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TOP STORY:
Oklahoma House cans employment bill seeking to expand marijuana usage ban
By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
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State Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, attends a special session of the state House at the Oklahoma Capitol on Oct. 3, 2023. (PHOTO by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – House lawmakers on Thursday defeated a measure that would give employers more leeway to fire individuals for using medical marijuana.
Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, the author, said House Bill 3127 would not force employers to do anything, but would give them discretion to classify additional jobs as “safety-sensitive” beyond what is in law. State law allows businesses to prohibit employees from using marijuana who work in “safety-sensitive” jobs based on drug testing.
Existing law classifies “safety-sensitive jobs” as those that require operating vehicles, machines and power tools, carrying a firearm and providing direct care to patients or children, among other duties.
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“America, Not Americans”: Inola Residents Say Trump’s Industrial Push Is Coming at Their Expense
Local residents gather for a community meeting in Inola on Mar. 7, 2026 to discuss the aluminum smelter planned for their community. Thomas Harrington explains to the crowd gathered the air pollution levels, chemical make up and distance that can be expected from the plant. (PHOTO by Rip Stell/Oklahoma Watch)
By Elizabeth Caldwell, Oklahoma Watch
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After Chris Roam spent 18 years as a sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles — her second “mid-life crisis” career following more than a decade as a court reporter — she was eager to get on the road with her husband. The couple bought an RV; they were planning to kick off retirement by traveling the country with their two black labs, Sergeant and Pepper. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
They found themselves in Oklahoma without, they felt, a lot of options. Campsites and parks were closed. There was an aura of fear and paranoia on the road. So they decided to stay.
Near the Port of Inola, the Roams found a rustic piece of land where their previous house would’ve fit into the garden. Chris Roam sat on the porch in the mornings with a cup of coffee and listened to the birds, free to enjoy herself after working her whole life. She used an app to count how many types of birds she heard.
In late January, Chris Roam learned her morning ritual and much more was soon to be changed. The largest smelter in the country, aiming to double the country’s aluminum output, was set to be built a mile from her new home. It was the first facility of its kind to be proposed in the United States in nearly 50 years.
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:
• They were arrested for misdemeanors. Then they died in Tulsa’s city jail. (The Frontier)
• State Farm lawsuit: AG Drummond’s plans for additional legal action (News 9)
• Markwayne Mullin cabinet confirmation hearing scheduled for March 18 (KOSU)
• Gov. Stitt meeting with President Trump as he mulls Senate pick (The Oklahoman)*
• Long security lines start popping up at airports as TSA officers go without pay (Oklahoma Voice)
• The great tech debate: Should Oklahoma students use screens in the classroom? (KGOU)
• How Oklahoma classrooms are using AI to improve reading skills (2 News Oklahoma)
• Cheers fill Tulsa Public Schools classrooms as district announces Teacher of the Year finalists (Tulsa Flyer)
• Councilors propose charter amendment for public safety oversight office (Tulsa World)*
• Metro woman represents self in trademark fight with DoorDash and wins (KFOR)
• Tribal gaming officials sound alarm over prediction markets, threat to Indian gaming (KOSU)
• Amid calls to relocate ‘Klan trophy,’ Tulsan wants process to review controversial monuments (Tulsa Flyer)
• Citing frustration with Tulsa Animal Services, residents ask for stricter enforcement (Tulsa Flyer)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes NBA history, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain record (The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma Memo
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