Let's Pod This

The legislature has adjourned sine die, but before they did, they voted to override more than 2/3rds of Governor Stitt's vetos and oust one his appointee who lead the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).

We're just a week away from the Oklahoma Legislature adjourning sine die, and that means (1) they have a budget and (2) they're going to ram through a few more contentious bills, like SB1027, which makes significant changes to the initiative petition process.

Governor Stitt vetoed two good (and popular) bills - but why? Also, ODMHSAS troubles somehow continue to deepen, and a train is running out of track, so to speak.

Andy's niece, Penny, provides some severe weather reminders, and then we discuss the new social studies standards, the wildfire task force report, and what to expect with the state budget.

Updates to the social studies standards, ongoing ODMHSAS situation, and more, followed by a recording from Andy's recent speech to the Edmond Democratic Women.

It seems that once a decade, a major state agency has a mysterious budget crisis. In 2012 it was OKDHS, in 2018 it was OSDH, and in 2025 it's ODMHSAS. What is going on? And what can we do about it?

Sure, the stock market's in free fall and the First Amendment is under attack, but sometimes you gotta pull back from that and focus on the good stuff - like when a regular, everyday woman decides to run for city council. We visit with Valerie Moore, recent candidate for Harrah City Council, to hear what she learned along the way.

When people show you who they really are, believe them. Especially if they can't work a group chat.

Ryan Walters pays the piper, politicians don't want Oklahomans to propose ballot initiatives, and we discuss how well the parties are (or are not) connecting with voters.Links mentioned: Walters settled with Ethics Commission for social media violationsBut…a lawmaker, Ellen Pogemiller, has asked the Attorney General to weigh in on Walters' connection to a new “professional association” called “Teacher Freedom Alliance.“ She asked AG Drummond to “clarify the legality” of Walters' conduct concerning the new “Teacher Freedom Alliance.” She also asked Drummond to “investigate the financial ties and contacts (Walters) has with TFA.” A law passed last year creating a new penalty for what it called “impermissible occupation” has been mostly cleared for enforcement by the US DOJ. A federal judge put a stay on the bill under Biden, but now the Trump Administration has dismissed it. Speaking of changes to federal policy, the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, Glen Mulready, who most of us forget exists, has issued a warning or a heads up to Oklahomans who have health insurance through the Marketplace (aka Obamacare) that their premiums will likely increase dramatically for 2026 if the federal enhanced Advanced Premium Tax Credits aren't extended by December. David Shor, head of data science at Blue Rose Research, was on The Ezra Klein Show this week, and it's fascinating to hear / watch.

Supt. Ryan Walters is facing his third ethics violation in as many years, the future of the Judicial Nominating Commission is again uncertain, and Governor Stitt wants to have a say in federal funding decisions.

Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn returns to the show to discuss childcare, maternal health care, and how Oklahoma can - and should - properly invest in the future of our state's workforce.

We're joined by Rep. Andy Fugate (HD94-Del City) to discuss his priorities this session and the lawsuit he recently filed against Governor Stitt regarding his executive order that all state employees must end remote work and return to the office.

Every day I get asked "Wtf are we supposed to do?!" Thankfully, our friend, Eric Liu, with Citizen University, has a helpful framework: the "Five P's." Let's talk through them.

Andy discusses what happens when DOGE cuts federal programs AND DOGE-OK wants to cut state programs AND Governor Stitt wants to cut revenue. With all those cuts, Oklahoma will bleed out. We plead again: discuss the state budget more than one year at a time.

