Let's Pod This

Deadline week means some dead bills found new life, nearly all of which would make life harder for many Oklahomans. Throw in a handful of insensitive comments and a House vs. Senate tax cut kerfuffle, and it's almost like a typical legislative session. Links are below! Has Oklahoma reached a plateau in COVID vaccination? Edmond elects first black mayor Paula Lewis re-elected; female candidates swe...

Between the State Board of Education's contentious (and possibly unconstitutional) settlement with charter schools and a hostage situation at the OK County Jail that resulted in yet another death, this week felt like Oklahoma is reaching a breaking point. Something's gotta give. We're joined by OEA president Alicia Priest and OK County Commissioner Carrie Blumert to discuss these situations and ho...

It's #MeatAllWeek in Oklahoma and so we're talking about education instead. Rep. Cyndi Munsons joins the show to discuss #EverythingEd—from the OSDE's settlement with the charter schools to the Governor's staff attacked Tulsa Public Schools to attempts to break the "Oklahoma's Promise" program. If you'd like to reach out to members of the OK House Higher Ed & Career Tech Committee, here you go...

We're joined by policy analyst Paul Shinn from the Oklahoma Policy Institute to discuss expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the legislature's proposal to give a tax cut to...Californians?

It's been a hell of a week in Oklahoma politics. Andy, Scott, & Bailey discuss two very public reminders that racism still runs rampant in our state. Also, another legislative deadline has passed, and with it so did a surprising number of downright terrible bills, which now move to the opposite chamber for consideration. Vaccines are up, Covid cases are down, so Governor Stitt thinks it's a go...

Andy, Bailey, & Scott discuss OESC's $4.4 billion of unemployment payments, Governor Stitt's op-ed to conservatives (in which he said he trusts Oklahomans but not the government), Broken Arrow's very belated (and mostly useless) mask statement, and the American Rescue Plan.

The first deadline week of the 2021 legislative session did not disappoint! Andy & Bailey discuss bills that would do things like: allow the Governor to appoint US Senators, eliminate the state's corporate income tax, and authorize the state legislature to deem a Presidential executive order as unconstitutional. (For the record, that's not things work in America.)

Andy, Scott, and Bailey defrost from this week's deep freeze And catch up on what the legislature managed to get done despite the weather. Also, a reminder: if you are an elected official and your state is experiencing a crisis, don't go to on vacation.

In addition to the usual weekly round-up, Andy, Scott, & Bailey are joined by Elly Page , Senior Legal Advisor with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) in Washington, DC, and founder of ICNL’s US Protest Law Tracker , to discuss the more than 10 bills proposed by Oklahoma lawmakers this session that aim to intimidate, criminalize, and/or punish Oklahomans who exercise their...

Andy, Scott, & Bailey discuss Governor Stitt's "State of the State" address that was delivered this week and try to answer questions like Was it really a state of the state...or was it a pre-campaign stump speech? What did he mean by "The People's Agenda" (and who are these "people?") What constitutes being a "Top Ten State?" Full text of the speech (Governor's Office) Full text w/ annotations...

We're joined by state Senator Julia Kirt to hear her [very well-rounded] take on what to expect this session from the legislature, the Governor, the budget, and everything else. We guarantee you'll learn something in this one!

More than 3,000 bills have been filed for the upcoming legislative session - a new record for Oklahoma. We discuss the good, the bad, and the unconstitutional and what impact these bills may have on how things go at the Capitol this spring. Links mentioned: Our blog post: " How to Track Legislation " OK Legislature website LegiScan website

Governor Stitt wants all students back to in-person schooling...but on what authority (and science) is he basing that decision? Will the Senate actually hold a trial of President Trump? What should we expect from the upcoming legislative session? All that and more!

We discuss the siege on the US Capitol and the potential implications and paths forward for America.

Vaccinations for COVID-19 have begun in Oklahoma (including one of our hosts!), a cabinet secretary gets indicted for bribery, two GOP candidates get each other kicked off the ballot, and we manage to find a few diamonds in this otherwise giant turd of a year.

Session doesn't start until February but some members of the legislature are already plotting a course toward restricting voters' ability pass laws directly. Also, is "qualified" simply in the eyes of the beholder? Let's discuss.

This episode is...hard. Bailey lost her grandfather to Covid and Andy's mom is in the ICU on a ventilator. We stew on that and the glaring absence of political will by many elected officials to take the steps necessary to slow the spread and prevent *even more* Oklahomans from dying.

The newly-elected Oklahoma legislature has been busy - filing bills, scheduling meetings, and sending letters to other states telling them how to handle their elections. And, of course, there's the continued rampant community spread of Covid-19, which has finally made it's way into our homes. Links mentioned in this episode: Map of the legislature's redistricting town hall meetings Oklahoma using...

We're joined by Rep. Cyndi Munson to discuss OG&E's response to the recent ice storm and how Oklahomans can be more effective advocates for change regarding utilities oversight. We also give an update on Oklahoma County shenanigans (including Hooten's horn) and Scott leaves us with a very strange "Moment of Zen." (Spoiler: the Oklahoma Corporation Commission oversees utilities.) To file a comp...

In this special episode, we're sharing the "civic sermon" from our first virtual Civic Saturday event, which was held on October 17th, just a few weeks before Election Day. A video of the event and the full text of the sermon and "civic scriptures" can be found in this blog post. We'll be back next week with a full recap of the election.

No full episode this week since everyone is dealing with fallout from the ice storm. BUT! two reminders: (1) Don't forget to vote and (2) we're doing a liveblog on election night beginning at 6pm. Join us at letsfixthisok.org/blog.

The past year has brought numerous challenges for government at all levels, and that includes the county level. Oklahoma County, in particular, has repeatedly made headlines for decisions regarding the county jail, what they're doing (or not doing) with federal CARES funds, and their relationship with the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. It's a complicated mess, and so we're joi...

Monday was a barn-burner of a news cycle when it comes to Oklahoma politics, with important developments about everything from pandemics to Medicaid managed care, from new cabinet & agency heads to Epic Charter School investigative audits, and a ribbon of Governor vs Legislature running through most issues. Links are below: Rep. Ryan Martinez (R-Edmond) announced plans to file legislation aime...

Criminal justice reform has been widely supported by most Oklahomans, but there seems to be a lot of division and uncertainty surrounding the latest CJR measure on the ballot. In this episode we speak with supporters Kris Steele and Jacqueline Blocker from Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform as well as opponent Pat McFerron to hear their perspectives on the issue. Read more: Supporters: YesOn80...

Of the two state questions on the ballot this year, SQ814 has received less attention from the media. In this episode we’ll chat with supporters & opponents of the measure to help you be a more informed voter.