Latest news with #ChristiGillespie
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate advances gun bill that could expand gun rights for Oklahoma municipal employees
Sen. Christi Gillespie, R-Broken Arrow, looks at her computer screen during Senate proceedings on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill that would permit cities to allow employees and elected officials to carry concealed firearms inside municipal buildings despite concerns it could increase gun violence. House Bill 1095 would give local officials to decide if they want their employees to have the option of allowing concealed firearms, said Sen. Christi Gillespie, R-Broken Arrow, the Senate author. She said county employees have been allowed the same right since 2017, and there hasn't been an incident. Gillespie said it is a right, not a privilege, to carry firearms. 'Bad guys don't ask for permission,' Gillespie said. 'So, it is making people that choose to carry more safe.' But Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, questioned what evidence there is that such a move would make those facilities safer as opposed to more volatile. Hicks said the measure may impact the comfort of constituents, including children, survivors of violence and those with trauma, who may feel intimidated or unsafe interacting with armed government personnel. She said the bill prioritizes political ideology over public safety. 'In doing so, it sends a message that we are more concerned about expanding access to firearms than preserving trust in our public institutions,' Hicks said. 'The unintended consequences of this bill are real and irreversible.' Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said that last year, 458 people were killed in their workplace by guns. The vast majority of those were employees killing fellow workers, Kirt said. She said the measure exposes citizens to more workplace violence and dangerous environments. Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, said studies indicate that having firearms in a building, often with people who are not trained, increased the risk of suicide and homicide. 'Impusive actions, when there are firearms in a building, tend to have more fatal consequences,' Brooks said. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, who supported the measure, said it was a local control issue. 'It was Benjamin Franklin who said that those who would sacrifice necessary freedom for temporary security deserve neither,' Bullard said. Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said every individual 'has a moral right to defend themselves.' 'When seconds count, police police are minutes away. Vote for freedom,' he said. The bill passed by a vote of 39-8 and returns to the House for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Holds Steady As ETF Inflows Continue And State Reserve Efforts Face Setback
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is trading near flat on Wednesday, up 0.14% to $83,788 at the time of writing. The world's largest cryptocurrency is up 0.44% over the past week but is down 0.74% on the month as price action stabilizes following last week's macro-driven selloff. After suffering nearly $900 million in outflows last week, spot Bitcoin ETFs are showing signs of recovery. The funds recorded $76.4 million in net inflows on Tuesday, extending a two-day rebound after a brutal seven-day streak of outflows. BlackRock's IBIT led the charge with $38.2 million in net new capital, while ARKB and BITB also saw healthy gains. Total trading volume across the 12 ETFs came in at $1.6 billion on Tuesday, down from $2.2 billion the day before, according to The Block. Analysts say the recovery in CME futures basis yields has revived interest in the spot/futures arbitrage trade, helping support inflows. Don't Miss: Trade crypto futures on Plus500 with up to $200 in bonuses — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Peter Chung, head of research at Presto Research, told The Block, "the ETF inflows over the last few days may therefore be a result of the changing dynamics between the spot and the futures market." While Ethereum-based products continue to bleed capital, Bitcoin's positioning as a macro hedge and growing institutional vehicle appears intact. Bitcoin's growing role in state-level fiscal strategy suffered a minor setback this week as Oklahoma's Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee narrowly rejected House Bill 1203—a proposal to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the state. The 6-5 vote killed the bill despite a last-minute "yes" from Sen. Christi Gillespie, who said she changed her mind after hearing from constituents, according to Decrypt. The move puts more pressure on other states leading the charge. New Hampshire's House recently passed a bill permitting up to 10% of state reserves in Bitcoin. Texas and Arizona also have live legislation in the pipeline, with Arizona's House Rules Committee approving two BTC-related bills in March. According to the tracker Bitcoin Laws, 40 bills across 20 states remain active. On the institutional front, asset manager VanEck proposed a new hybrid bond instrument, called BitBonds, aimed at refinancing up to $14 trillion of U.S. debt. The bonds would allocate 90% to Treasuries and 10% to Bitcoin, allowing for upside capture if BTC appreciates beyond a 4.5% annual threshold. The product, still theoretical, is framed as a bridge between traditional finance and crypto-native yield, aligning with broader institutional interest in tokenized U.S. debt products. Bitcoin remains range-bound after a failed attempt to hold above $86,000 earlier this week. The asset is currently consolidating just below that level, with technical analysts watching for signs of support near $83,000. If the $85,000–$86,000 range is reclaimed, momentum could carry BTC toward a retest of its all-time highs above $91,000. Meanwhile, downside pressure remains limited, with macroeconomic tailwinds—such as easing Treasury yields and renewed ETF interest—providing a cushion. For now, Bitcoin appears to be stabilizing in the aftermath of last week's tariff-driven volatility, with ETF flows and institutional narratives again playing a central role in price discovery. Related Bonuses: New to crypto? Get up to $400 in rewards for successfully completing short educational courses and placing your first qualifying trade on Coinbase. Trade, earn, and grow your crypto portfolio with — plus receive up to $500 worth of rewards in the most popular tokens if you're a new customer. This article Bitcoin Holds Steady As ETF Inflows Continue And State Reserve Efforts Face Setback originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
