This Week in Oklahoma Politics

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the announcement from Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commissioner Terri White stepping down from her position and the House Speaker opposing Governor Stitt by saying the tribal gaming compacts automatically renewed for another 15 years...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the Supreme Court declaring unconstitutional a bill requiring the top 25 alcohol brands make their products available to all distributors and justices hearing argument from supporters and opponents of an initiative petition to change the w...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel and Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill about Attorney General Mike Hunter filing a lawsuit against major opioid distributors in the state, the governor's task force on corrections reform releases its report while also asking for more time to come up with detailed plans to reduce the...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and, sitting in for Ryan Kiesel, ACLU Oklahoma Director of Policy and Advocacy Nicole McAfee about the impasse between the governor and the tribes over gaming compacts which now looks headed to court, dueling ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana are getting ready for voter sig...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a petition filed to allow voters to add recreational marijuana to the state constitution, the battle between Governor Stitt and tribal leaders over gaming compacts heats up as the end of the year gets closer and Oklahoma City Democratic Re...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the passage of MAPS4 by a wide margin garnering more than 70% of those voting, the Pardon and Parole Board sees a 118% increase in the number of docketed cases with commutations jumping 426% since 2018 and Governor Stitt gives an extension...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the resignation announcement by Oklahoma City Democratic Representative Shane Stone which could trigger a special election and voters are heading to the polls this Tuesday to decide on MAPS 4 to raise nearly $978M for 16 different projects...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel and sitting in for Neva Hill is Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Director of External Relations Dave Bond about renewal of calls to provide a Cost of Living Adjustment for state retirees, Governor Stitt goes before the U.S. Senate to support a federal proposal to stop states from using th...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt's suggestion for Oklahoma to use Medicaid block grants rather than going with Medicaid expansion, an initiative petition to end certain sentencing enhancements for nonviolent offenses and the State Insurance Commissioner cho...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the commutation of more than 500 prisoners in state custody, the concerns growing from law enforcement and citizens over permitless carry and the State Supreme Court listening to the challenge of a controversial alcohol distribution law.  ...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a push to change the way Oklahomans draw political districts by putting it in the hands of an independent committee rather than politicians, the Oklahoma County Sheriff plans to hand over control of the jail to a newly formed trust whether...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the Oklahoma Health Care Authority proposal to hire a Medicaid consultant to help the governor with his health care plan, the supporters of Yes on 802 to get Medicaid Expansion on the ballot file their petitions with the Secretary of State...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Director of Policy and Advocacy Nicole McAfee (who is sitting in for Ryan Kiesel) about the Legislative Compensation Board giving legislators a 35% pay raise to $47,000 a year, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejecting a constitutional challenge against MAPS 4 and the state Republ...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a challenge from gun control advocates to the constitutionality of permitless carry, MAPS Four is also facing a legal challenge ahead of a vote by citizens on December 10th and the commutation of Tondalao Hall, who was sentenced to 30 year...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the Attorney General's announcement saying despite a Tenth Cicuit ruling, women in Oklahoma don't have the right to go topless, also the AG's cease and desist order against at-home rape kit companies he says aren't admissable in courts and...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about campaign reports showing House Appropriations Chairman Kevin Wallace is renting a garage apartment from former House Appropriations Chair and now OG&E lobbyist Ken Miller and Governor Stitt signs an executive order requiring all state...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the announcement by Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson to retire from the position effective at the end of next year, AG Mike Hunter announces the state is hiring a Michigan law firm for $250,000 to deal with tribal gaming compacts a...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about Epic Virtual Charter School calling for an investigation of State Senator Ron Sharp over "defamation" of the institution, Oklahoma still ranks second in the number of uninsured people in the state and more people are getting recommendation...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU' Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the decision by the Secretary of State's office to move forward with counting signatures on a petition to stop permitless carry rather than waiting on a ruling from the State Supreme Court, Broken Arrow Republican Senator Nathan Dahm create...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the ruling by a Cleveland County district judge awarding the state $572 million in its opioid lawsuit, supporters of a petition to stop permitless carry hope to gather enough signatures to get State Question 803 on the 2020 ballot and the...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and sitting in for Ryan Kiesel is ACLU Oklahoma Director of Policy and Advocacy Nicole McAfee. They discuss the call by Governor Stitt to remove Glen Johnson as Higher Education Chancellor, a claim by QuikTrip of an increase in property thefts since State Question 780 was passed by voters and...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about an attempt to stop a permitless carry law taking effect by November First, an alcohol distribution law getting ruled unconstitutional and Medicaid Expansion supporters working to gather nearly 178,000 signatures to get the proposition befo...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics is taking a break for the summer through July and August.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the first anniversary of medical marijuana and Oklahoma already near the top nationwide in patient participation, Senator Inhofe vows to crack down on the private company reportedly leaving military families in disrepaired and dangerous ho...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a win for supporters of a ballot initiative petition on Medicaid Expansion when the state Supreme Court ruled it could move forward, the fate of $85M in an opioid settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals awaits a judges ruling and Oklahoma Cit...