Stitt's MMIP veto, mental health crisis continues, and saving sacred land
VNN Weekly Digest May 12 - May 18
Here’s a look at the week’s top stories:
A bill Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed could have helped get state money to solve cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people
(OKLAHOMA) A bill that Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed could have made it easier for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to get state funding for work on missing and murdered Indigenous cases after the agency struggled for years to secure federal money.
Ida’s Law, signed by Stitt in 2021, mandated the creation of an Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Transcript: One Year Later! Financial Crisis for Mental Health Providers
(OKLAHOMA) One year after VNN Oklahoma interviewed two mental health professionals about Oklahoma’s transition to Managed Care Oklahoma (MCO) for its Medicaid program, providers continue to face major challenges, including delayed or insufficient payments, agency closures, and job losses.
Lack of communication and solutions from the state is leaving many patients and providers unprepared, disrupting care for vulnerable populations. Despite temporary financial relief efforts, providers say the system remains burdensome and unsustainable, with lasting damage to Oklahoma’s mental health infrastructure.
VNN needs YOUR HELP to fund more local news. Will you chip in?
Trump’s Fast-Tracked Deal for a Copper Mine Heightens Existential Fight for Apache
(NATIONAL) Carrying eagle feathers and chanting prayers, Western Apache runners hit the road on a roughly 80-mile journey this month to try to save their sacred land from being fast-tracked by President Donald Trump into a copper mine. This nationally watched battle, which hinges on religious freedom, awaits the U.S. Supreme Court.
In Case You Missed It
Osage News and VNN Oklahoma partner for Listening and Learning Tour
(OSAGE RESERVATION) This year, VNN Oklahoma is hosting a Listening and Learning Tour on three reservations, thanks to a grant from the Walton Family Foundation (WFF). The first stop was the Muscogee Reservation in Tulsa at Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness in Tulsa. Delicious food was served, citizens talked about news and politics and made gourd necklaces with Brittany Cuevas Brown.
WEATHER ACROSS AMERICA
(NATIONAL) A slight risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the Central and Southern Plains, Middle and Lower Mississippi Valleys, and the Ohio Valley, a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Central and Southern Plains, and an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms extending to the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valleys and Tennessee Valley.
Want to play a more active role in our Verified News Community?