATE THEN WOULD BE $30 AN HOUR.

AND IF YOU WORKED, YOU KNOW, 100 HOURS OF OVERTIME, YOU'D HAVE $3,000 OF OVERTIME PAY.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AWESOME.

I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PAY TAX ON $3,000.

THE THE REALITY IS YOU'RE ONLY GETTING A BREAK ON ABOUT $1,000 IN THAT KIND OF SCENARIO.

SO IT'S REALLY JUST WHAT THEY'RE CALLING THE OVERTIME PREMIUM.

SENIORS 65 AND UP MAY ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN INCREASED DEDUCTION OF $6,000.

THE NEW TAX DEDUCTION WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE 2020 TAX SEASON.

I DIDN'T ACTUALLY NOTICE A LOT OF CHANGES.

RETIRED SURGEON RUSSELL HANNON TRIES TO KEEP ABREAST ON NEW POLICY CHANGES.

I READ THE NEWSPAPER, I READ THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND THEY GIVE ME SOME TAX TIPS EVERY NOW AND THEN AND RETIREMENT TIPS, HE SAYS HAVING A CPA ENSURED AN EFFORTLESS TRANSITION FOR FILING TAXES WHEN HE RETIRED.

HE CREDITS SMART INVESTMENTS AT AN EARLY AGE FOR HIS COMFORTABLE LIFESTYLE.

NOW, I STARTED USING A CPA TO DO MY TAXES BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING, AND I HAVE MAINTAINED THAT SAME CPA SINCE THEN, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY SMOOTH.

HANNON DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE DEDUCTION FOR SENIORS, BUT HE WOULD LIKE FOR POLICYMAKERS TO CONSIDER A BREAK FOR HOMEOWNERS.

THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS PUT A LIMIT ON.

HOME OWNERSHIP TAXES.

THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT GOES UP EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY SAY THERE IS A MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT IT CAN GO UP, THEY LIKE TO HIT THE MAXIMUM.

HIS ADVICE FOR YOUNG FOLKS IS TO PLAN AHEAD FOR RETIREMENT AND TO BE SMART ON TAXES.

MAKE SOME INVESTMENTS WHILE YOU'RE YOUNG.

THE PERCENTAGES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE COMPOUNDED THROUGH THE YEARS, MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, MULLEN SAYS.

IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE STRESS DURING TAX SEASON, STAY ORGANIZED.

HAVING YOUR W-2S, YOU NEED 1099 FROM YOUR BANK SAVINGS ACCOUNTS BROKERAGE ACCOUNTS.

IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER, EVEN IF THAT'S LIKE A SIDE HUSTLE THAT YOU HAVE, TRYING TO HAVE YOUR INFORMATION PUT TOGETHER WITH HOW MUCH INCOME YOU YOU MADE, WHAT YOU SPENT THAT ON.

AND IF YOU CAN GET CATEGORIZATION OF THAT STUFF IS VERY HELPFUL FOR GETTING YOUR TAXES TOGETHER QUICKLY.

ALL OF THE NEW DEDUCTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE THROUGH 2028.

AND AS THE APRIL 15TH DEADLINE APPROACHES, YOU CAN VISIT THE OKLAHOMA SOCIETY OF CPAS WEBSITE FOR TAX TIPS AND TO FIND A CPA.

RICH TAELYR.

THANK YOU.

WELL, IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER WILL BE PLAYING IN A FABULOUS NEW BILLION DOLLAR ARENA IN TIME FOR THE 2028 2029 NBA SEASON.

ON THURSDAY MORNING, MAYOR DAVID HOLT JOINING THUNDER CHAIRMAN CLAY BENNETT AND OTHER DIGNITARIES TO BREAK GROUND ON THE SITE OF THE NOW DEMOLISHED MYRIAD.

THE NEW BUILDING WOULD BE FAR LARGER THAN THE PAYCOM CENTER, BUT WILL ACTUALLY HOLD ABOUT 1000 FEWER FANS FOR BASKETBALL GAMES.

THUNDER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT EVERY THREE DECADES.

FOR A CENTURY, THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA CITY HAVE RE-INVESTED IN THIS CRITICAL BUILDING, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS THE CENTERPIECE OF OUR CITY'S IDENTITY.

THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCH A STUNNING PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT I JUST HOPE WE ALL THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE.

ANYTHING WE BUILD.

LET'S MAKE IT INSPIRED.

LET'S MAKE IT FANTASTIC, LET'S MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL, AND LET'S MAKE IT FIT AND COMPLEMENT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.

THE MOMENTUM OF THIS CITY AND MAKING ITSELF BETTER OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND NEVER STANDING STILL.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT, AND I'M THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT.

IN JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS, MANICA ARCHITECTURE, BASED IN KANSAS CITY, HAS DESIGNED NEW FACILITIES FOR THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AND TENNESSEE TITANS, AND WE NOW KNOW WHAT THE NEW COLISEUM WILL BE CALLED.

THAT STORY TOPS THIS WEEK'S STATEWIDE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW WITH JASON DOYLE.

THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER HAVE REACHED A DEAL WITH CONTINENTAL RESOURCES TO NAME THE NEW $1 BILLION ARENA CONTINENTAL COLISEUM.

CONTINENTAL'S FOUNDER, HAROLD HAMM, SAYS THE DECISION TO CONTRACT FOR THE ARENA NAMING RIGHTS WAS TO SHOW THAT CONTINENTAL WAS STAYING IN OKLAHOMA.

CONTINENTAL IS NOT A RETAIL COMPANY.

WE'RE NOT SELLING ANYTHING TO THE PUBLIC.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO IMPRESS LIKE THAT.

SO FOR ME, IT JUST CAME FROM THE HEART.

THE NAMING RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP IS SET FOR A 15 YEAR TERM AS THE NEW ARENA IS BEING BUILT.

