Embedded Files
AGRICULTURE & WATER
Burns Hosts Meeting to Address Water Resource Concerns in Southeastern Oklahoma
Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, recently held a meeting with multiple state agencies and Southeastern Oklahoma residents to discuss critical water resource issues in Southeastern Oklahoma. The meeting focused on concerns surrounding the environmental and public health impacts of water permits being issued for commercial use in the region, specifically for a poultry farm and a marijuana grow operation. Residents of Garvin, Oklahoma, have raised strong objections to these permits, citing potential overuse of local water resources and environmental degradation. In a four-mile radius surrounding the town, there are currently 65 poultry houses, only one of which belongs to a local resident, according to community members. The overwhelming presence of commercial operations, coupled with concerns about groundwater depletion, has led to formal protests filed with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB). Under Oklahoma law, landowners may apply for groundwater permits for commercial uses such as poultry farming or marijuana cultivation. If the applicants meet the statutory requirements, they must publish notice of their application in local newspapers and provide notice to surrounding landowners. This allows community members the opportunity to file formal protests, as they have done in this case. The protestors have raised a number of issues, including concerns that the proposed wells for these commercial operations would not be adequately spaced from their existing groundwater wells. Additionally, they fear that these operations could deplete local water supplies, lower property values, and diminish environmental quality. The OWRB will hold a hearing on the permit applications in the coming months, where protestors will have the opportunity to present their concerns.
Read the Senate’s press release
Delayed farm bill punted until after election with Congress stuck on how to pay for it
Sweeping legislation that would set food and farm policy for the next five years is in limbo, waiting for lawmakers to decide its fate after the election. The latest deadline for the farm bill passed unceremoniously at midnight on Sept. 30, without a push from lawmakers to pass a new farm bill or an extension. Congress will have to scramble in the lame-duck session set to begin Nov. 12 to come up with some agreement on the farm bill before benefits run out at the end of the year — which if allowed to happen eventually would have major consequences. The law began 90 years ago with various payments to support farmers but now has an impact far beyond the farm, with programs to create wildlife habitat, address climate change and provide the nation’s largest federal nutrition program. The key dispute for Democrats this year is a funding calculation that would place limits on the “Thrifty Food Plan” formula that calculates benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP. It would keep SNAP payments at current levels but place a permanent freeze on the ability of future presidents to raise levels of food support. Democrats have characterized it as a sneaky cut to vital support for hungry Americans that makes the bill dead on arrival. Republicans are using the limits as part of a funding calculation to offset other spending in the bill. The bill would raise price supports for some crops like cotton, peanuts and rice.
Education program supporting military veteran farmers, ranchers in Oklahoma begins
An education program is starting to help veteran farmers and ranchers succeed in the state’s agriculture industry.vThe Veteran Farmer/Rancher Education Program will offer hands-on training, mentorship, education seminars, access to resources and make connections with farmers’ markets. Daron Hoggatt, the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs’ business management program administrator, said the program will also focus on mental health and wellness.vThe program is through the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs is working with the Oklahoma Local Ag Collaborative, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University Extension and the USDA.
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation seeks public comment on rules changes
Every year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation revises the rules that govern hunting and fishing across the state and asks for feedback on proposed rules changes. This year’s revisions would make relatively minor tweaks to hunting and fishing in Oklahoma. One proposed change would increase the price of turkey hunting licenses from $10 per bird for everyone to $20 per bird for in-state hunters and $40 for non-residents. Another would allow for the sale of five-day paper licenses to hunt pheasants and other upland birds. The changes would remove special license requirements for trapping certain furry creatures, including bobcats, foxes, raccoons and river otters. Trapping would instead be covered under annual and lifetime license packages. The updated rules would also incorporate the new youth super license, which allows minors to fur trap and to hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, bears, turkeys and waterfowl.
OpenET: Balancing Water Supply and Demand in the West
According to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System it will take more than one wet winter to replenish groundwater in many parts of the western United States. Groundwater levels across the California Central Valley and many parts of the Ogallala Aquifer continue to decline. The need for better water management remains essential, and yet the data necessary to support new approaches has not been broadly available. Enter the OpenET project, a multi-disciplinary, collaborative effort to make satellite-based evapotranspiration (ET) data available to the public. Melton describes the project as providing invaluable and scientifically robust data at all scales, “that can be used to support day to day decision making and long range planning to try to solve some really long standing and important water management challenges in the West.”
Guthrie Discusses Status of Ogallala Aquifer
Janet Guthrie is the new general manager of the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District and she believes we are all concerned about the depletion. “I believe wholeheartedly that the groundwater districts are the appropriate entities to be regulating its use. I think we all have the desire to plan accordingly. We don’t want to wait until we are in a crisis,” she told KXDJ’s Chris Samples.
Read more from High Plains Observer
Ag must adapt
Today’s topic is the necessity for agricultural production to change how we do things and adapt to a changing climate. This drought started in 2020 and we are almost to the end of 2024. Except for a few short periods of improvement, the drought is five years old and likely to continue. The Ogallala Aquifer is being significantly depleted in most areas and even areas like the aquifer in the Lower Arkansas River Basin are in trouble. Last weekend saw temperatures in the mid-90s with strong winds and if you were out and about, you say soil moving. The agriculture industry is facing a challenge far worse than the Dust Bowl. It’s not a matter of should ag adapt - but how.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & THE COURTS
Oklahoma Bets on Body-Worn Cameras to Improve Prison Conditions
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is pending more than $1 million to deploy 1,069 devices across more than a dozen state prisons. The body camera rollout comes as the agency grapples with violence and allegations of staff misconduct at several prisons. In May, two prisoners died and dozens were injured after an operational error allowed a large fight to break out at the Lawton Correctional Facility, and the state is fighting a lawsuit from seven state prisoners who allege they were kept in small shower stalls at the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton for days without access to necessities. The cameras, purchased from Arizona-based Axon, promise to provide clear audio of incidents and a failsafe option when officers don’t hit record. The cameras begin recording audio when the officer hits record, including up to 60 seconds before the officer engages the device, corrections department spokesperson Kay Thompson said. If an officer fails to activate the camera during an incident, video footage from the camera will be available during an 18-hour window, though the footage will not include audio. She said supervisor approval is necessary to delete or alter footage.
Harris Holds Interim Study on Judicial Reform
Rep. Erick Harris, R-Edmond, held an interim study examining Oklahoma's Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC). IS-24-094 was held before the House Judiciary-Civil Committee. "The purpose of this interim study is solely to review the method we use in Oklahoma to select our judges, both district court and appellate judges," Harris said. "We've had several proposals over the past couple of years; this being my first year, there was one that received attention and brought up some questions to me as a freshman member and bar member." Harris’ intent is to gather additional information on possible reforms with a goal to introduce legislation next session that modernizes the JNC.
Read the House’s press release
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Driven by Native Americans, Oklahoma's workforce on the rise
A new report shows that Oklahoma’s labor force participation rate has exceeded the national rate for the first time in decades. According to the Oklahoma City branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, as of August, Oklahoma had a labor force participation rate of 63.1%, while the nation’s rate was gauged at 62.7%. The labor force participation rate reflects the percentage of working-age people in a population who are either employed or actively looking for work. According to the bank’s report, included in the latest edition of Oklahoma Economist, it’s been more than 30 years since the state’s rate has eclipsed the rate recorded nationally. Oklahoma City Branch Executive and Senior Vice President Chad Wilkerson, who researched reasons along with associate Chase Farha, said the state’s positive movement can be attributed in large part to an increase in labor force participation by Native Americans. Increased numbers of working adults were especially noted since 2021 in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas and in southeastern Oklahoma. Gains were most pronounced in the fields of health care, education and government.
