EXPERIENCE.

MONDAY EVENING AT NINE ON OETA.

PUBLIC REACTION TO THE TULSA SCHOOL BOARD'S PLAN TO SHUTTER MORE THAN A DOZEN SCHOOLS TO SAVE MONEY THERE.

WANTING TO SHUT DOWN SEQUOYAH.

IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

IT'S ONE OF THE LONGEST OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN TULSA, THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC STUDY OF OKLAHOMA'S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN ALMOST A DECADE REVEALS SOME STRATOSPHERIC NUMBERS.

$52.5 BILLION OF ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

AND IT WAS I WAS, QUITE FRANKLY, SURPRISED WHEN I HEARD THE NUMBER BECAUSE IT WAS SO BIG.

WILL CUTTING PROPERTY TAXES LEAD TO CUTTING VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES?

WE JUST NEED TO TO KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF OF THAT LOST REVENUE.

IF WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD, WHAT TO DO WITH THOUSANDS OF ABANDONED ILLEGAL MARIJUANA FARMS IN OKLAHOMA?

IT WAS THE BAD ACTORS, THE 100% ILLEGAL FARMS THAT WERE DESTROYING OUR LAND.

AN IN-DEPTH RECAP OF OETA GOVERNOR'S DEBATE FEATURING A RESPECTED POLITICAL REPORTER ROUNDTABLE.

THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE DEBATE THAT I WASN'T CRAZY ABOUT IS THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS THE PILOT OF ARTEMIS TWO LANDS IN OKLAHOMA CITY FOR A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

I'M RICH LENZ.

THE TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS A PLAN TO ELIMINATE A $12 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT BY CLOSING MORE THAN A DOZEN SCHOOLS, WHICH SOUNDS FINE, UNLESS IT'S THE SCHOOL THAT YOU WENT TO OR THE SCHOOL YOUR CHILD CURRENTLY ATTENDS, THEN IT'S PERSONAL.

ON TUESDAY, TPS HELD ONE OF SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE CLOSURES, AND OUR EDUCATION REPORTER TAELYR JACKSON WAS IN ATTENDANCE.

TAELYR RICH.

THIS WEEK, TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS HOSTED THREE OF THOSE SPECIAL MEETINGS TO GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

MANY PARENTS WONDER, WHAT DOES THIS PROPOSAL MEAN FOR STUDENTS THAT WALK TO SCHOOL OR TAKE THE BUS EACH DAY?

PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHERED AT BRONSON BROOKSIDE LIBRARY FOR ONE OF SIX COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS HOSTED SINCE A PROPOSAL TO CLOSE SEVERAL SCHOOLS TO SAVE THE DISTRICT AT LEAST $12 MILLION.

ANY TIME WE ARE ENGAGING IN A PROPOSAL THAT CENTERS AROUND REDUCING OR CONSOLIDATING THE FOOTPRINT OF TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD MAKE THIS CONVERSATION DIFFICULT.

AS TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALUMNI AND RESIDENT OF TULSA MY WHOLE LIFE, I KNOW THAT BY BRINGING THIS INFORMATION FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC, IT POSES SOME UNEASINESS AND IT CAUSES US TO REALLY SIT, REFLECT, ANALYZE, AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND IN OUR DISTRICT.

THERE ARE 17 SCHOOL SITES TOTAL, 14 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ONE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM.

THE DISTRICT SAYS IT WILL SAVE $11.1 MILLION BY CLOSING THE 17 SCHOOLS.

AT TUESDAY'S COMMUNITY MEETING, DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR EBONY JOHNSON REITERATED THAT SITES BEING CONSIDERED ENROLLED LESS THAN 400 STUDENTS AND HAD BUILDING USE OF ABOUT 65%.

JAMIE BRUMLEY IS JUST ONE OF HUNDREDS OF PARENTS WHOSE FAMILIES WOULD BE IMPACTED IF THE BOARD VOTED YES TO CONSOLIDATE SCHOOLS.

BRUMLEY'S DAUGHTER ATTENDS SEQUOYAH ELEMENTARY.

WHENEVER I HEARD THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO SHUT DOWN SEQUOYAH, IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

IT'S ONE OF THE LONGEST OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN TULSA.

SO TO HEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN KIND OF HITS YOU IN THE EMOTIONS.

BRUMLEY ATTENDED SEQUOYAH HERSELF AS A CHILD.

I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT IS A TEENAGER THAT'S ALUMNI.

AND NOW I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT'S IN THIRD GRADE GOING TO SCHOOL THERE.

I ALSO HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD THAT I EXPECT TO GO TO SCHOOL THERE ONE DAY.

SO WHENEVER THEY SAID THAT THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT IT'LL BE SHUT DOWN, IT HAS ME WORRIED ABOUT WHERE MY KIDS ARE GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL AT.

THE DISTRICT DIVIDED THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INTO SIX GROUPS TO DETERMINE WHERE STUDENTS COULD MOVE.

FOR EXAMPLE, SEQUOYAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WOULD ATTEND KENDALL WHITTIER ELEMENTARY OR FELICITAS MENDEZ INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL.

THEY'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S THREE SCHOOLS THAT THE KIDS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO, AND NONE OF THEM ARE CLOSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO THAT'S A LONG WALK.

ANYTIME THAT YOU HAVE TO WALK TO SCHOOL OR WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL, WHICH WE'VE HAD TO DO BEFORE, THERE'S OTHER KIDS THAT WE'VE SEEN WALKING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY THAT THAT'S THEIR NORMAL, AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY YOUNG.

THEY ARE GOING TO BE CROSSING MAIN STREETS.

THAT JUST PUTS A LOT OF WORRY IN ME ON, ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WHENEVER THIS HAPPENS.

IF IT HAPPENS, WHICH WE'RE HOPING IT DOESN'T.

THE PROPOSAL WOULD ALSO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL WAYS TO SAVE 1.5 MILLION.

IT WILL BE A DIRECTIVE TO CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENT LEADERS TO IDENTIFY 1.5 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL NON SALARY OR SALARY SAVINGS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR BY THE FOLLOWING CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF ELIGIBLE ITEMS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.

WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.

REDUCE SALARY COSTS PRIMARILY THROUGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND THEN REDUCE NON SALARY COSTS BY DEPARTMENT LEADERS.

DURING THE SESSION, DOCTOR JOHNSON ADDRESSED THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL, AS WELL AS TAKING QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEMSELVES.

ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONSIDERED FOR WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND BUSSES, WITH STUDENTS GETTING TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

AND I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AREA THAT WE'RE IN THE SOUTH PEORIA AREA, OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING AT THE MILEAGE?

IF IT'S ANYTHING OVER 1.5 MILES, THEN THEY HAVE TO WALK TO DO.

AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE FACTORS RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ROUTING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHO'S GOING WHERE.

HOW ARE WE DOING BUS ROUTES?

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

I'M ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE CITY.

SO I SIT ON THE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY EXECUTIVE, CHILDREN'S CABINET.

AND THERE'S CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE BEING HAD AROUND WAYS TO COLLABORATE ON SAFE WALKING PATHS, SIDEWALKS, CROSSING GUARDS AND WALKING SCHOOL BUS CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.

JOHNSON SAYS THE DISTRICT IS ALSO IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OF TULSA, WITH OUR STUDENTS, WITH THEIR IDS, OUR OLDER STUDENTS CAN RIDE THE CITY BUS.

SO WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE SUPPORT FOR TRANSPORTATION.

TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT SUSAN LAMKIN, WHO SERVES DISTRICT SEVEN, ATTENDED THIS WEEK'S COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION.

WE DO HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK, AND IT DOES GIVE OUR BOARD MEMBERS A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING BACK TO DOCTOR JOHNSON AND THE TEAM TO TRY TO GET CLARIFICATION SO THAT WE CAN SHARE OUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REASSURE THEM OF THE PLANS TO HOPEFULLY BETTER EXPLAIN IT.

BUT IT'S A LOT TO UNDERSTAND.

AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON TAKING THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE RECEIVING, WHETHER IT'S ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT THESE EVENTS AND TRYING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND BE SURE THAT QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND THAT OUR BOARD UNDERSTANDS IT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISION POSSIBLE, SHE SAYS.

BOARD MEMBERS WILL KEEP IN MIND THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED UP DURING THESE MEETINGS AS THEY PREPARE TO VOTE IN THE COMING WEEKS.

