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 Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter joining a Texas lawsuit to overturn votes in four states won by President-elect Joe Biden and Governor Stitt rescinds the nomination of an anti-mask advocate for the State Board of Education.The trio also discusses the mustang in-school quarantining pilot program which died after failing to get any volunteers and the State Virtual Charter Board voting to bar two of its members from taking any action on Epic Virtual Charter School after learning of conflicts of interest with the school's co-founders.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Oklahoma City ending its enforcement of restaurants and bars staying open after 11:00, Governor Stitt announcing special election dates for the seat held by Congresswoman-elect Stephanie Bice and a law to keep trains from stopping for more than ten minutes at street crossings getting declared unconstitutional.The trio also discusses Oklahoma County Commissioner Kevin Calvey asking for a judge to delay a decision on immigration agents at the jail and the capitol is getting a new state seal.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel and former House Speaker Kris Steele about Governor Stitt's restrictions on bars and restaurants and mask requirement for state employees nd in state buildings to curb the spread of COVID-19 as well as Stitt's firing the president of the Virtual Charter School Board as he was investigating Epic Virtual Charter School.The trio also discusses calls by Republican lawmakers for an investigative audit of the State Department of Education, the decision by the Department of Corrections to end the practice of time of for good behavior and Oklahoma ranking the worst in the nation for voter participation.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel and sitting in for Neva Hill is former House Speaker Kris Steele. They discuss an end to an amendment on the Open Meetings Act allowing for public bodies to hold meetings virtually, the Oklahoma County Budget Board voting to take $15M returned by the Jail Trust for businesses and others impacted by the pandemic and former Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine stepping down as the head of NASA.The trio also discuses Oklahoma Attorney General getting involved in the Pennsylvania elections and Oklahoma City Physician Ervin Yen filing paperwork to run against Governor Stitt in the 2022 primary elections.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the race in Congressional District Five where Republican challenger Stephanie Bice beat Incumbent Democrat Kendra Horn, and both State Question 805 to end sentence enhancements and 814, to take money from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust for Medicaid expansion failed to get enough votes to pass.The trio also discusses other election results from Tuesday and Oklahoma voters breaks records in turnout.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the outgoing Republican Oklahoma County Sheriff endorsing the Democratic candidate for the election to replace him, State Question 805 to remove sentence enhancements for nonviolent offenders and State Question 814 to take money from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust to give to lawmakers to pay for Medicaid expansion.The trio also discusses Governor Stitt's decision to not appeal a judges decision finding tribal gaming compacts with the state automatically renewed at the beginning of 2020 while the Oklahoma City Council is delaying its decision on whether it will appeal the court decision calling its ban on panhandling unconstitutional.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the upcoming General Election and races they are watching, the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police endorses GOP State Senator Stephanie Bice for Congressional District Five and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abby Broyles outraises her opponent Incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe.The trio also discusses the Oklahoma Health Care Authority moving forward with Governor Stitt's plan to privatize Medicaid and the Oklahoma County Jail Trust fails again to remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the facility.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the fallout for Epic Virtual Charter School following a reports from the State Auditor and Inspector and Governor Stitt faces pushback from trying to move forward with the privatization of Medicaid.The trio also discusses more pushback against the governor's plan to move the State's Public Health Lab from Oklahoma City to Stillwater and Stitt is getting a new Secretary of State and Native American Affairs while also losing his Budget Secretary.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a fight between the Oklahoma County Commissioners and the Oklahoma County Jail Trust over immigrations officers in the jail, the State Auditor releases a "deeply concerning" investigation of EPIC Virtual Charter School and the EPA gives Governor Stitt authority over environmental issues on tribal lands.The trio also discusses health care groups coming together to oppose State Question 814 to take money from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust for lawmakers to use to pay for expanding Medicaid and the State Supreme Court shoots down another provision of the 2014 Workers Compensation overhaul.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about support from Oklahoma Senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe to vote for President Trump's nominee to replace the late-Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Oklahoma County Jail Trust falling one vote shy of removing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement out of the jail and the state's decision to start testing prison employees following an outbreak of COVID-19 at facilities.The trio also discusses the removal of a petition to take the redistricting process out of the hands of politicians and give it to an independent redistricting committee and Oklahoma's unemployment drops to 5.7% making our state's the tenth lowest in the nation.