THE BRANDING FOR THE CONTINENTAL COLISEUM WILL APPEAR ON SIGNAGE AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION SITE THROUGH A FINANCIAL GIFT FROM ONE OF ITS ALUMNA.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA IS LAUNCHING A NEW ENERGY INITIATIVE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE FIRST EXPANSION OF NORTH CAMPUS.

THE GIFT FROM KATHERINE WALGREN WILL HELP EXPAND RESEARCH LAB SPACE SUPPORT FACILITY RECRUITMENT, STUDENT OUTREACH AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR TU'S MCDOUGAL SCHOOL OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING AVIATION SERVICES COMPANY.

A AR SAW GROWTH IN THE LATEST QUARTER, WITH NET INCOME REACHING $68 MILLION FOR THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR.

AR HAD A LOSS OF $8.9 MILLION.

THE INCREASED PROFITS CAME ON SALES OF $845 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 25%.

COMPANY LEADERS SAY THE GROWTH CAME FROM PARTS REPAIR AND SOFTWARE PLATFORM ACTIVITIES.

AR HAS A MAJOR REPAIR HUB BASED IN OKLAHOMA CITY, STILLWATER BASED USA, RARE EARTH HAS ENTERED A MUTUAL SALES AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH ARNOLD MAGNETIC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION.

BOTH COMPANIES SPECIALIZE IN MANUFACTURING HIGH PERFORMANCE MAGNETS.

THE AGREEMENT GIVES THE COMPANIES THE AUTHORIZATION TO SELL EACH OTHER'S PRODUCTS.

THE HOPE IS THAT WILL HELP EXPAND AVAILABILITY OF U.S.

MANUFACTURED RARE EARTH ELEMENT MAGNETS.

THOSE TYPE OF MAGNETS ARE USED IN EVERYTHING FROM CELL PHONES TO MISSILE AND FIGHTER JET GUIDANCE SYSTEMS.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

THANK YOU.

JASON.

THE MOVIE CENTERS RECEIVED A RECORD 16 OSCAR NOMINATIONS THIS YEAR AND WOUND UP WITH FOUR VICTORIES, INCLUDING BEST ACTOR AND BEST ORIGINAL SCORE.

MUSIC PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN THIS FILM, AND IT INCLUDES SOME OKLAHOMA INPUT.

NOAH MACK JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN.

NOAH.

YEAH.

RICH DOCTOR CARLOS HILL OF OH, YOU HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH DIRECTOR RYAN COOGLER BEFORE HE MADE THE FILM.

CENTERS IS SET IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, AND DOCTOR HILL SHARES HIS PROFESSIONAL AS WELL AS HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO HELP SHAPE THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC THRILLER AND FOREWARNING.

THERE ARE FILM SPOILERS, THE MOST PRESSING AND PERSISTENT QUESTION THAT BLACK PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY BLACK LEADERS ASKED WAS ARE WE FREE?

DOCTOR CARLOS HILL, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, TEACHES THE LONG, LUSH YET TROUBLED HISTORY OF BLACK PEOPLE IN AMERICA.

AND WHAT IS FREEDOM IF WE ARE FREE?

BUT SHARING HIS EXPERTISE IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE COLLEGIATE SETTING.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS KIND OF WATCHED THE OSCARS WITH A YAWN, LIKE, OKAY, THEY WON, ALL RIGHT, WHATEVER, THEY WON.

BUT WHEN SINNERS WON, IT WAS LIKE, YES, SINNERS.

RYAN COOGLER, DOCTOR HILL CONSULTED WITH DIRECTOR RYAN COOGLER IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES OF WHAT BECAME SINNERS.

THAT'S WHAT I SAID.

DON'T LET IT SHINE.

THE METEORIC BLOCKBUSTER THAT GROSSED NEARLY $400 MILLION, WON FOUR OSCARS AND TAPPED INTO THE SPIRIT OF THE POST-SLAVERY ERA.

PALE PALE MOON.

THE MOVIE IS ABOUT A GROUP GATHERING AT A REMOTE JUKE JOINT TO SEEK SANCTUARY IN EACH OTHER'S COMPANY AND BLUES MUSIC.

SO I LIED TO YOU.

YES, I LIED TO YOU.

I LOVE THE BLUES AND THEIR RUN IN WITH VAMPIRES.

SAMI.

WHEN COOGLER WAS COOKING UP THIS IDEA, HE DISCOVERED DOCTOR HILL IN A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MYTHOS OF PIONEER BLUESMAN ROBERT JOHNSON, PROBABLY THE MOST PROMINENT MYTHOLOGY AROUND ROBERT JOHNSON THAT I SPOKE WITH RYAN ABOUT, THAT THE FILM IS CENTERED ON IS ROBERT JOHNSON MAKING A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL?

AND I SAID, HELLO, I SAID, I'M, I BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO GO.

IT'S HISTORIC.

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL IS HOW ROBERT JOHNSON GAINED HIS GREAT MUSICAL TALENT.

BUT IT'S ALSO THE WAY IN WHICH HE LOST HIS TRAGICALLY LOST HIS LIFE.

I THINK THE CHARACTER SAMMY IN THE FILM IS A IS A COMPOSITE OF ROBERT JOHNSON, NOT, NOT AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL OR KIND OF A, AN AUTHENTIC PORTRAYAL OF WHO HE WAS NECESSARILY, BUT ELEMENTS FROM ROBERT JOHNSON'S LIFE WERE UTILIZED TO BRING SAMMY'S CHARACTER TO LIFE.

SO THAT IN THAT WAY IS A COMPOSITE CHARACTER.

BECAUSE OF ME, MY DADDY TOLD ME, SAID THE DEVIL WAS COMING ON ACCOUNT OF MY MUSIC.

