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 Governor Stitt refusing to renew hunting and fishing licenses for Oklahoma tribes, the U.S. Supreme Court setting a date to consider an appeal based on its McGirt decision from summer of 2020 and a state lawmakers submitting a bill banning Oklahoma schools from teaching curriculum based off the New York Times' Pulitzer Prize winning "1619 Project" regarding the Black experience during and after slavery.The trio also discusses a lawsuit from the founders of Epic against their former school and the leader of the Oklahoma National Guard warning them of possible consequences if they don't get vaccinated by December 31st.

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 of Oklahoma announcing its taking part in at least five lawsuits against the Biden Administration over vaccine mandates, the state's new public health lab in Stillwater comes under federal scrutiny and the Department of Education is starting an investigation of Epic Virtual Charter School after allegations from a resigning member of its governing board.The trio also discusses a call by community activists for a Grand Jury investigation into Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater and an audit of the State Republican Party by the Federal Elections Commission over issues during the 2020 election cycle.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Secretary of Defense denying a request from Governor Stitt of a COVID-19 vaccination waiver and a federal judge putting an injunction against vaccine mandates against health care workers in facilities receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.The trio also discusses the approval of a new Oklahoma County jail by the Oklahoma County Jail Trust and the Pardon and Parole Board denying clemency requests for two men on death row less than two weeks after approving another over concerns of the state's execution protocols.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the announcement from Epic Virtual Charter School of cuts to its workforce as the district has lost nearly three-fifths of its student population, the Republican plan for redistricting is moving through the state capitol and Julius Jones faces execution.The trio also discusses the Pentagon refuting the policy of the new leader of Oklahoma National Guard concerning vaccine mandates and Governor Stitt reverses the decision by the State Health Department on allowing nonbinary gender individuals to make changes to their birth certificates.

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 overturning a $465M award against opioid manufacturers and the State of Oklahoma challenging the Biden Administrations order mandating vaccines or testing for private businesses with more than 100 employees, federal agencies and organizations with federal contracts including several Oklahoma universities.The trio also discusses a chastisement by Governor Stitt against Oklahoma City Public Schools after its board voted unanimously to fire six teachers for not following the school's masking policy and Oklahoma County Commissioner and former lawmaker Kevin Calvey announcing he is running for district attorney.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the new map released by legislative leaders for the special session to deal with redistricting, the Pardon and Parole Board recommending clemency for death row inmate Julius Jones and a judge stopping an anti-protest bill from taking effect.The trio also discusses the state preparing to get kids ages five to eleven vaccinated against COVID-19 and the governor heading to Mexico to talk about opening a consulate in Oklahoma City.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel and former Republican Speaker of the State House Kris Steele sitting in for Neva Hill about the resignation of Health Commissioner Lance Frye a day after his agency settled a lawsuit allowing non binary Oklahomans to the gender on their birth certificates and an appellate court puts executions on hold again after granting stays for two death row inmates.The trio also discusses the state Supreme Court's decision to keep three anti-abortion bills from moving forward on Monday while a lawsuit is pending and several news stories recently dropped concerning McGirt versus Oklahoma.

This week in Oklahoma politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Republican gubernatorial candidate Ervin Yen announcing he plans to leave the GOP to challenge Governor Stitt as an independent and Stitt threatening to sue the Biden Administration over its vaccine mandate for private businesses.The trio also discusses a group filing a lawsuit against House Bill 1775 which bans the teaching of racial issues in Oklahoma schools and newly appointed Attorney General John O'Connor asking the state Supreme Court to remove two Pardon and Parole Board members from upcoming clemency hearings.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about State Superintendet Joy Hofmeister switching her political affiliation to Democrat to challenge Governor Stitt in next year's election, tribal leaders calling out the governor for his stance on the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt versus Oklahoma decision and a new poll showing more Oklahomans don't agree with the governor that McGirt is the most pressing issue facing the state.The trio also discusses a new petition set to gather signatures allowing voters to decide whether to add recreational marijuana for adults in the Oklahoma constitution and Edmond voters overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase to purchase land near Hafer Park.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Oklahoma City Democratic Senator Julia Kirt, sitting in for Ryan Kiesel, about health officials' announcement that 6,200 people needlessly died this year because they chose not to get vaccinated, the Pardon and Parole Board sets the state up for its first execution since 2015 and Governor Stitt traveled to the U.S. border along with eleven other Republican governors.The trio also discusses news of an Oklahoma County judge striking down two anti-abortion bills but keeping three intact to take place November First and the new chairman of Epic Virtual Charter School's governing board telling lawmakers he welcomes oversight.

