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 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.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about death row inmate Richard Glossip failing to get clemency from the Pardon and Parole Board despite pleas from Attorney General Gentner Drummond along with several state officials and Governor Stitt searching for all "legal avenues" to remove McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy after Clardy was caught on tape with other county officials in making racist and hateful remarks.The trio also discusses an education plan swiftly passed by the House and on to the Senate despite rocky issues between all leaders from both chambers as well as the governor's office and State Superintendent Ryan Walters has again been called to testify before lawmakers even as he releases a plan to get more teachers into the classroom.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the scandal in McCurtain County where several officials were recorded making racist and hateful statements, the State Senate overriding the governor's veto on a $600M appropriation of funds to the Health Care Authority and Panasonic inking a deal to build an electric vehicle plant in Pryor, but only is the state makes more than $245M in infrastructure investments.The trio also talks about Governor Stitt disbanding the Interagency Council on Homelessness and State Superintendent Ryan Walter refusing to meet before state 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 Statewide Virtual Charter School declining an application for the Catholic Church to set up the nation's first ever tax payer funded religious school, the governor removing State Superintendent Ryan Walters as his Secretary of Education and Walters threatening to sue the Biden Administration over a proposed rule barring outright bans on transgender athletes from playing in certain sports.The trio also talked about a work stoppage by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on its $5B, 15-year ACCESS project and the favorability for former President Trump falling below 50% 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 Attorney General Gentner Drummond releasing a binding opinion canceling controversial new rules from the State Board of Education on library books and sex education and Superintendent Ryan Walters choosing to not appear before lawmakers.The trio also discusses dueling education bills causing a stir between the State House and Senate and the Tourism Department announcing a new vendor for six state parks following the recent Swadley's scandal.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the censure of Representative Dean Davis after the Broken Arrow Republican was arrested on charges of public intoxication and the State Senate amending and passing education bills from the House causing a stalemate between the chambers.The trio also discusses the legislature at the half way point in the 2023 session and controversial new rules passed by the State Board of Education.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Politics Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a decision by the State Supreme Court allowing women the "limited right" to an abortion to save their life, the Environmental Protection Agency telling Governor Stitt he can't legally refuse shipment of toxic waste from a train derailment in Ohio and an advisory opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond over State Superintendent Ryan Walter's move to create new education rules.The trio also discusses a call by the attorney general for an investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and AG Drummond releasing a backlog of Open Records requests with some dating back years before he took office.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Volkswagen choosing Canada over Oklahoma for its electric vehicle battery plant despite a $700M incentive package, Governor Stitt declining to accept a shipment of toxic waste from the train derailment in Ohio and Oklahoma banks are working to reassure customers and shareholders after two high profile bank closures over the weekend.The trio also discusses the firing of Oklahoma Veterans' Affairs Executive Director Joel KIntsel, an outspoken critic of Governor Stitt, and the State Department of Education firing the organizer of the Teacher of the Year ceremony after State Superintendent Ryan Walters showed up late to the event and made several gaffes.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about State Question 820 to legalize recreational marijuana in the state failing to get enough votes for passage, a new poll showing Oklahomans are virtually split on the legalization of sports betting and House Republicans censure the state's openly non-binary lawmaker, Oklahoma City Democratic Representative Mauree Turner.The trio also discusses a viral interview between Broken Arrow Republican Nathan Dahm and TV personality Jon Stewart over gun control and Oklahoma is mourning the loss of Tom Love, the founder of Love's Country Stores, who died earlier this week at the age of 82.

Thanks for subscribing to This Week in Oklahoma Politics podcast. Today, we’re bringing you a Bonus episode of The KOSU Daily podcast.The KOSU Daily is our daily news roundup, where you can get caught up with Oklahoma news in 7 or 8 minutes every weekday morning. It's a great, quick way to stay in touch with what's happening in Oklahoma.Today's episode features reports on the failed vote on recreational marijuana, the GOP-led state legislature censuring Democratic Rep. Mauree Turner, the passing of the founder of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores and even more Oklahoma news.If you like this episode, consider searching for and subscribing to The KOSU Daily right here on your podcast app. Thanks.