Let's Pod This

Andy and Scott return from break and jump right into the issue that's taking up all the oxygen in Oklahoma politics right now - education. Specifically, why is State Superintendent (and Education Secretary) Ryan Walters all over the news this week? Ryan Walters presented his budget to the State Board of Education (NonDoc)Why OK is paying the State Superintendent More Than the Governor (Oklahoma Watch)Thousands of bills filed this year, roughly half of which are shell bills. We’re watching several that deal with the Initiative Petition process, elections, voting, and more. Also, an honorable mention news story from earlier this month: In what should be a shock to no one, OSDH is taking back control of Public Health Lab (The Frontier)

We return from an unexpectedly long hiatus to reflect on the 2022 election, briefly look ahead to upcoming elections in February, March, and April, and Bailey shares a big announcement!Links mentioned: Here are the candidates campaigning for OKC City Council seats (OKC Free Press)

Andy, Scott, & Bailey prognosticate about polling, about polling errors, about turnout, about the many ways this election could go (and why). Join us for The Election Night Show at Tower Theatre.Republicans Are Just A Normal Polling Error Away From A Landslide — Or Wiping Out (FiveThirtyEight)

In this "minisode," poll worker Michelle Bui explains some of the options available to voters who need special assistance or accomodations to vote, ranging from voting from your car to using an audio tactile interface (ATI). Accessibility informationEarly Voting locations

Governor Stitt has hired new outside counsel for the tribal gaming compacts cases, OKCPS school bond is on the ballot, recreational marijuana is a future ballot, and we're all a little weary in the lead up to the election.Links mentioned:CourtFacts.org (info on judicial retention ballot)Judges on the Ballot in Oklahoma: What You Need to Know (OK Policy)OKCPS Bond informationOklahoma Gov. Stitt resurrects gaming compact fight with tribes, hires new outside legal counsel (KOSU)

The race for Oklahoma governor continues to heat up, with both candidates polling within the margin of error, outside money pouring in, and a debate performance that is the talk of the town (or at least of twitter). We dig into what it all could mean on election day. Click here to volunteer with Let's Fix This*As a reminder, all opinions expressed in this podcast are not reflective of Let's Fix This, its supporters, or any other organization with whom any of the hosts or guests may be affiliated.*

GOTV season is now upon us, and the League of Women Voters are here to help Oklahomans be more informed voters. Several of their members join us for this episode; also be sure to check out their 2022 OK Voter Guide.

More recent polling indicates that a couple of races are unexpectedly close - but does that mean the outcome will be, too? Also: a challenger to Treat's hold on power in the Senate, the legislature continues its attacks on transgender Oklahomans, and SQ820 is bumped from the ballot for totally bogus reasons.Stitt still wants to eliminate the grocery tax; the Senate still does notLegislature bullying OU Health into scaling back healthcare for trans kidsSQ820 not on ballot this yearWalmart wants to be able to sell liquorState Board of Ed recommends $5000 teacher pay increaseGovernor’s task force recommends expanding medicaid for pregnant womenTulsa poll workers quitting for fear of harassmentTulsa election board working overtime responding to open records requests due to MyPillow guy making false claims about election security

Scott and Andy discuss how the broader national political environment may affect Oklahoma's electoral outcomes in November and the importance of nonpartisan voter mobilization. (Sign up for our Day of Action on Oct 1st here!)

Andy is joined by two guests: State Senator Julia Kirt to discuss her independent interim study on tax policy and Michelle Tilley with Yes on 820, the ballot initiative which would legalize recreational marijuana and make some important changes to both criminal penalties related to marijuana and add considerable funding for core services like public education.

Oklahoma veterans groups sue the Governor, the teacher shortage crisis deepens, and the state is attempting to blame a vendor for their own failure to protect taxpayer money. Links are below! Lawsuit alleges Gov. Kevin Stitt violated state law in appointing veterans commissionerTeacher shortage across Oklahoma causing stress in classroomsState sues Florida company over management of federal COVID relief program for students

Andy & Scott discuss Kansans' rejection of a state question that would have ended abortion protections that are codified in their state constitution, the new & improved Forward Party, and proportional representation.

