Latest news with #KristenThompson
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exorbitant credit card swipe fees hurt Oklahoma restaurants, customers
Running a restaurant has always been a balancing act. From fluctuating food costs to rising wages, every dollar matters. We've learned to navigate the ups and downs of the economy and managed to weather many market fluctuations. But one cost that often flies under the radar — yet continues to chip away at our already razor-thin margins — is credit card swipe fees. For restaurants like ours, these fees amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, money that could otherwise go toward paying our employees, upgrading our kitchens or keeping menu prices reasonable for our guests. Most restaurants work hard to provide great food and service while navigating the relentless cost pressures of the industry. Our industry's profit margins typically hover around 3% to 5% — for those that are lucky. Yet, credit card processing fees take a significant bite out of those earnings, often ranging from 2% to 4% of every swiped transaction. In the case of small operators, including ourselves, that adds up to over $200,000 a year — a staggering cost that continues to grow unchecked. More: Why an Oklahoma legislator wants college sports excluded from sports betting | Opinion For smaller, independent restaurants and mom-and-pop diners, the impact is even more severe. Unlike larger operations that can negotiate better processing rates, small businesses often pay closer to 4%, making credit card fees one of their most burdensome expenses. And unlike food or labor costs, which we can attempt to control, there's no real way to negotiate these fees down — they only seem to go up. One of the most frustrating aspects of credit card fees is that they aren't just applied to what we earn — they're charged on pass-through costs like sales tax and tips. That means we're being forced to pay fees on money that doesn't even belong to us. Sales tax is remitted to the state and local governments. Tips go directly to our employees. Yet, every time a customer pays with a credit card, we get hit with swipe fees on those amounts, too. It's outrageous when you think about it. We're being charged thousands of dollars a year in swipe fees on money that never goes to our bottom line. That's like paying rent on a space you don't use. Unfortunately, this important bill currently sits in limbo after facing unprecedented fierce opposition from the financial industry, who are seeking to maintain a stranglehold on their swipe fee cash cow. Sen. Kristen Thompson, the bill's sponsor, described her efforts to work with parties on both sides of the bill but noted the 'gross business practices' used by Oklahoma's financial industry, which included 'bullying of committee members.' As a result, she decided to lay over the bill until a later date and urged opposition to the proposed bill to 'hold themselves to a higher standard.' Thankfully, Oklahoma lawmakers recognized this injustice and introduced Senate Bill 1095, which would eliminate swipe fees on sales tax, tips and charitable donations. It's a commonsense fix that doesn't cost taxpayers a dime and would put money back in the hands of small businesses and workers instead of padding the profits of big banks and credit card companies. The tactics by the banks and credit card companies are unfortunate but not surprising given their vested interest in keeping this system in place because it generates billions in revenue for them. Meanwhile, independent restaurants and small businesses are left to foot the bill. More: OK needs your help to make it a great place to live – but you can start small | Opinion The restaurant industry is already one of the toughest to survive in. Margins are thin, and closures are common. Last year, we made the difficult decision to close one of our locations simply because we couldn't make the numbers work. The increasing burden of swipe fees only makes these hard choices more frequent for restaurant owners across the state. Eliminating swipe fees on sales tax and tips wouldn't solve every challenge we face, but it would be a step in the right direction. It would mean more money going back into our businesses, more dollars in the pockets of our employees and lower prices for our guests. At a time when restaurants are still recovering from the financial strains of the past few years, this small change could make a big difference. Oklahoma legislators should stand with small businesses, not big banks. SB 1095 deserves to be passed — not just for the sake of restaurant owners like me, but for the thousands of employees and customers who rely on us every day. It's time to bring fairness and transparency to the system and stop allowing financial giants to take a cut of money that was never theirs to begin with. James Como is a partner with Urban Management Inc., which operates restaurants in the Oklahoma City area, including Interurban and HunnyBunny Biscuit Co. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma legislators should eliminate credit card swipe fees | Opinion
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cellphones will be banned in Oklahoma schools for 2025-26 school year: What to know
Oklahoma students won't have access to their cellphones while at school and will have fewer virtual school days under bills signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, and Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, worked for two years toward the passage of Senate Bill 139. The new law will require public school districts to limit student cellphone use during the school day ― from 'bell to bell' — for the entire 2025-26 school year. After that, district officials will have the flexibility to adjust their cellphone policies as they see fit. Seifried said the law is aimed at creating distraction-free learning environments for students. 