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 get people back to work by opting out of federal supplemental unemployment payments and offering a $1200 bonus, legislative leaders agree on a budget for the 2022 fiscal year starting on July First and legislation banning new Oklahoma residents from applying for disability services to try and reduce the backlog of current people on the waiting list.The trio also discusses how the US Supreme Court deciding to hear a Mississippi anti-abortion case will impact Oklahoma and changes to the Oklahoma County Jail Trust including a new leader, a new member and new public speaking rules.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney about the growing controversy over Governor Stitt signing a bill to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Oklahoma schools, lawmakers considering recommendation of a grand jury investigation for Epic Virtual Charter School and Congressman Cole working on legislation allowing the Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations to compact with the state over criminal jurisdiction.The trio also discusses the state allowing kids between the ages of 12 and 15 to get the Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine and what to expect in the final two weeks of the 2021 legislative session.

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 ending the COVID-19 State of Emergency and the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission urging Governor Stitt to veto a bill prohibiting schools from teaching subjects dealing with race and diversity.The trio also discusses the Department of Transportation halting construction on a project after fights between the governor and tribes and lawmakers take their first step in redistricting for the next ten years.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and sitting in for Ryan Kiesel in ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox-Touré about the settlement between the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and Epic Schools to avoid termination hearings along with new bills signed by the governor including one requiring a fiscal impact statement on initiative petitions and several more making it harder to get abortions.The trio also discusses new laws cracking down on protests and overhauling the state's human resources system.

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 House unanimously approving a bill to help fund charter and traditional schools with low property taxes, Epic Virtual Charter School agreeing to the demands of the state in the hopes of avoiding contract termination proceedings and the Norman City Council voting to remove $865,000 from its police for community programs.The trio also discusses a pause in moving the Shaun Bosse case from the state into federal jurisdiction and a state lawmaker calling for federal intervention in the Oklahoma County Jail.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a move by Epic Virtual Charter School to increase transparency of its funding ahead of a termination hearing, Tulsa Public Schools enters legal action against the State Board of Education in its move to put more money into charter school and the State Republican Party elects controversial former lawmaker John Bennett as its chair.The trio also discusses a warning from the NCAA about the organization pulling sports events if lawmakers follow through on a bill to ban transgender athletes from certain woman's teams and new bills could help reduce skyrocketing utility costs from February's winter storms.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the special election to fill the seat of now-Congresswoman Stephanie Bice along with other elections in central Oklahoma, lawmakers working to undo a resolution by the State Board of Education settling a lawsuit giving charter schools more access to public funds & the State Virtual Charter School Board setting a trial date for the contract termination of Epic.The trio also discusses approval by the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners to allow the sheriff to work with a production company to create a reality television show and the announcement of Dr. Kayse Shrum as Oklahoma State University's next president.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and sitting in for Ryan Kiesel is Democratic State Representative Forrest Bennett about the state of Oklahoma moving into phase four of its vaccination plan allowing all residents over the age of 16 to get inoculated against the Coronavirus, Epic Virtual Charter School fails to repay the state $11.2M by a deadline set earlier this week and Attorney General Mike Hunter appointing a special counsel to investigate the Pardon and Parole Board.The trio also discusses State Senator Shane Jett hiring his cousin as his legislative session before firing her once questioned by a reporter and a legislative deadline results in the stalling of more than 70% of bills at the State Capitol.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the 9,000 correspondences to Governor Stitt from citizens and businesses regarding lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic and the state's response to a lawsuit over its plan to purse managed Medicaid care without input from the legislature.The trio also discusses the House Speaker moving forward with $500 million in tax cuts despite a provision in the stimulus package preventing tax cuts from states and both of Oklahoma's senators vote against the confirmation of Deb Haaland as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior despite strong support for her from Oklahoma's tribes.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Oklahoma moving into Phase Three of the COVID-19 vaccine meaning most Oklahomans can know get inoculated against the disease, the Pardon And Parole Board votes to hear new evidence in the commutation hearing of death row inmate Julius Jones and Attorney General Mike Hunter joins other Republican Attorneys General in a lawsuit against President Biden's executive orders on climate change.The trio also discusses bills to crack down on unlawful protests which took place in the state last year and lawmakers approving a bill requiring high school students to pass a U.S. Citizenship test to graduate.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about reports showing a nearly 2,500 COVID-19 death count discrepancy between the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Oklahoma, Governor Stitt joins other governors in complaints about President Biden's $1.7T Stimulus Package & Lawmakers work to curb the governor's powers during an emergency.The trio also discusses a bill passed by the State House to limit all abortions to only Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the another bill passed by the House requiring all initiative petitions increasing the cost of state government to include a clear statement concerning the additional funding.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about state officials calming fears of skyrocketing utility bills after last week's winter weather, President Biden approving a second emergency declaration on clean up from the storms and a bill to give the State Health Department more control of the Oklahoma and Tulsa County Health Departments.The trio also discusses a measure by Republican lawmakers to declare any President Biden executive actions as unconstitutional and the Cherokee Supreme Court striking the words 'in blood" from the tribes constitution and laws.

