After Oklahoma’s troubled execution last year, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to review the state’s lethal injection procedures and postpone all scheduled executions. 

Amid the legal scrutiny and difficulty in obtaining drugs for future lethal injections, some state lawmakers are discussing a new, completely experimental method of execution.

A decade ago, Oklahoma was the poster child for states with a crumbling infrastructure.

About one-third of the state's bridges were structurally deficient, including some too dangerous for school buses or commercial trucks to cross.

When Republicans came to power in 2004, they worked with Democrats on a direct allocation of income tax revenue to fund an eight-year plan to improve roads and bridges.

The program has been successful, cutting the number of bad bridges by more than a third and leading to other safety improvements like road shoulders and cable barriers.

Dozens of people attending this year's National Tornado Summit in Oklahoma City will tour the state's Emergency Operations Center for a simulated disaster response.

More than 150 people will visit the center on Monday as if a disaster has occurred. The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security's Command One trailer will also be on display.

The tour comes ahead of this year's tornado summit, which will draw about 1,000 emergency managers, insurance company representatives and city leaders from across the country.

Oklahoma native and country music superstar Toby Keith has been selected for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Keith said in a statement that he writes songs every day and that songwriting is what he takes the most pride in. He said the award is the only one that he'll display on his desk.

An induction ceremony is scheduled for June 18 in New York City.

Others to be inducted are Cyndi Lauper; the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter; Linda Perry; Bobby Braddock; and Willie Dixon.

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More than $10.6 million in federal grants has been awarded to support home visiting services to women during pregnancy and to parents with young children in Oklahoma.

The grants were announced Thursday by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.

Burwell says home visits by a nurse, social worker or early childhood educator during pregnancy and in the first years of life can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children and their families.

Several Republican governors, including Mary Fallin, are urging GOP congressional leaders to stand firm against legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security if the bill doesn't also overturn President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.

Governors in both parties in Washington this weekend warned of economic and security concerns should Congress fail to resolve its latest budget standoff. 

Homeland Security's $40 billion budget runs out Feb. 27, giving federal lawmakers only a few days to reach an agreement once they return from recess next week.

State agencies are being asked to return to the Capitol to have an in-depth discussion about their budgets, the leaders of the House and the Senate said Thursday. The meetings to discuss budgets are a result of the $611 million dollar shortfall authorized by the State Equalization Board last Tuesday.

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has released a 75-page guide highlighting the state's black history and culture.

The brochure, "Long Road to Liberty: Oklahoma's African American History and Culture," explains the influence black history had in shaping the culture of Oklahoma dating back before statehood.

Copies of the brochure are free and can be ordered online.