'This will allow teachers to focus entirely on educating our kids while students can concentrate on learning as much as possible," she said. "After two years of hard work on this issue, I'm thrilled to see this legislation become law, and I'm confident students, parents and teachers will see immediate benefits once the new school year begins." Under the new law, district cellphone policies must make exceptions for students who need their phones to manage a medical condition and allow phone use in emergencies. Additionally, districts must clearly outline disciplinary actions for students who violate a school's phone-free policy. Virtual-days bill signed over objections of some rural schools Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, and Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, authored Senate Bill 758, which will restrict Oklahoma school districts to only two virtual days per school year that can count toward the 180-day or 1,080-hour school year instructional requirement. The new law will require each district school board to approve a local virtual instruction plan that addresses special education services, nutrition for students who receive free or reduced lunches, transportation access to career tech programs and an assessment of students' internet accessibility. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the measure was important to him and thanked Thompson for making the bill a priority. A bill limiting virtual days in Oklahoma schools, authored by Sen. Kristen Thompson, of Edmond, has been signed into law. 'I truly believe the best place for our kids to learn is in the classroom," Paxton said. "Once this becomes law, it will help with learning, social skills and working parents who have to schedule their lives around arbitrary virtual learning days.' Thompson spent two legislative sessions shepherding the bill, but she has received considerable pushback from leaders of small, rural school districts, some of which offer four-day school weeks — with either a virtual day or an off day on the fifth day ― as incentives to attract teachers to work in their districts. Erika Buzzard Wright, the founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, called Stitt's decision to sign the bill 'a significant setback' for rural school districts. She said voices from rural schools were "completely ignored throughout the legislative process' and said the new law 'effectively strips local districts of the ability to make decisions that best serve their students.' 'This is a slap in the face to local control — especially for rural districts that have worked tirelessly to attract and retain qualified educators,' Wright said. 'Our schools are already competing with neighboring states that not only offer better pay, but also embrace flexible, innovative school calendars.' She predicted schools located near Oklahoma's borders with other states will have teachers poached as a result. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: When will Oklahoma's cellphone ban in schools begin? What to know
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill limiting virtual school days in Oklahoma advances
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A bill limiting the amount of virtual days Oklahoma school districts can use during the school year advanced through a House subcommittee on Monday. Senate Bill 758, authored by Senator Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, passed through the Senate side earlier in session and now it has made its way through a House Appropriations and Budget Education subcommittee. House Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton has backed the measure for the House. 'The main goal behind this is to get kids in classrooms to only do virtual days when it's actually needed,' said Moore. He said some districts have taken advantage of the virtual learning option.'There are school districts that had 43 days or more virtual days last year,' said Moore. 'That is not a way to increase the education of our students. This is not a way to increase the outcomes in our state.' The bill would not ban virtual days and only allow the option for emergency situations like bad weather, illness, teacher shortage issues, or building problems. It would allow two remote learning days as part of the school year, or 180 days. Bill could help food truck owners operate anywhere in Oklahoma The State Department of Education would publish an annual report that detailed which districts used emergency virtual days and when the days were used. Lawmakers questioning the bill said it oversteps local control. 'I think we need the guardrails, but I feel like this might be too limited in scope for what schools are able to do,' said Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, a former teacher. Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, said lawmakers should be focused on the more prevalent problems in Oklahoma schools. 'We've got to address the teacher shortage problem first, fix all other problems after that,' said Waldron. The measure overwhelmingly passed through the House subcommittee. 'If we're serious about actually educating our kids, they need to be in chairs with qualified professionals to help them understand what they're learning,' said Moore. It will now move forward where it could be considered in the full Appropriations and Budget Education committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oklahoma bill seeking to ban Red Dye 40, aspartame, others advances
A Senate bill that would ban 21 synthetic dyes from food products made and distributed in Oklahoma has passed through its assigned committee on Monday. Senate Bill 4, authored by state Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, would require food to reformulate recipes to exclude the additives by January 2027, and drug manufacturers by January 2028. If it's signed by the governor and takes effect Nov. 1 as planned, it also would immediately require products made, sold or distributed in Oklahoma to display a warning label if they contain at least one of the 21 additives identified as potentially causing adverse health effects. The bill comes after several efforts to reduce or ban additives have been enacted across the nation. In January, the Food and Drug Administration banned Red Food Dye No. 3, which California had banned in October, and at least 10 other states have similar bills moving through their legislatures to ban it and others. As for Oklahoma's legislation, Thompson said this bill has the most robust list of banned food additives in the country. 'I wanted us to make a point. We're not going to let people put things in their bodies that they're not aware of, especially when the health risks are showing how potentially dangerous these can be,' Thompson said. 