Read more from the Tulsa World
Commerce Awarded Grant to Grow Export Opportunities for Oklahoma Companies
The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that $290,000 in competitive grant funding has been awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant program to help companies increase their exporting capabilities. Oklahoma is one of 43 awardees selected after a competitive application process. Since 2020, Oklahoma has received $1,718,600 in funding through the STEP grant program, supporting 135 Oklahoma small businesses increase their export sales. Oklahoma companies can begin applying through Commerce to utilize STEP funds immediately. Exporting activities that are eligible for grant funding include: participating in foreign trade missions and market sales trips, designing international marketing campaigns, participating in export trade show exhibits, and attending training workshops.
Read the Department of Commerce’s press release
EDUCATION
Oklahoma charter school board requests U.S. Supreme Court make final decision on religious school
An Oklahoma governing board that oversees charter schools on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that bars the existence of nation’s first publicly-funded religious charter school. Attorneys representing the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting that the nation’s highest court make the final decision on the fate of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. They’re asking the Court to overturn a June ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that blocked the proposed charter school from opening. In its petition, attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the charter school board, argued on Monday that there are two main questions facing the U.S. Supreme Court. The board is asking the high court to determine if the state violated the U.S. Constitution’s right to practice religion by excluding a privately-run school from its charter program and from accessing state funds solely because it is religious. And, they’re asking the Court to decide if the academic choices of a privately-run school constitute “state action.” The filing questions whether the school’s academic choices are considered government action or control because it contracts with Oklahoma’s government and uses state funding to offer a free option for education.
Oklahoma lawmakers consider new student data tracking system during interim study
The chairman of the Senate Education Committee indicated during an interim study on Monday that he would be interested in funding a long-term data system to keep track of Oklahoma student information. The interim study, which focused on a training program to help teachers more effectively teach reading to dyslexic students, was requested by Sen. Carrie Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. Sen. Adam Pugh, who leads the Senate Education Committee and the Subcommittee on Appropriations for Education, asked for data on the effectiveness of the training program presented in the interim study. Megan Oftedal, executive director of the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, said that giving lawmakers a clear picture of the effectiveness of the program would be difficult because Oklahoma does not have a good system to bring all the data together and analyze it. Other states bring together data on early learning, K-12 education, postsecondary education and the status of the workforce through a longitudinal data system. But Oklahoma, along with Louisiana and Alaska, does not have plans to create or update a system to track the data. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $4 million to Oklahoma to create a statewide longitudinal system that tracks student data over an extended period of time. “Do you have a dollar amount?” Pugh asked after Oftedal finished explaining the need for a long-term data system. Although she didn’t have an estimate of the cost prepared, Pugh emphasized the importance of a system like the one Oftedal suggested by saying that policy decisions should be data-driven.
Read more from the Tulsa World
Concerns about connecting accreditation to academic achievements brought up to lawmakers
Lawmakers went over the new accreditation rules for public schools in Oklahoma in an interim study. The interim study was brought to the House Committee of Common Education by Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, and Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso. The study included presentations from Leslie Janis, regional accreditation officer at Oklahoma State Department of Education, Ryan Peiper, a regional accreditation evaluator for Cognia, and Russell Thornton, the executive director of technology for Owasso Public Schools. Lawmakers did not receive any strong recommendations on what changes should be made to the accreditation process from any of the presenters, but concerns about connecting accreditation to academic achievements without a specific plan on the support to be offered to districts was brought up multiple times. The first presentation, from OSDE, went over the new accreditation standards for schools that were passed through administrative rules. The major concern was focused on the new academic deficiency portion of accreditation, which adds a deficiency to a district’s accreditation if 50% of the students are scoring below basic, which is the lowest score possible. The committee chairwoman, Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, asked several questions about this new rule and expressed concerns that schools were being penalized without being given proper support to improve. A district’s accreditation will continue to be lowered if the district fails to improve test scores by at least 5%. These concerns were addressed by Lindsey McSparrin, legislative liaison for OSDE. She highlighted several programs that have been implemented to support schools including comprehensive tutoring programs and five different literacy initiatives. A program called Amira Learning, touted as “the world’s first intelligent reading assistant,” has also been implemented by OSDE. After OSDE presented, Peiper, from Cognia, a private accreditation agency, presented its process for voluntarily accrediting private schools and information about its success working with other states to improve district accreditation and performance. When asked by lawmakers what changes he would make to current policy, Peiper admitted, “I don’t know if a deficiency is something we should be doing.” Peiper explained that Cognia helps low-performing schools through partnership and a focus on professional development. Thornton, from Owasso Public Schools, presented lawmakers with information on how public schools currently work with OSDE yearly for their accreditation. When asked about his concerns around the process, he noted difficulties that his district had with the multiple technology platforms, saying it made the process more difficult.
Read more from the Tulsa World
Oklahoma changes criteria for Bible bids
The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s request for bids from Bible suppliers, which many speculated would result in the purchase of Bibles affiliated with former president Donald Trump, has been changed at the urging of another state agency. The Education Department’s original request for 55,000 King James Version Bibles to place in Oklahoma classrooms would have accepted only products bound in leather or a leather-like material that also contain the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. The agency announced Tuesday it amended its request for proposal, called an RFP, to allow the extra documents to be bound separately from the Bible when provided to schools. The new RFP also adds “price” to the evaluation criteria. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which oversees RFPs and state contracts, requested the changes. The Education Department and its head, state Superintendent Ryan Walters, said they are “pleased to make” the amendments. OMES did not return a request for comment. Reporting by Oklahoma Watch found few Bibles would have met the original RFP requirements, but two products matched the criteria — both of which are Bibles endorsed by the Trump family. Trump has earned a name, image and likeness fee for his endorsement of Lee Greenwood’s $60 God Bless the USA Bible. A similar $90 product, called the We the People Bible, has been endorsed by Donald Trump Jr.
Education Department Updates Bible Plan After Concerns By State Purchasing Agency
A plan to buy 55,000 Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms has been modified to be less specific and allow multiple vendors to supply the religious text and U.S. historical documents wanted by Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters. The State Department of Education said Tuesday it worked with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to modify the bid requirements. It also extended the deadline for responses by a week to Oct. 21. Oklahoma Watch reported last week on the original request for proposal, which had specific requirements that appeared to point to one Bible: The Lee Greenwood God Bless the U.S.A. Bible. That version has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Another, more expensive Bible could also qualify, the We The People Bible. That one is endorsed by Donald Trump Jr. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services said the state had an existing statewide contract for book purchases, with several vendors prequalified. A statewide contract allows agencies to pick from those prequalified vendors without having to go through a sometimes burdensome and time-consuming request for proposal process. At least one of the vendors on the statewide contract for books, Complete Book and Media Supply LLC, offers multiple versions of leather-bound Bibles and sells U.S. historical documents, according to its website. Other vendors prequalified for the statewide contract for books include Barnes & Noble Inc., Emery-Pratt Co. and Follett School Solutions Inc.
