Let's Pod This

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 a...

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 legisl...

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 & Links State Fair is underway! And tonight: Ginuwine! Oklahoma passes 10,000 Covid deaths Stitt’s removal of two OHCA board members over the Labor Day weekend has ruffled the feathers of...

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 mat...

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.

We accidentally took last week off and getting back into the swing of things amidst a pandemic means we wax poetic about where we're been and where we're headed next. Everything is terrible; please keep going.

Oklahoma schools started their year without the ability to mandate masks, and as Covid predictably spreads through staff and students, some districts are finding ways around the law so that they can mitigate the pandemic's spread. Also, Sara Jane Rose and Alyssa Fisher from Sally's List join the pod to discuss how they're preparing progressive female candidates for the 2022 election cycle.

Despite mounting pressure from voters, especially parents, Governor Stitt continues to refuse to issue a "state of emergency" declaration, a decision that has negative consequences for Oklahoma's ability to respond to the pandemic far beyond mask mandates in school. We're joined by state Senator Julia Kirt (D-SD30) to discuss that and more. Newly appointed attorney General John O’Connor has filed...

As we prepare to enter the third school year affected by Covid, we're joined by OEA's Amanda Ewing to discuss what's on the mind of teachers and how the government could (or should) respond.

This week: A bogus witch hunt in public education. The Governor ended his McGirt panel due to protesters. Power struggle in Western Heights school district. A former Cherokee chief will be featured on the quarter. Episode outline: The State Board of Education adopted rules following passage of HB1775 .  Western Heights school district fired superintendent, appointed a new one, then SBE said n...

Update on the prison closure, Congressional redistricting, and the one year anniversary of the McGirt ruling. Full description with links: Last week we discussed the closure of the prison in Ft. Supply, and this week Senator Casey Murdock has asked Governor Stitt to delay closing the prison . Senator Murdock has raised concerns that closing the prison would cost the state money...which seems to be...

The Oklahoma Dept of Corrections is closing a prison in Ft. Supply and, well, it's a complicated matter. We break down how it may affect the town and the state. Plus, Effie Rorke joins Scott and Andy to discuss her experience of variations in voting from state to state. A few notes: Prison being closed in NW Oklahoma has several implications...but it’s a mixed bag. Fewer incarcerated people saves...

Covid is up, tuition is up, TSET effectiveness is in question, Canoo incentives are secret, and we still don't have an Attorney General. Let's talk about it. COVID cases are increasing in Oklahoma and around the country. OK has roughly doubled the number of new diagnoses since the beginning of June. Likely due to Delta variant (as there is an outbreak in Missouri), but we can’t know for sure becau...

Relatively slow week in Oklahoma political news, which leaves Scott and Andy to ponder the questions "What would ALEC do?" and "Do Oklahoma Republicans have any notable policy agenda items remaining?"

It seemed like a quiet week for Oklahoma government, and yet, lawsuits were filed, transparency was reduced, and two pieces of legislation still hang in the balance.

Budget analysts Paul Shinn & Emma Morris from OK Policy join the show to help us understand what actually went down with the state budget this session. Also, a bit of good news! More than 50,000 Oklahomans have enrolled in Medicaid since the expansion opened up on June 1st.

We're taking a break for this week, but here are some important headlines we don't want you to miss and we'll be back next week to discuss them in more detail!

It's the second-to-last week fo session AND our first in-person recording in over a year. Needless to say, we're excited about those things. About those things, at least, but we are much less excited about the tax cuts, special interest credits, and other bad bills that were passed into law this week.

The Oklahoma Association of Realtors share some insight into the real estate market and why building costs have skyrocketed so much, and also, it appears the legislature has agreed on a budget! Well, at least some members have agreed.

How will the legacy of Covid-19 impact the 2022 election cycle in Oklahoma? We discuss that plus the legislature's involvement in emergency relief funds and a record number of unconstitutional bills . Articles mentioned: Oklahoma's Legislature has a history of passing unconstitutional laws New law gives Oklahoma's Legislature a role in federal stimulus spending

Joshua Harris-Till joins the show to discuss his veto referendum on HB1674, an anti-protest bill that was recently signed into law. We also discuss HB1775, which would outlaw the teaching of critical race theory. Here is the Facebook page for the veto referendum: https://www.facebook.com/NoOn816 And you can sign up to help here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZrg110hBBc9-Rwz8QrOJRozzj6...

As budget negotiations begin, Bailey & Andy play "Good News, Bad News" with what happened this week. Here's the list if you're impatient: Good news Ida’s Law (SB172) signed into law SB44 signed into law - stops punishing people for missing court dates due to being incarcerated Needle exchange bill signed into law Guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin case Bad news  Governor signed HB1674 (but t...

Contentious, anti-protest and anti-trans bills dominated the headlines this week; we discuss the social & economic implications they could have for the future of Oklahoma. Links mentioned: Senator Jake Merrick, SD22, was sworn in on Wednesday HB1674 heads to the Governor's office SB2 - dealing with womens' sports Class-action lawsuit filed over state's medical marijuana tracking program State...