Kayla Branch

A lawmaker plans to take a closer look at how data centers are using utilities in the state as the industry sees rapid growth

“It’s a perfect storm coming together to really threaten our ability to provide what is needed to keep communities safe and healthy,” one public health expert says.

A federal policy allows employers to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage. Some states have already moved away from the practice.

After a prosecutor dropped criminal charges against former staff at the Robert M. Greer Center in Enid, civil suits blame abuse for one death and injuries including a broken femur and blinding.

For years, Oklahoma has only minimally contributed to a state program to help low-income families access child care. Advocates say without additional state funding, the industry won’t be able to meet growing demand.

State lawmakers are trying for a second year to require commercial users to more accurately track water usage. Farmers have opposed previous efforts to create stricter water monitoring.

Once abandoned, these youth can face time in shelters or eventually age out of foster care, advocates and providers say. More intensive services early on could help keep families together.

The Robert M. Greer Center was facing over $500,000 in fines for failing to protect clients from threats to their safety. But the state decided to instead hire a consulting company to suggest changes at the facility.

The Department of Human Services’ Office of Client Advocacy did not “do very well” watching over vulnerable adults at a facility in Enid, the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee told fellow lawmakers.

The state lacks options for kids with developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Oklahoma spent more than $5 million to send 49 kids out of state for treatment in the past year.