Oklahoma
Sen. Lankford Introduces Bill Aimed At Stopping Purchases Of Oklahoma Land By Criminal Organizations
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford plans subsequent week to introduce a invoice — much like laws launched final yr by Rep. Frank Lucas — to assist forestall legal overseas entities from shopping for up agricultural land in Oklahoma or anyplace else within the nation.
Public security and narcotics officers in Oklahoma stated one of many unexpected penalties of legalizing medical marijuana is the best way that drug trafficking organizations at the moment are working inside the state’s medical hashish program.
They stated an growing variety of worldwide legal entities are fraudulently acquiring Oklahoma licenses, which seem reliable on the floor, and permitting them to site visitors their marijuana to black markets all through the US.
Lankford stated the issue has uncovered a loophole within the system: neither the U.S. Division of Agriculture nor another entity screens agricultural purchases by overseas operators.
“The state’s ‘authorized’ marijuana commerce has…predictably attracted transnational legal organizations to Oklahoma which might be trafficking medicine and folks,” stated Sen. Lankford (R-OK) in an announcement. “The transnational legal organizations have partnered with Chinese language-nationals to purchase land and companies all through Oklahoma. It is a nationwide safety challenge and a human rights challenge. We have to know who’s shopping for our land, how they’re utilizing it and if any legal exercise is happening.”
Lankford stated his Safety and Oversight of Worldwide Landholdings (SOIL) Act would deter legal funding in US agriculture by requiring Committee on Overseas Funding in the US (CFIUS) overview of agriculture actual property purchases by sure overseas entities, banning federal help for sure foreign-held actual property holdings and broadening disclosure necessities for land purchases made by overseas entities.
Most vital, Lankford stated, is getting the USDA a seat on the desk with CFIUS in order that it may be a part of the method of reviewing farmland purchases.
Congressman Lucas (R-OK3) launched related laws — the Agriculture Safety Threat Assessment Act — in 2021.
Earlier this summer season, Lucas and different Republican lawmakers, noting with alarm that “Chinese language land holdings alone elevated from 13,720 acres to 352,140 acres between 2010 and 2020,” despatched a letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack urging motion to carry extra transparency to those purchases as a result of “our constituents need to know as a lot as potential about overseas acquisition of home farmland, no matter whether or not we’re involved in regards to the motives of the events concerned.”
Lucas and Lankford seem like on the identical web page.
“I need to ensure that now we have a nationwide verify, identical to we do on a expertise entity, [but] additionally for agriculture,” Lankford stated in an interview Thursday.
Lankford stated this isn’t a partisan challenge and that he’s had good conversations with the Biden Administration in regards to the challenge.
Oklahoma
2024 NCAA softball bracket: Women's College World Series scores, schedule
The 2024 NCAA DI softball tournament is here. The bracket was announced on Sunday, May 12 in an ESPN2 selection show. Regional action will run May 17-19, followed by super regionals from May 23-26. The tournament culminates with the eight-team 2024 Women’s College World Series starting on May 30 in Oklahoma City.
AUTO-BID TRACKER: Every conference tournament champion and automatic bid
The 2023 Women’s College World Series finals ended with Oklahoma sweeping Florida State to win a third-straight national championship. Below you can find all the information about the 2024 DI softball tournament.
2024 NCAA DI softball tournament bracket
👉 Click or tap here to get a closer look at the 2024 bracket
2024 NCAA DI softball tournament schedule
Here are the key dates for the 2024 NCAA DI softball tournament:
- Selection show: May 12 at 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2
- Regionals: May 16/17-19
- Super Regionals: May 23-25 or May 24-26
- Women’s College World Series: May 30-June 6/7 in Oklahoma City
2024 DI softball regionals (May 17-19)
*All times Eastern
Austin Regional – Austin, Texas
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6: TBD vs. TBD | 1 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 3:30 p.m.
Norman Regional – Norman, Oklahoma
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 3 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 5:30
Knoxville Regional – Knoxville, Tennessee
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | noon
- Game 7 if necessary | 2:30 p.m.
Gainesville Regional – Gainesville, Florida
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | noon
- Game 7 if necessary | 2:30 p.m.
Stillwater Regional – Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 3 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 5:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Regional – Los Angeles, California
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 6 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 8:30 p.m.
Columbia Regional – Columbia, Missouri
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 2 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 4:30 p.m.
Stanford Regional – Stanford, California
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 5 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 7:30 p.m.
Baton Rouge Regional – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 4 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 6:30 p.m.
Durham Regional – Durham, North Carolina
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 1 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 3:30 p.m.
Athens Regional – Athens, Georgia
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 2 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 4:30 p.m.
Fayetteville Regional – Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 4 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 6:30 p.m.
Lafayette Regional – Lafayette, Louisiana
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 2 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 4:30 p.m.
Tuscaloosa Regional – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 2 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 3:30 p.m.
