Let's Pod This

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...

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.