Governor Stitt delivered his State of the State, which calls for tax cuts and dipping into the state's savings account again. Haven't we been here before? Also, a reminder that elections occur all year, every year. Governor gave annual State of the State address, called for $1.4B in tax cutsLegislative leaders not so sureSen. Dusty Deevers retracts bill in response to public pressureGreat op-ed from former intern Preston Salameh on the value of Open PrimariesBut the civic action isn't just at the federal and state level Next week, municipal elections abound! OKC Wards 3 & 7, Edmond & Norman Mayoral races. Also OK County Commissioner primary elections. And February is just the start! The next election will be April 1st, which will be the general elections for some of these (like OKCC) and could be the run-off for municipal races. April 1st will also be the general for other municipal races, like Harrah - I don't know why those weren't in February, too, along with the other municipal ones. April 1st will also be the primary election to fill two vacant seats in the state House - HD71 and HD74. HD71 is in Tulsa, just south of downtown and along the east side of the river, and was held by Rep. Amanda Swope who left the House to work for Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols. Seven candidates have filed, 4 Dems and 3 Republicans, so there will be primaries for both major parties.HD 74 is northeast of Tulsa, basically Owasso and the surrounding area. It was previously held by Mark Vancuren who resigned to accept a position as deputy county commissioner, working with another former house member, Lonnie Sims. Six candidates filed for HD74, five Republicans and one Democrat.So the primary election for these seats is on April 1st, it will be followed by, likely, a primary run-off on May 13 and then a general election on June 10th. But it could be different…if each primary has one winner who gets more than 50% of the vote, then there won't be a run-off and the general will be held on May 13th. Why do we have so many elections?Talk about what we can do about *all this*Former State Rep. Ryan Kiesel passed away at age of 45

Uh...can we vent for just a sec? This week has been *a lot* and we all need to let it out a little bit, because next week is the Governor's State of the State address and the start of the legislative session. Deep breaths, friends. OCC investigation into Todd Hiett ends, says behavior was isolated. Ethics Commission investigation about conflict of interest is ongoing. SCOTUS taking up St. Isidore Oklahoma Catholic Virtual Charter School caseTeacher shortage continues, with more than 5,000 emergency certified teachers statewideOklahoma student achieve still very low, but Walters wants to focus on other thingsGovernor Stitt wants a tax cutLegislative leaders sound supportive, but it's still earlyAnd he wants to send incarcerated undocumented out of OK, but there's a catch…

We discuss the three ethics investigations being made into two statewide elected officials, and then Minority Leader Julia Kirt joins us to give a preview of her priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

With more than 3,200 bills filed this year, the hard work begins: sorting out the good, bad, and the ugly. Oh, and all of that while the Governor wants his own little military and Ryan Walters is...doing typical Ryan Walters stuff.Articles discussed:Oklahoma House Speaker outlines his goals for legislative sessionOklahoma Senate Democrats to focus on wages, schools, basic needs in 2025Oklahoma lawmakers file wide-ranging billsEfforts to raise the age of consent in Oklahoma return to LegislatureOklahoma schools chief sues federal government over immigration policiesEthics Commission to subpoena Ryan Walters for campaign recordsOklahoma State Guard Plan UnveiledAgency asks for funds for an Oklahoma militia‘Champion of the ratepayer': Bob Anthony reformed OCC, worked undercover for FBIAhead of special board meeting, OSBI director Aungela Spurlock resigning