Lawmaker requests Oklahoma attorney general opinion on funding for Walters’ Bible mandate
An Oklahoma state lawmaker has asked the attorney general to weigh in on the legality of using legislatively-appropriated funding to place Bibles in public school classrooms. While Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, wrote that he has “no problem” with Bibles in classrooms, he requested an opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond. He outlined four questions regarding how state funds could be used for the purchase of Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms. The request comes after Oklahoma’s top education official, state Superintendent Ryan Walters, revealed last month that he’s allocated $3 million to purchase Bibles and requested another $3 million in state funds to purchase more as part of the State Department of Education’s $4.1 billion budget request for fiscal year 2026. A spokesperson for the Education Department said the $3 million is coming from payroll savings. McBride asked the Attorney General’s Office if the State Department of Education is allowed to move appropriated funds from one budget category of Senate Bill 1122 to another without legislative approval. He asked for clarification on whether an executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt in May 2023 meant the Secretary of Education must approve any expenditures by the Education Department totaling over $25,000. McBride also asked Drummond’s office to determine whether the Attorney General’s Office had the ability to enforce SB 1122 and if the transfer of appropriated funds in this case is subject to a process outlined in state statute requiring the Office of Management and Enterprise Services approval.
Oklahoma AG issues scathing letter to Education Department over school inhaler fund
Attorney General Gentner Drummond said the Oklahoma State Department of Education was “neither speedy nor responsible” when it was slow to act on a $250,000 fund for school asthma inhalers. State Superintendent Ryan Walters asked on Aug. 12 for an opinion from the AG on whether his agency could purchase the inhalers through a sole-source contract rather than through a competitive bidding process. Only one entity, the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation, had offered to provide the inhalers. Drummond responded with a letter of counsel listing multiple purchasing methods as potential options, including a sole-source contract. The attorney general also scrutinized the Education Department for waiting more than a year to seek out guidance and for changing its purchasing methods multiple times. A spokesperson for Walters, Dan Isett, said the agency has been distributing money for inhalers for two years and is reviewing the attorney general’s letter.
Read the Senate’s press release
Walters, Isett ask for a jury trial in KFOR lawsuit and deny most of station's claims
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and his spokesman, Dan Isett, have asked a federal judge for a jury trial after being sued by Oklahoma City television station KFOR for being barred from the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting room and from subsequent news conferences held by Walters. Walters and Isett filed their response to the lawsuit Thursday, denying most of the allegations made by KFOR and three of its journalists. In the lawsuit, filed Sept. 23, KFOR said Walters and Isett engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by arbitrarily deciding which media outlets can attend public events. The lawsuit seeks to prevent state officials from denying press access based on perceived legitimacy or viewpoint and to strike down any unwritten policies limiting media attendance.
Pandemic Funding for Schools Reaches the Deadline
Monday was the deadline for schools to commit to spending the last of the COVID-19 recovery money — more than four years after the pandemic disrupted education. The public should soon have a more complete picture of how schools chose to spend the massive influx in federal cash in response to the pandemic. As of July 31, Oklahoma had spent nearly 93% of the $2.2 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief dollars awarded to the state, according to COVID-19 relief data from the U.S. Department of Education. The tracker showed only a small portion of the final installment, the American Rescue Plan, remained unspent. The deadline to commit to use those funds was Sept. 30, but they can spend the money through Jan. 28. Money unspent has to be returned to the Education Department. Schools were given lots of flexibility on how to spend the money. A surveyby the School Superintendents Association found expanded instructional time, such as summer and after school programs, and staffing were the top uses. Schools also purchased devices or provided students with internet connectivity, funded tutoring services, and renovated school facilities. Now, schools are tasked with determining which new initiatives are worth keeping, and how to pay for them.
In Oklahoma, the search for an effective bullying response continues
Oklahoma enacted the School Safety and Bullying Prevention Act in 2013 to encourage schools to adopt better policies to protect students. The law includes a provision that its author said was intended to provide schools with legal protection against parents who try to sue. Districts in other states have agreed to multi-million dollar settlements over students who died by suicide after they experienced bullying. The law also gives Oklahoma schools requirements for developing anti-bullying policies, but its author said the legislation hasn’t had the impact she’d hoped. “I’ll admit, I don’t think this is working,” former Rep. Lee Denney, R-Stillwater, said. “I’ll admit that up front because kids are still bullied and kids are still killing themselves.” The State Department of Education is required to ensure school district bullying policies comply with state law. The agency can consider whether a school district is in compliance with the anti-bullying law during the accreditation process. The agency has only given one school district a deficiency in the past five years, records show. The state anti-bullying law includes a sentence that says the legislation doesn’t “impose a specific liability” on any school district. Its author said the clause was requested by Republican lawmakers and school lobbyists.
At Capitol, advocates speak up for victims of bullying
Parents who have suffered the loss of children to bullying met with lawmakers, school counselors and others to discuss strategies, including potential changes in state law, to try to better protect kids from becoming victims. Members of the House Common Education Committee reviewed efforts by legislators dating back more than a decade to address problems related to bullying in schools across Oklahoma. A challenge throughout that time, former House Speaker Steve Lewis said, has been simply trying to arrive at a precise definition of bullying. Lawmakers also have struggled to provide specific guidelines for schools on how to address bullying that might range from persistent teasing to physical threats to cyberattacks that might affect children in different ways depending on their grade level. At least two bills on the topic have failed to pass, and one that advanced in 2022 was vetoed by the governor, who expressed that it wasn’t detailed enough to be effective.
Read more from the Tulsa World
Growing number of Oklahoma schools adopt digital hall passes for safety, student accountability
Digital hall pass company SmartPass is currently in 21 schools across Oklahoma. Ed tech company Securly said it has contracts with about 70 schools for hall passes, and Minga said it’s in about 24 Oklahoma schools. The hall passes generally have similar features. If a student wants to go to the bathroom for a nonemergency, they first have to check on the system to see if too many students are already in that bathroom. If it’s full, they’re put on a waiting list. With SmartPass, certain students are prohibited from being out together at the same time. School staff can look at a home screen that shows which students are out of class at any point in time and how long those students have been gone. If students are out longer than their limits, their passes turn red.
Walters moves to dismiss Bixby superintendent’s defamation lawsuit
State Superintendent Ryan Walters filed a motion in Tulsa County District Court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller. The lawsuit was filed by Miller after Walters called him a “liar” and a “clown” in a press conference following a July 31 State Board of Education meeting. Walters also alleged without evidence Miller’s district was “dealing with all kinds of financial problems.” The remarks came after Miller took to social media to complain about the state department’s handling of federal funding allocations. Miller’s suit seeks more than $75,000 in damages and alleges slander per se — a false statement so obviously harmful it is presumed to be damaging against a person’s reputation — and false light — a misleading statement that creates a false impression. In the dismissal motion, Walters claims immunity as an official through the state’s Government Tort Claims Act, which holds that state officials cannot be held liable for performing duties within the scope of their employment. Walters also claims a right to dismissal under the Oklahoma Citizens Participation Act, which protects constitutional rights like freedom of speech from certain litigation. In addition to dismissal, Walters is also requesting the court charge Miller for the lawsuit’s costs, as well as “additional sanctions sufficient to deter [Miller] from pursuing litigation in the contravention of the OCPA.”