DOCTOR HILL HELPED COOGLER DEVELOP THE DEVIL IN A SUPERNATURAL CONTEXT AS WELL AS A CORPOREAL ONE.

MY DISSERTATION RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT GRASSROOTS RESISTANCE TO LYNCHING IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, THE END SCENE OF SINNERS IS A LYNCHING IN THE MAKING SCENE.

THEY CAME THERE TO KILL THOSE MEN AND REPOSSESS.

SEE, POSSESSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO SINNERS.

TAKE OR POSSESSION OR REPOSSESS THE.

YOU KNOW, THE OLD TIMBER MILL THAT HAD BECOME IN THE HANDS OF SMOKE AND STACK A JUKE JOINT, THE GRAND OPENING, GRAND CLOSING.

LET'S DO IT.

OPEN IT UP.

SO WHETHER IN THIS WORLD OR IN THE OTHER WORLD, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW SANCTUARIES FOR BLACK LIFE, FOR BLACK LABOR, FOR BLACK TALENT THAT AREN'T EXPLOITED.

AND NOT ONLY IS THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA A PART OF DOCTOR HILL'S DISCIPLINE, BUT A PART OF HIS CHILDHOOD, THAT HISTORY THAT RYAN BRINGS TO LIFE IS ONE THAT I'M DEEPLY FAMILIAR WITH, BECAUSE IT'S A PART OF MY LIVED EXPERIENCE AND MY ANCESTRAL MEMORY, AS WELL AS MY SCHOLARSHIP.

DOCTOR HILL SPENT TIME GROWING UP IN THE LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI DELTA, AND HE SUPPLIED COOGLER WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND SHORT ESSAYS ON HOW TO CAPTURE THE IMAGERY OF THE DELTA.

WHEN I THINK OF MY CHILDHOOD, IT'S BEING SURROUNDED BY COTTON COTTON FLYING AROUND IN THE AIR ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT'S BEING JINW JUST DOWN THE STREET.

AND FOR ALL HIS HELP, COOGLER INCLUDED A SPECIAL THANKS TO DOCTOR HILL IN THE END CREDITS.

INITIALLY, AS I WAS SEEING IT ROLL ACROSS THE SCREEN, I WAS LIKE, WHAT DID HE DO THAT FOR?

IT TOOK ME AS A SURPRISE.

HIS WORK ON SINNERS HAS ILLUMINATED TO HIM THE POWER THAT FILM CAN HAVE.

ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT I CAN SORT OF SHARE MY SCHOLARSHIP, BE IMPACTFUL AS A SCHOLAR AND.

YOU KNOW, CREATE CONVERSATIONS THAT EVERYBODY AROUND THE WORLD IS HAVING NOW THAT SINNERS IS, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE WORLD AND SINNERS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON.

SEE, ONE OF DOCTOR HILL'S STUDENTS FIRST WATCHED SINNERS IN HER HOME COUNTRY OF DENMARK.

I FELT LIKE THE WHAT'S IT CALLED?

LIKE THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS AND LIKE ALL THE DIFFERENT AWARDS, LIKE THIS MOVIE IS LIKE IT'S GENERATIONAL.

SHE WATCHED SINNERS RIGHT BEFORE COMING TO THE AMERICAN SOUTH TO STUDY ABROAD, AND THAT'S WHERE HER EDUCATION BEGAN.

I REALLY DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS THAT MUCH OF A RICH AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY HERE, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU HEARD TEXAS, YOU WOULD THINK MORE LIKE COWBOYS OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHITE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY LIKE MY EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT OF TEXAS AND LIKE MISSISSIPPI AND COUNTRIES LIKE THAT WITH A FILM ABOUT BLACK ART AND BLACK PEOPLE'S RELATIONSHIP TO FREEDOM, TO OWNERSHIP.

DOCTOR HILL IS IN AWE OF THE MOUNTAINTOP RYAN COOGLER REACHED, ESPECIALLY IN HIS DEAL WITH WARNER BROTHERS TO OWN THE RIGHTS TO SINNERS FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES.

IT'S POETIC IN THE SENSE THAT THE FILM IS ALL ABOUT THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF SMOKE AND STACK, OF OWNING THEIR OWN JUKE JOINT, YOU KNOW, THEIR FREEDOM DREAM WAS REALIZED ULTIMATELY IN RYAN BEING ABLE TO OWN RIGHT THE RIGHTS TO THE FILM, RIGHT?

25 YEARS FROM NOW, IT'S IT'S DEFERRED, BUT IT SHALL HAPPEN, RIGHT?

DOCTOR HILL HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTING OTHER COOGLER FILMS LIKE BLACK PANTHER INTO HIS LECTURES, AND SINNERS IS NO DIFFERENT.

I LOVE THIS FILM.

I'M GOING TO TEACH THIS FILM.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS FILM FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER.

THIS COMING MONTH WILL BE THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FILM'S DEBUT.

RICH, THAT'S A GREAT STORY.

THANK YOU.

MY DEFENSE IS A COUNTER-DRONE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY BASED IN OKLAHOMA CITY, AND KRATOS IS A BUILDER OF MILITARY DRONES, ALSO HEADQUARTERED IN OKLAHOMA.

BOTH ARE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF MODERN WARFARE, AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE ONGOING CONFLICT WITH IRAN.

HERE'S MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD AND HER PANEL OF GUESTS WITH THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.

JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR JAMIE JACOB, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ONR PROGRAM AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.

ALLISON CARSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OKLAHOMA DEFENSE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION.

SHANE RILEY, A RETIRED ARMY COLONEL AND CO-OWNER OF RXR WORLDWIDE.

AND FINALLY, WE'RE JOINED VIA ZOOM BY CAMERON SCHELL, THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF DRAGONFLY.