With roughly 100 days left until the general election, multiple state-funded entities are being audited and/or under investigation. We talk about those as well as a high-level overview of the interim studies that have been approved for this year.

Bailey and Andy breakdown the results of the primary election and what it means for the general election in November and for the state in general.Elections Results

If you’re a regular listener of this program,  you may have noticed that we didn’t publish an episode last week. As I’m sure you are all aware, on the day that we usually record, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that overturned Roe vs Wade and effectively ended Americans’ right to abortion in more than half of the country, including here in Oklahoma. If you want to learn more about the specifics of Oklahoma’s abortion laws, including the four that were added this year, listen to episode 210, called “Why so many abortion bans?”  which was published just a few weeks ago, on May 29th. It features an interview with Tamya Cox-Toure, who is the executive director of ACLU Oklahoma and co-chair of the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice. While this Supreme Court ruling was expected because the decision was leaked a few months ago, the reality of it actually happening has left millions of people feeling heavier, angrier, and more despondent than I think we anticipated. The ruling is unequivocally harmful to every person who can become pregnant and to our society at large. American women, including my daughters, are now growing up in a world where they have more risk and fewer rights than did their mothers and grandmothers. This ruling will have a disproportionate impact on black and brown communities and people who are in poverty. Abortion is still legal in many states, but that doesn’t mean it is accessible. Thousands of people who will need abortions are now unable to get one. In addition to its overt harm, this ruling is remarkable for a number of reasons - the contemputous tone taken by the author, Justice Samuel Alito, for example. Also the fact that several members of the court have been credibly accused of sexual harrassment and were appointed by a president who was also credibly accussed of sexual assault. Or that nearly all the justices, when asked during their Senate confirmation hearings if they would overturn Roe v Wade, stated that they would not, agreeing that Roe was settled precedent. And yet, here we are.And then there is the concurring opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, which openly advocates for the overturning of the precedent set by three other Supreme Court cases - Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell - which provide protections for access to birth control, consensual sex, and same-sex marriage, respectively.Justice Thomas is regarded as one of (if not the) most conservative justices on the bench, and these type of comments should give all Americans reason for serious concern. This kind of approach, often called “orginialist” or "textualist,” is dangerous to the American way of life because it implies that every right and privilege that is conveyed to us by legal precedent but not specifically outlined in the Constitution is now at risk. There is a lot of prededecent that all of us take for granted because  it has been settled for years or even decades. Abortion isn’t just a partisan issue, it’s a power issue. People of all political affiliations need and receive abortions every year. The issue is about who has the power over women. Who gets to make decisions about their health needs, about what happens to their bodies, about their freedom and independence and autonomy. The people opposed to abortion have been very open that this fight is not about science or reason, it is about values. Public policy is rooted in values, and sometimes  values cut across partisan lines in ways we don’t expect. But we don’t usually talk about our values with one another, we usually just talk about policy. Why is that?To explain, I’m going to borrow (and extend) an analogy from my friend Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University and the author of several books, including “The Gardens of Democracy.” Consider our democracy to be a garden. Our values are the soil and policy are the flowers and fruit that grow from that soil. We are all gardeners, tasked with maintaining this garden. When someone talks about their garden, the conversation is about the plants - the beautiful roses, the juicy tomatoes, health that it brings to the whole local ecosystem. But they rarely talk about what makes the garden grow - the soil. They don’t mention the months of hard work it took to prepare it, the hours they spend every week watering, pruning, and weeding. The soil is what nourishes the plants, just as our values are what generate good public policy. In Oklahoma, there are roughly 3 million eligible voters, but only about 2 million are actually registered to vote. Of those, only about a million actually, turn out to vote - giving us the lowest rate of voter participation in the entire country. That’s like having 3 acres of land for a garden but only plowing 2 of them and then only planting seeds in one (and only watering half of that one). Look at all that potential garden that’s available! Imagine all the flowers and fruit we might have!&