Tallahassee Regional – Tallahassee, Florida
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 1 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 3:30 p.m.
Bryan-College Station Regional – Bryan-College Station, Texas
- Friday, May 17
- Saturday, May 18
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | 3 p.m.
- Game 7 if necessary | 5:30 p.m.
2024 Women’s College World Series schedule (all times ET)
May 30
- Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, noon | ESPN
- Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- Game 4: TBD vs. TBD, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
May 31
- Game 5: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- Game 6: TBD vs. TBD, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
June 1
- Game 7: TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. | ABC
- Game 8: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 2
- Game 9: TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. | ABC
- Game 10: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
June 3
- Game 11: TBD vs. TBD, noon | ESPN
- Game 12 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 13: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- Game 14 (if necessary): 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
June 5
- WCWS Final Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. | ESPN
June 6
- WCWS Final Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. | ESPN
June 7
- WCWS Final Game 3 (if necessary): TBD vs TBD, 8 p.m. | ESPN
How the championship works: Regionals — at 16 sites — are double-elimination and scheduled for May 16/17-19. The 16 winners advance to super regionals and play a two-team, best-out-of-three series either May 23-25 or May 24-26. The eight winners earn spots in the 2024 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. The WCWS begins May 30 in double-elimination format. The final two teams play a best-of-three series for the national championship beginning June 5.
How to get tickets for the Women’s College World Series
You can purchase tickets for the 2024 WCWS here. The Women’s College World Series is played at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Softball Championship: Future dates
REGIONALS | SUPER REGIONALS | WCWS | |
---|---|---|---|
2025 | May 16-18 | May 22-25 | May 29-June 6 |
2026 | May 15-17 | May 21-24 | May 28-June 5 |
2027 | May 21-23 | May 27-30 | June 3-11 |
Women’s College World Series championship history
Below is the complete, year-by-year NCAA DI softball national championship history since 1982.
Year | Champion (Record) | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | *Oklahoma (61-1) | Patty Gasso | 3-1 | Florida State | Oklahoma City |
2022 | *Oklahoma (59-3) | Patty Gasso | 10-5 | Texas | Oklahoma City |
2021 | Oklahoma (56-4) | Patty Gasso | 5-1 | Florida State | Oklahoma City |
2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — |
2019 | *UCLA (56-6) | Kelly Inouye-Perez | 5-4 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City |
2018 | *Florida State (58-12) | Lonni Alameda | 8-3 | Washington | Oklahoma City |
2017 | *Oklahoma (61-9) | Patty Gasso | 5-4 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
2016 | Oklahoma (57-8) | Patty Gasso | 2-1 | Auburn | Oklahoma City |
2015 | Florida (60-7) | Tim Walton | 4-1 | Michigan | Oklahoma City |
2014 | *Florida (55-12) | Tim Walton | 6-3 | Alabama | Oklahoma City |
2013 | *Oklahoma (57-4) | Patty Gasso | 4-0 | Tennessee | Oklahoma City |
2012 | Alabama (60-8) | Patrick Murphy | 5-4 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City |
2011 | *Arizona State (60-6) | Clint Myers | 7-2 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
2010 | *UCLA (50-11) | Kelly Inouye-Perez | 15-9 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
2009 | Washington (51-12) | Heather Tarr | 3-2 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
2008 | *Arizona State (66-5) | Clint Myers | 11-0 | Texas A&M | Oklahoma City |
2007 | Arizona (50-14-1) | Mike Candrea | 5-0 | Tennessee | Oklahoma City |
2006 | Arizona (54-11) | Mike Candrea | 5-0 | Northwestern | Oklahoma City |
2005 | Michigan (65-7) | Carol Hutchins | 4-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
2004 | UCLA (47-9) | Sue Enquist | 3-1 | California | Oklahoma City |
2003 | UCLA (54-7) | Sue Enquist | 1-0 | California | Oklahoma City |
2002 | California (56-19) | Diane Ninemire | 6-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
2001 | *Arizona (65-4) | Mike Candrea | 1-0 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
2000 | *Oklahoma (66-8) | Patty Gasso | 3-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
1999 | *UCLA (63-6) | Sue Enquist | 3-2 | Washington | Oklahoma City |
1998 | Fresno State (52-11) | Margie Wright | 1-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
1997 | Arizona (61-5) | Mike Candrea | 10-2 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
1996 | *Arizona (58-9) | Mike Candrea | 6-4 | Washington | Columbus, Ga. |
1995 | *#UCLA (50-6) | Sharron Backus | 4-2 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
1994 | *Arizona (64-3) | Mike Candrea | 2-0 | Cal State Northridge | Oklahoma City |
1993 | Arizona (44-8) | Mike Candrea | 1-0 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
1992 | *UCLA (54-2) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
1991 | Arizona (56-16) | Mike Candrea | 5-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
1990 | UCLA (62-7) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Fresno State | Oklahoma City |
1989 | *UCLA (48-4) | Sharron Backus | 1-0 | Fresno State | Sunnyvale, Calif. |
1988 | UCLA (53-8) | Sharron Backus | 3-0 | Fresno State | Sunnyvale, Calif. |
1987 | Texas A&M (56-8) | Bob Brock | 4-1 | UCLA | Omaha, Neb. |
1986 | *Cal State Fullerton (57-9-1) | Judi Garman | 3-0 | Texas A&M | Omaha, Neb. |
1985 | UCLA (41-9) | Sharron Backus | 2-1 | Nebraska | Omaha, Neb. |
1984 | UCLA (45-6-1) | Sharron Backus | 1-0 | Texas A&M | Omaha, Neb. |
1983 | Texas A&M (41-11) | Bob Brock | 2-0 | Cal State Fullerton | Omaha, Neb. |
1982 | *UCLA (33-7-2) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Fresno State | Omaha, Neb. |
*Indicates undefeated teams in final series.