The 60th Oklahoma Legislature has officially convened, bill writing is underway, and session will be starting in just a few weeks. Let's get caught up on where things stand as we enter the next few months. Transcript: Hello and welcome to Let's Pod This, my name is Andy Moore and we have a jam-packed episode for you today. At the end I will highlight some important upcoming events, so while you're listening, be sure to grab a pen and paper to write those down.But first, let's begin with our legislative update: Tuesday was Organizational Day for the Oklahoma legislature, which is the day when the members come together to formally elect the leaders of each caucus and each chamber, vote on the rules the bodies will use to operate for the next year, and, I think, to take new headshots. I've seen a lot of folks post them online, at least. More on this later. I'm honestly not clear on when the Legislative session *officially* begins. Organizational Day seems like the official start, but some people say that the legislature isn't REALLY in session until the first Monday in February; this year that falls on February 3rd. That's the day the Governor gives his State of the State address and when the Legislature formally gavels into session. Ah, wait…I think that's it - I think Organizational Day is the first day of the Legislature - this year begins the 60th Oklahoma Legislature, and remember that each Legislature is a two-year cohort or lineup - and each Legislature will have multiple sessions. There are at least two “regular” sessions, one each year, and the first regular session of the 60th legislature begins on February 3rd. And then there maybe some “extraordinary” or special sessions sprinkled in along the way. Anyway, on Organizational Day, The Senate published its schedule for chamber deadlines, and it is unusually detailed, particularly when it comes to bill filing. There are seven deadline dates in January, one for Organizational Day and the other six relate to bill filing and stipulate things as specific as “Final draft revisions due to drafters by Senators” by 4pm on January 15th. And then the schedule only lists six more deadlines for the entire duration of session, February to May. As of today, the House has not published their entire deadline schedule but they have published their Committee Schedule. At first I was surprised to see that the Appropriations & Budget Committee is scheduled to meet every day - the schedule has them listed on Monday mornings at 9am AND 10:30am, as well as Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, AND Wednesday afternoon, all at 4:30pm, and then one more time on Thursdays at 1:30pm. BUT then I saw a footnote that says “The A&B Committee develops its own meeting schedule and that of the Subcommittees,” so we'll just wait and see what they do. It would be unusual for the A&B committee to meet so early on a Monday morning, as many rural legislators go home to their districts on the weekends and don't drive into the city until Monday. I'm not opposed to Monday morning meetings, though - I love to see legislators at the Capitol working on things. Plus, more meetings means, at least in theory, that there will be more time for thoughtful discussion about important issues…or it could just mean more time for inane shenanigans that distract the legislature (and the public!) away from important issues. Speaking of distraction, the Bill filing deadline is next Thursday, January 16th, and that means that over the next few weeks you will hear about many, many bad and ridiculous bills. And a few good ones, too, God willing, but, undoubtedly, the small cabal of legislators...

This year has been a lot. Too much, actually. So let's go ahead and start looking toward 2025, the 60th Oklahoma Legislature, and the future we want to create for our state.

Andy discusses results from the November 2024 election and what comes next...but mostly how he's feeling right now.

A few reminders about elections, outcomes, and self-care before the election. Oh, and here's this in case you need it:Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-687-8683 or 866OurVote.org

Scott's back, and so is Dr. Keith Gaddie, and together we discuss the presidential race, democracy, and everything in between.

With 3 weeks until election day, the team discusses the state of the presidential race, the role of prediction markets, and what Oklahomans will find on their ballots this year.League of Women Voters' 2024 Voter GuideLet's Fix This' Voter HubFiveThirtyEight's election dashboardNate Silver's substack, Silver Bulletin, and podcast, Risky BusinessFreakonomics Radio episode "How to Predict the Presidency"

Yesterday, Governor Stitt and state election officials released a statement about election security and the state's efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls. While accurate, the way the Governor presented the data has caused concern, so we want to clear up a few things.Oklahoma did not purge 453K voters this week. The way this has been presented made some people believe this was a recent purge, however, the truth is that 453K is the total number of voters who were removed from 2021 to present. Voter list maintenance is done monthly, and voters may be removed from voter rolls for many reasons - often because they've moved out of state, died, or became ineligible for some reason. Some voters are removed because they have not voted in many years (more on that below). Voter list maintenance is good and normal. Every state is required to maintain a clean & accurate voter list, and it's an enormous task. Oklahoma currently has nearly 2.4 million registered voters, but that number changes every single day. Voters are constantly moving within the state and between states, voters die, change their name, and change their party affiliation. Some voters become ineligble due to felony convictions and others regain their eligibility once they complete their sentences. And some voters become inactive because they do not participate for a long period of time. It's a constantly changing list, and keeping it as current as possible is good for everyone.When does list maintenance occur?The Oklahoma State Election Board does list maintenance on an ongoing basis and publishes monthly reports with details about how many voters were added, removed, and updated. You can view the August report here. What about "inactive" voters?State and federal laws require the State Election Board to contact voters who have not voted in a while. In Oklahoma, a voter is considered "inactive" if they have not voted in four general election cycles - in other words, if they have not voted in any election for 8 consecutive years. Here's how it works:In the year after a general election, the state will send the address confirmation to voters who haven't cast a ballot in either of the last two general elections or any state or local elections in that 4-year time period.If the voter doesn't respond within 60 days of receiving the letter, they are put on “inactive status” but are still registered and are still able to vote. The voter can regain their active status at any time by voting in any election or updating their voter registration information.If the voter, while on inactive status, doesn't participate in an election for two more general election...