I FEEL THAT DOCTOR JOHNSON AND HER LEADERSHIP HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PREPARING THE BOARD AND HOPEFULLY OUR SCHOOL SITES AND COMMUNITY TO REALIZE THAT CHANGES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE.

EVENTUALLY, THE DISTRICT WILL HOST TWO MORE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS THIS MONTH BEFORE THE TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MAKES THEIR DECISION ON THE 19TH RICH IMPORTANT VOTE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TAELYR.

OKLAHOMA CITY'S AZTEC SCHOOL, WHICH STANDS FOR ADVANCED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION CHARTER, WAS FOUNDED IN 2000, MAKING IT OUR STATE'S VERY FIRST CHARTER SCHOOL.

ON THURSDAY, AZTEC CELEBRATING THE GRAND OPENING OF THEIR NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL, A 157,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT INCLUDES NEW CLASSROOMS, LABS, A GYMNASIUM AND A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

DOCTOR DUSTIN IS THE SCHOOL'S CEO AND FOUNDER.

WE HOLD OUR STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE.

THEY HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AT OUR FACULTY, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.

STUDENTS, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE FOR THIS REALLY SPECIAL DAY FOR YOU.

IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE EDUCATION INSIDER THAT PUBLICATION HAS ANNOUNCED FOR THE YEAR OF 2026, AZTEC CHARTER SCHOOL IS THE SCHOOL OF THE YEAR.

AZTEC CHARTER SCHOOL.

AND THAT IS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, NOT JUST OKLAHOMA.

DOCTOR DESKINS SAYS 97% OF AZTEC STUDENTS COME FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES.

LAST WEEK, OETA AIRED WHAT IS EXPECTED TO BE THE ONLY GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE PRIOR TO THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION.

VIEWERSHIP FOR THE DEBATE WAS OUTSTANDING, AND IT'S ALSO RECORDED AROUND 80,000 VIEWS TO DATE ON YOUTUBE.

IN OUR UPCOMING IN-DEPTH SEGMENT, JASON DOYLE WILL MODERATE A REPORTER ROUNDTABLE WITH POLITICAL EXPERTS SCOTT MITCHELL AND SEAN ASHLEY AND GET THEIR TAKE ON THE QUESTIONS ASKED AND HOW MINORITY LEADER CYNDI MUNSON AND FORMER STATE SENATOR MIKE MAZZEI ANSWERED THEM.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS CONCERNED EDUCATION.

ONE YOU WILL HAVE A NEW GOVERNOR.

SECONDLY, YOU WILL HAVE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION WHO WILL THEN SORT OF BE SETTING THE AGENDA AND AGENDA FOR WHAT THEY THINK IS IMPORTANT.

WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE, WITH FORMER SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS AND THEN WITH THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS REALLY DRIVEN THE TRAIN.

WE'VE SEEN THESE SHOW HORSES THAT PROVE TO BE INCOMPETENT RUN IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND I'VE ASKED A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT RUN FOR GOVERNOR EARLY ON WAS, IF YOU START HAVING PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF STUFF.

I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU SET AN AGENDA WHEN YOU'VE GOT A CIRCUS RUNNING OVER THERE?

RIGHT.

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

THERE IS TALK OF THE STATE CAPITOL OF REDUCING OR EVEN ELIMINATING PROPERTY TAXES FOR SOME HOMEOWNERS, ESPECIALLY IF THE HOME HAS BEEN PAID OFF.

NOW, WHILE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, IT DOES BEG THE QUESTION HOW DO YOU PAY FOR SERVICES THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FUNDED WITH THOSE TAX DOLLARS?

STEVE SHAW JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THAT, STEVE.

RICH, IT IS POPULAR IN POLITICAL CIRCLES RIGHT NOW TO FLOAT THE IDEA OF DOING AWAY WITH PROPERTY TAXES.

WHEN YOU GO DEEPER, IT DOESN'T SEEM VERY POSSIBLE.

I LOVE IT.

I'M A I'M A SCIENCE NERD.

SO JACOBY KAISER IS A 2011 LUTHER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE.

HE'S ALSO AN EMT AND PARAMEDIC IN TRAINING FOR THE OOLOGAH TALALA EMS SERVICE, 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF TULSA.

I LIKE TO SEE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT IN OUR PATIENTS WHENEVER WE GIVE MEDICINE, TAKE THEM TO THE HOSPITAL.

WE LOVE TO SEE PATIENTS WALK OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

OOLOGAH TALALA EMS IS A NONPROFIT AMBULANCE SERVICE THAT COVERS 180MI!S IN ROGERS COUNTY.

OOLOGAH TALALA EMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRANDY POND SAYS THEY RUN TWO AMBULANCES 24 HOURS A DAY.

THEY HAVE TEN FULL TIME AND 13 PART TIME EMPLOYEES.

POND SAYS LAST YEAR, THEY RECEIVED JUST UNDER $500,000 IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

THEY MADE ANOTHER $1.7 MILLION FROM MAKING WHAT ARE CALLED INTER-FACILITY RUNS MOST THAT ARE PAID BY INSURANCE.

WE HAVE TO RUN INTER-FACILITY TRANSFERS.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TAKING A PATIENT FROM A HOSPITAL OF LOWER LEVEL CARE TO TO TULSA OR SOME OTHER FACILITY WHERE THEY CAN TREAT THEM.

SO THEN WE CAN BILL INSURANCE THAT WAY, SHE SAYS.

OOLOGAH TALALA EMS MADE 1800 RUNS LAST YEAR.

WE HAD ABOUT 150% INCREASE FROM 2020 TO 2025 IN OUR CALL VOLUME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT IS COVID?

I THINK IT'S SEVERAL THINGS.

I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, POPULATION'S MOVING THIS DIRECTION.

JUST, YOU KNOW, TULSA'S FULL, OWASSO IS FULL, SO PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT HERE.

POND SAYS SHE UNDERSTANDS LOWERING OR DOING AWAY WITH PROPERTY TAXES WOULD MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN SOMETIMES.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND ESPECIALLY THE RURAL AREAS REALLY SUFFER, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO THE METRO OR THE URBAN WHERE THERE'S A LOT MORE TRUCKS AVAILABLE.

SO A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WAITING A LONG TIME FOR AN AMBULANCE.

AND WHEN YOU CALL 911, 30S FEELS LIKE A VERY LONG TIME.

MEANWHILE, THE COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS, POND SAYS, ARE WAY UP.

FOR INSTANCE, EACH OF THE AMBULANCES HERE IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE OF THESE MOTORIZED COTS.

SIX YEARS AGO, THEY COST $47,000.

NOW THEY COST JUST UNDER $62,000.

SIX YEARS AGO, AN AMBULANCE COST $175,000.

BY 2025, AN AMBULANCE COSTS 325,000.

PARAMEDIC WAGES FOR OOLOGAH TALALA EMS SIX YEARS AGO WERE $17 AN HOUR.

NOW IT'S ALMOST $27 AN HOUR AND A HEART MONITOR.

THEY PAID $34,000 FOR SIX YEARS AGO, NOW COSTS MORE THAN 50 GRAND.

I KNOW THIS IS AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE STATEWIDE.

LAST MONTH AT THE STATE CAPITOL, STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE DOBRINSKY HOSTED AN INTERIM STUDY TO EXPLORE SOLUTIONS SHOULD PROPERTY TAXES GO AWAY.

I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE BASIS AND THE LOGIC FOR TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT FOR SOME OF OUR SENIORS AND FOR SOME OF OUR VETERANS.

WE JUST NEED TO TO KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF OF THAT LOST REVENUE.

IF WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD AND AND EVERYTHING COMES AT A COST.

AND WHEN SOME OF THESE SERVICES IN OUR COUNTY AND LOCAL LEVELS AREN'T BEING PROPERLY FUNDED NOW, THAT WILL ONLY COMPOUND THE PROBLEM.

DOCTOR BILL WORDEN IS MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR HEARTLAND MEDICAL DIRECTION.

THEY PROVIDE TRAINING FOR 68 AMBULANCE SERVICES, MANY OF THEM RURAL ACROSS THE STATE.

THEY ALSO TRAIN 150 FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE FIRST RESPONDERS ON AMBULANCE CALLS.

IF YOU LOOK BACK 30 YEARS AGO, A LOT OF AMBULANCE SERVICES WERE STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS.

AND SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PAYROLL.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE.

