Blog Heap o'Links for March 2010

A proposal to repeal the sales tax on groceries would devastate Oklahoma communities who rely on the revenue to pay for public safety, sanitation and other local services, municipal officials said Monday. ... Dozens of mayors and other city and town officials converged on the state Capitol to urge lawmakers to defeat a measure that would eliminate the sales tax on groceries when the economy improves and state revenue grows. The bill has passed the Senate and is pending in a House appropriations subcommittee.

She may be state Sen. Anthony Sykes' mother, but she got no special treatment last week when she was lobbying against one of his measures. He left her waiting outside his office door until she left. Juanita Sykes, who identifies herself as a Mexican-American, is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens Oklahoma City Council. She also is on the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic and Latin American Affairs. She was lobbying against House Bill 3384, which would require schools to ascertain the legal immigration status of students, report that to the State Department of Education and make a determination as to the impact on educating U.S. citizen students. The measure would result in districts having to hire legal consultants on immigration to determine the status of a child, according to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Sen. Sykes, R-Moore, is a sponsor of the bill.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state lawmaker wants to give business owners the option of using deadly force in defense of their commercial enterprises, but a prosecutor says the legislator's proposal wouldn't allow anything more than is already permitted by law. Okla. State Sen. Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, says his measure would extend the state's "Make My Day" law to businesses, supporters say.

The state Senate has passed a bill that directs the State Board of Education to teach children about the events of April 19, 1995. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building will be a part of the history-social studies core curriculum.