The Stitt administration is so dedicated to reducing federal government spending that it is returning $225 million that was given to the state to expand broadband internet access. However, officials who have been working on broadband expansion for years say it will simply mean that money earmarked for Oklahomans will be diverted to other states.
Oklahoma was initially allocated $797 million from the federal grant program to expand high-speed internet. However, even as the state still has major gaps in coverage, Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, said the state doesn’t need all of it. (Gov. Kevin Stitt encouraged the governing board of the office to hire Sanders.)
Logan Phillips, a former state representative from Mounds, called the move a “slap in the face” to those who had worked to expand internet service in rural communities. Apparently, Stitt’s ‘Top 10’ goals didn’t include internet access.
This article appears in Fall Guide 2025.