THEY HAD TO WORRY ABOUT INSURANCE AND BENEFITS.

AND IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, NOT MANY PEOPLE WANT TO VOLUNTEER.

SO YOU STILL HAVE TO STAFF THAT AMBULANCE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR, CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING, 4TH OF JULY.

SO YOU HAVE TO PAY THOSE PEOPLE WHEN THEY MAY NOT RUN A CALL THAT DAY, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE THAT'S RIGHT.

IF YOU'RE IN A CAR WRECK, I'M IN A CAR WRECK.

MY GRANDMOTHER HAS A HEART ATTACK.

I STILL WANT THAT AMBULANCE AVAILABLE.

LAUREL HAVENS DIRECTS MUSKOGEE COUNTY EMS IN MUSKOGEE.

HE SAYS THEY TOOK IN $1.85 MILLION FROM PROPERTY TAXES LAST YEAR, WHICH HE SAYS WAS ONLY 10% OF THEIR BUDGET.

THEY MADE THE REST FROM RUNNING ON 25,000 CALLS.

THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE EMS IS EMS IS THE ONLY EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM THAT IS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA THAT DOESN'T GET READINESS FUNDING.

THEY HAVE TO RUN CALLS IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS.

POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, OR OTHER EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.

THEY HAVE A BUDGET SET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEY OPERATE AND AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY CALLS THEY RUN.

EMS IS JUST THE OPPOSITE.

WE HAVE TO RUN CALLS IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN AND KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN, BECAUSE THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR YOU TO HAVE AN AMBULANCE SERVICE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

WE'RE NOT CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL, OR YOU CAN USE UNIT FOUR.

OURS IS CLEAN.

ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT I HEARD RECENTLY WAS THAT IF THEY IF THEY DID DO AWAY WITH OR GAVE 100% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THEY WOULD GIVE IT TO PEOPLE OVER 65 AND DISABLED VETERANS.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH EITHER ONE OF THOSE.

BUT STATISTICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE THE COMMUNITY OR LOOK AT THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, MOST OF YOUR PROPERTY OWNERS ARE 65 AND ABOVE.

LAUREL HAVEN SAYS HOSPITALS ARE DISAPPEARING IN RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE, AND IN MANY CASES, AMBULANCE SERVICES ARE THE ONLY HEALTH CARE THAT'S AVAILABLE IN THOSE AREAS.

FOLKS, THAT IS SCARY RICH.

STEVE.

GREAT REPORT.

THANK YOU.

OKLAHOMA'S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE AVIATION AND AEROSPACE ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT IN NEARLY A DECADE REVEALS AN INDUSTRY THAT IS RAPIDLY BECOMING ONE OF OUR STATE'S BIGGEST ECONOMIC ENGINES FOR GROWTH.

DETAILS OF THE REPORT WERE RELEASED ON TUESDAY.

THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT $52.5 BILLION, MAKING AEROSPACE OKLAHOMA'S SECOND LARGEST SECTOR AND FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRY.

WHEN A BRIDE ON BURNS FLIGHT, IT'S HOME TO INFINITY ONE OKLAHOMA SPACEPORT, IT'S ONE OF JUST 14 LICENSED SPACEPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S A HUGE DEAL FOR OUR STATE.

TOGETHER, OKLAHOMA CITY, TULSA AND BURNS FLAT FORM WHAT WE CALL THE OKLAHOMA SPACE TRIANGLE.

BUT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS THE MILITARY, BECAUSE DEFENDING THE COUNTRY IS SOMETHING OKLAHOMANS CARE DEEPLY ABOUT, AND FRANKLY, SOMETHING THAT WE ARE POSITIONED TO DO FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.

SO FOR ME, THE GREAT PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD ARE NOT IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THEY'RE IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN OKLAHOMA.

BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF JIM INHOFE, WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO DO.

THANK YOU.

THE AEROSPACE SECTOR IN OKLAHOMA EMPLOYS MORE THAN 250,000 PEOPLE AND IS EXPECTED TO OVERTAKE OIL AND GAS AS OUR STATE'S LEADING INDUSTRY.

ON THURSDAY, THE NINTH ANNUAL OKLAHOMA AEROSPACE FORUM FEATURED KEYNOTE SPEAKER VICTOR GLOVER JR, THE PILOT OF THE ARTEMIS TWO MISSION, LAST APRIL THAT TOOK FOUR ASTRONAUTS ON A TEN DAY TEST FLIGHT AROUND THE MOON AND BACK.

MORE THAN 400 AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS WERE ON HAND AT THE OMNI HOTEL IN OKLAHOMA CITY TO LISTEN TO THE NASA ASTRONAUT AND RETIRED U.S.

NAVY CAPTAIN DESCRIBE THE HISTORIC MISSION.

THIS MISSION GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HUMAN, AND TOGETHER WE SEE THAT THE ARTEMIS TWO IN OUR PATCH VERY INTENTIONALLY LOOKS LIKE THE WORD ALL WE WENT FOR ALL BY ALL THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

AND THAT MEANS YOU.

WE KNOW YOUR HANDPRINTS, BUT ALSO YOUR PRAYER, YOUR MOTIVATION, YOUR INTELLECT WAS ALL A PART OF MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.

SO CONGRATULATIONS.

WE DID IT TOGETHER.

BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.

THIS MISSION WAS THE BEGINNING OR THE RESURGENCE OF OUR PLACE IN DEEP SPACE.

THE ARTEMIS THREE MISSION IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SUMMER AND WILL TEST DOCKING CAPABILITIES IN EARTH ORBIT WITH THE PROGRAM'S TWO MOON LANDERS.

THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO TRIBES HAVE APPROVED A THREE YEAR MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTERS, CITING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.

THAT'S A GROWING TREND IN OKLAHOMA AND IN THE NATION TO SLOW DOWN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE CENTERS.

NOAH MACK HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THAT TREND AND JOINS US NOW WITH DETAILS ON A RECENT INTERIM STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE STATE CAPITOL, NOAA.

WELL, RICH BILL FILING IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY, AND THIS INTERIM STUDY BROUGHT SEVERAL REQUESTS FROM HOSTS, A HOST OF DIFFERENT VOICES INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE'S ORBIT.

AS NATIONAL ATTITUDES EBB AND FLOW OVER AI ARMS RACE AND MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS REMAIN BULWARKS AGAINST THESE PROJECTS.

NOW, HOW DOES OKLAHOMA MOVE FORWARD?

CHANGES THE WAY THAT OUR FAMILY IS ABLE TO PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE?

KAYLEE BALL, DAUGHTER OF A FIFTH GENERATION FARMER AND RANCHER, IS BRACING FOR TWO DATA CENTER PROJECTS PROPOSED NORTHWEST OF HER FAMILY'S FARM IN CASHION.

IT HAS FORCED A LEVEL OF LIKE FORCED CRISIS MANAGEMENT ONTO US ALL THE TIME.

TRANSMISSION LINES WILL RUN ALONG THIS STRETCH OF THE PROPERTY.

THESE CONCRETE GOLIATH'S SPUR LONG TERM CONCERNS OVER WATER POLLUTION AND SCARCITY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FARMING AND RANCHING OPERATION, IT HAS TO EXIST.

YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GET REALLY HUNGRY IF WE CAN'T FARM AND RANCH, IF WE DON'T HAVE RAIN, IF WE DON'T HAVE WATER, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ACRES TO FEED OUR CATTLE, TO RAISE OUR CROPS.

DO YOU LIKE MY DATA CENTER PLAN?

I DO NOT LIKE IT.

SAM-I-AM.

I DO NOT LIKE YOUR DATA CENTER PLAN.

WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR STUDY FOR TODAY.

SO.

NOW I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE LIGHT OF THE SERIOUS DISCUSSION OF DATA CENTERS, OR OF THOSE WHO HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS.

THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS DESERVE TO BE ANSWERED, AND WE MAY OR MAY NOT CHANGE ANYONE'S MIND.

TODAY.

I'M JUST SIMPLY TRYING TO INJECT A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR AND LEVITY TO WHAT, ADMITTEDLY, IS A SERIOUS SUBJECT.

THE HOUSE UTILITIES COMMITTEE HELD AN INTERIM STUDY HOSTING A RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM EVERY SECTOR, DATA CENTERS, TOUCH.

WE HEARD FROM EXPERTS ON ELECTRIC AND WATER, LOCAL LEADERS, DEVELOPERS AND OPERATORS LIKE GOOGLE, AND WE ENSURE THAT WE DON'T.

