Daily Bible verse

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Thousands of state workers still working remotely

Oklahoma Watch | Paul Monies

About one-fourth of Oklahoma’s state employees have maintained their employment flexibility after Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a return-to-office executive order in December.

Almost 8,000 state employees out of the 26,000 covered in a report for the first quarter came under one of several exceptions to the return-to-office mandate. Most of those employees were at agencies that didn’t have the office space to accommodate a full return to the office. 

Stitt directed the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to compile agency responses to the executive order, although more than 50 agencies failed to respond. Almost 26,000 state employees out of 31,600 were covered in the first quarter report.  

The governor’s office was listed among the agencies not responding to the OMES report, but spokeswoman Abegail Cave said all the governor’s staff work in the office.  

“The governor wants all state employees back in the office to serve Oklahomans well,” Cave said.

 Stitt’s executive order had three exceptions to the policy: employees whose hours are outside normal business hours; employees who already work in the field; and when new or additional office space would have to be acquired at additional cost.  

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association said Stitt’s executive order created widespread confusion among state employees when it was issued. Many were surprised because Stitt had touted the benefits of a flexible work environment during the pandemic and the state spent millions in federal COVID-19 relief funds to update remote-work technology.  

“A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't work for the wide range of services provided by our diverse state agencies,” OPEA said in a written statement. “When state employee positions are eliminated, we risk losing essential services — including frontline workers who support our most vulnerable citizens.”  

The state had not previously compiled a comprehensive list of agency employees by their work location and arrangement, making it difficult to compare what happened at most agencies in response to Stitt’s policy.  

Still, some agencies provided telework information in budget planning documents. OMES had 30% of its employees working remotely in fiscal year 2024, while another 60% were in a hybrid work arrangement. The first quarter 2025 report showed 37% of OMES’ 960 employees were granted an exception from the return-to-office executive order.   

The state’s largest agency, the Department of Human Services, reported 82% of its 6,048 employees were on some type of hybrid or telework arrangement. During the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS closed dozens of county offices or found other agency office space for its employees to use.  

“Many of our staff work directly in the field, serving Oklahomans rather than operating from a traditional office setting each day,” DHS spokeswoman Carrie Snodgrass said. “We continue to evaluate office space to ensure a comfortable and efficient work environment for our employees, as well as the necessary accommodations to best serve our clients. As we implement the executive order, we are making real-time adjustments to meet operational needs while supporting our workforce.”   

In its response to OMES, the Department of Environmental Quality asked to continue a hybrid work policy revised by the agency in 2022. DEQ said a full return to work was complicated by the demolition of an aging parking garage next to its downtown Oklahoma City headquarters. The agency leased temporary parking during demolition and construction of a new parking garage, but it wasn’t feasible to expand those parking options with a full return-to-office policy. The new parking garage is expected to be finished by April 2026.  

“By allowing these staff members to work a partial telework schedule, it is estimated that the agency will save approximately $250,000 during the demolition and construction activities,” Robert Singletary, DEQ Executive Director, wrote in a Jan. 3 letter to OMES. “Given the agency’s current budget constraints and the temporary nature of this challenge, procuring additional parking spaces does not appear to be a prudent alternative.”  

About 30% of DEQ’s 527 full-time employees are on a hybrid or remote work arrangement, according to the first quarter report.  

When he took office in January 2023, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued a return-to-office policy for the State Department of Education. The agency’s first quarter report to OMES showed 51 of the agency’s 414 employees, or 12%, were granted exceptions to Stitt’s executive order.  

In a statement, Walters said the agency has regional representatives across the state to maintain connections to local communities. 

“The Oklahoma Department of Education was the first agency in the state to end work-from-home arrangements,” Walters said in the written statement. “Our priority is to be fully present for the students and communities we serve. Having our team on-site strengthens collaboration and accountability.”  

The Oklahoma Tax Commission said agency directors and public-facing employees work in the office. But the agency doesn’t have enough space to accommodate a full return-to-office policy for its 600 employees since its move to the Strata Tower in downtown Oklahoma City. That move consolidated three Oklahoma City office locations and reduced its office footprint by 100,000 square feet.  

“New or additional space, including parking, would have to be acquired at an additional cost to the OTC to have sufficient physical space to perform their duties 100% of the time in office,” Executive Director Doug Linehan wrote in a January letter to OMES.  

Like their counterparts in the private sector, hybrid or remote work has been popular among state employees. An OMES survey published last year, before the executive order, found widespread satisfaction with telework or hybrid work. It had responses from 16,000 employees across 111 agencies.  

Rep. Cyndi Munson, the House Democratic leader, said allowing widespread telework flexibility was a benefit for many state employees, especially among working parents. She worried the executive order could deter prospective employees from considering state employment.  

“The biggest concern when the order came out was that folks would lose their jobs,” Munson said. “We don’t want that, because we need people working in state government.” 

A lawsuit challenging Stitt’s executive order, brought by Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, was dismissed by an Oklahoma County district judge in March. Fugate appealed that order to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

“Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.”

