This Week in Oklahoma Politics

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt featuring political ads featuring current Attorney General John O'Connor after ethical and legal questions from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and a federal judge ruling Oklahoma's three-drug execution protocol as constitutional. The...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the shooting Wednesday night at Tulsa's Saint Francis Health and the governor vetoing parts of the nearly $10B budget. The trio also discusses the six overrides in the eleventh hour by the legislature of Governor Stitt's vetoes and a moratorium set f...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a new poll showing a majority of Oklahoman not supporting a total ban on abortion, Governor Stitt signing a bill to reduce the number of weeks for unemployment benefits and the state legislature approving a plan to revamp the Medicaid program into a...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a special session called by state legislative leaders to determine how to spend $2B in COVID-19 relief funds, a nearly $10B budget quickly moving through the House and Senate and hearing started on the Department of Tourism's deal with Swadley's Bar-...

The author of a book detailing the tumultuous 2020 election and its aftermath is coming to Oklahoma. “This Will Not Pass” focuses on the heated race between then-President Trump and now-President Biden culminating in the January Sixth riot at the US Capitol. KOSU's Michael Cross got a chance to talk with Jonathan Martin. He is speaking about “This Will Not Pass” at Oklahoma City’s Full Circle Book...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt's veto of a bill dealing with tribal jurisdiction in traffic violations, the House begins its investigation of the Department of Tourism's deal with Swadley's and the governor signs a bill putting a limit on the number of voters allowe...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the scandal over Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchens at state parks and a report showing major mismanagement in COVID-19 funds for education. The trio also discusses Governor Stitt signing an anti-abortion bill similar to one passed in Texas on the same...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Tourism Department canceling its contract with Swadley's Bar-B-Q to run restaurants in state parks, Governor Stitt signing a contract to remove nonbinary designations from birth certificates and Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman and Congressiona...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about legislation to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks to lure a major unnamed company to Oklahoma and Governor Stitt faces opposition in his reelection bid from Democrats, Libertarians, independents and from within his own party. The t...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the election season officially getting underway with hundreds of candidates filing for political office this week, a Republican candidate for State Superintendent criticizing Stillwater Public Schools for its bathroom policy and a new organization cal...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Republican state legislature passing a bill to criminalize abortions with a penalty of up to ten years in prison and a 100-thousand-dollar fine as well as the outcome of the election in Norman where Mayor Breea Clark lost to Larry Heikkila. The tr...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the state Supreme Court declining to hear a challenge to the special election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jim Inhofe, the governor signing a bill to ban transgender athletes from female sports in Oklahoma and Congressman Markwayne Mullin...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Senate failing to pass a school voucher bill authored by the President Pro Tem and championed by Governor Stitt, deadline week for legislation to get out of its chamber of origin and a former Teacher of the Year entering the race as a Democrat fo...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a lawsuit on behalf of local transgender residents against the state's ban on changing the gender or providing a nonbinary option on birth certificates and a multi million dollar incentive package to an electric vehicle to do business in the state. T...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a trial over Oklahoma's execution protocol coming to an end and a challenge against the special election to fill the seat getting vacated by US Senator Jim Inhofe. The trio also discusses the State Health Department ending its daily reporting on COVI...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the resignation of US Senator Jim Inhofe from the seat he has held since 1994 and the trial over Oklahoma's execution protocols. The trio also discusses a partial settlement in the injunction against the medical marijuana seed-to-sale program and a s...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU"s Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about bills in the state legislature to effectively ban abortions in Oklahoma, legislation to provide pay raises for teachers and Highway Patrol troopers and a measure to ban mandatory vaccinations for private businesses. The trio also discusses news from...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about House Speaker Charles McCall announcing his chamber would not take up a controversial school voucher bill that had trouble getting out of a Senate committee, medical marijuana and tax cut bills as well as Governor Stitt's nomination of a former emplo...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a report released by the State Auditor criticizing state officials in how they handled issues in the pandemic and how the Attorney General held on to the report since last May as well as Governor Stitt's State of the State Address to kick off the 202...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the race for Oklahoma City mayor which has become the most expensive in city history and the Norman mayoral race which could be heading to a runoff in April. The trio also discusses news of Oklahoma's Congressional delegation asking for more than $30...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Corporation Commission giving approval to Oklahoma Natural Gas to raise utility bills by nearly $8 a month for the next 25 years, the US Supreme Court dismissing 32 petitions from the state to overturn its McGirt versus Oklahoma decision and the...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about an executive order from Governor Stitt allowing state employees to apply to work as substitute teacher as schools struggle with the current Omicron surge of COVID-19 and the toll the current wave is having on Oklahoma hospitals. The trio also discuss...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Education Secretary Ryan Walters coming under fire for attacking schools as they are forced to close their doors as COVID numbers skyrocket, State Representative Terry O'Donnell resigning his post as House Speaker Pro Tem amid allegations of corrupti...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Tax Commission estimating the state will have more than $10B in the 2023 fiscal year budget, a grand jury indicting House Speaker Pro Tem Terry O'Donnell of writing a law to allow his wife to become a tag agent and a judge denying the state's cha...

This Week in Oklahoma Politics is taking off during Christmas and New Year's Day. Neva, Ryan and Michael will return on January Seventh. In the meantime, keep up with the news and information you need at KOSU.org. You can also find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at KOSU Radio.