Oklahoman
Oklahoma City Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher says it is time to revisit and revise the 2015 panhandling ordinance that was ruled unconstitutional by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver last summer.
Stonecipher commented after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the city s plea for a new hearing. A city council majority argued the ordinance was necessary to protect public safety, while critics said it criminalized poverty. The appeals court ruled it was an unconstitutional violation of free-speech rights.
Worth noting: Stonecipher, an attorney, suggested a revision in line with the 10th Circuit’s decision. In a concurring opinion and in footnotes, the appeals court judges said the council could have crafted an ordinance more closely aligned with the stated goal of enhancing safety for pedestrians in traffic medians.
Oklahoman
The race to succeed longtime Councilman Larry McAtee in far southwest Oklahoma City s Ward 3 has become a financial slugfest.
According to campaign finance reports filed this week, Jessica Martinez-Brooks and Barbara Young have raised a combined $156,000 and, as of this past weekend, had spent $125,000.
Martinez-Brooks and Young were the top vote-getters in the Feb. 9 primary, advancing to Tuesday s Ward 3 runoff. One will become the first woman ever to represent Ward 3.
In Tuesday s other runoff, Shay Varnell, a city traffic commissioner, faced Bradley Carter in the race to succeed James Greiner in far northwest Oklahoma City s Ward 1.
Varnell had raised about $28,000 and spent about $25,700. Carter missed Monday s reporting deadline; in his latest report, filed with the City Clerk Feb. 1, he said he had raised about $5,500.
Jenny Mae Harms / KOSU
Jake Merrick won the Senate seat once held by Stephanie Bice and several newcomers won city council posts in Oklahoma City, Norman Stillwater and Broken Arrow.
MERRICK ELECTED TO BICE S SENATE SEAT
The state Senate seat once held by now-Congresswoman Stephanie Bice was up for reelection on Tuesday. Oklahoma State Senate District 22 is a T-shaped district in parts of northern Oklahoma County and Eastern Canadian County. It encompasses the city of Piedmont and part of the Lake Hefner area.
The race between Republican Jake Merrick and Democrat Molly Ooten resulted in Merrick taking the win with 65-percent of the vote.
Election Day: Tens of thousands spent on Oklahoma City Council races msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.