SO BEFORE IN WAR, COUNTRIES FOUGHT WITH PLANES, THEY FOUGHT WITH MISSILES, AND ONLY THE MORE POWERFUL COUNTRIES COULD KIND OF BE INVOLVED WITH THAT TYPE OF WARFARE.

BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING MORE SMALLER, CHEAPER AND MORE WIDELY USED DRONES.

SO DOCTOR JACOB FROM A FROM SURVEILLANCE TO DIRECT ATTACKS.

HOW ARE & DRONES CHANGING HOW WAR IS BEING FOUGHT?

AND IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SHIFT THAT CONCERNS YOU?

WELL, WE'VE NOW SEEN THIS DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE AIRSPACE, THE ABILITY FOR ALMOST ANYBODY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU SIT WITHIN THE TECHNOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEM, TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE CONSUMER GRADE SYSTEMS, MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THOSE, AND HAVE AN ATTACK SYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO WOULD REALLY BEEN SOLELY THE DOMAIN SPACE OF THE US.

AND WE'RE OF COURSE, WE'RE SEEING THIS NOW BOTH IN THE UKRAINIAN THEATER AS WELL AS OUR WAR WITH IRAN.

AND SHANE, AS WE'RE SEEING MORE DRONES BEING USED, THEY'RE CHEAPER TO MAKE, THEY'RE SMALLER, THEY'RE DEPLOYED A LOT FASTER.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR HOW CONFLICTS ARE MANAGED IN THE FUTURE?

AND IN YOUR OPINION, ARE WE MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY?

IT'S IT'S CHANGED FROM THE GROUND UP FOR THE MILITARY.

AND AND I'LL GIVE YOU A STATISTIC THAT KIND OF BRINGS THAT HOME.

SOME OF THE UNITED NATIONS TRACKING OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 70% OF CASUALTIES IN SOME OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTS WERE CAUSED BY DRONES DURING ATTACKS.

SO IT'S BECOME THE MOST LETHAL THING ON THE BATTLEFIELD FOR FOR THE MILITARY TO BE CONCERNED WITH.

AND THEN UKRAINE'S RESPONSE TO THAT WAS TO SCALE UP DRONE PRODUCTION VERY QUICKLY TO, TO RESOURCE THEIR FIGHT.

AND THEY ARE JUST UNDER ACCORDING TO THEIR ADVANCED AND INDUSTRY MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY, ABOUT 8 MILLION DRONES A YEAR NOW, WHICH MEANS IN A MONTH THEY CAN PRODUCE AS MUCH AS THE ENTIRE ARSENAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

SO NO, WE ARE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

JUST OH, GO AHEAD PLEASE.

THAT 8 MILLION NUMBER IS A CONCERNING ONE, BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT WHAT THE US IS PRODUCING RIGHT NOW WITH SIMILAR SMALL DRONES, IT'S IN THE THOUSANDS.

SO IT'S REALLY 100 TO 1000 TO ONE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING.

WELL, JUST THIS WEEK, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHAT'S GOING ON IN UKRAINE, RUSSIA LAUNCHED NEARLY 1000 DRONES IN A SINGLE ATTACK.

AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST DRONE ASSAULT IN THIS WAR WITH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT HOW WARFARE IS CHANGING?

WELL, ONE THING THAT YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN IN THE WAR WITH UKRAINE AND RUSSIA, RUSSIA HAS HAS IS PURPOSEFULLY TARGETED THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OF THE NATION OF UKRAINE.

THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN, IN THE IN THE CONFLICT IN THE GULF WITH IRAN, YOU'VE SEEN THE SAME THING.

THEY'RE ATTACKING DATA CENTERS, THEY'RE ATTACKING RADAR CENTERS, AND THEY'RE ATTACKING AIRFIELDS, ALL THINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BEING ABLE TO PROJECT POWER OR TO LAUNCH OUR OWN EFFECTS OR TO SEE DRONES COMING IN.

SO THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS RESHAPED THE BATTLEFIELD IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO INCLUDE THREATS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR SOLDIERS, ALL THE WAY UP TO WHAT KIND OF THINGS OTHER NATIONS WILL TARGET WHEN THEY COME AT US IN A FUTURE CONFLICT.

CAMERON, BRINGING YOU INTO THIS, SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ARE RELATIVELY LOW COST COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL WAR WEAPONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE HEARD SOME DRONES ARE MAYBE 1000 A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO MAKE, WHEREAS MISSILES ARE CLOSER TO $1 MILLION OR SO.

BUT THESE DRONES CAN STILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT.

WHAT ADVANCEMENTS IN DRONE TECHNOLOGY ARE MAKING THAT POSSIBLE?

WELL, REALLY, IT'S THE IT'S THE ADOPTION OF CONSUMER AND OR INDUSTRIAL GRADE TECHNOLOGY BEING APPLIED INTO A MILITARY SENSE.

SO IT'S, THIS IS REALLY, AT THIS POINT, THE PINNACLE OF ASYMMETRIC WAR.

WE'VE EVEN JUST SEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS WHERE THE IRANIANS ARE NOW USING THESE SMALL FPV DRONES TO TAKE OUT RADAR STATIONS TO TAKE OUT BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS.

SO THE RATIO IS JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

BUT THE REALITY IS THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS DEVELOPED HERE, TACTICALLY PERFECTED OVER IN THE UKRAINE.

AND SO IF WE SEE THE SAME EFFECT HAPPENING IN WHAT'S IN IRAN NOW, I WOULD EXPECT THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS, IS AN UNDERGROUND DOMESTIC ASSEMBLY AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN IRAN POP UP AS THEIR HAIL MARY TO THE TO THE SAME QUESTION THAT THE UKRAINIANS FACED.

DEFENDING AGAINST THESE THINGS IS LIKE IN TERMS OF TRADITIONAL, YOU KNOW, GROUND AIR TYPE SYSTEMS IS COMPLETELY IMPRACTICAL.

