Let's Pod This

We discuss the pros & cons of Governor Stitt replacing the veteran director of DHS with a young venture capitalist, Justin Brown. Special guest: attorney Brian Ted Jones.

We're joined by Oklahoma state Senator Carri Hicks and local actress/producer/activist Cacky Poarch to get their perspective on the 2019 legislative session and learn about "Faces of the 47th: The Art of Activism," a documentary feature film debuting at the deadCenter Film Festival next week.

Both chambers of #okleg have effectively adjourned, but did they complete all their work? We talk about what was left on the table and also visit with Representatives Josh West and Marcus McEntire about their experience in the legislature.

The #okleg reaches a budget agreement, the Governor sold his airplane, Andy's bill was vetoed, and we have not one but TWO Pruitt Watches. The end of session must be near!

As #okleg nears a budget agreement (or ARE they??), we turn to the municipal level and discuss designing safer, "complete" streets with guest Jonathan Dodson.

With less than a month 'til the end of session, we discuss rumors about the budget, the status of criminal justice reform, and Governor Stitt's use of the veto. We also curse more than usual. Earmuffs, kids. #SSGOTV.

From map data to prison data, from county government feuds to former legislators back in the news, from Medicaid expansion plans to a ban on bans, we've got a little something for everyone this week! 

Sabine Brown (Together Oklahoma) and Carly Putnam (Oklahoma Policy Institute) join us to review the current state of healthcare in Oklahoma and their upcoming "Rally for Coverage."

Special guests Effie Craven and Rep. Jason Dunnington join the show to discuss where the legislature is with various bills and what it's like to text their moms.

Oklahoma has sued more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies over their creation & marketing of addictive opioid medications. Last week we learned that one company, Purdue Pharma, was settling out of court for $270 million. We sat down with the state's Attorney General, Mike Hunter, to discuss the case and the settlement. 

Recorded live at Missy's Donuts in Guthrie, OK, we sit down with Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell to discuss his approach to the Lt. Gov position and his other position as Secretary of Tourism & Branding.

This week we discuss a bill to keep pollution audits private, cleaning up the voter rolls, and the high cost of transporting people with mental illness. Just a typical week in Oklahoma, right? 

Should deceased candidates be allowed to remain on the ballot? We discuss the implications of that situation along with independent redistricting and the structure & finances of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES).

As bills move from one chamber to the other, we take a look at what legislation has been signed, what's [mostly] dead, and what are still alive. Special guest: Bo Broadwater from The Journal Record Legislative Report.

Tres Savage from NonDoc explains the finer points of why Oklahoma counties should be allowed to tax the production of aggregates (i.e. rocks and gravel) and we visit with Joe Hight, chairman of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to discuss Sunshine Week, government transparency, and whether the legislature should be subject to the Open Records Act.

Most of us were taught that it's impolite to discuss religion & politics, but in Oklahoma, those topics are often intertwined. In the eyes of Jon Middendorf, pastor at @okcfirst, the gospel "has to have skin on it," and by that measure, it is inherently a political conversation. Join us as we discuss the intersection of these two issues and how they define our state.

Are multiple, concurrent audits of Oklahoma's Medicaid program really necessary? Plus we're joined by Senator Julia Kirt to discuss if allowing the Governor to appoint agency directors more or less transparent than the current system of boards.

The first month of the 57th legislature has been dominated by guns and abortion, and this week has been no exception. We're joined by the Liz Charles of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition and Bo Broadwater of The Journal Record to discuss permitless carry, "trigger laws," and what issues OWC is following most closely. Along the way we also discuss zoos, horoscopes, and a *very* awkward phrase that was...

The State of Oklahoma has some extra money this year...or does it? We discuss how much, where it's going, and status updates on bills about guns, HIV education, and Medicaid expansion. 

We discuss the loosening of gun laws, find out who actually writes bills, and chat with Senator Greg McCortney about the details of "Unity Bill" that will tweak Oklahoma's new medical marijuana law. Plus a few tidbits about influenza among animals. 

County commissioners who are also lobbyists, Stitt's first State of the State, and a surprisingly detailed recounting of a Lifetime movie. (with Krystal Yoseph & Grant Hermes)

This week it seemed like every party and organization released their legislative agenda - including Let's Fix this. So we decided to compare & contrast the big ones to parse out what policies we think will actually get passed this session.  

We're joined by Krystal Yoseph to discuss Governor Stitt's first Executive Orders and cast our predictions for the 2019 Oklahoma legislative session. 

Andy & Scott play a game of "OK, Stop!" with Governor Stitt's inauguration address, breaking it down phrase by phrase. 

Quick recap of the election, what we think happened, and where this leaves us to start the 2019 legislative session.