WE ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF ANY SCARCITY OF WATER OR DEPLETION OF WATER RESOURCES.

OKLAHOMA PASSED A LAW EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT REQUIRES DATA CENTERS SEEKING A GROUNDWATER PERMIT TO USE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM TO COOL ITS SERVERS, WHICH ESSENTIALLY CIRCULATES THE SAME WATER SO IT CAN BE USED SEVERAL TIMES OVER.

DATA CENTERS CAN ALSO NEGOTIATE WATER USE FROM CITY SUPPLY.

CITIES HAVE THEIR OWN PERMIT.

THE WATER RESOURCES BOARD, WHICH PROCESSES PERMIT APPLICATIONS, HAS BEEN CHALLENGED WITH A NEW TYPE OF REQUEST.

WE HAVE ONE GROUNDWATER PERMIT THAT A LANDOWNER, I BELIEVE IS A RANCH.

THEY HAVE SOME DREAMS OF BEING ABLE TO SELL THEIR WATER TO POTENTIAL DATA CENTERS, AND THEY'VE LISTED THAT AS A POTENTIAL USE OF THAT.

WATER.

WATER AND ELECTRICITY ARE INTERCONNECTED.

WE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE POWER INDUSTRY.

THERE'S ALSO A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL WATER THEY MAY NEED TO COOL THEIR FACILITIES TO PROVIDE THAT ELECTRICITY.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED AS WELL.

LAST WEEK, CONGRESS FAILED TO PASS THE RATEPAYER PROTECTION ACT.

DETRACTORS, CITING IT WAS TOOTHLESS.

OKLAHOMA HAS ITS OWN RATEPAYER PROTECTION ACT, DESIGNED TO ENSURE COMPANIES FOOT THE BILL FOR ANCILLARY COSTS THEIR DATA CENTERS BRING TO THE GRID.

WITH STILL A LOT OF LINGERING QUESTION MARKS, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ASKED LAWMAKERS TO DRAFT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON DATA CENTERS TO HELP KEEP AGENCIES ON THE SAME PAGE.

RISING PRICES.

MR.

PRESIDENT, DID YOU TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO URGE THESE TECH LEADERS TO BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE THEY PUT DATA CENTERS TO AVOID RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES?

FRANKLY, I WANT THEM BUILT IN AMERICA.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP MAKING HIS STANCE CLEAR ON DATA CENTERS.

RECENTLY, HE ASSEMBLED EXECUTIVES FROM THE NATION'S MAJOR TECH COMPANIES TO SIGN A VOLUNTARY AI SAFETY PACT, EAGERLY HOPING THEY STAY HERE AND BUILD DOMESTICALLY.

IF WE'RE NOT SMART, THEY'LL END UP BUILDING DATA CENTERS AND OTHER IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AND THOSE OTHER COUNTRIES WILL MAKE A FORTUNE.

AND WE WON'T.

THE DATA CENTERS ARE MAKING A FORTUNE.

BUT NOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.

THE PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH TODAY, THEY'RE GOING TO GREATLY BENEFIT FINANCIALLY.

MR.

TULSA COUNTY HAS 11 FULLY OPERATIONAL DATA CENTERS, WITH ANOTHER IN DEVELOPMENT.

AND COMMISSIONER STAN SALLY AFFIRMED THE REVENUE BUMP.

ACCORDING TO THEIR ESTIMATIONS, THE COUNTY WILL COLLECT NEARLY A THOUSAND TIMES MORE IN PROPERTY TAXES FROM THE PARCEL OF LAND THAT WILL HOUSE THE RECENTLY APPROVED PROJECT CLYDESDALE.

THEY ALSO GAVE THE TULSA COUNTY AN ADDITIONAL FIVE.

WE NEGOTIATED A $500,000 A YEAR INVESTMENT INTO COUNTY ROADS.

THIS IS GOING TO GENERATE CLOSE TO $12 MILLION.

THAT'S GOING TO GO THAT THE TAXPAYERS AREN'T GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR.

HOWEVER, THE COMMISSIONER IMPLORED LEGISLATORS TO DESIGNATE AN INDEPENDENT BODY.

THAT'S MISSION IS TO PROPERLY VET DATA CENTER PROPOSALS JUST SO WE'RE COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS, NOT JUST FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROFITING FROM OUR DECISIONS.

THE FINAL SPEAKER DURING THE INTERIM STUDY WAS KAYLEE, WHO PITCHED A STATE SPONSORED DATABASE, AN ALL IN ONE HUB WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS INFORMATION ALL ABOUT DATA CENTERS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT GOVERNING BODIES.

IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DATA OR EXPERTISE, IT'S THAT WE'RE MISSING THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE THAT BRINGS THEM ALL TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT REDUCES THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON EVERYONE.

KAYLEE DESCRIBES THE PROCESS THAT IT TAKES FOR A DATA CENTER TO LAND IN OKLAHOMA AS FRAGMENTED, AND BELIEVES A WEBSITE LIKE THIS WOULD MAKE IT MORE NAVIGABLE AND LESS DAUNTING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

I THINK WE ARE ALL STILL GRAPPLING WITH THE FACT THAT THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON THAT IS LOOKING AT THIS SITUATION THAT'S NOT HAVING TO DRINK OUT OF A FIRE HOSE AND TRY TO KEEP THEIR HEAD ABOVE WATER AT THE SAME TIME.

WE DID HAVE A MEETING AFTER THE NOVEMBER MIDTERM ELECTIONS, LAWMAKERS WILL BEGIN FILING BILLS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DATA CENTERS IS SURE TO GARNER MANY RICH.

INDEED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, NOAH.

CHICKASAW GOVERNOR CHRIS ANOATUBBY DELIVERING HIS FIRST STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS SINCE SUCCEEDING HIS FATHER.

HE DID SO IN TISHOMINGO LAST SATURDAY AND SAID THE TRIBE'S 84,000 CITIZENS AROUND THE WORLD ARE ENJOYING GREATER OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING IN EDUCATION, WHERE THE NATION AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO ABOUT 11,000 STUDENTS THIS YEAR.

ENSURE OUR TRIBE'S BRIGHT FUTURE.

WE ARE SUPPORTING CHICKASAW STUDENTS AT EVERY LEVEL OF LEARNING AND EDUCATION, SCHOLARSHIPS, EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE, TUTORING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER PROGRAMS ARE BENEFITING THOUSANDS OF CHICKASAWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND TOBY'S ADDRESS CULMINATES THE NATION'S ANNUAL MEETING AND GREETING FESTIVAL THAT INCLUDES A PARADE AND OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS.

OKLAHOMA'S MARIJUANA INDUSTRY, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, IS SHRINKING.

MORE THAN A THOUSAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES HAVE CLOSED, AND THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL POT FARMS HAVE BEEN BUSTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT SINCE 2021.

JASON DOYLE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON WHAT LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

JASON, RICH LEGISLATORS ARE CHECKING IF A NEW LAW PUT INTO PLACE IN 2023 IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON CLEANING UP THE SITES LEFT BEHIND BY BOTH BUSTED, ILLEGAL GROWS AND ABANDONED LEGAL GROWS.

I GOT GREAT NEIGHBORS.

I, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO KEEP THEM GREAT NEIGHBORS AND NOT MAD AT ME.

SO THAT'S JOHN BIRD, THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF OKLAHOMA NIGHTS CRAFT CANNABIS, DESCRIBING WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP HIS LICENSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROW OPERATION AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MEDICAL MARIJUANA WASTE.

AT THIS POINT.

I DO NEED TO LOG IT, TAG IT, AND SHIP IT OFF TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA WASTE COMPANIES WHO COME IN, PICK IT UP, WEIGH IT, AND TAKE IT BACK AND DESTROY OF IT PROPERLY SO IT CANNOT BE ACCIDENTALLY INGESTED OR PUT ON TO THE BLACK MARKET.

BIRD GREW UP IN ENID.

THIS SMALL CANNABIS BUSINESS HAS ALLOWED HIM TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME.

CURRENTLY, HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS FIRST MAJOR GROW SEASON.

WANTED TO GROW BLUE NERDS FOR A WHILE AND I WAS LIKE, NOTHING BETTER THAN SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WANTING TO GROW TO BE ON MY LAUNCH.

DESPITE BEING A SMALL BUSINESS, BIRD SAYS IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO SET HIS OPERATION UP BY THE BOOK, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT 100%.