Oklahoma City charter school finds a unique way to finance new building costs
Oklahoma’s first startup charter school has started constructing a new building for its 800 middle school and high school students, financing the project in a unique way. ASTEC (Advanced Science and Technology Education Charter) School opened in 2000, holding classes in Shepherd Mall, 2401 NE 23. Plans call for middle school and high school students to make the move from the mall — which was built in 1964 — to the new building in fall 2026. The school’s foundation, known as the ASTEC Fund — which has a separate board, apart from that of the school itself — owns the current elementary school building and leases it to the school on a year-to-year basis. The unique financial position Oklahoma charter schools find themselves in means administrators must find creative funding solutions to build new school buildings, Deskin said. Under law, charter schools are public schools, but unlike a regular public-school district, charter schools cannot call for a bond election to fund construction projects. As an alternative, charter schools can fundraise and borrow money through the tax-exempt municipal bond market for acquisition, construction and financing of facilities, a practice that has been done since 1998 and is used in 27 states. ASTEC’s foundation handled the bond process — which took more than two years — for the school. Bond issues from regular public schools have the backing of school taxes to support debt service on the bonds. By contrast, charter school bonds are considered revenue bonds, as the revenues charter schools receive from the state and other sources are what is typically pledged to pay the debt service on the bonds. Such bonds must be issued through an outside entity — typically one with a state or local government — known as an “issuing authority.” In ASTEC’s case, that was the Oklahoma County Finance Authority.
Sen. Carri Hicks’ interim study focuses on training to better help children with dyslexia
Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, hopes to raise awareness about a certification program to assist with early detection and specialized educational approaches for students with dyslexia, a learning disorder that can hinder a child’s ability to read well. Hicks, a professional educator, requested the interim study to examine the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) certification and micro-credentialing programs for teachers. Megan Oftedal is the executive director of Oklahoma’s Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. She told committee members that Oklahoma has approximately 190 Certified Academic Language Therapists, but their distribution is uneven throughout the state. Oftedal advocated a centralized tracking system to identify underserved areas. She also said comprehensive data would enable the state to measure CALT program impact and refine strategies to provide the most effective literacy support for at-risk students.
Read the Senate’s press release
Swope conducts interim study on child-centered homeschooling practices
House Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, conducted an interim study on child-centered homeschooling practices to support at-home educators and families. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education Government Relations Director Samantha Field presented at the study. Field explained Oklahoma’s current homeschool policy and discussed ways in which it can be vulnerable to exploitation, such as Oklahoma being one of only 11 states to not have a universal enrollment policy. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman also presented at the study and provided solutions to ensure children are educated and safe in homeschool settings. Dorman spoke about how children who do not attend public school and are not seen regularly by mandatory reporters are more at risk to not be helped in adverse home experiences. Homeschooling can also increase the risk of isolation, which is a risk factor for abuse.
Read the House’s press release
Change to graduation requirements opening new career paths through Oklahoma schools
Kids throughout Oklahoma are now back in school, but there are some different guidelines for both K-12 students and educators this year that state leaders say will lead to better outcomes for Oklahoma’s future economy and workforce. The change is thanks to House Bill 3278 – the Graduation Act of 2024. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 3278 into law in May, expanding graduation requirements to include career-readiness training. HB 3278, written by Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, and Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, requires eighth through 12th grade students in Oklahoma public schools to complete modified graduation requirements starting in the 2025-26 school year. The modified requirements include four math courses, including Algebra I and either Algebra II or Geometry. Students must also complete six Individualized Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) pathway units that can span a range of subjects and career paths selected by the district board of education. New requirements also include a postsecondary-approved full-time CareerTech program or locally approved science-based application course to satisfy the required physical science unit. The purpose of the modifications is to provide students training and education that will prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation and start their career with the skills they will need to succeed.
Read more from OK Business Voice
ELECTIONS
Here are the state questions you'll see on Oklahoma ballots
This November, two state questions are up for vote across Oklahoma. Both are constitutional amendments that have been proposed by state lawmakers. If approved, SQ 833 would add a new section to the state constitution, allowing for the creation of public infrastructure districts (PIDs) within municipalities. PIDs would be governed by a board of trustees. PIDs would be able to organize public works projects within district boundaries. They would be funded by a special tax in the district that wouldn’t affect those whose properties lie outside its boundaries, even if they are in the same municipality. SQ 834 aims to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Oklahoma. The amendment would change the state constitution to say that only eligible citizens of the U.S. can vote in Oklahoma. Although there are some municipalities across the nation where noncitizens can vote in certain elections (such as noncitizen parents being able to vote in school board elections in San Francisco), no cities in Oklahoma allow noncitizen voting. Supporters say the measure is necessary to prohibit noncitizens from voting in elections, but critics say it’s a solution looking for a problem when audits routinely show the state’s voting system is secure.
What to know about two Oklahoma state questions on the November ballot
Two state questions on the Nov. 5 ballot will ask Oklahoma voters to redefine who is a “qualified elector” and address public infrastructure needs for cities. State Question 834, the more controversial of the pair, seeks to change who qualifies as a voter. The proposed change lands amid a nationwide push by GOP lawmakers to raise questions about who is being allowed to vote and how accurate election results are. Supporters say the measure is necessary to prohibit noncitizens from voting in elections, but critics say it’s a solution looking for a problem when audits routinely show the state’s voting system is secure. The second question on the ballot, State Question 833, would create public infrastructure districts. The idea is to provide cities and towns of any size a new way to finance improvements such as street, water, sewer, parking and other amenities. The cost to build and maintain the improvements would be repaid by the properties that benefit from them. The areas must be within city limits and would require agreement from every landowner before anything can be done. City officials would oversee the board of trustees of the infrastructure district. Specifics of how the districts will be implemented would be decided in the next legislative session if the measure passes. The soonest it could be used is likely November 2025.
Oklahomans to consider election law change in State Question 834
Passed in the final hour of the legislative session, a proposal to more explicitly ban non-U.S. citizens from voting will land on Oklahoma ballots in the Nov. 5 election. State Question 834 would change the Oklahoma Constitution’s definition of eligible voters from “all citizens of the United States” to “only citizens of the United States.” State and federal law already prohibit residents without U.S. citizenship from voting, under threat of a felony conviction. A limited number of cities in other states allow non-citizens to participate in municipal or school board elections but not state or federal elections. Oklahoma is one of eight states with “only citizen voting” propositions on the ballot this November, and 12 other states already enacted this language, according to Americans for Citizen Voting, a national group advocating for outlawing non-citizen voting.
State Question 834: One-word change debated as noncitizens already ineligible to vote
Voters will decide a state question on the Nov. 5 general election ballot that is intended to clarify that only U.S. citizens are qualified to vote in Oklahoma. Supporters say State Question 834 is necessary to preserve the integrity of elections, while critics say it functionally does nothing except encourage fear-mongering with political rhetoric. If you thought noncitizens already are ineligible to register to vote, you’re correct. Since Oklahoma became a state, those eligible to vote must be “qualified electors,” as defined by Article 3, Section 1 of the Oklahoma Constitution. If a simple majority of voters approve it, SQ 834 would substitute the word “all” with “only” in that the section to say: “(…) only citizens of the United States (…) are qualified electors of this state.” Backers of SQ 834 are pushing it as a preemptive measure to strengthen the state’s ban on noncitizens voting. They say they want to head off a disturbing trend of cities across the country allowing noncitizens to vote in some elections. Sixteen cities and towns in three states and the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in certain local elections. None allow it in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma voters to decide the fate of public infrastructure districts
Voters in the Nov. 5 election are being asked to decide a state question that would allow the creation of public infrastructure districts to pay for things like sidewalks, water lines, sewers and roadways. State Question 833 is a constitutional amendment proposed by lawmakers that allows property owners within a city or town to create a public infrastructure district. Surface property owners living within the proposed district must vote to approve it. It requires 100% approval of property owners within the proposed district. A city or town would then have to approve it, said Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow. Haste is the author of Senate Joint Resolution 16, which put the measure on the ballot. The public infrastructure district would sell bonds to pay for the improvements, Haste said. “It does not count against the city bonding capacity nor is the city guaranteeing payment,” Haste said. Special assessments applied to those property owners would be used to pay off the bonds which are capped at 10 mills, Haste said.
