KCCU News

Oklahoma City, OK – A national research organization says political candidates in Oklahoma are less willing to tell voters what their views are on important issues than candidates in most other states.

A nationwide survey conducted by Project Vote Smart found that 80 percent of congressional candidates and 90 percent of state legislative candidates refused to answer questions on issues of public concern.

That ranks Oklahoma 48th among the 50 states in legislative return rates, behind only Ohio and Iowa.

Oklahoma City, OK – The state Board of Education will ask for a nearly $3 billion dollar budget for the next school year.

The request is about $480 million more than the current budget and includes $36.5 million to add two more days to the school year.

State schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett says it's important to lengthen the school year in Oklahoma.

The average length of the school year nationally is 180 days and Oklahoma's school year is 175.

College Station, TX – Texas A&M University agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle a lawsuit over the 1999 Bonfire collapse that killed 12 people and injured dozens more.

The families of four students killed and several of those injured sued A&M administrators and construction contractors hired to help build the 59-foot-tall log stack that collapsed.

The administrators had fought the lawsuit, contending they were immune from such suits. But a court of appeals allowed the lawsuit to continue, and the A&M Board of Regents authorized the settlement yesterday.