OMAOBN STATE FIRE MARSHAL COMPLIANT.

AND HE'S LEARNED ONCE THERE IS SOME TRASH OR WASTE GENERATED FROM THE BUSINESS, TAKE CARE OF IT IMMEDIATELY.

DON'T LET IT SIT AROUND.

ONCE YOU HAVE THE WASTE, GET RID OF THE WASTE.

THAT WAY YOU DON'T END UP WITH A BIG PILE OF WASTE THAT'S UNSIGHTLY.

IT'S THOSE UNSIGHTLY PILES THAT ABANDONED OR ILLEGAL GROWS THAT WERE THE FOCUS FOR LAWMAKERS.

DURING A SENATE INTERIM STUDY THIS WEEK.

VACANT AND OVERGROWN MARIJUANA FACILITIES HAVE CAUSED DISTRESS, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.

IN 2023, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED SENATE BILL 913, REQUIRING GROWS TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF A $50,000 BOND TO COVER COSTS IF THEY ABANDONED THE BUSINESS, AND REMEDIATION AND CLEANUP WAS NECESSARY.

OKLAHOMA MEDICAL MARIJUANA AUTHORITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANDREW BERRY IS ASKING LAWMAKERS FOR A CLEARER DEFINITION OF WHAT A LEGALLY ABANDONED GROW FACILITY IS.

IN LIGHT OF THAT LAW, MUCH OF THE LAND WE ARE DISCUSSING IS VACANT FOR SURE, BUT THE ANALYSIS NEEDED TO INDICATE THAT IT IS LEGALLY ABANDONED IS MISSING.

BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, ONE CAN LOOK TO THE STATUTES GOVERNING MUNICIPALITIES HANDLING OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS.

ANOTHER REQUEST BY BERRY TO LAWMAKERS IS THE NEED FOR INCREASED TESTING FOR PESTICIDES, RELYING ON THE EXPERTISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS IS IMPERATIVE IN WORKING TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS ISSUE OF REMEDIATING LAND THAT HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH UNREGISTERED FOREIGN PESTICIDES, ALLOWING RULES TO REQUIRE THE TESTING OF MORE PESTICIDES TO PROTECT CONSUMERS IS ALSO PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED.

INCREASED TESTING FOR PESTICIDES DOESN'T WORRY JOHN BIRD 100% PESTICIDE FREE.

NO HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ARE USED IN MY MANUFACTURING PRACTICE.

BUT NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE BIRD.

AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THESE GROWTHS.

AT THE TIME THESE IMAGES WERE CAPTURED, THESE WERE ACTIVE WORKING GROWTHS.

THEY'RE NOT WHAT YOU WOULD WHAT YOU WOULD SAY OR WOULD CONSIDER ABANDONED AT THAT TIME.

KEEPING THAT IN MIND, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE VERY DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS WHILE THEY ARE BEING ACTIVE.

SO YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WHAT THESE PLACES WOULD LOOK LIKE ONCE THEY DO BECOME ABANDONED.

OKLAHOMA BUREAU OF NARCOTICS DIRECTOR DONNIE ANDERSON SAYS RECENT REFORMS HAVE DRASTICALLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF LICENSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES, HENCE THE NEED FOR MORE CLEANUP.

SO JUST THREE SHORT YEARS AGO HERE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE OVER 8400 LICENSED AND REGISTERED GROWS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 1277.

SO IN THREE YEARS, YOU'RE LOOKING A LITTLE OVER 7000 MARIJUANA GROWS THAT YOU WOULD PROBABLY CONSTITUTE AS BEING ABANDONED TODAY, ANDERSON SAYS LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE INVOLVED WITH REMEDIATION EFFORTS BECAUSE SOME ABANDONED GROWS ARE THE RESULT OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

IF THERE'S EVER THE IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AFOOT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOTIFIED, AND SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE IS THINGS OF EVIDENTIARY VALUE THAT WILL BE THERE, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN COME IN, PRESERVE AND PRESENT FOR PROSECUTION DOWN THE ROAD.

REFORMS HAVE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTIGATORS TO CATCH SOMEONE TRYING TO DEFRAUD REGULATORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN LEGITIMATE CREDENTIALS TO COVER THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.

FOR EXAMPLE, AN APPLICANT MUST RECEIVE A LICENSE FROM OMMA AND BECOME REGISTERED WITH OBNOB IN.

TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LICENSE AND THE REGISTRATION.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS CAUGHT UP A LOT OF ILLEGAL ACTORS IS SUBMITTING GROSSLY MISMATCHING PAPERWORK, MEANING THE REFORMS ARE STARTING TO KICK IN, CHANGING THE MARKETPLACE FROM THE WILD WEST OF WEED TO A MORE REGULATED ONE.

WOLF STILL CAUTIONS THAT TOUGHER REGULATIONS MEANT TO HOLD CRIMINALS RESPONSIBLE FOR ABANDONED GROWS COULD HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

MEXICAN CARTELS WEREN'T WORRIED.

THEY DON'T HAVE A BOND.

THEY DIDN'T GET A LICENSE.

THEY DIDN'T GET A REGISTRATION.

SO ALL OF THOSE RULES THAT WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THROUGH THIS WHOLE TIME WERE HAVING TO CONSTANTLY BUTT UP AGAINST THE REALITY.

YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THESE RULES, IF YOU WERE JUST DOING BLACK MARKET CRIME FROM DAY ONE, IS THIS GOING TO UNFAIRLY BURDEN LEGITIMATE ACTORS?

AND DOES IT EVEN PRODUCE A RESULT?

JOHN BIRD'S BUSINESS IS A MOM AND POP OPERATION, AND WHILE HE MAKES SURE THAT HE FOLLOWS THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS, HE DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO CLEAN UP AFTER THE BAD GUYS ARE GONE.

WE HAVE A $50,000 BOND.

IT'S OMA MAY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL THAT BOND IN, BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS THE LANDOWNER WHO WOULD HAVE TO PAY THAT, AND THAT'S WHO NEEDS TO BE GOING AFTER.

OFFICIALS DO ADMIT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER AS LAW ENFORCEMENT BUSTS THE BAD ACTORS AND LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES ADJUST TO THE NEW REGULATIONS.

RICH.

JASON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ONE OAK IS EXPANDING ITS OPERATIONS IN TEXAS.

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

TULSA BASED ONE OAK HAS CLOSED A MORE THAN $4.4 MILLION DEAL TO ACQUIRE NATURAL GAS GATHERING AND PROCESSING ASSETS FROM BRAZOS MIDSTREAM'S PERMIAN BASIN IN TEXAS.

ONE OAKS LEADERSHIP SEES THE DEAL AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND TO INCREASE SERVICES TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS.

THE ACQUISITION MORE THAN DOUBLES ONE OAKS PROCESSING CAPACITY IN THE MIDLAND BASIN.

MORE DRILLING ACTIVITY COULD BE COMING TO ONE OF OKLAHOMA'S OIL AND GAS FORMATIONS.

AUSTIN BASED BENCHMARK ENERGY TWO HAS SECURED $47.5 MILLION IN FINANCING.

THE MONEY WOULD BE USED TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN ANADARKO BASIN, LOCATED IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

COMPANY LEADERS SAY RESULTS FROM THAT FORMATION ARE IMPROVED FROM A DECADE AGO.

LAWTON BASED WEST WIND ELEMENTS IS EXPANDING TO ANOTHER STATE.

IT WILL BUILD A $502 MILLION COMMERCIAL SCALE CLASS ONE NICKEL REFINERY IN NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI.

THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE MORE THAN 130 FULL TIME JOBS.

WHEN THE REFINERY BECOMES OPERATIONAL.

WEST WIND HAS A LONG TERM LEASE FOR THE SITE AND EXPECTS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT TO PRODUCE 18,000 TONS OF CLASS A NICKEL A YEAR.

THE COMPANY EXPECTS THE NEW FACILITY TO BE UP AND RUNNING IN 2029, ACCORDING TO REAL ESTATE WEBSITE ZILLOW.

OKLAHOMA CITY HAS THE LOWEST RENT IN THE 50 BIGGEST U.S.

CITIES.

THE MEDIAN MONTHLY RENTAL IS $1,250.

IF A PERSON MADE $100,000 PER YEAR, 77% OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FOR RENT WOULD BE WITHIN THAT PERSON'S BUDGET.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, HAD THE HIGHEST AVERAGE RENTALS AT $3,539 A MONTH.

