State lawmakers face an ‘incredibly difficult budget year’

The governor’s office has hired an outside consultant to help find ways to address a likely budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year.

View this email in your browser THIS WEEK AT THE FRONTIER Have ideas for other stories you'd like to see in The Frontier or want to give us feedback? Please email us. Your financial support for our investigative journalism is now tax deductible. To become a Friend of The Frontier, click here. This newsletter is edited by Brianna Bailey. Contact her at brianna@readfrontier.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  State lawmakers face an ‘incredibly difficult budget year’ with a long road to recovery The governor’s office has hired an outside consultant to help find ways to address a likely budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year. In letter, state tells school district it is violating quarantine guidelines The state Department of Health and the state Department of Education are reminding school districts they must follow state quarantine guidelines. Governor’s office expressed private support for local mask mandate vote The mayor of Jenks said the governor’s office called to support an effort to mandate masks but would not express that support publicly. Watchdog journalism matters for Oklahoma The Frontier’s reporting goes beyond daily headlines. Copyright © 2020 The Frontier, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our weekly newsletter. Our mailing address is: The Frontier 302 Reconciliation Way Tulsa, OK, 74120 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

This email was sent to <<Email Address>> why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences The Frontier · 2121 east 26th place · Tulsa, OK 74114 · USA

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View this email in your browser Watchdog journalism matters for Oklahoma How do you begin to go through 30-plus hours of audio recordings and 7,000 emails? I suppose you just start, take detailed notes, listen and read again, and hope the effort pays off.  For the past two months, that’s what I did with audio and emails I received from the governor’s office. The result was a story published on Tuesday that took a closer look at the way Gov. Kevin Stitt first approached the COVID-19 pandemic and how it set the state on its current course.  I joined The Frontier one year ago, leaving a newspaper and taking the plunge into nonprofit journalism for stories just like this.  These are challenging times for journalism, but it may be needed now more than ever. Especially the type of reporting that goes beyond the daily headlines and gives Oklahomans a deeper understanding of what their elected leaders are up to, even when behind closed doors.  The opportunity to do this type of work is one reason I love being at The Frontier.  Another reason is the way readers like you are partners in our work. We rely on the generous donations of our readers, which allows us a level of independence and affirms our belief that Oklahomans care about impact journalism.  Individual donations are now being doubled by News Match, which means your ability to support independent journalism has never been greater.  Your support matters because this type of journalism matters. Donate to The Frontier any time between now and the end of the year and NewsMatch will match your new monthly donation 12x or double your one-time gift, all up to $5,000. The time is now. Trusted journalism like ours has never mattered more. Give today and NewsMatch will double the impact of your donation.  Yes, I support The Frontier With gratitude, Ben Felder, Frontier Senior Reporter P.S. Please help us spread the word! Do you have friends and colleagues who share your commitment to supporting journalism like ours? Forward this email to them (and thank you in advance!). Share Tweet Forward Want to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences or unsubscribe. Donate

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Oklahoma’s coronavirus surge is leaving rural areas struggling to find beds for critically ill patients

Rural emergency responders say hospitals in Tulsa, Lawton and Oklahoma City are filling up.

View this email in your browser THIS WEEK AT THE FRONTIER Have ideas for other stories you'd like to see in The Frontier or want to give us feedback? Please email us. Your financial support for our investigative journalism is now tax deductible. To become a Friend of The Frontier, click here. This newsletter is edited by Brianna Bailey. Contact her at brianna@readfrontier.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Oklahoma’s coronavirus surge is leaving rural areas struggling to find beds for critically ill patients Rural emergency responders say hospitals in Tulsa, Lawton and Oklahoma City are filled with patients. As Oklahoma sees record highs for coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, officials implement restrictions Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced new restrictions Monday for restaurants, bars and state employees in the midst of a continued late-year coronavirus surge. Confusion, defiance and focus on ‘personal responsibility’ shaped Gov. Stitt’s initial pandemic response The Frontier listened to hours of recorded calls and reviewed thousands of emails to better understand Gov. Kevin Stitt’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to grow across Oklahoma. Governor’s office expressed private support for local mask mandate vote The mayor of Jenks said the governor’s office called to support an effort to mandate masks but would not express that support publicly. Watchdog journalism matters for Oklahoma The Frontier’s reporting goes beyond daily headlines. Appeals court upholds conviction in Tulsa child abuse murder case Tavarreon Dickerson, 27, was convicted by a Tulsa County jury of first-degree child abuse murder in December 2017 for the death of 6-week-old Raylie Dickerson. Listen Frontier: Listen Frontier: Oklahoma votes — What did we learn? Kassie, Brianna, Dylan and Ben discuss Tuesday’s elections and the results from Oklahoma, including Stephanie Bice’s win in the 5th Congressional District, the defeat of two state questions and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted voters. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher Copyright © 2020 The Frontier, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our weekly newsletter. Our mailing address is: The Frontier 302 Reconciliation Way Tulsa, OK, 74120 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

This email was sent to <<Email Address>> why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences The Frontier · 2121 east 26th place · Tulsa, OK 74114 · USA

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