A reasonable bump in zoo tickets
The city council has approved a request to increase by $1 the general admission price for the Oklahoma City Zoo, effective Feb. 1. That means adults will pay $12. Admission for children ages 3 to 11 will cost $9, as will tickets for those 65 and older (kids younger than 3 are free). As with any ticket increase, the bump will surely produce some grumbling. But the city is blessed with a wonderful zoo that keeps getting better — and it remains a bargain. Executive Director Dwight Lawson told the council our zoo’s admission prices were listed 61st in 2018 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It’s also worth noting that parking is free and the zoo allows re-entry on the same day. As part of a promotion on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, the zoo is offering half-price admission to visitors who check their smartphones at the gate. Given the hold that our phones have on so many of us, it will be interesting to see how many are willing to make that deal.
Seeking a legislative remedy for gun law
State Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, isn’t giving up his fight to end permitless carry in Oklahoma. The law approved by the Legislature last year allows most Oklahomans 21 and older to carry guns without a license (it also covers military service members 18 and older). In advance of the law taking effect, Lowe joined others in trying to put the issue before voters, but they didn’t secure enough signatures. Lowe plans to try a legislative remedy this time — his House Bill 3357 would repeal the law. “This legislation is a product of the hundreds of conversations I have had personally with Oklahomans who don’t want irresponsible gun owners to carry firearms in public,” Lowe says. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the law easily, making Lowe’s effort a long shot at best. But give him points for persistence.