OKLAHOMA CITY BASED MIDFIRST BANK HAS DONATED $35,000 TO THE HEART FOUNDATION.

IT'S A LOS ANGELES BASED NONPROFIT SPECIALIZING IN RAISING AWARENESS AROUND HEART DISEASE PREVENTION, DETECTION AND TREATMENT.

THE FOUNDATION ALSO HELPS TO FUND CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH AT CEDARS-SINAI.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

THE OETA GOVERNOR'S DEBATE, FEATURING HOUSE MINORITY LEADER CYNDI MUNSON AND FORMER STATE SENATOR MIKE MASSIE, WAS SEEN IN ALL 77 OKLAHOMA COUNTIES LAST THURSDAY AND REMAINS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

IN THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION, MODERATOR JASON DOYLE INVITED SOME NOTABLE POLITICAL REPORTERS TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT THEY SAW AND HEARD.

THANKS, RICH.

JOINING US IS THE PUBLISHER OF QUORUM CALLS, SEAN ASHLEY AND GRIFFIN COMMUNICATIONS POLITICAL ANALYST SCOTT MITCHELL.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US HERE ON IN-DEPTH.

GLAD TO BE HERE.

GOOD TO BE HERE.

WELL, LET'S GET YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF EACH CANDIDATE'S PERFORMANCE ON THE DEBATE.

LET'S START WITH YOU, SEAN.

I THINK BOTH CANDIDATES DID A GOOD JOB OF SORT OF OUTLINING THEIR PLATFORMS AND WHAT THEY'RE CAMPAIGNING ON AS THEY GO OUT AND ABOUT ACROSS OKLAHOMA.

I THINK ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, WAS THAT THE DEBATE REALLY WASN'T A DEBATE.

IT WAS SORT OF A JOINT INTERVIEW WHICH GAVE THEM SORT OF FREE REIN TO PUT THOSE PLATFORMS FOR FORWARD WITHOUT MUCH CHALLENGE, WHICH WITHOUT MUCH BACK AND FORTH.

WE DID SEE A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE THE CANDIDATES LASHED OUT AT ONE ANOTHER A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE WASN'T REAL BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ISSUES.

BUT THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING WHERE THEY STAND AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO.

AND SCOTT, WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS?

WELL, FIRST, KUDOS TO OETA FOR GETTING THEM TOGETHER.

AND THAT SEEMED TO BE AN ISSUE.

THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE DEBATE THAT I WASN'T CRAZY ABOUT IS THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE.

THAT'S MY BIG WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A MONTH LATER, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM AND IT'S NOT AIMED AT OETA.

IT'S ALL MEDIA.

AND IT APPEARS AT LEAST ONE OF THE PARTIES IS NOT REAL ANXIOUS TO ENGAGE PUBLICLY.

I GET IT, YOU GOT 15 POLITICAL HANDLERS TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO, BUT IT DOES SEEM AS IF A WHOLE MONTH WITHOUT A FACE TO FACE IS DEPRIVES VOTERS OF SOME CHOICES.

WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET 15 QUESTIONS IN DURING THE DEBATE.

SCOTT, WERE THERE QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HEARD THAT WE MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN?

NO, I THINK THE 15 QUESTIONS ARE GREAT.

I THINK IT WAS WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO HAVE LIKE 4 OR 5 MINUTES TO JUST BACK AND FORTH ON THAT.

I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT, SEAN, MAYBE THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO SEE MEDIA START TO DO THOSE HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE FORUMS WHERE LIKE YOU DO SIX MINUTES, YOU GET THREE MINUTES TO REBUT.

BUT RICH AND SUSAN DID A GREAT JOB OF STAYING OUT OF THE WAY ON THIS.

A LOT OF DEBATES, SEAN, ON WHAT I'LL SEE IS THAT THE MODERATORS GET IN THE WAY, RIGHT?

OR DON'T TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING.

I AGREE, I WOULD LIKE, AS I SAID A MOMENT AGO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE BACK AND FORTH.

AS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL DEBATER IN COLLEGE DEBATER, THAT GIVES YOU THAT REAL OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORTH A POSITION AND THEN HAVE TO DEFEND IT AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, TO RESPOND TO IT AND PERHAPS TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS WRONG ABOUT IT.

THIS COULD HAVE GONE ON FOR MUCH LONGER, I BELIEVE.

I THOUGHT THE QUESTIONS THOUGH, WERE GREAT.

THEY WERE ON POINT ON THE BIG ISSUES THAT THE CAMPAIGNS ARE TOUTING AND THAT ARE FACING OKLAHOMANS.

SO IN THAT REGARD, I THINK OETA DID A TREMENDOUS JOB.

WELL, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

AND SO WE'VE GOT SOME CLIPS FROM THE DEBATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THROUGHOUT THIS SEGMENT.

AND, SCOTT, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STANCES ON THE ENOLA ALUMINUM SMELTER PROJECT?

WE'LL START WITH WHAT SENATOR MAZIE HAD TO SAY.

I WAS NOT IN STATE GOVERNMENT WHEN THE ALUMINUM PLANT PROJECT WAS APPROVED, AND REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON VOTED FOR SENATE BILL 1000, WHICH ACTUALLY FUNDED THE PROJECT.

NOW, I DO GET EVERYONE'S CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS.

I HAD TO DIVE INTO A BUNCH OF INFORMATION MYSELF.

I BECAME A SUPPORTER OF THE PLANT FOR TWO BIG REASONS.

THE FIRST MASSIVE JOB CREATION 10,000 JOBS, $940 MILLION OF ANNUAL INCOME.

SECOND, OUR MILITARY NEEDS ALUMINUM FOR OUR JETS AND OUR WARSHIPS.

AND LEADER MUNSON CHOSE TO USE PART OF HER ANSWER FOR THAT QUESTION TO RESPOND.

HERE'S HER STANCE ON THE SMELTER.

I WANT TO RESPOND TO THE ALUMINUM SMELTER.

I VOTED AGAINST THE $255 MILLION TAX GIVEAWAY TO A FOREIGN CORPORATION.

AND WHILE MY OPPONENT WANTS TO CUT TAXES AND SAY THAT HE WANTS TO GO AFTER TEACHERS, IT'S CLEAR THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO HELP EVERYDAY OKLAHOMANS.

IF HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR TAXES, HE WOULDN'T BE OKAY WITH SENDING $255 MILLION OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO A FOREIGN CORPORATION.

SO, SCOTT, LET'S START WITH YOU.

WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION OF THEIR STANCES ON THE SMELTER?

HE'S SHE'S AGIN IT.

AND THE THING THE ISSUE TO ME RIGHT NOW IS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.

AND IT'S ONLY THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ECONOMIC PLAN IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T SAY A WHOLE LOT ABOUT IT THE OTHER NIGHT, EXCEPT YOU'RE GOING TO GET A GREAT JOB, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF JOBS.

THE POINT BEING IS THAT THEY PUT THEIR STANCES PRETTY CLEARLY.

AND THE QUESTION THEN IS, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF THE CAMPAIGN ON THIS ISSUE?

YOUR FEELINGS?

I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT SENATOR MAZIE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF HIM SORT OF CHANGING HIS POSITION ON THE ALUMINUM SMELTER.

ORIGINALLY, HE WAS AGAINST IT, AND NOW HE WAS FOR IT.

AND AS HE SAID IN THE CLIP, HE HAD TO DIVE INTO IT AND, AND COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THAT PART OF OKLAHOMA AND TO THE NATION AS A WHOLE.

WELL, TOWARD THE END OF THE DEBATE, WE FOCUSED ON BIPARTISANSHIP AND HOW THEY COULD REACH ACROSS THE AISLE TO WORK WITH THE CANDIDATE.

MAZIE BELIEVES EDUCATION COULD BE SOMETHING ON WHICH BOTH CANDIDATES COULD FIND COMMON GROUND.

REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION, AND JUST LIKE HER, MY WIFE AND I, OUR FAMILY, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT A GREAT EDUCATION AND LOTS OF HARD WORK.

NOW WE HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO HOW BEST TO ACHIEVE BETTER EDUCATION OUTCOMES, BUT THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE COULD COLLABORATE TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO HELP OUR HARD WORKING TEACHERS HAVE MORE DISCIPLINE AND ORDER IN THE CLASSROOM.

WE WANT TO HAVE BETTER CURRICULUM.