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 decision to wait until after the clemency hearing of death row inmate Julius Jones to decide on his commutation, lawmakers are heading back to the State Capitol n November 15th to deal with redistricting after a delay in getting the 2020 Census number and the first female Higher Education Chancellor in Oklahoma gets ready to start the job.The trio also discusses State Senator Nathan Dahm joining the race with at least two other Republicans in an attempt to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator James Lankford and a state lawmaker threatens the tax credits to the Oklahoma City Thunder after the organization announced plans to require fans get immunized or have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before attending a game.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Reepublican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt's call for the State Auditor to do a comprehensive investigation of the Department of Education, the Cattlemen's Association calling on the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to put a moratorium on new medical marijuana licenses and Attorney General John O'Connor filing two petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse last summer's decision on McGirt Versus Oklahoma.The Trio also discusses an interim study on why Oklahoma businesses are failing to fill positions as the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the nation and now back to pre-pandemic levels and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum starts a Political Action Committee to support "Pro Tulsa" candidates for city offices.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Pardon and Parole Board sending a recommendation o Governor Stitt for the commutation of inmate Julius Jones from the death sentence to Life with the Possibility of Parole and Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett surviving a supreme court challenge trying to remove him from his position.The trio also discusses the state hiring two firms to over see the spending of more than $3 billion in COVID-19 federal funds through the American Rescue Plan and two members of the Oklahoma Virtual Charter School resigning abruptly after coming under scrutiny for their involvement with Epic.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the impact COVID-19 is having on Oklahoma's health care system and Governor Stitt's decision to remove the only two doctors on the board for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.The trio also discusses the resignation of embattled cabinet secretary David Ostrowe and the new attorney general pushing back executions.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a judge's decision to put a temporary injunction against Senate Bill 658 banning schools from issuing a mask mandate, Congressman Markwayne Mullin returning home after attempting to get into Afghanistan and Governor Stitt calling the Supreme Court's McGirt Versus Oklahoma decision the most pressing issue facing the state.The trio also discussion a legal challenge by the state NAACP against legislation designed to crack down on protestors and lawmakers getting ready for redistricting as the official numbers from the 2020 census were released over the summer.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a new report from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency against the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust's spending on cessation programs, Epic Virtual Charter School's new board giving $2.5M to a company owned by the brother of its former chairman and a study looking at 18 fatalities from police pursuits over a five year period.The trio also discusses the closing of the William S. Key minimum security prison in northwest Oklahoma and a new committee to oversee how the state spends $1.9B expected from the federal government on COVID-19 relief funds.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about Oklahoma County handing its redistricting process over to state House and Senate staff, the governor mulling his decision for a replacement for former Attorney General Mike Hunter and a new study showing the power of prosecutors on legislation at the State Capitol.The trio also discusses the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission freezing jobless claim checks for some residents after concerns over fraudulent activity and an Oklahoma City Police detective retracts his statement in the officer-involved shooting death of a Black man.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about Oklahoma City passing it's budget for next year to include a $1.3M increase for its police department despite calls to reduce the funding, nearly 100,000 Oklahomans sign up for Medicaid expansion in its first week online and the Department of Education uncovered $1.6M in fraud over a federal program to feed children during the pandemic.The trio also discusses a lawsuit filed against former Attorney General Mike Hunter by a member of Governor Stitt's cabinet and the state's first Chief Operating Officer John Budd announcing he's leaving the position.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about President Biden's visit to Tulsa to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the State Supreme Court invalidated Governor Stitt's plan to partially privatize Medicaid and lawmakers bring an end to the 2021 Legislative session.The trio also discusses registration beginning for the expansion of Medicaid and State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announcing he will not seek reelection to the office in 2022.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the announcement from Attorney General Mike Hunter over his resignation effective July First, the Governor signing the state budget for the 2022 Fiscal Year and a bill to use medical marijuana revenue to help charter and public schools with funding.The trio also discusses plans by President Biden to visit Tulsa for the centennial commemoration ceremonies for the 1921 Race Massacre and the Director of the Public Health Lab leaves after just four months on the job.