The Oklahoma House of Representatives have completed another session. In a historical fashion, we delivered on of the largest and I believe the most outstanding state budget. We added $458 million to … more

Old friend Abner Mallity visited briefly and could only shake his head at the state of our country. “I thought I had stumbled into some elementary school,” he said. “When did our … more

Earlier this week the Democrat reported on how Mayor [then council member] Oden Grube may have violated the Durant City Council’s code of ethics last year by leaking privileged information to … more

According to experts, the vast majority of people in the United States will never be the victims of violent crime. It just doesn’t happen that often. In fact, when one considers the overall … more

The Blue Zones Project gets its name from a now well-recognized National Geographic-sponsored global longevity analysis, conducted about 15 years ago. It focused on the discovery areas across the … more

I’ve heard television ads lately arguing that Oklahoma shouldn’t decide to expand Medicaid. The number of states that have taken the expansion since it began in 2014 is now 36, plus D.C. … more

The Webster dictionary defines “public” as “the people as a whole.” So in a government of, by, and for the people, public enterprises deserve special status. But increasingly, … more

Oklahoma’s poverty rate is higher than the national average. In 2017, almost one in six Oklahomans and one in five children experienced poverty. Although Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is … more

This week Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation supporters say will augment free-speech rights on Oklahoma college campuses. Opponents argue the law’s unintended consequences will turn college … more

Dear Editor, Southeastern Oklahoma State University President Sean Burrage is taking a leave of absence from his job at the college to seek help for a problem that he has with alcohol. He’s … more

Gay Cunningham and her corps of Retired Senior Volunteer Program volunteers did what some may have thought impossible. In just over a month, they raised more than $250,000 to complete the purchase … more

Editor’s Note: This Letter to the Editor came in after last weekend’s Forum page deadline. We are publishing it now because of its time-sensitive nature. Dear Editor, My mother … more

A little more than 30 years ago the Choctaw Nation’s presence in Durant was a bingo hall on the highway south of town. According to the Choctaw’s senior executive for commerce, at that … more

I am a Democrat. I hear some of my Democratic friends, puffing out their chests, say things like “I grew up in a family of Democrats” and “I was born to be a Democrat!” A long … more

I have worked in corrections and law enforcement and in the court system for the past 30 years. I can safely say it is unlikely you will find many with more experience or with the passion I hold for … more