The legislature is juggling two concurrent special sessions (and they disagree on interpreting their own rules which govern them), there's an election in less than 2 weeks, Oklahoma County's government is in disarray (or at least one of its officeholders is), it's ungodly hot, and Covid is getting worse *again*. Links mentioned:Prater seeks to remove David Hooten from office, Blumert outlines awkward messages (NonDoc)Oklahoma County Clerk David Hooten resigns, vows to continue run for state treasurerSwadley’s contract details unknown to OMES for more than a year (NonDoc)

More than 700 Oklahomans die each year from firearms - an average of about 2 per day. We're joined by Beth Furnish, a volunteer with Mom's Demand Action who tracks legislation at the state capitol pertaining to firearms, to discuss the status of Oklahoma gun laws and how they could be made safer. Links discussed:How Oklahoma Lawmakers Have Loosened Gun Regulations the Past Decade (Oklahoma Watch)Democrats Push for Solutions to Gun Violence with SAVE Act

The Oklahoma legislature passed four "total abortion bans" this session, but they're not all the same. We're joined by Tamya Cox-Touré, executive director of ACLU Oklahoma and co-chair of the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, to discuss what each of the bills does, how they conflict, and what the future of abortion may look like for Oklahoma.

Andy is joined by Emma Morris, Healthcare and Revenue Policy Analyst at OK Policy, to discuss the newly-approved FY23 state budget winners, losers, and who-knows-what's-going-to-happen-with-the-leftovers.

With less than two weeks before sine die, we have yet to see a budget proposal...from anyone! Also, the investigation into the Swadley's scandal deepens and the multicounty grand jury issued policy recommendations but no indictments. Relevant links are below! Let’s start with the latest on BBQGate. Two important developments came to light this week:First, The Frontier reported that Months before seeking bids, a state tourism official spoke of a deal for Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen to ‘make money from day one’ Also, the House Special Investigative Committee that is looking into this scandal convened their first hearing and heard testimony from LOFT director Mike Jackson. During that meeting, it was disclosed that 74% of the funds -  $12.4M of the $16.7M given to Swadleys - was misspent. Director Jackson said this happened because the Tourism Department lacked the proper checks and balances. Some examples:Travel was reimbursed multiple times. Jackson noted that the mileage reimbursement for one month in 2020 could have paid for someone to drive around the globe four times. one of the 59 subcontractors hired by Swadley's to make park and dining improvements charged a $20,000 fee on $53,000 worth of work. In addition, Swadley's then charged project-specific consulting and management fees, Jackson said.a cheese melter that Swadley's expensed for $11,600. When LOFT looked into it, the office found the same manufacturer charged no more than $5,500 for that item, Jackson said. The multicounty grand jury filed their report on Thursday and included within it were a number of findings as well as recommendations.  The report says, among other things, that Governor Stitt put improper political pressure on his appointees to the Pardon & Parole board.  The grand jury is convened by the District Attorney for the purpose of reviewing evidence and, when justified, issuing indictments. So...why is this grand jury issuing policy recommendations? (And is that even legal?)Initially blocked, pair of campaign websites ‘now available’ on state network (NonDoc)The ‘weird political misadventure’ of two tag agent bills (NonDoc)

Andy, Bailey, & Scott discuss a legislative proposal, SJR43, that is an overt attempt to politicize Oklahoma's judicial system by replacing most judges with Governor-appointed cronies, make the rest of the judicial elections partisan, and create an entirely separate class of lawyers that are licensed by the legislature, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. (For broader context on these assaults on the judiciary beyond Oklahoma, read this.)

Andy & Scott discuss the latest news in the BBQ-flavored [alleged] corruption scandal, yet another bill that promises to be a "total ban" on abortion in Oklahoma, and who got tossed from the ballot during candidacy challenges this week.