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 coming under fire for leaving the state for a family vacation shortly before a winter storm moved is and state lawmakers learned of an extra $1.2B for the fiscal year 2022 budget.The trio also discusses a pending lawsuit from health organizations against the Oklahoma Health Care Authority over its plan to move forward with partially privatized Medicaid and Tulsa-based MyHealth is appealing the denial to its bid to run the state's health information exchange.

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 signing legislation allowing public bodies to hold meetings online rather than in person and new bills currently working through the state legislature.The trio also discusses the race for Senate District 22 which now pits Republican Jake Merrick against Democrat Molly Ooten on April Sixth and the passing of Maxine Horner one of the first Black women elected to the state legislature.

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 State of the State Address and his push to get schools to open for in-person learning.The trio also talks about the governor's mention of the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt v. Oklahoma decision and the lack of any mention of criminal justice reform.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a move by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to spend $2.2 billion to hand the state's Medicaid program over to a for profit company, MyHealth Access out of Tulsa losing its challenge after getting denied a bid with the OHCA despite coming in $30 million dollars less than the winner and Attorney General Mike Hunter suing a piano bar owner after he failed to produce a promised two million masks despite an upfront payment of more than $2 million.The trio also discusses the State Supreme Court ruling against Governor Stitt in his gaming compacts with two tribes and the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission deciding to keep Senator Lankford after he apologized for his actions in questioning the validity of the 2020 Presidential Election.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Oklahoma Health Care Authority denying the bid of a local company despite the organization coming in $30M less than the bid winner, prominent Oklahoma Republican Mickey Edwards announces he is quitting the Republican Party and Senator James Lankford apologizing to Black Tulsans for his involvement in questioning the election for President Biden.The trio also discusses the retirement announcement of Tom Colbert, the first Black State Supreme Court Justice and the appointment of Congressman Kevin Hern to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a new policy from Governor Stitt allowing students exposed to COVID-19 to not be quarantined if they were wearing a mask and social distancing, officials at the State Capitol stepping up security ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration and some Tulsa black leaders asking for Senator James Lankford to be removed from the 1921 Race Massacre Commission.The trio also discusses the State Health Department making COVID-19 vaccines available to state lawmakers and Pardon and Parole Board Chair Robert Gilliland resigning his position over health issues.

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 Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Oklahoma health officials are moving into phase two of the Coronavirus vaccine and releasing a mobile phone app to help people get appointments and lawmakers hold Organizational Day to get ready for the Legislative Session starting in February while dismissing a rule for lawmakers to wear masks.The trio also discusses a measure by Broken Arrow Republican Senator Nathan Dahm to ban cities and counties from imposing local mask mandates and two high-powered lobbyists face thousands of dollars in fines from the Ethics Commission.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about new restrictions by Governor Stitt in the hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19 and Oklahoma's seven electors cast their vote for President Donald Trump while the governor acknowledges Joe Biden did win the overall election nationwide.The trio also discusses the candidates for Senate District 22 previously held by Congresswoman-elect Stephanie Bice after two Republicans were kicked off the ballot and a state lawmaker filing a bill to make it harder to pass initiative petitions at the ballot box.