As Republicans and Democrats fight in DC, 300,000 Oklahomans face surging health insurance costs
Earlier this month, Oklahoma’s state Insurance Department issued a stark warning that should alarm us all. When federally enhanced tax credits expire at the end of the year, some Oklahomans will see their health insurance premiums increase by over 75%. The state agency additionally warned that the termination of the federal program and stricter eligibility…
Stitt names new state superintendent, team to lead Oklahoma education ‘turnaround’
While announcing wholesale changes at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed a retired CareerTech administrator to lead the agency along with a “turnaround team” of officials from across the state. Lindel Fields is Stitt’s choice to lead that turnaround as state superintendent, replacing Ryan Walters who resigned from the position on…
Chip Keating announces run for Oklahoma governor
Republican Chip Keating announced Wednesday that he was running for governor. The businessman is the son of former two-term Republican Gov. Frank Keating. Chip Keating served as Secretary of Public Safety under Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is term limited. Chip Keating on Wednesday declined an interview request. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a…
Oklahoma State Board of Education calls its own meeting after Walters ‘refused to schedule’
In a rare move, a majority of the Oklahoma State Board of Education has scheduled its own meeting without the consent of state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who board members say has refused to cooperate. The decision comes a day after Walters abruptly canceled a meeting with the board that was meant to take place Thursday. …
Oklahoma Highway Patrol must continue to work metro highways, AG decides
A plan to remove Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers from metro and urban areas is illegal, according to a legally binding opinion released Wednesday by the state’s top attorney. The agency cannot make “the arbitrary decision to foist its responsibility” onto the municipal and county law enforcement in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, said Oklahoma Attorney General…
Walters’ ‘America First’ teacher test could overstep Oklahoma law, state agency leader says
The Oklahoma State Department of Education likely would contradict state law if it implements an ideological test for teachers coming from certain states, said the leader of another state agency that oversees teacher assessments. Requiring an “America First” assessment for teachers moving from progressive states like California and New York, as state Superintendent Ryan Walters…
Enforcement of Oklahoma immigration law blocked indefinitely
An Oklahoma City federal judge this week placed an indefinite ban on enforcement of a state law criminalizing undocumented immigrants living in Oklahoma. The decision from U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones extends the two-week hold he implemented for House Bill 4156 on May 20 to last until he makes a final ruling on a lawsuit…
Oklahoma governor apologizes for disparaging remarks, celebrates session victories
Gov. Kevin Stitt said Wednesday he had apologized to a state senator after making disparaging remarks about him and his wife last week. Stitt also defended his choice for interim commissioner of the state mental health department, despite his lack of experience in mental health. Stitt drew the ire of lawmakers Thursday as they worked…
Listen Frontier: Polling shows Gentner Drummond with a large lead over fellow Republicans in the 2026 race for governor
Gentner Drummond. Ryan Walters. Matt Pinnell. A year out from the 2026 primary elections, those three names have emerged as leaders to be Oklahoma’s next Republican candidate for governor. The catch? Only one of them has officially declared their candidacy. Drummond, Oklahoma’s Attorney General, has a large — though not insurmountable lead — according to…
Lawmakers fire Oklahoma mental health commissioner against governor’s wishes
Lawmakers overnight Thursday voted to fire the state’s embattled mental health commissioner. Saying that they had “lost confidence” in Allie Friesen’s ability to lead the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, legislators voted overwhelmingly to remove her effective immediately. It marked the first time in recent history that lawmakers had taken such…
Your Voice Matters as Congress Considers Major Policy Changes
Prior to the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1, commonly called the “Big, Beautiful Bill” Act. The vote of 215-214 fell almost exactly on a party-line vote. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. It is expected that a vote will occur within the next few weeks. Much…
Stitt Quietly Signs Bill to Kill Oklahoma’s Citizen Petitions…
On Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend – always a good time to sign incredibly unpopular legislation to roll back the rights and freedoms of the people and derail their ability to self-govern – Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt happily and quietly signed SB 1027 into law. Known around here as the Oklahoma Citizen Petition Oppression…
SCOTUS tie ends Oklahoma plan to open nation’s first publicly funded Catholic charter school
An Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling striking down a religious charter school will stand after the nation’s highest court deadlocked on the issue. The U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday its justices voted 4-4 with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused. A tied vote affirms the lower court’s ruling. The Oklahoma Supreme Court decided last year that the concept…
Oklahoma’s soaring suicide rates place state in top 10 nationally, report finds
Oklahoma’s suicide rate is over 60% higher than the national average and ranks in the top 10 states for suicide and suicidality, a report found. The Healthy Minds Policy Initiative found that nearly 8,000 Oklahomans died by suicide between 2013 and 2022, which equates to “two lives lost per day over a decade.” Most were…
Kevin Stitt Takes Bold Stand… Against Breast Cancer Exams
Earlier this week, the Oklahoma House and Senate overwhelmingly passed HB 1389 by a combined 129–9 margin. A rare piece of bipartisan Oklahoma legislation that would help people of all income brackets get better access to life-saving healthcare, the bill required insurance companies to cover an expanded scope of mammograms and other breast cancer diagnostic…
The Supreme Court Had Classroom Culture Wars on Top of Mind in Oral Arguments
Classroom culture wars permeated oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a case that could change the boundary between church and state. The court heard arguments for Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, which could allow the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School to contract with the state of Oklahoma and…
Walters’ New Hires Steeped in Politics, Not Education
Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who some pollsters predict is eyeing a run for governor in 2026, now has a team on the state’s payroll who have built their resumes managing political campaigns. One recent hire is Matt Mohler, a political strategist from Florida. Another is Chad Gallagher, who founded a consulting company and…
Clinton: As country grows more polarized, America needs unity, the ‘Oklahoma Standard’
On the 30th anniversary of the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, former President Bill Clinton said Americans must unite despite their differences, and that Oklahomans can help lead the way by serving as that role model for the rest of the nation. Clinton, who was president at the time of the attack,…
House Democrat leader announces run for Oklahoma governor
Democrat House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson announced she’ll run for governor in 2026 during a campaign event outside the state Capitol Tuesday. Munson, 39, of Oklahoma City, was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2015 as the first Asian-American woman in the state Legislature. She said she will continue to serve in her role…
Edmond Public Schools chooses new superintendent from out of state
Pledging to continue the reputation of success as a “destination district,” a school administrator from Minnesota will become Edmond Public Schools’ next superintendent. The Edmond Board of Education voted unanimously Monday morning to hire Josh Delich as the next chief executive to lead the district of 25,700 students. On July 1, he will succeed Angela…
House eyes Oklahoma mental health hospital alternative amid soaring price tag
The construction of a new inpatient mental health hospital is $124 million over budget, and House budget leaders do not want taxpayers to pick up the tab. The Donahue Behavioral Health Campus, located in Oklahoma City, was budgeted for $147 million and broke ground in March 2024. It would serve adults and adolescents with 330…
State Rep. Cyndi Munson expected to enter Oklahoma governor’s race…
It looks like Oklahoma Democrats have finally found someone willing to be the sacrificial lamb in the 2026 gubernatorial race. According to multiple tips via the Ogle Mole Network, State Rep. Cyndi Munson – the hip, cool lawmaker aunt of the urban Oklahoma Democrats – is expected to announce in the near future that she’s…
Rep. Tom Cole Says DOGE Is ‘Pretty Responsive’ to His Concerns
Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole told constituents with concerns about government-slashing efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency that he’d been able to get it to change course when it set its sights on projects related to his district. He said he’d been able to get results by flagging issues to DOGE like any other agency,…
Walters to pay $5,000 for promoting Trump, violating Oklahoma rules about use of state social media
State Superintendent Ryan Walters has agreed to pay $5,000 and stop using his state social media account for personal reasons, according to a settlement agreement with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission released Monday. Walters used the account to publish information on social media that “tended to advocate” for the election of Republican President Donald Trump and…
Court Blocks Superintendent Walters’ Bible Purchase, For Now
The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked the state from purchasing Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms. A court order issued Monday bars Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, the Department of Education, the Board of Education and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services from further implementing or enforcing Walters’ Bible mandate until a lawsuit over the…