Scott and Andy discuss the recent rash of allegations of corruption among state legislators, gubernatorial appointees, and other public officials, as well as the recently-launched Clean Up Oklahoma campaign that has been tracking and highlighting these reports. A few pertinent links:Clean Up Oklahoma [timeline of corruption]Brent Swadley in 2018: "Wouldn't be where I am today if I followed the rules." (NonDoc)O'Donnell indictment could have far-reaching consequences (Tulsa World)

Candidate filing winds down and there are roughly 200 fewer candidates than there were in the 2018 gubernatorial cycle. Andy & Bailey sort through the filings and discuss what impact this may have on voters' experience at the ballot box and Oklahoma's representation for the next cycle.

Sometimes bills die for very obvious reasons; other times they go away quietly, often so quietly that no one knows why. We discuss new reports about how former Attorney General Mike Hunter killed a bill that would have impacted (and increased scrutiny of) his ability to hire private law firms to assist with state lawsuits. We also chat about the surprising number of legislators who are not seeking re-election this year, a new primary challenger for the Governor, and SCOTUS' newly-seated Justice, Kentanji Brown Jackson.

The Tourism Dept. has to answer some questions (and is now being investigated) concerning the $13 million they paid to a private business to open restaurants at rural state parks during the pandemic, the Oklahoma Pandemic Center cost $30 million but isn't doing the testing they promised, and, as a treat, Andy and Scott take a trip down memory lane to discuss their first cars, gas prices in the 90s, and the finer notes of power washing. Links mentioned:State Parks Management Questioned (NonDoc)OSBI launches investigation of Oklahoma Tourism Department (The Oklahoman)538 Politics podcast "How education became today's wedge issue" (FiveThirtyEight)Oklahoma House rings up $500 million in proposed tax cuts (Tulsa World)Gov. Stitt taps businessman with no college degree for board overseeing higher education (Tulsa World)

The Oklahoma legislature passed the first floor deadline this week, and per usual, that meant some contentious bills made it further through the process while others died an early death. (Or did they...?) Andy & Scott discuss the politics and procedures surrounding three big issues: restrictions on transgender students playing sports, school vouchers, and managed care.

Oklahoma House Rep. Merleyn Bell and Norman City Councilmember Lauren Scheuler join us for an important and enlightening conversation about women in government, what it takes to run (and serve) in elected office, and the power of authenticity in our world. Links & bios:Former Congresswoman Kendra Horn has officially entered the race for US SenateCBS News reported that Scott Pruitt may be contemplating a run for SenateNonDoc reported that OK Dept of Veterans Affairs director Joel Kintsel may be contemplating a run for Governor and has all but accused Governor Stitt’s staff or campaign team of accessing his computer without authorization. The Oklahoman is reporting that Former Teacher of the Year, Jena Nelson, is entering the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. She will be running as a Democrat; there are currently three Republicans vying for their party’s nomination:  Ryan Walters, who is Stitt’s Education Secretary,  April Grace, who is superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools, and John Cox, who is superintendent of Peggs Public Schools. Cox previously ran for state superintendent in 2014 and 2018, both times as a Democrat.NonDoc also has a fascinating article about alleged corruption and millions of dollars of embezzlement in western Oklahoma involving two county commissioners, one from Kiowa County and one from Tillman County. It’s too complicated to really talk about in this episode, but I strongly encourage you to read it and then to go listen to the most recent episode of “The Very OK Podcast,” produced by the Oklahoma Historical Society and hosted by current OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson and former director Bob Blackburn. The episode is entitled “At War with Corruption” and it details the major corruption scandals from the 1960s to 1980s involving county commissioners, the political climate in which they happened, and an interview with Bill Price, who was the former US Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma who prosecuted the county commissioners. It’s absolutely wild. There’s a claim in there that some of the county commissioners estimated - openly admitted - that 50% of the materials reported as received by the county government in Oklahoma between statehood and the 1960s were never received!Every March is nationally designated as Women’s History Month, a time in which we celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Since this is a podcast about government and civic engagement, we thought it would be most appropriate to talk to some of the female leaders in those fields, Oklahoma House Representative Merelyn Bell and Norman City Councilmember Lauren Schueler.Representative Merleyn Bell is a fifth-generation Oklahoman and an art director with over 15 years of experience in publication design. She was first elected in 2018 to represent House District 45, which is east Norman, and is the first woman of color to ever represent her hometown. Lauren Schueler is the director of N.E.W. Leadership and civic engagement at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. She coordinates the N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership program that seeks to address the historical under-representation of women in politics and public service, as well as civic engagement more broadly on campus. In addition, she helps organize and advise other programs housed the Carl Albert Center: Pipeline to Politics, Civic Engagement Fellows and Oklahoma Votes, a student organization focused on voter registration, education, and mobilization. Lauren also represents Ward 2 on the Norman City Council and serves on the Community Planning and Transportation Committee and the Oversight Committee.

