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 resignation of US Senator Jim Inhofe from the seat he has held since 1994 and the trial over Oklahoma's execution protocols.The trio also discusses a partial settlement in the injunction against the medical marijuana seed-to-sale program and a suicide threat from Congressional candidate Abby Broyles

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU"s Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about bills in the state legislature to effectively ban abortions in Oklahoma, legislation to provide pay raises for teachers and Highway Patrol troopers and a measure to ban mandatory vaccinations for private businesses.The trio also discusses news from Attorney General John O'Connor that the state's top prosecutor is reviewing 54 books to see if they violate Oklahoma obscenity laws and Democratic Congressional candidate Abby Broyles is apologizing for actions take during a Valentine's Day sleepover.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about House Speaker Charles McCall announcing his chamber would not take up a controversial school voucher bill that had trouble getting out of a Senate committee, medical marijuana and tax cut bills as well as Governor Stitt's nomination of a former employee of his to the State Board of Education.The trio also discusses an ad in opposition to Governor Stitt that ran during the Super Bowl and controversy over comments from the Oklahoma County Jail Administrator calling COVID-19 a "friend" for bringing money to 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 a report released by the State Auditor criticizing state officials in how they handled issues in the pandemic and how the Attorney General held on to the report since last May as well as Governor Stitt's State of the State Address to kick off the 2022 legislative session.The trio also discusses election results beginning with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt getting nearly 60% of the vote in one of the city's largest turnouts for municipal elections and the Norman race for mayor heads into a runoff as neither of the top two candidates managed to get more than 50% of the vote.

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 for Oklahoma City mayor which has become the most expensive in city history and the Norman mayoral race which could be heading to a runoff in April.The trio also discusses news of Oklahoma's Congressional delegation asking for more than $300M for tribal governments to deal with the fallout of McGirt versus Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation completing its long-awaited report on Epic Virtual Charter School.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Corporation Commission giving approval to Oklahoma Natural Gas to raise utility bills by nearly $8 a month for the next 25 years, the US Supreme Court dismissing 32 petitions from the state to overturn its McGirt versus Oklahoma decision and the governor threatens a lawsuit against tribal leaders over money he says is owed to the state over hunting and fishing licenses.The trio also discusses a primary challenge against Congressman Frank Lucas from Bartlesville Republican Representative Sean Roberts and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt choosing not to take part in debates ahead of municipal elections on February 8th.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about an executive order from Governor Stitt allowing state employees to apply to work as substitute teacher as schools struggle with the current Omicron surge of COVID-19 and the toll the current wave is having on Oklahoma hospitals.The trio also discusses an increase in registered voters over the past two years and an initiative petition to put recreational marijuana into statute rather than the constitution.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Education Secretary Ryan Walters coming under fire for attacking schools as they are forced to close their doors as COVID numbers skyrocket, State Representative Terry O'Donnell resigning his post as House Speaker Pro Tem amid allegations of corruption and the US Supreme Court leaving in place a lower court decision ruling McGirt versus Oklahoma isn't retroactive.The trio also discusses a suggestion by two death row inmates of being executed by firing squad rather than lethal injection and Epic Virtual Charter School countersues its co-founders for more than $9M.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Tax Commission estimating the state will have more than $10B in the 2023 fiscal year budget, a grand jury indicting House Speaker Pro Tem Terry O'Donnell of writing a law to allow his wife to become a tag agent and a judge denying the state's challenge against vaccine mandates for the National Guard.The trio also discusses a speeding ticket by the brother of Governor Stitt based off the US Supreme Court's McGirt versus Oklahoma decision and a new poll showing a huge lead for David Holt in his reelection bid for mayor of Oklahoma City.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics is taking off during Christmas and New Year's Day. Neva, Ryan and Michael will return on January Seventh. In the meantime, keep up with the news and information you need at KOSU.org. You can also find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at KOSU Radio.

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.