#-UCLA’s 1995 national championship was later vacated by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions
Oklahoma
Sen. Lankford Pushes Bill To Increase Transparency On Foreign Farmland Purchases In Oklahoma
Lawmakers met with farmers to discuss the future of agriculture here in the state.
U.S. Senator James Lankford (R- Okla.) says it’s time to crack down on the foreign land purchases happening in Oklahoma threatening national security.
The discussion inside a closed-door roundtable revolved around the need to pass a bill sponsored by Lankford that would allow oversight and transparency on foreign purchases of U.S. farmland.
“They’re not American citizens who are purchasing the land here, affecting water, electricity, and safety. It’s a lot of people illegally present,” said Lankford.
Lankford says that Oklahoma farming land has been turned into Marijuana grow farms since the passage of the marijuana laws in 2018.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says Canadians own the most acres in Oklahoma, but Lankford’s big concern is Chinese nationals. “No one is complaining about the land owned by Canadian people because they follow the rules. But if you are talking about Chinese nationals, they are not following the rules,” said Lankford.
The SOIL Act was introduced last year. Now, he’s hoping to make more progress with it with the help of a ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The goal is to get it inside the next Farm Bill. “Congressman Frank Lucas (R- Okla.) is also working on the House side, and I am working on the Senate side, trying to deal with what we see in Oklahoma as a major issue.”
Groundwork on the Senate’s farm bill is expected to start next week.
Inside that farm bill, they also want to see safety nets for farmers, trade tools conservation, and research.
Oklahoma
Nearly $2M in school choice tax credits were spent on parents’ debt instead
OKLAHOMA CITY — Almost $2 million from a tax credit program intended to help families afford private school instead went to parents’ debts and delinquent taxes.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission has deducted 1,249 parental choice tax credit payments from applicants who had unpaid taxes or a debt claim filed against them, the agency reported in response to an open records request from Oklahoma Voice.
Payments were reduced by a total of $1,926,240. The program’s total budget this year is $150 million.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a bill meant to prevent future deductions. House Bill 3388 clarifies the credits are non-taxable income and can’t be reduced for outstanding debts.
The legislation that created the tax credit program last year included no such prohibition, prompting lawmakers to clarify the law this session.
“The Tax Commission was following the law as written at the time of implementation,” Stitt said in a statement. “I’m always grateful when agencies operate with due diligence. Moving forward, lawmakers have changed that statute and I have signed that into law.”
More: Oklahoma’s parental choice tax credit update: ‘Non-priority’ applications now being reviewed
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the clarification was necessary so a parent’s debt wouldn’t hamper a student’s opportunity to attend private school.
“We don’t tell a child they can’t go to public school because their parent’s behind on taxes, and we’re not going to tell a child in need that they can’t go to a private school that meets their needs based on their parent’s lack of compliance,” Treat said while speaking with reporters last week.
Legislative Democrats questioned whether the measure is another hand-out to families already enrolled in exclusive schools.
“For anybody else, if they had a tax liability, they would be required to pay it, and these folks are not,” Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, said. “So, we’re giving them taxpayer dollars, and we’re saying you don’t have to pay what you owe the people of Oklahoma.”
What to know about the private school tax credit
The refundable tax credits offer $5,000 to $7,500, depending on total household income, to offset costs of sending children to private schools. Although a credit reduces a family’s state tax obligation, the commission issues a check to recipients to reimburse approved educational expenses, like tuition, tutoring or testing fees.
The initiative launched in December to significant demand. About 36,000 people have applied, most of whom did so in the first 90 minutes of the application window.
There is no income limit to apply, but children from households earning $150,000 or below had priority consideration.
The Tax Commission is still reviewing applications and disbursing funds. About 16,800 priority applicants and 4,300 without priority have been approved, accounting for $125 million of the $150 million budget, the agency reported this week.
Oklahoma will allocate $200 million for the program in 2025 and $250 million in 2026.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions:info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice onFacebook andTwitter.
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