This Week In Oklahoma Politics

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the governor's plan to have sports betting in the State of Oklahoma, Governor Stitt's former Secretary of Education who says she left after concerns over financial issues with the Department of Education and Superintendent Ryan Walters pushing for a national media manager.The trio also discusses some of the more than 200 laws taking effect on November First and a national organization ranks Oklahoma with the second-most conservative legislature in the nation.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Gov. Kevin Stitt and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott traveling to Israel, State Superintendent Ryan Walters' endorsement of former President Trump and the resignation of a State Department of Education employee getting the attention of a legislative leader.The trio also discusses the State Board of Education denying a court order gender designation from two schools and a roadblock in Oklahoma County's purchase of land for a new jail.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Attorney General Gentner Drummond suing the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board over a Catholic charter school, Governor Stitt's replacements for the State Board of Education and an investigation of the Oklahoma's partnership with conservative media nonprofit PragerU.The trio also discusses an exodus of textbook companies amid an increasingly politicized fight over what's taught in Oklahoma schools and President Biden nominates former Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill to a federal judge seat in Oklahoma.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Chairman of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board refusing to sign a contract to create a Catholic charter school, an announcement by State Superintendent Ryan Walters that he has paid $7.5M in signing bonuses to teachers and another member of the State Board of Education has resigned.The trio also discusses House Speaker Charles McCall replacing two members of the pension board after they voted on an exemption against a state law banning agencies from doing businesses with companies that are perceived to be hostile to oil and gas companies and the state Supreme Court choosing to not heat a challenge to tribal compacts created by the legislature without the governor's blessing.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a federal judge refusing to stop a law banning gender-affirming care for minors and the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approving a contract for a Catholic charter school.The trio also discusses the primary election for Senate District 32 in southwest Oklahoma and a call by state leader for more transparency in the budgeting process.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the short special session called by Governor Stitt to cut taxes, the search for a new U.S. House Speaker could include Tulsa Congressman Kevin Hern and State Superintendent Ryan Walters releases an education budget cutting $47M from schools.The trio also discusses Superintendent Walters defending his testimony before Congress attacking Tulsa Schools for a Chinese language program the district had ended a month earlier and Oklahoma County picks a site for its new jail.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about lawmakers returning to the capital next week for a special session on tax reform, a new poll showing strong support for tribal governments in the state and Oklahoma joining other states and the federal government in an anti-trust lawsuit against Amazon.The trio also discusses an investigation of Western Heights Schools by State Superintendent Ryan Walters after the board hired a principal who has also performed in drag and Governor Stitt is creating a task force to study artificial intellegence and its impact on Oklahoma.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about State Superintendent Ryan Walters testifying before Congress about the Chinese Government's involvement in U.S. education, the State House Speaker saying there were no plans to open an impeachment investigation into Superintendent Walters and Tulsa Public Schools gets a new leader and a new attorney.The trio also discusses the special election in Edmond's House District 39 and an interim study on ranked-choice voting.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt's calls for the legislature to meet in special session to talk about tax reform, an Oklahoma woman filing a complaint against health groups stemming from the state's abortion ban and a Texas Republican presidential candidate wants a judge to remove Trump from the Oklahoma Ballot.The trio also discusses the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority getting approval for it's Norman extension project from the state Bond Council and OKC Mayor David Holt announcing a plan to build a new arena for the Thunder basketball team.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about two new lawsuits against State Superintendent Ryan Walters, and a new partnership announced by Walters between the Department of Education and controversial, conservative media organization, PragerU.The trio also discusses the appointment by Governor Stitt of Wes Nofire to Native American Affairs Liaison and the override of the governor's vetoes on tribal compacts by lawmakers over the summer.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics is taking a break for the summer months, but you can still keep up to date on Oklahoma news by subscribing to the KOSU Daily and visiting our website at KOSU.org.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the State Senate failing by one vote to override Governor Stitt's veto of a tribal tobacco compact and an audit showing the state misspent millions of dollars on pandemic funds.The trio also discusses Governor Stitt signing controversial new rules from State Superintendent Ryan Walters despite no approval from lawmakers and a study showing Oklahoma is producing 64 times more marijuana than is needed by the consumers.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a State of Emergency signed by Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat one hour after discovering he was in charge of the state because of the absence of Governor Stitt and Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and the U.S. Supreme Court letting the Indian Child Welfare Act stand.The trio also discusses questions from lawmakers to officials with the Land Office after a report from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency over investments in a local company and could the recent endorsement by Governor Stitt for presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis result in a cabinet position.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt's endorsement of presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, the State House overriding Stitt's veto of tribal license compacts as well as extending the time for the special session and Stitt's veto of a bill to extend the operations of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.The trio also discusses Governor Stitt's veto of an omnibus medical marijuana bill and the approval of a Catholic charter school opens the door for other non-Christian groups to apply for taxpayer dollars to open their own institutions.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Statewide Virtual Charter School moving forward with approving the nation's first religious charter school and the fiscal year 2024 budget becoming law without the governor's signature.The trio also discusses Governor Stitt promising to send National Guard members to the U.S. southern border at the request of the Texas governor and Stitt vetoing tribal compact extensions.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the state Supreme Court tossing out two Oklahoma laws banning abortion in the state and at least three former Department of Education employees suing Superintendent Ryan Walters.The trio also discusses the 2023 legislative session and more than a dozen vetoes overridden by lawmakers.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the nearly $13B budget approved by legislative leaders and Attorney General Gentner Drummond promising to not enforce a new law banning gender-affirming care for minors.The trio also discusses another veto by the governor, this time on a bill to allow House and Senate leadership to appoint members of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and controversy after an announcement from the University of Central Oklahoma to name former Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb as its new president.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about state lawmakers calling for a special session to run concurrently with the regular session and Governor Stitt along with legislative leaders celebrating an education funding plan.The trio also talks about a former Department of Education employee saying State Superintendent Ryan Walters lied to lawmakers about current and future grants and Governor Stitt saying the legislature needs to be subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the U.S. Supreme Court staying the execution of death row inmate Richard Glossip, the stalemate over education funding with two weeks left in the regular legislative session and the stack of Governor Stitt's vetoes still waiting for a vote in the House and Senate.The trio also discusses the ACLU of Oklahoma lawsuit over a new state law banning medical care for transgender minors and the election of State Senator Nathan Dahm for Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about State Superintendent Ryan Walters finally testifying before lawmakers during a House Appropriations & Budget Committee and the House passing a tax credit voucher bill for private and home school families while rejecting a teacher pay raise.The trio also discusses Governor Stitt's veto of a bill to continue operations for Oklahoma's public television station, OETA, and his veto of a bill allowing students to wear tribal regalia at graduation and other school events.