A mill is equal to one-tenth of a cent. For a $300,000 home, that comes to about $300 a year, Haste said. Haste said if the state question passes, additional legislation governing implementation will be considered next legislative session.
Three candidates campaign for open seat on Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Three candidates will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election for Oklahomans to choose as their next corporation commissioner. Brian Bingman, the Republican candidate, Harold Spradling, the Democrat candidate, and Chad Williams, the Libertarian candidate, are the choices for corporation commissioner. The Corporation Commission regulates various industries in Oklahoma, from the state’s public utilities to its towing and oil industries. The candidates are vying to fill Commissioner Bob Anthony’s seat on the board. Anthony has held the seat for over three decades and is term limited. Oklahoma Voice interviewed all three candidates. Click here to read a summary of their responses.
Ads target three Oklahoma Supreme Court justices
A group frustrated by Oklahoma Supreme Court rulings has launched an unusual campaign aimed at convincing voters to remove three justices at the November ballot box. The ads target Justices Noma Gurich, Yvonne Kauger and James Edmondson. The ads are being sponsored by People for Opportunity, which has board representatives from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative activist group that is a regular in legislative politics. Federal Communications Commission filings show the group has spent at least $156,000 to air television ads critical of the three justices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. The ads say the three justices have “added millions to the cost of doing business” and are “padding the pockets of trial lawyers.” The ads list their ages as being older than 71. It labels them as “liberal activist judges,” and urges viewers to vote no on the Nov. 5 retention ballot question that allows voters to decide if they should remain in their posts. Democratic governors appointed all three targeted justices to the posts.
Democrat-appointed Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Targeted In Election Ads
A political nonprofit connected to a conservative think tank is embarking on an advertising blitz to convince Oklahoma voters not to retain three of the four justices on the Oklahoma Supreme Court appointed by Democratic governors. People for Opportunity, formed in 2021, has bought TV ads in several Oklahoma television markets. Three of its board members work for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which has advocated for getting rid of the nominating process for judges in Oklahoma. The TV ads paint Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Yvonne Kauger, Noma Gurich and James Edmondson as “activist, liberal” judges. The three justices are before voters in a judicial retention election on the Nov. 5 ballot. If they aren’t retained, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt would appoint their successors from a list compiled by the Judicial Nominating Commission. No appellate court justice has ever lost a retention election, and it’s rare for the races to attract much attention, let alone campaign ads on TV. People for Opportunity is banking on the low name recognition of the justices to make its case to voters. Kauger was appointed by former Democratic Gov. George Nigh in 1984. Edmondson was appointed by former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry in 2003, and Gurich was appointed by Henry in 2011.
Who's left in the race? Here are the Oklahoma legislative districts still up for grabs
In addition to electing the nation's president and congressional members, Oklahoma voters in three dozen state legislative districts will choose their next representatives in the statehouse. When the election season began in April, Oklahoma’s 101 House districts and 26 of the state’s Senate districts were up for grabs. Nearly 40% of the races were won automatically by uncontested candidates. Others were settled in the primaries and runoffs. 37 remain to be decided by voters in November. Voters replaced incumbents in top Republican leadership positions in both chambers during the primary elections, sometimes with candidates touting more right-leaning platforms than their established party members. The November 5 general election could mean more new faces and ideas coming to the statehouse next year. There are 12 races left in the Senate and 25 in the House. Click here for two maps, one for each chamber in the Oklahoma State Legislature, showing the districts with active races and the candidates running for them. Additionally, there is some additional context for some of the upcoming races in both Chambers.
Grellner, Fuxa to debate in Stillwater-area SD 21 race
The two candidates running for the open Oklahoma State Senate District 21 seat have agreed to participate in a debate Wednesday, Oct. 23, ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. Former Oklahoma State University professor Robin Fuxa and Dr. Randy Grellner are campaigning to succeed state Sen. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater), who chose not to seek a third term in office. Grellner, who previously lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2022, won nearly 80 percent of more than 5,000 votes cast for three candidates to secure the Republican nomination June 18. Fuxa, who had been part of the literacy education faculty at OSU before resigning to run for the SD 21 seat, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The debate is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the auditorium (Room 215) of the Stillwater Public Library, 1107 S. Duck St. The event is free and open to the public.
SD 15: Elizabeth Foreman, Lisa Standridge differ on library funding, education policies
As voters in the most rural parts of Cleveland County prepare to elect someone new to State Senate District 15 for the first time in more than a decade, Democrat Elizabeth Foreman and Republican Lisa Standridge have clashed over funding for public libraries and the school-choice tax credit created by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2023. In their campaigns to succeed term-limited Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman), both women participated in an Oct. 12 forum hosted by the Noble Public Schools Foundation to offer their differing goals for the state. While topics varied, the candidates clashed over funding for public libraries: Foreman said they must be “protected at all costs,” while Standridge questioned Norman’s need for multiple libraries. Both candidates expressed support for Pike Off OTA, a group formed to oppose turnpike expansion around east Norman. While Standridge said the turnpike issue itself is nonpartisan, she argued that she would be more likely to get one of the group’s proposed bills heard because she would be a member of the Senate’s majority party. Foreman challenged the success of the current Senate Republican majority, of which Standridge’s husband has been a member for 12 years.
Schreiber, Banks again contesting midtown Tulsa state House seat
Midtown Tulsa’s state House District 70 general election is a replay of 2022: Democrat Suzanne Schreiber, now the incumbent, versus Republican Brad Banks. A few things are different from two years ago, when Schreiber won by more than 2,100 votes, or about 13 percentage points. First, this is a presidential election year, which tends to increase turnout. The district has about 2,800 more registered Republicans than Democrats, but there are also 5,600 independents. The combination makes this one of the Tulsa area’s most competitive legislative districts. In the Aug. 27 mayoral primary, Democrats Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith combined for about two-thirds of the vote to Republican Brent VanNorman’s one-third, which Schreiber thinks is encouraging for her. The second thing that has changed is that Schreiber now has a legislative record. Legislative records can be used both for and against incumbents.
Read more from the Tulsa World
ENERGY
Settlement reached in PSO electric rate increase
Residential customers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma can expect a $12 monthly increase in their electric bills if the Oklahoma Corporation Commission approves a settlement agreement in one of three pending rate cases for the regulated utility. An OCC administrative law judge recommended approval of a revised $119.5 million rate increase Thursday. PSO,which serves nearly 573,000 customers in the Tulsa area and other sections of Oklahoma, originally proposed a $218 million rate increase. After five days of discussion, the settlement agreement dropped the average monthly increase from nearly $16 to $12. The Corporation Commission can accept, modify or reject the settlement agreement, and Commissioner Todd Hiett said he expects commissioners will make a decision by the end of this month. The utility is still seeking approval for two other pending rate increases – $5 a month for a net operating loss case and $7.24 a month to purchase a natural gas combined-cycle generation plant in Jenks.
Legislator to explore transmission corridor, beef and property rights
A proposed national electric transmission corridor across Oklahoma will be among the topics Rep. Justin Humphrey of Lane will discuss during a legislative study on Wednesday. The Republican legislator intends to examine federal and state regulations regarding the transmission corridor as well as global initiatives opposing beef production and property rights.
