Oklahoma
Oklahoma Democrats highlight concerns about state budget transparency
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Democrats in the Oklahoma legislature are raising their concerns about what the state budget could look like this year.
Democratic leadership held a press conference on Tuesday to speak on funding concerns they have on everything from healthcare to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to education as power in how the state budget is crafted rests mainly in the hands of Republicans.
“Oklahomans are really drowning and we’re not throwing them a rope right now,” Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City) said.
As Oklahoma lawmakers enter their second month of the 2026 legislative session, budget negotiations and conversations are intensifying in what is expected to be a tight budget year.
Democrats say transparency is lacking from their Republican colleagues.
“There’s so many major troubles in the public eye around our budget when it comes to affording homes, affording childcare, being able to find the healthcare they need, and we are not seeing transparency from our Republican colleagues,” Kirt said.
Kirt said years of tax cuts have left the state with no flexibility coming into this year.
“We’ve had an estimated 1.6 billion in tax cuts in the last five years limiting our options a lot,” she said. “And so when we see these challenges what are we gonna see in terms of solutions? We have not had that transparency to give you any idea what’s happening but we wanna raise the alarm that it’s gonna be too late for people to chime in if they don’t speak up now about what they think the priorities should be.”
House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City) echoed the same sentiment.
“We’ve heard rumors about cuts to agencies and that there will be flat budgets, but we know that they will go deeper as years go on if the legislature doesn’t get it together and figure out a way to increase revenue to pay for core functions of government,” Munson said.
About a month and a half ago, Republican State Senators proposed a $254 million funding plan that would redirect funds from the Teacher Retirement System.
“I find myself wondering how we will pay for this massive package we’re talking about, the third grade reading and math initiatives that we have set in play and have been highlighted as cornerstones of what we hope to accomplish this session. And it’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. The final price tag of those things continues to swing from one extreme to the other,” State Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) said.
Right now, nothing concrete has been announced on what the final budget number will be.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — If you have been waiting for the opening of a popular fast-food chain in Oklahoma City, your wait is almost over.
On Tuesday, Bojangles will open its first Oklahoma location in Oklahoma City.
The new restaurant, located at 13135 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Oklahoma City, has a list of events planned throughout opening day.
The first 100 guests in line on April 28th will receive a $100 gift card and exclusive, Oklahoma City -themed merchandise.
Also, 10 dine-in guests can enter for a chance to win free Bojangles breakfast for a year.
At 3 p.m. on April 28, the restaurant will transform into a full-scale block party. Guests will be able to enjoy a live DJ, a mechanical bull, branded merchandise, and a sweepstakes.
“We are ecstatic about introducing Bojangles to Oklahoma and bringing our unique Southern charm to the market,” said Jose Armario, CEO of Bojangles. “Our recent expansions into new markets have been met with tremendous enthusiasm, and we are confident that the Oklahoma City community will embrace our delicious offerings with the same excitement.”
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The new store will open its doors at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28th.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their opening-round series. The OKC Thunder are hoping that they can repeat their Sunday afternoon performance in this contest. Game 2 will be an interesting test with the Suns having more time to prepare.
Phoenix was up against a rock and a hard place in the series opener. The Oklahoma City Thunder not only have the talent advantage but the rest advantage as well. Phoenix punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs on Friday night by staving off the Golden State Warriors on Friday night before landing in Oklahoma City on Saturday and playing on Saturday afternoon to the tune of a 119-84 blowout Thunder victory.
The NBA has seen plenty of upsets already. The Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers have all stolen games from the higher seed. The Thunder know they have to keep the foot on the gas in this contest.
“These series are unpredictable. No 2 games are the same. The minute you make an assumption, you are overconfident, or the minute you go down and you’re overly urgent, that can impact your ability to be present in the next game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said pregame on Wednesday night.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are seeing the Suns make an adjustment with their starting lineup by inserting Collin Gillespie to give Phoenix a trio of ball handling scoring options alongside Devin Booker and Jalen Green. This gives the Suns hope to be able to find better shot quality against this stifling Thunder defensive unit.
Oklahoma City is healthier now than they have been all season. The Thunder only are missing rookie Thomas Sorber (ACL) who is out for the year. This allows the Bricktown Ballers to roll out their traditional first five in this contest.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns, Game 2 Starting Lineup
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G
- Lu Dort, G
- Jalen Williams, F
- Chet Holmgren, F
- Isaiah Hartenstein, C
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
- Devin Booker, G
- Jalen Green, G
- Collin Gillespie, G
- Dillon Brooks, F
- Oso Ighodaro, C
The series will shift to Phoenix this weekend as the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to head into Saturday afternoon’s Game 3 with a 2-0 advantage in the series.
Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of the NBA Playoff run for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA (KOKH) — The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a home fire late Tuesday evening, around 10:42 p.m.
According to OKCFD, fire could be seen from a window of the home located in the 4200 block of N. Phillips Avenue.
Firefighters were able to rescue an adult female from inside the home. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
Investigators believe that the fire may have originated from an outlet near the refrigerator that had a power strip plugged in that was supplying multiple appliances.
There was also no smoke detector present within the home.
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