We have a new date for the hockey game!! Jazz choir will be singing this Friday at 7!! We will meet at the high school at 3:45 to practice then leave for the 5pm sound check. All students will need their jazz choir shirts and nice jeans!!

Here is the link for the tickets! If you still had tickets from last time you will get them this time!

We still need 20 tickets purchased!!

https://tulsaoilers.com/collinsville-high-school-choir/

So excited for our students!

The 2017 Legislative session began this past Monday, January 6, with the focus that first day on the governor’s State of the State address. It’s her chance to talk about her priorities, in terms of policy and the budget, and how she believes those things can be accomplished.

There’s a lot she said that I agree with in terms of her priorities and legislative agenda. I think very often, there’s quite a bit of common ground on things like that. Elected officials in both parties say education is a top priority, including better teacher pay. They state the importance of having safe, modern roads and bridges and doing something to improve Oklahoma’s poor health and mental health rankings.

But all of those things take sizable investments, and for the fourth year in a row, our state is facing a significant shortfall. Last year it was about $1.3 billion. By the time the State Board of Equalization meets later this month to declare how much money the Legislature will have to appropriate, this year’s shortfall could be close to $900 million.

Despite a shortfall a few years ago, the governor and the Legislature pushed through another income tax cut. Most Oklahoma families saw little more than a few cents a week, if that, but combined, it worsened Oklahoma’s revenue picture significantly. Calls to roll back that cut last year were ignored.

There’s been no mention of rolling back the income tax cut this year, but the governor’s address did include an overhaul of Oklahoma’s tax laws. The governor called for doing away with the corporate income tax and getting rid of the state sales tax on groceries. She called for offsetting those and creating even more revenue by ending a lot of the current exemptions on sales taxes. She also called for raising taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as increasing the tax on cigarettes.

The problem is, this is nothing more than a shell game. You cut taxes in some areas, but raise them in others and end scores of exemptions. The bottom line is these changes will disproportionately hit middle-class and lower income families and individuals. It’s a game of smoke and mirrors where the public is told how much money they can save by not paying a state sales tax on groceries, but downplays the fact that all these other changes will leave people paying more in taxes overall. Even in her own political party, a lot of people thinking many of her ideas simply won’t go anywhere.

Better teacher pay? More funding to help more Oklahomans get college degrees? Better health and mental health outcomes? Safer towns and cities and better roads and bridges? I think most people would agree these are all good things that will move our state forward. But without a realistic plan to make them happen, it’s just pie in the sky.

I welcome your comments on state government and the issues before us. Please feel free to contact me by writing to Senator J.J. Dossett at the State Capitol, Room 521-A, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105; call me at (405) 521-5566.

Senior Reporter – @cp_jmurphy

02/10/2017 07:45 PM

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The filing period for nine Tribal Council seats ended on Feb. 9 with 35 Cherokee Nation citizens tossing their hats into the ring, according to the Cherokee Nation’s Election Services Office.

In Dist. 2, Freddie Ferrell, Johnny Hammer, Leslie Hannah and Claude Stover filed to try and unseat incumbent Joe Byrd.

In Dist. 4, Sarah Cowett, Mike Dobbins, Bo Highers, Teasie McCrary Jr. and Linda Sacks filed. One of them will fill the spot currently held by term-limited Tribal Councilor Don Garvin.

In Dist. 5, Uriah Grass, Dink Scott and E.O. Smith filed to fill the seat held by term-limited Tribal Councilor David Thornton.

In Dist. 7, incumbent Frankie Hargis will face David Comingdeer, Clayton Harrington and Virginia Holl0way filed.

In Dist. 9, Anthony Cochran, Edward Crawford, Clifton Hughes and Mike Shambaugh filed to fill the seat held by term-limited Tribal Councilor Curtis Snell.

In Dist. 10, incumbent Harley Buzzard will face Brian Hartley and Sharilyn Van House.

In Dist. 11, Randy White will face incumbent Victoria Vazquez.

In Dist. 15, incumbent Janees Taylor will face Michelle Scarborough.

For the open At-Large seat, Rockne Miller, Jay Neugin, Robin Mayes, Shane Jett, Mary Baker Shaw, Herbert Gootee and Linda Leaf Bolin will face each other to replace term-limited Tribal Councilor Jack Baker.

With the filing period over, the period for contesting a candidate’s eligibility is Feb. 10-16. A candidate can also withdraw from Feb. 10-23. The Election Commission’s period for investigating candidates is Feb. 10-27, and if any candidates are disqualified then they can appeal to the Supreme Court from Feb. 28 to March 6.

On Feb. 28, the EC will draw for ballot order of candidates and watchers. Voter registration ends on March 31 and absentee ballot requests must be submitted by April 21.

To view the 2017 election calendar, visit www.cherokee.org.

For citizens wanting more information on districts or to check their addresses with the Election Services Office, call 918-458-5899 or email election-commmission@cherokee.org.