Read more from OK Energy Today
PLANS FOR POWER STORAGE FACILITY WOULD IMPACT HUNDREDS OF OKLAHOMA RESIDENTS
Thousands of acres of private land and more than 500 homes are at stake with the proposal to build a hydroelectric storage facility along Oklahoma's Kiamichi River. The project aims to generate power, store it, then send it to the electric grid during peak times. Southeast Oklahoma Power Corporation, a private company based out of Nevada, has been working for years to get a permit for the project through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The corporation has been denied a permit twice already, but a third request is now being considered. Hundreds in the community are fighting against it.
Petroleum drilling technology is now making carbon-free power
There’s a valley in rural southwest Utah that’s become a hub for renewable energy. Dozens of tall white wind turbines whoosh up in the sky. A sea of solar panels glistens in the distance. But the new kid on the block is mostly hidden underground.
From the surface, Fervo Energy’s Cape Station looks more or less like an oil derrick, with a thin metal tower rising above the sagebrush steppe. But this $2 billion geothermal project, which broke ground last year, is not drilling for gas. It’s drilling for underground heat that CEO Tim Latimer believes holds the key to generating carbon-free power — lots of it. “Just these three well pads alone will produce 100 megawatts of electricity. Around-the-clock, 24/7 electricity,” he said.
Judge to consider request to dismiss Attorney General’s 2021 winter storm natural gas lawsuit
An Osage County District Court judge will hold a hearing Tuesday afternoon on a move to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond against some energy producers who were accused of manipulating natural gas prices during the 2021 winter storm Uri. The Attorney General, following a lengthy investigation into historic high natural gas prices during the winter storm, filed suit and accused Enable of market manipulation.
Read more from OK Energy Today
Oklahoma Supreme Court to hear arguments in lawsuit against Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday issued an order setting a Nov. 12 date to hear oral arguments in the lawsuit filed by three state legislators seeking to remove Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from voting on rate cases involving three major utilities. Chief Justice M. John Kane IV signed the order stating that attorneys for Hiett and the three legislators who sued him, Reps. Tom Gann, Kevin West and Rick West, will have 30 minutes to present oral arguments at 2 p.m. on that Tuesday afternoon. The order indicated the hearing will be held before all of the justices and they may ask questions during or after each argument.
Read more from OK Energy Today
HEALTH CARE
Mental health competency settlement rejected, attorney general fired as counsel
A board chaired by Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected a landmark mental health settlement, pushing back against the opinions of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and a federal judge. The Contingency Review Board met Tuesday despite Attorney General Gentner Drummond calling the meeting “premature.” One hour before the meeting began, the commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced she had terminated Drummond as counsel because he wasn’t prioritizing her or her agency. The settlement was unveiled in June and given preliminary approval by a federal judge in September. It’s intended to settle a lawsuit alleging that the mental health department is failing to provide timely court-ordered competency restoration treatment and violating the rights of defendants, who are mostly indigent, declared incompetent to stand trial, and being held in county jails. Drummond has represented the defendants of the lawsuit, Allie Friesen, the mental health commissioner, and Debbie Moran, Oklahoma Forensic Center interim executive director. Stitt and Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall, R-Atoka, voted to reject the decree while Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, abstained. Treat voiced his hesitation to take action on the consent decree because Drummond was not able to attend the meeting. Treat was also hesitant to vote as he, along with other attendees of the meeting including Friesen and her counsel, had not yet read the final version of the settlement agreement. But both Friesen and Stitt were adamant against adopting the consent decree. Drummond had issued a statement Monday that said Stitt’s call for the meeting was premature and that more steps needed to be taken before the consent decree was considered by the board or Legislature.
Legal drama sizzles as consent decree rejected by state board
Saying she would resign before agreeing to elements of a proposed consent decree that would settle a lawsuit alleging unconstitutional delays of mental health competency restoration services in Oklahoma, Mental Health Commissioner Allie Friesen told Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders today that Attorney General Gentner Drummond “has not represented our department” and that she has terminated him as her legal representative in the federal litigation. “I was represented inaccurately and inappropriately,” Friesen said. The hour-long meeting of Oklahoma’s Contingency Review Board — which considers major state lawsuit settlements when the Legislature is not in session — marked the strongest public criticism Drummond has faced since being elected attorney general in 2022. In September, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frizzell gave preliminary approval to a consent decree negotiated by Drummond and a group of Tulsa attorneys who filed suit on behalf of incarcerated Oklahomans for the extraordinary wait times they have faced in need of treatment for severe mental illness while awaiting criminal prosecution. While Friesen acknowledged the state’s failure to provide timely competency restoration services — which typically involve the administration of anti-psychotic medication — she said two components of Drummond’s proposed consent decree were “non-negotiable” for her: a requirement that the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services terminate its existing jail-based restoration program in favor of new pilot programs in two counties; and oversight components that would mean “plaintiffs’ counsel retains the ability to influence clinical decisions.”
Iowa, Oklahoma, 18 other states sue feds to block staffing mandates for nursing homes
The state of Iowa, where nursing homes have compiled one of the nation’s worst records for staffing-level violations, has joined 19 other states – including Oklahoma – in suing the Biden administration to block the implementation of new staffing requirements. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, seeks to overturn the nursing home staffing requirements approved earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In their petition, the 20 states and more than a dozen industry associations argue that the new staffing requirements pose “an existential threat to the nursing home industry as many nursing homes that are already struggling will have no choice but to go out of business. And the main victims will be the patients who will have nowhere else to go.” The lawsuit is in response to CMS’ decision in April to finalize new minimum staffing standards that will require homes to conduct assessments of their residents’ needs and provide 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident, per day. The rule also requires the homes to have a registered nurse available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
Health Department program prioritizes ‘one-on-one relationships’ to build trust in rural Oklahoma
First launched during the summer of 2021, the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Community Health Worker program was created using COVID-era funding as a way to connect people to resources in their communities. The department now employs an estimated 50 community health workers throughout Oklahoma. From helping people find health care providers and apply for Medicaid to helping connect a pregnant person with resources to work through grief following a miscarriage, the agency says having a familiar face is beneficial in growing trust.
After 3 years of needle exchange programs, how far has Oklahoma come? Advocates see growth
Senate Bill 511 seeks to allow people who use substances to navigate it safely through clean needles and harm reduction services. Passed in 2021, the law authorizes government entities, religious institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, nongovernmental entities partnering with a government agency and tribal governments to engage in harm-reduction services as long as no state dollars are used. In 2026, the law will expire if no new legislation is passed. In the time before it expires, advocates and legislators are meeting to discuss what has happened in the three years since the law was passed, and what improvements they could make to better support Oklahomans struggling with addiction. In 2022, Oklahoma ranked among the top seven states in the United States with the highest rural burden of HIV. Each case costs the state nearly $510,000 a lifetime, according to Brittany Hayes, policy director for Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. In the same year, Oklahoma had the highest rate of new hepatitis C infections, Hayes said. Hayes said there isn't enough data to show how legalizing syringe services programs in Oklahoma affects these statistics given its been law for just three years. However, syringe services programs are associated with an approximately 50% reduction in HIV and hepatitis C incidence, according to the CDC.
Read the House’s press release
HIGHER EDUCATION & CAREER TECH
Higher education officials name Oklahoma’s new chancellor
Higher education officials on Wednesday tapped a University of Oklahoma vice president to serve as the next state chancellor. Sean Burrage was named chancellor by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Burrage will start Dec. 2. His starting annual salary will be $415,000. He will replace Allison Garrett who served as chancellor for three years. Garrett announced her retirement in July. A search for her replacement began later that month. Her final day as chancellor will be Dec. 1. Burrage currently serves as the vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff at University of Oklahoma. He was previously president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. From 2011 to 2014 he served as minority floor leader of the Oklahoma Senate and was elected twice to represent Rogers and Mayes Counties. Burrage also was a managing partner with Taylor Burrage Law Firm in Claremore. He’s an Oklahoma native and has his bachelor’s in accounting and a law degree from OU. He is also a member of the Choctaw Nation.