SO THE KIDS ARE READING AT GRADE LEVEL.

AND MUNSON'S APPROACH TO BIPARTISANSHIP WAS ADDRESSING RISING INSURANCE COSTS.

I HAVE A LONG TRACK RECORD OF WORKING WITH MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE AND BUILDING BIPARTISAN COALITIONS TO ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE HEALTH INSURANCE.

I ADDRESSED AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE INSURANCE COMPANIES WHO WANTED TO TELL OKLAHOMANS THAT SERVICES OR PRESCRIPTIONS WOULDN'T BE COVERED.

EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE PAYING YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

AND I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE.

SO, SEAN, DO YOU FEEL MUNSON AND MAZIE COULD GET ALONG ON EDUCATION AND INSURANCE IF THEY HAD TO WORK TOGETHER?

WELL, THEY WON'T HAVE TO.

REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON WILL NO LONGER BE IN THE LEGISLATURE AFTER THIS CAMPAIGN, BUT SENATOR MAZIE WILL, IF ELECTED, WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH OTHER DEMOCRATS.

I THOUGHT HIS ANSWER HERE WAS RATHER INTERESTING, BECAUSE EARLIER IN THE DEBATE, HE HAD TALKED ABOUT HOW HE HAD ALREADY SPOKEN WITH HOUSE SPEAKER CARL ALBERT AND SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEM LONNIE PAXTON ABOUT SOME ISSUES THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT AND SHARED COMMON CONCERNS.

AND HE WAS READY TO WORK WITH THE REPUBLICAN SUPERMAJORITY TO PURSUE SOLUTIONS TO THAT.

SO ON ONE HAND, HERE HE WAS TOUTING BIPARTISANSHIP, BUT ON THE OTHER, HE'S ALREADY INDICATING THAT HE'S WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATIVE MAJORITY TO PURSUE CERTAIN ISSUES.

REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON, IF ELECTED GOVERNOR, WILL HAVE TO TAKE A BIPARTISAN APPROACH.

CHANCES ARE THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT GOING TO FLIP IN THIS ELECTION.

SO SHE WOULD FACE A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.

SCOTT, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP BREAKING OUT?

YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT.

SHE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD IT'S VERY CLEAR 50% OF OKLAHOMA REPUBLICANS WHO WON THE RUNOFF DID NOT AGREE WITH SENATOR MAZIE.

RIGHT.

AND SO IT'S BEEN MY CONTENTION FOR A LONG TIME.

THERE'S TWO REPUBLICAN PARTIES OUT THERE NOW.

SO DEMOCRATS MAY HAVE AN OUTSIZED ROLE IN THE FUTURE, DEPENDING ON WHERE THIS IS ALL GOING.

THERE'S THAT KIND OF BUSH, GORE, REAGAN STREAM, AND THEN THERE'S THIS FAR RIGHT STREAM WHEN THEY GOT WIPED OUT IN THE SENATE, HOWEVER.

BUT THERE'S STILL A BUNCH OF THEM IN THE HOUSE.

SO AND BY THE WAY, THERE WAS A LOT OF LEADERSHIP THAT WAS FORGETTING DRUMMOND.

OKAY.

SO WE'LL SEE.

I DON'T THINK THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE I HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE PRIVATELY TELLING ME WHO ARE VETERAN OBSERVERS.

MIKE MAZZEI IF HE'S ELECTED GOVERNOR, IT'S GOING TO GET PRIMARIED.

THERE'S SUCH DEEP DIVISION INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BOTH GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A TIGHTROPE TO WALK ON THE EDUCATION ISSUE.

WELL, SPEAKING OF EDUCATION, LET'S BRING THAT UP.

THEY WERE ASKED ABOUT OKLAHOMA'S FUNDING LEVELS FOR EDUCATION AND BRINGING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT UPWARD WITH INCREASED SPENDING.

SO SEAN, DO YOU THINK THERE'S A CLEAR PATH FORWARD TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES?

EDUCATION WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ISSUES, I THINK, OF THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND FOR THE NEXT GOVERNOR FOR FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

ONE, YOU WILL HAVE A NEW GOVERNOR.

SECONDLY, YOU WILL HAVE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION WHO WILL THEN SORT OF BE SETTING THE AGENDA AND AGENDA FOR WHAT THEY THINK IS IMPORTANT.

WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE, WITH FORMER SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS AND THEN WITH THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS REALLY DRIVEN THE TRAIN, AND IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THEY CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

AND THEN WE CIRCLE BACK TO WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND BIPARTISANSHIP, HOW WHOEVER THE NEW GOVERNOR IS, IS GOING TO INTERFACE WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND INTERFACE WITH THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT TO SORT OF SET A COMMON AGENDA THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE.

IT'LL BE INTERESTING.

LET ME PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF, WHICH IS I KEPT THINKING WHAT WAS GOING TO COME UP AT SOME POINT WAS GOING TO BE WHAT GOVERNOR STITT HAD WANTED, WHICH IS TO ELIMINATE THAT JOB AS AN ELECTED JOB STATE SUPERINTENDENT.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THESE SHOW HORSES THAT PROVE TO BE INCOMPETENT RUNNING THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND I'VE ASKED A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT RUN FOR GOVERNOR EARLY ON WAS, IF YOU START HAVING PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF STUFF.

I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU SET AN AGENDA WHEN YOU'VE GOT A CIRCUS RUNNING OVER THERE?

RIGHT.

SO THE NEXT GOVERNOR CAN I BELIEVE, SEAN, HE COULD JUST I MEAN, HE COULD JUST CHANGE THE BOARD.

AND THE ONLY THING THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IS JUST RUN THE STAFF.

AND I THINK THAT THIS IS IT'S SAFER TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING AT THE DINNER TABLE THAN EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA.

AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY TANTAMOUNT TO THE BIGGEST ISSUE.

WE JUST GOT THROUGH WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO AGREE ON GETTING WHERE KIDS CAN READ AND LET THAT ONE WASH OVER YOU.

I MEAN, THAT'S HOW FAR WE'VE FALLEN.

AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE, I THINK THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS HOW THEY GET ALONG.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL WE'VE GOT JUST ABOUT THREE MINUTES LEFT.

SO I WANT TO BRING UP ONE MORE SET OF SOUND BITES.

THIS ONE FOCUSED ON THE DATA CENTERS WITH.

HERE'S WHAT MUNSON HAD TO SAY, HOW SHE WOULD HANDLE DATA CENTER PROLIFERATION IF SHE WON THE ADMINISTRATION AS GOVERNOR.

MY JOB IS TO PROTECT YOU AND TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND MAKE SURE THAT NO INDUSTRY EXPLOITS OUR NATURAL RESOURCES OR RAISE COSTS ON EVERYDAY WORKING FAMILIES.

THAT'S WHY ON DAY ONE, I WILL SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PUTTING A MORATORIUM ON ANY NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS.

WE NEED A STANDARDIZED UNIFORM APPROACH ON HOW WE DEAL WITH BIG TECH.

THEY WANT TO COME TO OKLAHOMA BECAUSE OF OUR LAND AND BECAUSE OF OUR LOOSE REGULATIONS.

AND SO, AS GOVERNOR, I WILL ENSURE THAT WE DON'T PAY A SINGLE DIME FOR ANY INFRASTRUCTURE OR ANY ENERGY OR ELECTRICITY COSTS THAT DATA CENTERS WILL PLACE ON WORKING FAMILIES.

AND SENATOR MAZIE HAD A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

IN MY OPINION, WE NEED FOR GUARDRAILS FOR DATA CENTERS.

ONE, THEY SHOULDN'T GET ANY TAXPAYER FUNDS.

TWO, THEY SHOULD PROVIDE FOR THEIR OWN ELECTRICITY.

SO ELECTRICITY RATES FOR THE REST OF US DON'T GO UP.

THEY SHOULD ALSO ONLY BE BUILT ON LOCALLY APPROVED INDUSTRIAL SITES.

AND THEN NUMBER FOUR, THEY NEED TO USE ADVANCED CLOSED LOOP COOLING SYSTEMS.

SO THE WATER IS RESTRAINED TO WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE SIMILAR TO THE NEEDS OF MAYBE A HOTEL EVERY NIGHT WITH 2 OR 300 ROOMS.

SO, SEAN, DO YOU THINK THOSE ANSWERS SATISFY WHAT OKLAHOMANS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO A DATA CENTER PROPOSAL?