House GOP grinding ahead with Trump’s big tax cuts bill

By  LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, LEAH ASKARINAM and JOEY CAPPELLETTI

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package as soon as Wednesday, grinding out last-minute deal-making to shore up wavering GOP support and deliver on President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority.

Trump himself had instructed the Republican majority to quit arguing and get it done, his own political influence on the line. But GOP leaders worked late into the night to convince skeptical Republicans who have problems on several fronts, including worries that it will pile onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt.

See the whole story HERE.

Trump's 'Golden Dome' risks weaponization of space, China says

LONDON -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused President Donald Trump of undermining "global strategic balance and stability" by pushing ahead on his "Golden Dome" missile defense shield program -- and urged the U.S. to abandon the project.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the project at an Oval Office briefing on Tuesday, confirming reports that the administration was seeking to establish a missile defense umbrella the president said would be capable of "intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world and even if they are launched from space."

See he whole story HERE.

George Wendt dies at 76

By  MARK KENNEDY

NEW YORK (AP) — George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.

Wendt’s family said he died early Tuesday morning, peacefully in his sleep while at home, according to the publicity firm The Agency Group.

See the whole story HERE.

Thunder beat the rested Timberwolves 114-88

By  CLIFF BRUNT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 8 of 14 field goals in the second half after a rough start.

“I didn’t particularly change my mindset, honestly,” he said, “I just tried to continue to be aggressive, trust my work.”

See the whole story HERE.

OU Beats Kentucky in First Round of SEC Tournament

 HOOVER, Alabama. – Oklahoma defeated Kentucky in the first round of the SEC Baseball Tournament Tuesday afternoon, 5-1.  

The 12-seed Sooners advance to meet the No. 5 seed Georgia on Wednesday at 1 p.m.  

The Sooners (34-19) were powered by a two-run, go-ahead home run from sophomore Jason Walk in the third inning. OU starting left-handed pitcher Jaden Barfield and relievers James Hitt and Dylan Crooks combined to hold the Wildcats (29-24) to just one run on six hits. 

Oklahoma gave the ball to the freshman Barfield to start Tuesday’s contest and after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, the frosh worked three innings of one-run ball with a trio of strikeouts.  

The Wildcats took advantage of a Sooner miscue at the top of the third, scoring on an error at third base to score their first and only run of the game.  

In the home half of the third, a leadoff single from sophomore Dasan Harris set the table for the Walk. On a 2-1 pitch, Walk lifted his eighth home run of the season over the right field wall to give OU a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, after junior Trey Gambill drew a walk and stole second, fellow junior Easton Carmichael plated him on an RBI single through the left side to make it 3-1, OU.  

The Sooners scratched a pair of insurance runs across with one in the sixth and one in the eighth.  

Sophomore Jaxon Willits led off the sixth with a single through the left side and moved to second on a fly out. Two batters later with one out, freshman Kyle Branch ripped a ball to first base which the UK first baseman had no play at home, allowing Willits to score on the groundout.  

In the eighth, a leadoff triple from Carmichael allowed Willits to bring him home on a sacrifice fly to center field to bring the final to 5-1, Oklahoma.  

Barfield went four innings to start the game, surrendering no earned runs and four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. It was just his second start of the season and his longest outing by two innings.  

Hitt (W, 2-0) was exceptional out of the pen, going four innings of scoreless relief while allowing just two hits and one walk to go with one strikeout. Crooks closed the game in the ninth, striking out a pair as he put UK down in order.  

At the plate, Carmichael paced OU with his 20th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Six Sooners registered a hit in the contest with four bringing in a run, led by Walk’s two RBIs via home run.  

The 12-seed Sooners meet five-seed Georgia at 1 p.m. Wednesday. The tournament can be seen on SEC Network with the championship game airing on ESPN2. All games can be heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF in Oklahoma or nationwide on The Varsity Network app. 

Oklahoma market report

This week’s Oklahoma market report can be seen below:

Clear skies, warmer temperatures Wednesday

Clear skies and warmer temperatures are expected again Wednesday for LeFlore County, Heavener, Poteau and southeastern Oklahoma.

The high is forecast to be 89 degrees with a low of 59.

Sunrise was 6:10 a.m. Sunset is 8:20 p.m.

Tuesday’s high was 79 with a low of 56. No rain was recording, leaving the monthly total for May at 7.58 inches with 5.09 inches recorded in the last week. Average rainfall for the month is 6.20 inches.

Average temperatures for May 21 are a high of 82 and low of 56. The record high was 91 in 1972 while the record low was 38 in 1981.

Last year on May 21, the high was 86 with a low of 71.

LeFlore County calendar

LeFlore County calendar of events for the next week. The calendar is a free service for our readers. If you are with a non-profit and want an event publicized, email [email protected].

Wednesday

Poteau Rotary Club meets noon EOMC

Nadine Shupert funeral service

Thursday

Poteau Kiwanis Club meets noon

Heavener VFW bingo 6:30 p.m. Highway 59 North 

LeFlore County Republicans meet 6 p.m. Patrick Lynch Library

Monday

LeFlore County commissioners meet 9 a.m.

Tuesday

Poteau Evening Lions Club meet 6 p.m. CASC