Read the State Regents’ press release
Sean Burrage appointed chancellor of Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Sean Burrage has had an eclectic career as a lawyer, state senator and university president, and now he adds a new gig to the list: chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The regents voted unanimously to appoint Burrage Wednesday morning. Currently employed as the chief of staff and vice president for executive affairs at the University of Oklahoma, Burrage will officially begin his new role Dec. 2. He succeeds Allison Garrett, who spent three years on the job. Originally from Antlers, Oklahoma, Burrage is the son of former U.S. district judge Mike Burrage. He earned a bachelor of business administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1990 before attending the University of Oklahoma College of Law from 1990 through 1993. Shortly after graduating, Burrage spent nearly two years working as the director of state and federal relations at OU. In 1996, Burrage left his position at his alma mater and began working as an attorney at Taylor, Burrage, Foster, Mallett, Downs and Ramsey law firm, a prominent and politically-connected Claremore-based firm. In November 2006, Burrage was elected to serve Senate District 2, which covers Rogers and Mayes counties, and secured reelection in 2010. A Democrat, he served as minority leader from 2012 to 2014. Burrage decided not to run for reelection in 2014, opting to return to higher education. He was named president and chief executive officer of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in May 2014. He resigned after five years, electing to return to his alma mater to take his current position. He is also a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, where his father serves as general counsel.
Oklahoma higher education officials appeal to lawmakers to keep state institutions competitive
Several presidents of Oklahoma colleges and universities urged state lawmakers on Wednesday to adopt policies to make the state’s higher education institutions more competitive. Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett and five presidents of Oklahoma higher education institutions spoke to lawmakers at the Capitol during an interim study about how the state’s colleges and universities can “maintain a competitive edge.” Garrett offered the legislators a handful of recommendations, including greater flexibility for institutions to waive in-state and out-of-state tuition, increased funding for marketing initiatives and expanding the Oklahoma Opportunity Scholarship to include higher education institutions. Garrett said that Oklahoma high school graduates are choosing to attend out-of-state institutions due to cost, proximity and degree programs. She said the states that admit the most Oklahoma students are Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Colorado. Other leaders of higher education institutions echoed the message. All expressed a need to continue keeping tuition and fees low for students to make pursuing higher education affordable, whether through waiving some tuition costs or expanding eligibility for Oklahoma Promise, a scholarship program offering qualified low-income students an opportunity to earn a scholarship for college tuition. According to a report from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, most graduates of Oklahoma’s public universities and colleges remain in the state and enter the workforce.
Read the House’s press release
Budget estimate for Oklahoma's Promise scholarship program rises as more students apply
Citing an expected growth in the number of students participating in the college scholarship program, state higher education regents have approved a funding estimate of $73.1 million for the upcoming 2026 fiscal year for Oklahoma’s Promise. That amount would be an increase of about $1.3 million, or 2%, from the current funding level of $71.8 million, said Colbi Beam, the associate vice chancellor for state grants and scholarships. The number of students expected to receive an Oklahoma’s Promise award in 2025-26 is about 15,518, according to statistics provided by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, which administer the program. Oklahoma’s Promise is a program that allows students from Oklahoma families meeting certain income requirements to earn a college or technology center tuition scholarship. The increase in funding for the program comes after a steady drop in costs from the 2017-18 school year through the 2022-23 school year, from $72.2 million to $62.5 million — about 13%. Regents’ staff said two primary factors contributed to those savings — the implementation of statutory financial reforms approved by the Legislature in 2017, and an increase in the number of state-system colleges and universities that did not raise tuition.
Economic impact of CareerTech programs nears $1 billion for state, new study finds
Oklahoma CareerTech’s 29 technology centers, 16 Skills Centers and 32 Adult Education and Family Literacy providers pumped nearly $1 billion into the state economy in fiscal 2023, according to a new report gauging the economic impact of the state’s CareerTech programs. Altogether, the direct and indirect economic impact of Oklahoma CareerTech’s tech centers, Skills Centers and AEFL providers totaled $960,013,839 and supported 8,654 jobs with $456,203,361 in wages in 2023. The CareerTech programs accounted for $29.3 million in income tax and sales tax revenue in 2023. Wages from the more than 8,600 jobs generated $18.5 million in income tax revenue for the state while spending from those wages yielded $10.9 million in state sales tax revenue. The study, which was paid for by Oklahoma CareerTech and the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education, was conducted by researchers at the University of Cincinnati Economics Center.
Read the CareerTech press release
HUMAN SERVICES
Coal County community members invited to support child welfare needs at CarePortal expansion celebration
Oklahoma Human Services is pleased to announce the expansion of CarePortal into Coal County. The community is invited to join in a launch celebration from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Choctaw Nation Community Center, 103 E California Ave. in Coalgate. Interested attendees should register in advance to ensure enough space and materials. CarePortal is a collaborative partnership between Global Orphan Project, 111Project and Oklahoma Human Services. This online platform shares the needs of local children in state custody and their families to a community of churches, allowing them to respond to the needs in real-time. Professionals in the child welfare system focus on family needs that could be preventative of child welfare involvement and/or support child safety and family permanency. The 111Project organizes ministry partners and trainings so the local community can step forward to support their neighbors and help children and families thrive. The 111Project agrees that the CarePortal can help the faith community make positive impacts for their neighbors.
DDS Announces Second Rate Increase for Provider Agencies
For the second time in two years, the Oklahoma Legislature has approved funding to increase rates for Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) provider agencies. Rates have been raised by 10-25% effective Oct. 1.DDS provider agencies employ habilitation training specialists and other direct support professionals who assist individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals receive developmental disabilities services through four waiver programs. To accommodate the new provider rates, the annual financial limits for In-Home Supports Waivers (IHSW) increased by 25%, which is $36,143 for adults and $24,104 for children.
Tulsa World: Tribes recognize that politics doesn't belong in feeding hungry children
Panelists at a Hunger Free Oklahoma luncheon explained the whirlwind of events that took place starting the day Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he would turn away funding for the Summer EBT program. The focus was on how the Muscogee Nation created an infrastructure out of thin air within weeks with help from other tribes and Hunger Free Oklahoma. The discussion veered into our collective responsibility to care for the most vulnerable and power that lies in having a collaborative spirit. On Jan. 3, Stitt announced the rejection of the program with claims of unclear federal rules and availability of other food sources, like pantries. That day, Bernard reached out to two tribal leaders he knew from Leadership Oklahoma. It happened the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes was meeting at that time, and Bernard was able to make a pitch to the executive committee. He explained how the tribes could get the funds and operate the program, feeding all eligible children within their reservation boundaries.
Read more from the Tulsa World
STATE GOVERNMENT
Stitt hires new general counsel with ties to Catholic charter school push
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday announced the hiring of a new general counsel with family ties to state government and a commitment to pursuing taxpayer-funded religious schools. Ben Lepak is replacing Trevor Pemberton, who has been the governor's chief legal adviser for three years, Stitt said in a press release. Lepak is the son of state Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, and the brother of Oklahoma State Board of Education member Sarah Lepak, a 2022 Stitt appointee. Ben Lepak is member of the Oklahoma Charter School Board that voted last summer to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic virtual charter school.