I'M NOT SURE.

FIRST OF ALL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THEIR ANSWERS ARE MORE SIMILAR, I THINK, THAN THEY ARE DIFFERENT.

REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON SUGGESTED A STANDARDIZED APPROACH, AND SENATOR MAZIE OUTLINED ONE POTENTIAL STANDARDIZED APPROACH THAT I HAVE HEARD REITERATED ESSENTIALLY IN THE LEGISLATURE.

FOR EXAMPLE, DURING A RECENT INTERIM STUDY.

SO I DON'T THINK THEIR POSITIONS ARE NECESSARILY THAT FAR APART.

MAYBE HOW THEY IMPLEMENT THEM IS QUITE DIFFERENT DATA CENTERS IN TERMS OF THE VOTERS HAVE QUICKLY BECOME AN ISSUE, AND I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO REMAIN AN ISSUE FOR SEVERAL MORE CYCLES UNTIL GOVERNMENTS LIKE OKLAHOMA'S AND EVEN NATIONALLY COME TO SOME SORT OF TERMS AND HOW TO DO THAT, SOME STANDARDIZED APPROACH, AS REPRESENTATIVE MUNSON SAID, MAYBE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT SENATOR MAZIE OUTLINED IT, TOO, LIKE EDUCATION IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT STICKS WITH US.

THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE, JERRY BONE AND I DO THIS PODCAST, ENERGY PODCAST, AND WE STARTED SEEING WHEN CHATGPT POPS UP AND THEN THE TECH BROS STARTED BUYING CHIPS, AND THEN THEY STARTED THE PROLIFERATION OF THE DATA CENTERS.

WE WERE LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO CATCH PUBLIC POLICYMAKERS OFF GUARD.

AND ALSO THE MEDIA, OKAY?

THEY'RE WAY BEHIND.

WE'RE DEBATING ISSUES THAT AREN'T EVEN REAL, LIKE THE WATER THING RIGHT NOW.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE EITHER ONE OF THESE PEOPLE BECOME GOVERNOR IS HOW QUICKLY THIS TURNS INTO A PROBLEM FOR OKLAHOMA'S REPUTATION AS WE TRY TO BRING BUSINESS IN AND WE SHUN THEM AWAY, LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE SMELTER.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE SECOND PUBLIC AGREE WITH YOU.

MAYBE ONE BE IN TERMS OF ISSUES DIVISIVE AT THE CAPITOL.

WELL, GENTLEMEN, WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

I APPRECIATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND THANKS FOR COMING ON TO IN DEPTH THIS WEEK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GOOD TO BE HERE.

AND WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW OUR IN-DEPTH SEGMENT WILL HAVE A NEW FACE NEXT WEEK.

SUNNY LEE IS JOINING OETA NEWS DEPARTMENT AS OUR NEW INDEPTH MODERATOR, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HER GET TO WORK.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM, SUNNY.

LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

AND THANK YOU, JASON.

IN OUR WEEKLY NATIONAL VIEW SEGMENT, WE LIKE TO TRAVEL A BIT AND SHOW YOU SOME OF THE GREAT WORK BEING DONE BY OTHER PBS STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THIS WEEK, WE'RE HEADING TO MAINE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ONE OF THE OLDEST COURTHOUSES IN THE COUNTRY.

COURTESY OF MAINE PUBLIC TELEVISION.

THIS BUILDING REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THIS AREA NORTH OF MERRYMEETING BAY.

IT WAS ALL WILDERNESS, AND THIS COURTHOUSE GAVE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO VISIT AND ALSO TO CONGREGATE AND SEE THE NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS TRYING TO KEEP LEGAL THINGS GOING.

THIS IS A FASCINATING BUILDING.

THIS WAS BUILT IN 1761 TO BE THE COURTHOUSE FOR THE NEWLY FORMED LINCOLN COUNTY, MAINE.

LINCOLN COUNTY HAD BECOME THE THIRD COUNTY IN MAINE, AND AT THE TIME THEY SAID ALL ROADS IN LINCOLN COUNTY STARTED AND ENDED AT THE COURTHOUSE.

TO ME, THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT BUILDING IN THE STATE OF MAINE BECAUSE OF ITS PRESENCE ON THE KENNEBEC, WHICH IS THE MAJOR WATER HIGHWAY FOR THE ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS AND CERTAIN CONFLICTS WHICH WERE TAKING PLACE BETWEEN THE PROPRIETORS, BEGAN TO BE LITIGATED THROUGH THE LENS OF THE REVOLUTION THAT WAS HAPPENING.

WAS ANYBODY HUNG HERE?

YES.

PEOPLE WERE HUNG HERE.

THERE WERE A FEW CAPITAL MURDER CASES HERE.

THERE WERE SOME EXECUTIONS HERE.

AND I THINK EARLY ON, THE JAIL WAS REALLY FULL OF DEBTORS, PEOPLE THAT OWED MONEY.

MOST OF THE HEARINGS WERE LAND DISPUTES.

SO IF YOU CAME IN FOR HEARING, YOU'D COME IN HERE, GO UP THE STAIRS, INTO THE COURTROOM.

TOWN MEETINGS WERE HELD HERE.

CHURCH SERVICES WERE HELD HERE.

I THINK THIS SERVED AS A PLACE OF ENTERTAINMENT.

DANCES WERE HELD HERE WHEN THE COURTHOUSE WAS BUILT IN THE COUNTY, IT WAS REQUIRED THAT A COURTHOUSE BE ATTACHED TO A TAVERN OR HAVE A TAVERN WITHIN IT.

OVER IN THIS DIRECTION HERE WAS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE BAR SET UP AND PERIOD BOTTLES WHERE THEY HAD BEER.

WHEN THE TAVERNS WERE HERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE TRAVELING EITHER ON THE RIVER OR BY TRAILS.

THEY COULD STOP IN, AND THEY COULD GET A MEAL AT THE TAVERNS AS WELL AS REFRESHMENTS.

HISTORY RECORDS THAT THIS IS THE JURY ROOM, WHICH SEEMS A LITTLE BIT ODD.

IT'S UP ON THE THIRD FLOOR, AND I GUESS THAT COULD DISCOURAGE EAVESDROPPERS.

SO HERE WE ARE IN WHAT WE CALL THE TOOL ROOM.

I MIGHT ADD ALSO THAT THESE ROOMS SERVED AS ACCOMMODATIONS OF SLEEPING QUARTERS FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEIR TAVERN WAS HERE, WHEN THE COURT WAS IN SESSION.

I WANT TO POINT OUT, IT'S GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING PARTS OF THIS BUILDING.

THIS IS CALLED A DRAGON BEAM.

THERE'S ONE OF THESE IN EACH OF THE FOUR CORNERS.

IT CAPTURES THE STORED ENERGY OF THE WEIGHT OF THE ROOF FROM PUSHING OUT AT THE CORNERS.

SO IT'S KEPT THE BUILDING SQUARE FOR 260 YEARS.

IT HAS SO MUCH HISTORY, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE LITTLE FORGOTTEN GEMS THAT PEOPLE JUST DRIVE BY AND DON'T REALIZE WHAT EXISTS HERE.

THE BUILDING TO ME IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COLONIAL TIMES BECAUSE BUILT IN 1761, IT NOT ONLY WENT THROUGH THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR PERIOD, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE REVOLUTION.

THE FAMILY THAT OWNED IT THROUGH ALL THESE CENTURIES REALIZED ITS HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE.

SO THEY DID VERY LITTLE CHANGES.

THE GROUNDS ARE GORGEOUS, THE TRAILS ARE WELL MAINTAINED, AND THE PEOPLE WHO DOCENT HERE AND WHO ARE INVOLVED, LINCOLN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, AND THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH OTHERS.

SO CHECK IT OUT.

IF YOU GET TO MAINE ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

THOUSANDS OF OKLAHOMA MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES ARE GOING UP IN SMOKE.

WHY HASN'T THE INDUSTRY PROVEN TO BE MORE PROFITABLE FOR SO MANY ENTREPRENEURS?

STEVE SHAW REPORTS.

FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

WE'LL SAY SO LONG FOR NOW, WITH A STROLL THROUGH THE GEORGE M SUTTON URBAN WILDERNESS AREA IN NORMAN, 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 AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

SEASON 12 IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN FEATURES RAINFORESTS OF ALASKA'S PANHANDLE AND PINE FORESTS