We visit with our fall policy fellows, Ava Woodall and Preston Salameh, for their Gen Z perspectives on the 2024 election and what they're looking for during the presidential debate.

Republicans want to investigate State Superintendent Ryan Walters and it seems he wants them to investigate him, too, which is weird. But...why?Here is the NonDoc article referenced gratuitously throughout the episode. There's more in the article; you should read it.

Another week, another news story about something going wrong at the OK State Department of Education. KFOR news storyEmail your legislators here!

It feels like everything in the world has changed, so let's recap: an assassination attempt on Trump, Biden dropped out, Harris tagged in, Ryan Walters flaunts the law, and, well, Andy's father died.

Tuesday's primary elections brought several legislative upsets that are causing some voters to scratch their heads while others celebrate. Let's talk about what that means for Oklahoma moving forward.

Have you ever read a news story and wondered why the author framed it in a certain way, why they asked certain questions but not others, or how they deal with wild feedback? In this episode we speak with Ted Streuli, Executive Director of the nonpartisan, nonprofit, investigative newsroom, Oklahoma Watch, to give us an inside look at the politics of political reporting.

Senator Julia Kirt joins us to discuss the budget agreement on the FY25 state budget. (NOTE: This episode was recorded outdoors as a video. We were testing new equipment and some people interrupted us, so quality and flow are a little atypical!)Watch the video of this episode here.

Let's talk about immigration, legislative deadlines, and the budget battle that's brewing.

We're joined by Jasmine Brown-Jutras and Jill Owens, both organizers with ACLU Oklahoma, to discuss their careers as community organizers, what "organizing" actually means, and how you can do it in your own community. Links mentioned:Raise the Wage Oklahoma (website)Upcoming training & signature collection regional offices

This is a special crossover episode with our friends at The Cinematic Schematic, which is the podcast produced by OKC-based art and film blog, The Cinematropolis.

A couple of legislative updates, but really, let's talk about "outrage fatigue." It's real, and we need to address it together if we're going to save democracy.Also, please join us: letsfixthis.org/volunteer

We take a few minutes to catch up on where the Oklahoma legislature is in session, along with candidate filing information, open primaries, and how immigration is factoring into the Drummond v McCall not-yet-official race for Governor. Links discussed: Oklahoma group weighing open primary ballot initiative to increase inclusion, reduce divisiveness (Oklahoma Voice)

We're joined by Michelle Tilley, executive director of the south region Generation Citizen. *** Editor's Note: If you have the means, we encourage you to support or volunteer with Freedom Oklahoma.

We're joined again by Rev. Dr. Shannon Fleck from Oklahoma Faith Network to talk more in-depth about Christian nationalism, both as an ideology and as a political movement, and, more importantly, where those things intersect. Links mentioned:Pew Research Center on Christian nationalism.PRRI research (Feb 28, 2024)OFN's Sign-on letter in support of separation of church & state

In honor of National Public Schools Week, Andy is joined by Erika Wright, founder & director of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, to discuss the state of public schools throughout Oklahoma and the unique challenges they face in rural areas.

It's been a busy week! Andy summarizes several recent, relevant stories:Proposal to eliminate requirement for sex education Grocery sales tax reduction & its impact on the state budgetOK County selects location for new jail Drummond dismisses suit against ClassWallet, againEdmond School Board fights back against State Dept of EducationProposed changes to the ballot initiative processRSVP for our upcoming The West Wing watch party on 2/28

Andy is joined by James Davenport, Associate Dean for Social Sciences at Rose State College and noted Libertarian, to discuss governance, civility, and what civic engagement really means.

Governor Stitt delivered his sixth annual State of the State address to joint session of the Oklahoma legislature and we noticed a higher-than-usual amount of religious content. Given our conversation last week with Rev. Dr. Shannon Fleck and the rise of Christian nationalism across the country, we felt it important to highlight those excerpts for you. You can also listen to the full speech at the end of the episode. Read the full text of the speechWatch video of the speech