IT JUST FROM A COST FACTOR, YOU CAN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH OF WHAT WE KNOW IS TRADITIONAL GROUND AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS TO TAKE THESE THINGS OUT.

THE, THE, THE CATCH PHRASE THAT REALLY IDENTIFIES THESE SYSTEMS AND WHERE RUSSIA IS NOW TAKING IT AND UKRAINE'S TAKING IT IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO SWARM THESE IS REALLY MASS PRECISION AT LOW COST.

YOU CAN SWARM 500 OF THESE THINGS INTO A LOCATION AT ALMOST NO COST, AND YOU CAN DO IT PRECISION WITHOUT TAKING OUT CITY BLOCKS.

YOU'RE TAKING OUT THAT RADAR, YOU'RE TAKING OUT THAT POWER STATION.

AND THAT'S JUST A CAPABILITY AS, AS WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THAT WAS THE DOMAIN OF ONLY THE SUPERPOWERS.

ANYBODY POSSESSES THIS NOW.

AND ALLISON, COMPANIES LIKE MY DEFENSE AND KRATOS ARE BASED RIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA.

ONE IS FOCUSED ON COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS AND THE OTHER ON BUILDING DRONES.

WHAT IS DRIVING THE INDUSTRY HERE IN OKLAHOMA, AND WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE STATE'S ROLE IN THIS INDUSTRY?

WELL, I THINK FOR MANY COMPANIES, THEY COME TO OKLAHOMA BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF GREAT ASSETS THAT WE HAVE, INCLUDING.

LOW COST, AND THEN JUST A GREAT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.

AND SO WE SEE COMPANIES COMING HERE QUITE FREQUENTLY, EITHER EXPANDING OR MOVING THEIR OPERATIONS BECAUSE OF THAT.

AND BOTH OF THOSE COMPANIES ARE WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT OKLAHOMA CAN BRING TO THOSE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE STATE AND WANTING TO REALLY GROW IN IN THIS ARENA.

AND SHANE, KIND OF, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, I MEAN, WITH THE SURVEILLANCE AND HAVING DRONES IN THE SKY, MAYBE EVEN ALL THE TIME, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE HOW OUR TROOPS ARE OPERATING ON THE GROUND?

SO WE REFER TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE DEALT WITH IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN DURING THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR AS AN UNCONTESTED AIR OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENT.

SO WE OWN THE AIR.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY THREAT ABOVE US TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, WHICH MEANT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DISGUISE YOUR MOVEMENT.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THREATS FROM THE SKY ON YOUR LOCATION.

THAT'S CHANGED NOW.

EVERYTHING'S AT RISK.

SO THE THE DEPARTMENT OF WARS AND THE ARMY, THE AIR FORCE, ETC.

HAD TO RELEARN HOW TO DO EFFECTIVE PROTECTION ON THE GROUND.

SO THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THEIR ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE.

WHEN YOU WHEN YOU KEY A RADIO, WHAT DOES THAT BROADCAST AROUND YOU?

AND CAN PEOPLE SEE THAT?

DO YOU PUT OUT A THERMAL SIGNATURE THAT A DRONE COULD SEE WITH A THERMAL CAMERA?

WHAT DOES YOUR VISUAL SILHOUETTE LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND?

HOW DISPERSED ARE YOU WHEN YOU MOVE AND WHAT IT HAS CREATED AS A AS A STRATEGIC PROBLEM OR AS AN OPERATIONAL PROBLEM ON THE GROUND FOR A LOT OF FORMATIONS IN THE MILITARY.

NOW, AS YOU CAN'T CLUSTER UP AND WHAT WE'D SAY MASS YOUR FORMATION TO ATTACK, YOU HAVE TO STAY DISPERSED UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO MASTER FIRES, ETC.

SO WE'VE RUN INTO THIS PLACE WHERE THAT CONTESTED ENVIRONMENT IS CAUSING US TO CHANGE OUR TACTICS ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND WATCH IS THIS EVOLVES OVER TIME THAT IT'LL JUST GET MORE COMPLEX AS WE GO FORWARD.

WELL, CARMEN, YOU'VE ALLUDED TO THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT THERE'S A SECOND WAR HERE WHICH IS STOPPING DRONES.

SO DRONES TODAY CAN PROVIDE REAL TIME VIDEO TRACK MOVEMENT AND EVEN GUIDE OTHER WEAPONS.

WHAT ARE THESE CAPABLE OF NOW, AND WHAT ARE SOME CAPABILITIES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT REALIZE ABOUT DRONES?

YEAH.

WELL, I THINK THE PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGER ONES THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED IS, IS THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY ACT AS A, AS NOT JUST IN TERMS OF TACTICS, BUT STRATEGICALLY.

SO THESE DRONES CAN SHOW UP AS A RADAR SIGNATURE IF YOU WANT THEM TO.

THEY CAN SPOOF, MEANING THAT THEY CAN ACT AS DECOYS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES THAT SHANE MENTIONED THAT THE GROUND TROOPS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE FACING NOW, ALL OF OUR DEFENSIVE TROOPS, YOU KNOW, AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR GROUND TROOPS HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT IF THEY DO CATCH A SIGNATURE ON RADAR, IS THAT REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S COMING IN AS A THREAT AND DO YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS IT?

AND IS IT A DECOY, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE?

SO IN THE UKRAINE, DRONE TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY CHANGES EVERY TEN DAYS, LITERALLY.

AND WE CAN WE CAN SPEAK TO THIS BECAUSE WE DESIGN AND BUILD OUR EQUIPMENT FOR THAT THEATER.

AND IN THAT THEATER, AND EVERY TEN DAYS THERE'S NEW ITERATION THAT'S GOING ON.