The legislative debate over education vouchers continues to heat up, and this week OEA released some polling numbers which indicated that a majority of Oklahomans do not support the use of public tax dollars for private education. Also, more big names enter the race for Inhofe's US Senate seat.

With the legislature's first committee deadline in the rearview mirror, Andy & Scott discuss some of the bills that are still alive as well as the down-ballot implications of Senator Inhofe's retirement and what those shifts may mean for Oklahoma voters.

One of Oklahoma's US Senators, Jim Inhofe, announced he is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, just two years into his six-year term. While the state legislature recently changed the law to permit the Governor to appoint a replacement, the timing of Inhofe’s resignation - before March 1st in an even-numbered year - means that Governor Stitt will NOT get to appoint someone. Instead, a special election will be held this November, meaning that both of Oklahoma’s US Senate seats are up for election, one with incumbent James Lankford seeking reelection and the other now an open seat. In this episode, we discuss possible candidates for the seat and what the implications are for Oklahoma's political landscape.

A voucher bill narrowly passes committee, the Governor's cronyism rears its head again, a representative displays questionable ethics, a party is being audited by the IRS, and a candidate makes a bad decision.Links to articles discussed:SB 1647 (vouchers) advances on a close vote Bill that would switch up school board election dates resurrected at the CapitolGovernor Stitt appointed his former employee who is also the daughter of a state legislator to the State Board of Education. How A State Lawmaker’s Day Job Tiptoed into LobbyingOK GOP has paid over $14,000 in fines to the IRS & FEC for improper filings.Abby Broyles allegedly got drunk and verbaly accosted teenage girls at a Valentine’s Day party

Governor Stitt delivers his fourth State of the State, the State Auditor releases her audit of OSDH, the OK County Jail leadership left a very bad voicemail.-------Non-profits aren’t supposed to use federal funds for fun furloughs: Candida Manion, formerly ED of Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, repeatedly used federal funds to take vacations and even go wine tasting…story from Oklahoma WatchThe LOFT doesn’t think OKs Medical Marijauna regime passes muster;788 created the most accessible MJ industry in the countryInadequate regulatory structureBetter regulatory regime is needed56 dispensaries per 100k in populationMore than Sonic, Braums, Starbucks, Wal-Mart and McDonalds combined.“COVID is our friend”: You really should always make sure you hung up the phone…OK County Jail Administrator Greg Williams director of communications Mark Opgrande had a phone call where they discussed public health…it did not go well. NonDoc has the story.Does state Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd listen to the pod????: Following our discussion last week, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has released the audit into OSDOH…it’s not great Bob. Legislative Round-Up:HB3621 - Virgin, passed out of committee this week. No more taxes on groceriesHB3902 - Kannady passed out of the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee - who determines what a lawful order is?? Who is qualified to be Adjutant General?SJR 30 - Hamilton - give rural counties veto power over state questionsHB2973 - Olsen - pray the gay awaySB 1647 - Treat - McCall says the house has no appetite to hear the billGovernor Stitt delivered his annual State of the State address