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a criminal justice reform group calling on Governor Stitt and the Department of Corrections to take steps to stem the spread of COVID-19, Tulsa City Council unanimously approved a new Hate Crimes ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity and the state Supreme Court denies Stitt's request for a rehearing on its decision over tribal gaming compacts.The trio also discusses a request from State House Democrats to the Attorney General on the governor giving COVID relief funds to private school families and Congresswoman Kendra Horn pushing a bipartisan package to provide more relief funds.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a new White House Coronavirus report putting our state in the top ten for COVID positivity rate and daily cases per capita, a federal appeals court declares Oklahoma City's 2015 anti-panhandling ordinance unconstitutional and Attorney General Mike Hunter defends the state's absentee ballot law.The trio also discusses Oklahoma City passing an extension to its mask mandate until October 20th and House Speaker Charles McCall promising to include all 101 representatives in next year's redistricting process.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill about State Senator Stephanie Bice defeating Terry Neese in the Republican Primary Runoff for Congressional District moving to the General Election against incumbent Democrat Kendra Horn, while Horn is getting an endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce despite opposition from the State Chamber.The trio also discusses losses in the Republican Primary Runoff by three state senators and the reelection win by Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about Oklahomans passing State Question 802 to expand Medicaid in the state, a runoff in the Republican primary between Stephanie Bice and Terry Neece to take on Congresswoman Kendra Horn and Abby Broyles wins the Democratic nomination to take on Senator Jim Inhofe.The trio also discusses other races of note especially where several incumbents were either voted out or heading to a runoff and a record number of Oklahomans choosing to vote absentee as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the rally for President Trump in Tulsa, State Question 802 to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma which will be decided on Tuesday and the State Supreme Court shoots down an initiative petition to repeal the state's permitless carry law.The trio also discusses the high court's approval of a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana in the state of Oklahoma for those over the age of 21 and medical marijuana businesses are suing the state over rules regarding locations and residency requirements.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the rally for President Trump coming up on Saturday at the BOK Center in Tulsa and the Norman City Council votes to redistribute $865,000 from the police department to other services.The trio also discusses news of a new Political Action Committee formed to oppose State Question 802 to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma and a dispute between Oklahoma and Cleveland County keeps a woman in jail for more than a month without the ability to post bond on a drug complaint.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the U.S. Department allowing gaming compacts between Governor Stitt and two tribes to move forward through inaction, the governor and his wife, Sarah hold a panel on race relations and a new poll shows a majority of Oklahomans support the protesters.The trio also discusses another showing a partisan divide over a possible COVID-19 vaccines and the wearing of mask and Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell is asking the Republican National Committee to hold its convention in Oklahoma as President Trump announced his first rally in three months will take place on June 19th in Tulsa.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the governor activating the National Guard in response to the protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the State Health Department reverses its course on limiting certain data on COVID-19 and a petition to create an independent redistricting commission gets approval from the state supreme court, but its future remains uncertain.The trio also discusses how supporters of Medicaid Expansion have started an ad blitz and touring Oklahoma towns to get people to vote yes on State Question 802.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordering the Secretary of State to start counting signatures on a ballot measure dealing with sentencing reform, lawmakers meeting to override gubernatorial vetoes while at the same time leaving some vetoes to stand.The trio also discusses the decision by the executive director of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to step down from the position after just five months on the job and the end of the legislative session means all eyes now start focusing on the primary election on June 30th.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the decision by lawmakers to end the legislative session two weeks early, Governor Stitt vetoes a bill on rural broadband and lawmakers pass a bill giving a Cost of Living Adjustment for State Retirees.The trio also discusses a constitutional challenge to the new law requiring notarization of absentee ballots and remembering Oklahoma City Republican Senator Brooks Douglass.