SO PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE IS, IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEING ATTEMPTED OR TRIED.

DOCTOR JACOB, WHAT SYSTEMS ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO ACTUALLY STOP OR DISRUPT THESE DRONES?

AND THAT'S THE REAL CHALLENGE.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW QUICKLY THESE SYSTEMS ARE EVOLVING AND ADAPTING THE SYSTEMS TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM HAVE TO EVOLVE JUST AS QUICKLY.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THIS BOTH IN UKRAINE AND IN THE GULF RIGHT NOW WITH THE IRANIANS IN TERMS OF HOW THESE SYSTEMS ARE BEING DEFENDED AGAINST.

AND WE'RE USING MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE ABLE TO STOP THESE SYSTEMS THAT MAY COST ANYWHERE FROM THOUSANDS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

AND IF WE THINK ABOUT HOW COUNTER US SYSTEMS ARE LOOKING AT THIS, IT'S A MULTI-PHASED APPROACH.

WE THINK OF THIS AS A SERIES OF SLICES OF SWISS CHEESE.

EACH SLICE HAS A HOLE IN IT, AND YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO LAYER THESE SYSTEMS TOGETHER, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE ELECTRONIC WARFARE, OPTICAL OR LASER SYSTEMS WITH RADAR AND OTHER RF JAMMING SYSTEMS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THESE SYSTEMS, EITHER STOP THE TRANSMISSION SO THAT YOU CAN STOP THE CONTROL, BE ABLE TO HIJACK THEM, OR LITERALLY TAKE THEM OUT OF THE SKY.

ARE WE AT WHERE WE NEED TO BE AT FOR THAT PORTION?

I KNOW WE'RE NOT WHERE WE AT, WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR BUILDING DRONES AND GETTING THEM OUT THERE.

BUT ARE WE GETTING THERE?

WE ARE NOT YET.

AND THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET RIGHT NOW AS WE HAVE TO LAYER THESE SYSTEMS AND HAVE THEM WORK TOGETHER TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES ARE EFFECTIVE FOR WHICH KINDS OF ATTACKS.

AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES, DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATTACKS.

WELL, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DRONES GOING TO GOING TO BE DOING, FOR EXAMPLE?

AND WE CAN THINK ABOUT DRONE OPERATIONS AS HAVING A CARELESS ACTOR, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE FLYING A DRONE NEAR AN AIRPORT, THEY JUST WANT TO MAYBE TAKE PICTURES OF AIRPLANES.

BUT THAT'S VERY HAZARDOUS TO AIR OPERATIONS AT THE AIRPORT.

OR YOU COULD HAVE A MALICIOUS ACTOR THAT REALLY WANTS TO PERFORM SOME KIND OF TERRORIST ATTACK, OR YOU MIGHT HAVE A SWARM OF ATTACK OF DRONES, AND EACH OF THOSE WOULD REQUIRE A DIFFERENT ACTION TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.

WELL, ALLISON, LOOKING AHEAD, WHERE DO WE SEE OKLAHOMA'S ROLE IN THIS INDUSTRY?

AND DO YOU THINK THE STATE IS PREPARED WITH THE WORKFORCE AND THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT GROWTH?

I THINK OKLAHOMA HAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

WE WE ARE A STATE THAT IS A PIONEER STATE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

I THINK IT'S WE'RE AT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH THE POLICIES AND THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND OTHER THINGS WHERE DRONE DOMINANCE IS NOW GETTING THE THE ATTENTION NATIONWIDE TO WHERE THEN WE CAN HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET MAYBE MORE RESOURCES AND THINGS FOR THESE FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WE'RE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME.

SO I WANTED TO SEE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS ABOUT HOW DRONE TECHNOLOGY COULD SHAPE FUTURE CONFLICTS AND ANYTHING ELSE, CAMERON, THAT YOU THINK THE VIEWERS SHOULD KNOW?

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, IN WORLD WAR ONE, WE SAW A TECTONIC SHIFT FROM ORGANIC WARFARE TO MECHANIZED WARFARE.

WE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, HUMANS AND HORSES TO TANKS AND MACHINE GUNS.

AND THEN AS WE, YOU KNOW, PROGRESSED THROUGH WORLD WAR TWO, WE SAW THINGS GO TO, YOU KNOW, I'LL CALL IT AUTOMATED WARFARE, WHERE YOU COULD HAVE BATTLE GROUPS OR SYSTEMS USING, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATED SYSTEMS AND ATTACKS USING MORE AUTOMATED TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY.

IN THE BEGINNING OF COMPUTERS AND SUCH, THE TACTICS AND THE STRATEGY THAT WILL NOW BE REQUIRED TO WIN WARS BECAUSE THEY BECAUSE WARS CAN BE WON IN AN ASYMMETRIC FASHION IN, IN, BECAUSE THIS TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, IS, IS REALLY.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVEN BEGUN TO SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE CHANGE.

AND WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A TEN YEAR REARMAMENT SUPERCYCLE BECAUSE OF IT.

WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.

SHANE.

FINAL THOUGHTS.

I'LL ADD A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT CAMERON SAYS THERE.

THAT HAS REALLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND IT IS AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS.

SO EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH WITH THE CONCEPT OR HAVE SEEN A SELF-DRIVING CAR ON THE ROAD.

AND THEN YOU CAN LAYER INTO THOSE SELF-DRIVING OR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS.

NOW THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS.

SO YOU'VE GOT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

AND NOW WE'VE GOT A PROLIFERATION OF NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD AND BIG DATA TO SUPPORT THE DECISION MAKING CYCLE AND AND THE OPERATIONS OF THOSE SYSTEMS.

AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DRONE WORLD.

THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA OF, OF BOTH COMMERCIAL AND DEFENSE ACTIVITY.