'We're going to look at science, we're going to see what the studies say.' According to the Cleveland Clinic, red dye 40 is made from petroleum, and it and other food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity, including ADHD. While the FDA has approved red dye 40 and others for use in food products, it notes that some children may be sensitive to additives, The Oklahoman previously reported. Thompson said she and her family stopped consuming food that had Red Dye No. 3 in it because her then 5-year-old son had hyperactive reactions to sports drinks and snacks containing the additive after he played soccer. Her son said his insides felt 'shaky.' The lone "nay" vote came from committee Chairman Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, who said he did not originally want to hear the bill because it seemed like government overreach. He gave Thompson a chance to plead her case and then placed it on the agenda. 'I know you're wanting to do good things, but I feel it's government overreach, telling a person what they can and can't eat, but I think that should be a person's decision,' he said, adding he appreciated the discussion. 'Maybe we can make it a better bill. We need to be having discussions like this, and if anything, letting the public know what they need to look out for.' The bill passed the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee on Monday and is now eligible to be heard on the Senate floor. If it's passed by March 6 — the deadline for Senate bills to reach the floor — it will move over to the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 4 would ban 21 synthetic additives, including dyes and stabilizers. Some of these have been shown to have adverse health effects, while others are not harmful after the food is prepared properly, according to the FDA. Following is the list of dyes and substances the bill would ban: 1. Aspartame 2. Azodicarbonamide (ADA) 3. Blue dye 1 4. Blue dye 2 5. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) 6. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) 7. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) 8. Ethylene dichloride 9. Green dye 3 10. Methylene chloride 11. Potassium bromate 12. Propyl gallate 13. Propylparaben 14. Red dye 3 15. Red dye 40 16. Sodium benzoate 17. Sodium nitrate 18. Titanium dioxide 19. Trichloroethylene 20. Yellow dye 5 21. Yellow dye 6 While the bill almost received unanimous support, senators voiced their concerns on government overreach and business operations in regard to the cost of reformulating. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, said he had major 'heartburn' on the way the bill is written and asked if it is an example of government overreach into private businesses. Thompson disagreed and said food companies use a loophole, known as 'Generally Recognized as Safe,' which allows companies to bypass FDA approval and self-determine which chemicals are safe to use. 'Keep in mind here, we're not banning food, we're not prohibiting food, we're not taking away food. What we're doing is we are saying in Oklahoma we are not going to allow poisonous chemicals in our foods,' Thompson said. 'We're still going to have all the things that we want to buy. We're just saying please make it without harmful chemicals.' Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, asked if Thompson can assure the committee she will work to protect businesses and industry in Oklahoma. Thompson said yes, adding the bill won't put people out of business. She said she is willing to partner with anyone and any business to make their products better and in turn, get better health outcomes. 'What we're asking today is why are these harmful chemicals banned in other countries where we have some of the highest health care spending, they're still allowed? I don't think this is government overreach because at this point there's no oversight,' she said in her closing statement. 'We are giving Oklahomans the freedom to know what they're actually putting in their bodies.' Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City, and Hicks voiced concerns on if food banks would be impacted and if they would receive food products with the additives that no one wanted. Thompson said Oklahoma has an obligation to make sure people visiting food banks have good food in their bodies, too. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma bill seeking to ban Red Dye 40, aspartame advances
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill banning dyes, additives from foods moves forward at Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A bill to ban manufacturers from using certain dyes and additives in foods passed through the Agriculture and Wildlife Committee on Monday at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Senate Bill 4 was authored by Senator Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond. She said she has heard from hundreds of Oklahoma families who have supported the legislation, which she called 'common sense.' 'This is our first swing at this and it's a big one,' said Thompson. 'We are giving Oklahomans the freedom to know what they're actually putting in their bodies. We're not taking away food. We're taking away chemicals. We're taking away things that have no nutritional value.' The ban would include 21 chemicals such as aspartame, Red dye 3 and 40, Blue dye 1 and 2, and sodium nitrate. Thompson said they were all products that have been linked to behavioral problems in children and certain illnesses. 'A lot of Americans don't know what they are or that they exist,' said Thompson. The legislation would also ban those same chemicals from being used in medications by 2028. It would require manufacturers add warning labels to foods with additives until the ban kicks in. Lawmakers discuss bill that would condense tax brackets for Oklahomans Companies that do not comply would face a $5,000 fine. The Department of Agriculture would oversee the law and send money collected in fines to the local 'Food for Schools' program. Some lawmakers questioned how the bill would work and if it would translate into more government regulations. 'Why wouldn't we be asking the feds to address these additives?' asked Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. Thompson responded by saying that if every state in the nation were doing something similar, then the FDA would be forced to act. 'I still don't like the bill,' said Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt. 'I know (Thompson) is wanting to do good things. I just feel that it is government overreach.' Lawmakers approved an amendment to 'strike the title' of the bill which meant it would move forward with expected changes. It passed committee by a 10-1 vote and will now advance to the full Senate floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