We are just days away from the beginning of the 2022 legislative session and boy-oh-boy what a wild week it’s been. In this episode we’re going to be talking about the state budget, how it’s looking, what we expect the Governor and the legislature will prioritize when it comes to spending your money, and what issues we hope they’ll consider. We are joined by special guest Emma Morris, who is a policy analyst for healthcare and revenue at the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Links mentioneD:First, the Tulsa World reported that State Auditor Cindy Byrd reported to the legislature that her office’s audit into Epic Charter Schools for gross misuse of public education funds was “the largest abuse of taxpayer funds in the history of the state” and she wasn’t sure why Attorney General John O’Connor had not yet filed charges.Then The Frontier reported that Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor is refusing to release the investigative audit of the State Health Department and won’t even really say why. 2022 OK Policy Annual Budget Summit

Senator Julia Kirt and Representative Cyndi Munson join the show to discuss the recent article published by Oklahoma Watch which aggregates legislators' conflict of interest disclosure forms, the nature of legislative conflicts of interest in general, and the bills they filed to address the state's disability services waiting list.

This week the battle between Governor Stitt and Oklahoma’s public education escalated further, the State Election Board released the annual voter registration tally, and the bill filing deadline has officially passed.Let’s start with the numbers. According to the State Election Board, as of January 15th, 2022 Oklahoma had 2,218,374 registered voters, which is actually 54,000 fewer voters than we had a year ago. On Tuesday Governor Stitt issued an executive order authorizing all state employees to serve as substitute teachers in an effort to keep schools open. Good use of state resources or bad use of state resources?Also on Tuesday, national public education advocacy organization, Stand for Children, released the results of their latest nationwide teacher survey and it’s not good news. The topline result: 3 out of 10 teachers nationwide say they may quit the profession this year due to the political attacks on teachers and education. Other interesting takeaways from this survey: 92% say students should be able to learn about historical truths, even when they are uncomfortable.94% say schools should ensure that no students feel unsafe, invisible, or unheard.93% agree with the statement: “So that children can thrive in diverse workplaces, it is essential for schools to help children learn to value and respect the humanity of every person and to recognize and reject racism.”93% agreed with the statement: “Students deserve a thorough and accurate account of American history, including the hard parts, not a whitewashed version, because knowing the full story of the past empowers students to create a better future.”Bill filings, including Senator Tom Duggar’s Open Records Act bill Rep Jose Cruz resignsThe McGirt case 

The omicron variant of Covid continues to ravage our state, with more than 11,000 new cases reported today and many businesses and schools forced to close. Bill filing continues, and, true to form, many of the proposed laws are simply undemocratic, unconstitutional, and generally bad policy. We talk about all that plus McGirt, Mayoral races, and more!

With less than a month before the legislative session begins, we're already seeing bills being filed, budgets being discussed, and elected officials indicted by grand juries. Wait...what? All that and more in this episode as we discuss what we expect to happen over the next five months.

Andy & Scott discuss the latest on the Epic Charter School debacle (including breaking news that occurred while we were recording), the latest in Covid, and our current television viewing interests.

Alyssa Fisher joins the pod to chat about the weather, local elections, and, most importantly, to tell us about the new Ambassador Program at Sally's List. Things mentioned: Oklahoma Watch: They Don’t Vote, But They Do Count: How the Incarcerated Skew Political Representation in OklahomaThe Oklahoman: Stitt administration suing Dept of Defense over vaccine requirementNonDoc: The unearthed Joe Exotic interview about Donald Trump, Oklahoma’s teacher walkoutHow to Win Friends and Save the Republic podcast from the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers

It's been a difficult week. As redistricting draws to its disappointing end, Governor Stitt tries to score political points by blocking vaccines for our National Guard and offering a last-minute merciful reduction in Julius Jones' death sentence.