WHEN YOU HAVE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS MAKING THEIR OWN DECISIONS AT THE END OF YOUR NETWORK.

ALISON.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

WELL, I WILL SAY, I THINK FOR OKLAHOMA, WE ARE IN A GREAT POSITION BECAUSE WE ARE A COLLABORATIVE STATE.

THERE ARE PARTNERSHIPS GOING ON ALL ACROSS THE STATE TO TO REALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD.

LOTS OF ACTIVITY HAPPENING FROM TULSA TO OKLAHOMA CITY TO LAWTON TO CAMP GRUBER MILITARY, ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY, ALL OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS, THIS ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM WORKING TOGETHER.

AND THERE'S SOME REALLY COOL STUFF HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE.

DOCTOR JACOB, FINAL THOUGHTS.

WELL, WE HAVE TO CHANGE HOW WE NOT ONLY PRODUCE AND FIELD SYSTEMS, BUT ALSO HOW WE IMPLEMENT THOSE.

IF WE LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY, DRONE SWARMS, AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BEING IMPLEMENTED INTO THESE SYSTEMS, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MANTRA THAT THE DEFENDER HAS TO BE PERFECT.

THE ATTACKER ONLY HAS TO BE LUCKY.

GOOD FINAL THOUGHTS.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR THIS DISCUSSION.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND CASSIDY.

THANK YOU.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DEADLINES MAKING NEWS THIS WEEK.

ONE INVOLVES THE LEGISLATURE AND ANOTHER INVOLVES YOU, THE VOTER.

WITH MORE ON THAT, WE WELCOME BACK QUORUM CALL PUBLISHER SHAWN ASHLEY JOINING US FROM OUR OETA STUDIO INSIDE OF THE STATE CAPITOL.

AND SHAWN, LET'S BEGIN WITH THE DETAILS.

ON A MARCH 31ST DEADLINE FOR VOTERS.

THAT'S RIGHT, MARCH 31ST IS THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTERED VOTERS TO CHANGE THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION OR DESIGNATE AS AN INDEPENDENT.

AFTER THAT, THE STATE ENTERS SORT OF A BLACKOUT PERIOD FROM APRIL 1ST TO AUGUST 31ST, WHEN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE YOUR PARTY AFFILIATION.

AND THAT PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OKLAHOMA HAS CLOSED PRIMARIES AND WE WILL BE GOING TO THE POLLS FOR PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN JUNE AND PRIMARY RUNOFFS IN AUGUST.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT YOU BE ABLE TO VOTE IN THE CORRECT PRIMARY.

AND I ALSO NOTICED A HOUSE BILL HEADING TO THE SENATE THAT COULD REMOVE PEOPLE FROM VOTER ROLLS IF THEY DO NOT SELECT A PARTY AFFILIATION.

THAT'S RIGHT.

HOUSE BILL 3722 BY REPRESENTATIVE DENISE CROSSWHITE.

HADER WOULD MAKE SELECTING A PARTY AFFILIATION OR INDEPENDENT DESIGNATION A REQUIREMENT TO COMPLETE VOTER REGISTRATION.

CURRENTLY, IT IS NOT, AND IF YOU SEND IN A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD WITHOUT DOING SO, YOU'RE REGISTERED AS AN INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVE, CROSSWHITE HADER SAID.

IN THE PAST YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 4000 VOTERS HAVE REGISTERED AS INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T DESIGNATE A PARTY AFFILIATION.

OPPONENTS OF THE BILL ARGUED THAT IT COULD DISENFRANCHIZE POTENTIAL VOTERS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY FAIL TO DESIGNATE A PARTY.

THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE REGISTERED TO VOTE, BUT MIGHT SHOW UP AT THE POLLS EXPECTING TO DO SO.

SEAN, A DATA PRIVACY BILL HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR.

WHAT WILL IT DO?

SENATE BILL 546 WAS AUTHORED BY HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER FLOOR LEADER JOSH WEST AND SENATOR BRANT HOWARD.

AND THIS IS, LIKE MANY OF THE DATA PRIVACY BILLS THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT OVER THE YEARS, IT WOULD GIVE OKLAHOMANS ACCESS TO TO THEIR DATA, THE ABILITY TO CORRECT IT, AND THE ABILITY, IN SOME INSTANCES, TO HAVE IT DELETED FROM BUSINESSES THAT ARE COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION ONLINE, BUSINESSES THAT ARE QUITE LARGE AND DEAL WITH MORE THAN 100,000 CUSTOMERS OR 25,000 CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY'RE SELLING THAT DATA.

REPRESENTATIVE WEST HAS WORKED ON THIS BILL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, BEGINNING BACK IN 2019, AND HE HAS SEEN IT STOP AND GO OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE IT FINALLY MADE THE GOVERNOR'S DESK THIS YEAR.

AND IN FACT, THIS VERSION OF THE BILL WAS CARRIED OVER FROM 2025.

OKAY, SEAN, TELL US ABOUT THE DEADLINE CONCERNING LAWMAKERS THIS WEEK.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THURSDAY WAS THE DEADLINE FOR BILLS TO BE HEARD IN THEIR CHAMBER OF ORIGIN HOUSE BILLS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS IN THE SENATE.

A NUMBER OF BILLS DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, EITHER NOT BEING HEARD OR OTHERS FAILED TO RECEIVE MAJORITY VOTES IN THEIR APPROPRIATE CHAMBERS.

BUT KEEP IN MIND, AN IDEA IS NEVER REALLY DEAD IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AS IT OFTEN CAN APPEAR AS AN AMENDMENT IN THE OPPOSITE CHAMBER LATER IN THE PROCESS.

SEAN, ONE MORE FOR YOU.

THE GOVERNOR WANTS TO AUDIT PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING, BUT ONE DEMOCRAT WHO HOPES TO TAKE HIS PLACE IS QUESTIONING THAT.