Read more from the Tulsa World
Read the Governor’s press release
Stitt appoints interim director for Oklahoma tourism, recreation agency
Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed the head of state parks as interim director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department on Thursday. Sterling Zearley will step into the role Oct. 14, replacing former director Shelley Zumwalt who announced her retirement last month following the release of a critical audit. With over 23 years of experience at the tourism department, Zearley most recently served as director of state parks. The spokesperson did not know Thursday if a severance agreement was involved in Zumwalt’s resignation. Her retirement announcement last Friday followed calls from Attorney General Gentner Drummond to resign and cooperate with an investigation seeking to determine if any laws had been broken.
Read the Governor’s press release
Records conceal Oklahoma governor’s aircraft travel information in apparent flouting of state law
Gov. Kevin Stitt and his wife have used a state plane to crisscross the country, but records conceal the purpose and passengers of many flights, raising questions about why they’re not following state law on transparency. While officials blame each other for omissions on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s 1992 Beechcraft King Air’s flight logs, some legal experts say state law requires users to cite the reason for all flights and to clearly state who is aboard. But the state law that requires such disclosures contains no consequences, such as fines, for noncompliance.
Oklahoma could soon allow third-party delivery of alcohol
Lawmakers next session will consider legalizing third-party delivery of alcohol. The Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Tuesday held an interim study on allowing third-party entities like Uber, DoorDash and Shipt to deliver alcohol. Currently, liquor stores can deliver, Coleman said. State law also allows Oklahomans to pick up cocktails at restaurants to take home. Alcohol delivery increases small business access to customers, allowing them to compete with big box retailers, said Harry Hartfield, head of government affairs for Uber in Oklahoma. Most states have adopted laws allowing third-party companies to deliver alcohol, said Tom Kerr, outside general counsel for the Adult Beverage Alliance, a trade association made up of Amazon, DoorDash, Grubhub, Shipt and Uber. Some states put limits on delivery hours and quantity, he said. The Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma for the last four years has opposed third-party delivery, said Robert Jernigan, the group’s chair.
Liquor stores could be held responsible should there be a problem, he said. The Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission doesn’t have the manpower or budget for such an expansion, he also said.
Oklahoma lawmaker warns against AI license plate tech helping criminals
Rep. Tom Gann says certain license plate scanning technology local law enforcement uses could jeopardize viable criminal prosecutions. One Oklahoma District Court’s recent decision highlights the lawmaker’s concern. Automated License Plate Recognition technology, or ALPR, is an AI-powered surveillance tool. It is a network of cameras constantly watching drivers in towns that use it and logging their locations, possible identities and other private information. It’s managed by companies like Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based tech firm, which promises a single solution for law enforcement to lower crime in communities through swift information collecting and organizing. The explanation of one benefit of using the tech on the company’s website says it helps law enforcement achieve “scalable city-wide coverage and simplified access to intelligence.” Other companies selling ALPR packages include Motorola, Genetec, NDI Recognition Systems, Axis Communications and Hunter Engineering Company. Law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma use the service as advertised: a force multiplier to collect data on individuals for later use as prosecutorial evidence. Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, and a District Court Judge in McClain County, however, aren’t letting law enforcement get away with using the tool’s collected data as evidence in court, citing violations of state statutes surrounding privacy, and a 2016 law meant to lower uninsured driver numbers. Flock Safety Communications Director Holly Beilin said the cameras only capture and store license plate data, not any personal information about individuals. But when there’s a reliance on ALPR by Oklahoma law enforcement to prove a crime not related to driver’s insurance and any evidence collected by the tech gets dismissed, the case against a charged perpetrator may also get dismissed.
Read the House’s press release
Oklahoma's iconic shape is about to change... but only a little
At a meeting of the Red River Boundary Commission Wednesday, commissioners voted to shift the boundary between the two states to maintain reliable access to drinking water for millions of Texans and keep compliant with federal law. The Red River cleaves the boundary between Oklahoma and Texas. But rivers famously shift and meander, so the location of the river is in constant flux. After nearly a century of disagreement, a Red River Boundary Commission featuring representatives from Texas, Oklahoma and the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Nations came up with a solution. Under that 2000 compact agreement, a permanent border was established at the vegetation line of the southern bank of the Red River. According to the compact, the border was supposed to be based on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey from before the construction of Lake Texoma. But a map from the U.S. Geological survey was used instead. That seemingly trivial swap caused problems for an existing pump station pulling water from Lake Texoma to a treatment plant in Texas. The pump station was built in 1989. It sat in Texas until 2000, when the border shifted about 100 feet and landed smack dab in the middle of the facility. The debacle didn’t draw much attention or cause many problems until zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Texoma in 2009. It’s illegal under federal law to move invasive species — including zebra mussels — across state lines. Even a pump station that pulls mussels from just a few yards inside the Oklahoma border into Texas would be in violation of federal law. The North Texas Municipal Water District, which operates the pump station, had to stop operations until it could get a limited exemption from U.S. Fish and Wildlife. That exemption required them to build a fully enclosed pipeline to move the water from the pump station on Lake Texoma to their treatment plant about 60 miles away, where the zebra mussels are removed. Texas re-formed a Red River boundary commission in 2013, and Oklahoma re-formed its counterpart in 2021. The two commissions have met together several times since then. The agreement, negotiated by University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr., will grant 1.34 acres of Lake Texoma, including the pump station, to Texas in exchange for 1.34 nearby acres of lake that will now belong to Oklahoma.
More than $9 billion in improvements scheduled for Oklahoma highways
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission has approved nearly $9 billion in highway construction and safety projects in the newest edition of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Eight- Year Construction Work Plan. Approved Monday, the Eight-Year Construction Work Plan contains nearly $9 billion worth of needed transportation infrastructure improvements scheduled to be addressed in Fiscal Years 2025-2032. The improvements are designed to enhance safety and travel reliability of the interstate and highway systems across Oklahoma.
Ethics Commission fines state’s chief information officer
The official in charge of developing and implementing information technology and telecommunications initiatives for the state has been fined $2,500 for violating Oklahoma’s ethics rules. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission approved a settlement agreement with Joe McIntosh, chief information officer for the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services. The commission found he violated two ethics rules, one dealing with state officer impartiality and the other addressing misuse of office by a state officer. As part of the settlement, McIntosh must pay the money within 60 days to the state’s General Revenue Fund. The settlement notes he has no previous ethics rules violations and that corrective measures have been established, including that he no longer has oversight, control or decision making, or takes part in any manner regarding contracts entered between the state and his wife’s employer or any of its subsidiaries. If his spouse changes jobs, McIntosh agrees in the settlement to ensure similar measures with that employer. The agreement takes into account that he self-reported the incidents to OMES and to the Ethics Commission’s executive director. In other matters, commissioners agreed to give State Rep. Ajay Pittman another 30 days to file amended campaign reports as a result of a May settlement agreement in which she admitted spending nearly $18,000 of campaign funds for her personal use instead of campaign purposes as intended by donors. The Ethics Commission has required Pittman to amend campaign reports to reflect actual disbursements and reimbursement, but she said Friday that she had difficulty making the changes to all the reports by the required deadlines. On another topic, the Ethics Commission’s executive director, Lee Anne Bruce Boone, told commissioners they lacked the authority to increase registration fees for lobbyists last year. In June 2023, commissioners increased the registration fees from $100 to $125. However, commissioners overlooked a state law that states lobbyists are to pay a registration fee of $100. The higher fee affected lobbyists who registered for this year. Those who register again next year will be charged only $75 to make up the difference, and commissioners will look at how to refund those who paid the additional $25 in 2024 but ultimately do not register again in 2025.
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