Wanda Felty (OUHSC Center for Learning and Excellence) and RoseAnn Duplan (OK Disability Law Center) join the show to discuss Oklahoma's disability services waiting list, why it's *still* moving so slowly despite the rhetoric from the Governor & legislature.We also discuss Oklahoma redistricting, the firing of Maj. Gen. Mike Thompson, and Julius Jones.Public Radio Tulsa story on Mike ThompsonThe People's Map

Governor Stitt travels to Mexico where he travels in style, opposes vaccine mandates, and remains aloof on the subject of Julius Jones' life (which *still* hangs in the balance). Also, the legislature is trying to gerrymander Oklahoma County.

There's so much going on, we have to do a lightning round. Some good, a lot of bad. Don't give up the fight.

We discuss the quarterly polling data from Amber Integrated (mentioned last episode), the state threatening to sue the feds, and how the contract signing event with Canoo was a bit of a publicity stunt.Links discussed: Polling from last week that we said we’d cover Can the Governor spell Constitution? Governor Stitt’s AG tells business to ignore the federal vaccine mandate Oklahoma Tea Party is at war with the OKGOP leadershipIs this Canoo taking on water? Frontier has some information on the states deal with electric vehicle manufacturer CanooNew General Counsel for the Governor’s office: Trevor Pemberton Everyone has their Christmas decorations out - Target, Amazon…and the city of Enid

Joy Hofmeister enters the the race for Governor...as a Democrat! Also some other stuff happened, but that's most of what we discuss. Links discussed in episode: First, the public affairs software company Quorum recently released a report summarizing information about state legislatures during 2021. Some interesting takeaways:In general, the larger a state's population, the more bills their legislature filed. No correlation to the number of bills enacted, though.Oklahoma’s 149 state legislators filed 3,057 bills, of which 582 were enacted. That averages out to 20.5 bills filed and 3.9 bills enacted per legislator, which is the 11th highest rate in the country. Health and Education were far & and away the most popular topics for bills nationwide. Oklahoma state Senator Mary Boren is the most active Oklahoma legislator on social media with 3,600 posts on Twitter & FB this year. Advocacy group “Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action” filed two initiative petitions this week. One would basically fully legalize recreational marijuana for anyone age 21 or older, including growing, buying, transporting, preparing and consuming it. The measure would double  the excise tax on marijuana sales, from 7% to 15%. It would also allow anyone serving time for a marijuana-related conviction to request that conviction be dismissed. (Which seems like it violates the single subject rule.) The second initiative would eliminate the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, which is a part of the state dept of health, and create a standalone state agency called the Oklahoma State Cannabis Commission, which would also have a seat in the Governor’s cabinet. It would also remove the cap on the number of cannabis-related business licenses and allow for home delivery of marijuana products.  (Again, seems like a violation of the single subject rule.) Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax sent a letter to lawmakers debunking allegations of election hacking by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell

Bailey's back! Also, US Senator James Lankford now has three opponents - two conservative Republicans and a newcomer Democrat. We discuss the dynamics of that race, down-ballot races, and the racial disparity in police shooting (a data point for which Oklahoma ranks #1 in the nation). Links mentioned: Oklahoma has highest rate of people killed by police

More than six weeks since the 2020 Census data was released, but the Oklahoma legislature has yet to release any maps. What's up with that? Also—a breaking news announcement happened during recording! Outline & LinksState Fair is underway! And tonight: Ginuwine!Oklahoma passes 10,000 Covid deathsStitt’s removal of two OHCA board members over the Labor Day weekend has ruffled the feathers of some lawmakers from both parties. His ability to do that, of course, stems from the legislature’s decision in 2019 to grant the Governor broader authority over state agencies. According to The Oklahoman, Representatives Marcus McEntire & Mark McBride expressed some reservations or regrets about how it happened. Rep. Monroe Nichols has pre-filed legislation to change the Governor’s role with the OHCA board specifically by requiring the governor to appoint to the board at least one licensed physician, two Medicaid recipients and several people who have experience in health care fields. The Governor would be able to pick appointees only from a set of three candidates nominated by the board, appointees would have set term limits and the governor would not be able to remove them without cause. Oklahoma County Sherrifs will now be equipped with body cameras and they released their policy for them.Special session begins Nov 15th!