YES.

GOVERNOR STITT ORDERED HIS SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF STATE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION.

BUT HOUSE MINORITY LEADER CINDY MUNSON, WHO IS ALSO RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, INDICATED THAT THE AUDIT PROBABLY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, AND SHE NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS REGARDING EDUCATION, SUCH AS EXPANDING THE PARENTAL CHOICE TAX CREDIT, WHICH BENEFITS PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ARE ALSO NOT BENEFICIAL TO COMMON EDUCATION.

OKAY, ANOTHER BUSY WEEK AT THE CAPITOL, SEAN ASHLEY, PUBLISHER OF QUORUM CALL.

LET'S TALK AGAIN NEXT WEEK.

I'LL SEE YOU THEN.

WELL, WE ALL KNOW THAT ROUTE 66 IS MORE THAN JUST A HIGHWAY.

IT'S ALSO A NOSTALGIC ART SHOW, THANKS TO THE HUNDREDS OF VINTAGE NEON SIGNS THAT YOU PASS ALONG THE WAY.

THANKS OR NO THANKS TO LED LIGHTS, THERE ARE FAR FEWER ARTISTS USING NEON GLASS AS THEIR MEDIUM, BUT THEY DO EXIST, AS WE LEARN IN THIS WEEK'S NATIONAL VIEW REPORT, COURTESY OF OUR FRIENDS AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS IN DENVER.

A LOT OF THE SIGNS THAT ARE HANGING FROM THE CEILING.

A CUSTOMER HAS BROUGHT IN AND DECIDED THAT IT JUST WASN'T WARRANTING FIXING.

SO THEY LEFT IT HERE AND WE PATCHED THEM UP AND PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER.

AND THE SIGNS ON THE WALL ARE SIGNS THAT I HAVE COLLECTED OVER THE 40 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY PORCELAIN SIGNS MADE BACK IN THE 50S AND 60S VERY VALUABLE SIGNS.

UNIQUE SIGNS.

BACK IN 1985, THERE WERE PROBABLY 10 TO 12 NEON SHOPS IN THE DENVER AREA.

AND TODAY THERE'S THREE THERE'S PROBABLY SEVERAL HUNDRED NEON SIGNS OUT THERE.

AND I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 100 OF THEM ARE IN THE POSITION THAT NEED TO BE RESTORED, BROUGHT BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL GLORY, GIVING BIRTH TO A SIGN, YOU KNOW, GOT YOUR BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS INTO IT AND IT'S JUST BECOMES PART OF YOUR LIFE.

JUST GOT INTO MY BLOOD.

I LOVE THE UNIQUENESS, THE LONGEVITY OF IT, THE HISTORY OF IT.

OUR GAS THAT WE USE IS A NATURAL GAS COMES FROM THE CITY.

THEN WE HAVE A BLOWER THAT BLOWS AIR INTO IT, MIXES INTO THESE CHAMBERS AND GIVES US THE THE HEAT THAT WE NEED TO BEND.

THE GLASS NEON USED TO BE SO MUCH MORE PREVALENT WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION ACT THAT HAPPENED IN THE 70S.

A LOT OF NEON SIGNS WERE TAKEN DOWN AND PUT UP JUST PLASTIC SIGNS THAT WERE BACKLIT WITH LED, AND IT JUST CHANGED THE WHOLE APPEARANCE.

THE WHOLE OUTLOOK TOOK AWAY THE NOSTALGIC FEELING.

LED IS MADE OUT OF A LOT OF HARD METALS, ARSENIC, A LOT OF COMPONENTS THAT ARE JUST NOT RECYCLABLE.

NEON HAS A 360 DEGREE LIGHT WHERE LEDS JUST ONE DIRECTION LED GOES OUT.

IT'S IT'S DISPOSABLE.

YOU THROW IT AWAY.

IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED.

IT CANNOT BE FIXED WHERE NEON CAN BE NEON.

IT'S JUST A BETTER ALL AROUND PRODUCT.

NEON WILL BE HERE FOREVER.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.

SO WE DEFINITELY NEED THAT YOUNGER GENERATION TO STEP UP AND KEEP IT GOING, TAKE CARE OF IT AND KEEP IT IN OUR WORLD TODAY.

KEN BURNS 12, OUR SIX PART SERIES ON THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST WATCHED DOCUMENTARIES OF ALL TIME.

AND THIS PAST TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM IN TULSA, I WAS PLEASED TO HOST A PANEL DISCUSSION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE FILMMAKERS COLLABORATED WITH THE CHEROKEE NATION HERE IN OKLAHOMA TO RESEARCH THE ROLE NATIVE AMERICANS PLAYED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE WAR.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVID SCHMIDT OF FLORENTINE FILMS AND JENNIFER LOREN AND LEANNE.

DREADFUL WATER WITH THE CHEROKEE NATION FOR SHARING THEIR INSIGHT AND EXPERTISE ON THE NEXT OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, WE CONTINUE OUR SPECIAL SERIES ON OKLAHOMA BY THE DECADES AS WE HEAD TOWARDS OUR NATION'S 250TH BIRTHDAY.

TAELYR JACKSON COVERS THE YEARS 1996 THROUGH 2005, FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOU THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK AT THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA, PUT TOGETHER FOR US BY OETA JASON STEWART.

FOR ALL OF US WHO PLAY A ROLE IN PUTTING THIS NEWSCAST ON THE AIR EACH WEEK, I'M RICH LENZ.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

SHAKING, CRASHING BLACK.

LYING.

GO BACK.

THE US MILITARY CARRIED OUT MASSIVE PRECISION STRIKES ON THE THREE KEY NUCLEAR FACILITIES.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE AFTERMATH.

WITH RARE ACCESS ON THE GROUND AND WITH REGIME