Willie Wiredhand Jr.: Twenty-one U.S. Department of Agriculture grants totaling more than $2.8 million were awarded to individuals, businesses and the Cherokee Nation to build rural renewable energy projects across Oklahoma.
The largest grant — $443,555 — went to Robinson Family Farms of Hughes County to install a 266 kilowatt solar system. Robinson Family Farms received a second grant, for $306,000, to put in a 180 kilowatt system.
It wasn’t clear what the systems’ purpose is, but Robinson Family Farms is a confined hog feeding operation. The USDA said the panels will produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of almost 70 average homes.
Campaigns and elections: The Tulsa Regional Chamber announced several endorsements for area elections:
- Tulsa City Council: Anthony Archie (District 2), Lori Decter Wright (District 7), Carol Bush (District 9).
- Tulsa County Commission: Lonnie Sims.
- Tulsa County Clerk: Michael Willis.
- Oklahoma House: Mark Chapman (HD 12), Scott Fetgatter (HD 16), Clay Staires (HD 66), Suzanne Schreiber (HD 70), Melissa Provenzano (HD 79).
- Oklahoma Senate: Brian Guthrie (SD 25), Christi Gillespie (SD 33), Jo Anna Dossett (SD 35), Aaron Reinhardt (SD 37), Dave Rader (SD 39).
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Tax returns: Receipts to the state’s general revenue fund were 1.1% above expectations and 3.7% below the same month a year ago, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services said.
The general revenue fund is state government’s primary operating account.
Income tax receipts, the state’s leading revenue source, were 4.8% above expectations but about even with the same month a year ago. Sales and use taxes and gross production taxes were all below projections and below the same month a year ago.
OMES Executive Director Rick Rose said repeal of the state’s 4.5% tax on grocery sales won’t begin to show up in general revenue reports until next month.
Back to court: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 10th Circuit of Appeals’ decision in a case involving federal family planning funds.
The Biden administration turned down the state’s $4.5 million grant request after the Oklahoma Department of Health said it would not refer pregnant women to a counseling hotline that includes abortion information with its services.
In July, the 10th Circuit ruled the administration was within its rights in doing so. The U.S. Supreme Court has previously declined an emergency hearing on the matter.
Church and state: Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry has joined in a letter circulated by the Oklahoma Faith Network opposing “the continued prominence of Christian Nationalism in our state’s leadership.”
“We call on our legislators and elected officials to honor their religious convictions at home, not in the public square, and leave any personal religious interpretation out of our laws,” it says.
BA beat: Broken Arrow awarded a $10.7 million contract for a new 2.5 million gallon water tower at Lynn Lane and New Orleans on the city’s southeast side.
Also, the city received a $5.84 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant for planning and design of improvements to the Oklahoma 51 corridor.
— Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World