There's been considerable trouble in the Western Heights school district over the last couple of years...and "trouble" doesn't begin to describe it. Thanks to strong journalism by the folks at NonDoc and others, we were able to put together a pretty comprehensive timeline for you, which we'll detail in this episode (it is included below with links to all the stories). Remember: local elections matter.Timeline for Western HeightsIn October 2019, 15 employees resigned, ranging from bus drivers to the assistant superintendent, citing ongoing issues of mismanagement at all levels of the district.Two weeks later, still in October 2019, parents in the district requested an investigation into the district for these issues, and specifically wanted an investigation into Superintendent Mannix Barnes, his $220,000 per year salary, and the fact that the chair of the WH school board, Robert Everman, is his former employee when they worked at a casino. (Which is obviously directly useful knowledge for running a school district, right?)Before we go on, you’ve got to hear about the compensation package superintendent Mannix Barnes had at the time. And, again, remember that he had no experience as a superintendent when he was hired by the district just a couple of years ago. Barnes’ contract with Western Heights included:A $220,000 base salary with a $75,000 retention bonus effective June 15, 2022;20 days of unpaid leave for outside activities;Reasonable time off and pay for professional growth and community involvement;25 semester credit hours annually to further education;Membership for community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce;40 vacation days per year;20 sick days per year;20 personal business leave days per year.We’ll do the math for you: that’s a minimum of 100 days of paid leave. The district only has 167 instructional days. Anyway, in April 2020, the WH district got into hot water with the state board of education when the district unilaterally decided to suspend the free meal program during the pandemic, despite the fact that 90% of the distinct’s students qualify. The superintendent said some pretty inflammatory things about state superintendent Joy Hofmeister and OKC Mayor David Holt, including using the phrase “I double dare those two to come down here” and threatened to sue the state board.Nearly a year later in March of this year, the state board of education expressed “utmost concern” about the operation of Western Heights Public Schools and threatened to end their accreditation, mentioning multiple issues, including:failure to provide in-person instruction since March 2020;a decision in the spring of 2020 not to provide nutritional services to students;an audit report showing violations of state law, including the use of 2018 bond proceeds meant for contracting and repairing facilities to pay off debt instead;a board member consuming alcohol during a public meeting;a 23 percent drop in student enrollment, from 3,365 to 2,597 in the past year, and a loss of more than 100 staff members in the past two years;disharmony in the school environment and community.In April the state board placed the district on probation and giving them 90 days to remedy the situation or face being annexed by the state board. As you might have guessed, the district didn’t comply and instead they filed suit against the state board, So, in June the state board suspended the certificate of the superintendent, Mannix Barnes, and ordered the Western Heights district board to suspend him. The state also requested an investigative audit of the district. At the next meeting in July, the state board approved a motion to amend the terms of the district probation to include “full state intervention” - basically to take over the administration of the district - for one year, to be reviewed every 90 days, with the option to engage with law enforcement as necessary to effectuate the intervention. That happened on Monday, July 12. Later that night, a parent found about 15 bags of shredded financial documents in a dumpster behind the administration building. The next day, Tuesday July 13, the state board appointed Monty Guthrie to serve as interim superintendent for the western heights district. The next day, Wednesday July 14th, news broke about the bags of shredded documents.The district board president, Robert Everman - who, if you remember, is buddies with the recently ousted superintendent Mannix Barnes, did not like this so he scheduled another board meeting for two days later, Thursday, July 15th, at which the district board appointed their own assistant superintendent as their interim superintendent, which was in direct opposition to what the state told them not to do.  The district’s attorney, as you might imagine, argued that the state does not have the authority to appoint an interim superintendent. Friday, July 16th, the state auditor and the state dept of education arrived on site to do initial site assessment for t

We discuss the far-reaching implications of Texas' new abortion law with attorney Melanie Rughani and then catch up on the latest developments from the OK Dept of Labor with Commissioner Leslie Osborn.