StateImpact Oklahoma Report

The 2025 legislative session is over. Our StateImpact Oklahoma reporters were following several bills and issues related to education, healthcare and energy policy. StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden looks back with them as they discuss the highlights.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Lawmakers attempted to secure more financial support for Oklahoma foster parents this legislative session. While they weren't successful, other resources are available.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

In south central Oklahoma, a rural school is having to consider what more than a hundred Oklahoma districts have before it when enrollment drops below sustainability: annexation.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

More than a fifth of Indigenous Oklahomans are counted by the U.S. Census Bureau as uninsured – including those who solely use the Indian Health Service as health care coverage. For some, having no insurance can be costly.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Legislative efforts to reform the judicial selection process in Oklahoma have gone on for the better part of the last decade. And this year, just like in years past, they've failed, even with the support of the governor.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Norman is a nexus of national weather and climate science. But swift layoffs and deep budget cuts could disband it and other organizations nationwide.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond case next week. The case will decide whether the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School can be a state-funded public school. The lawsuit was brought by Oklahoma's attorney general against the state charter school board that approved St. Isidore's application.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

As the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing approaches, a group of young musicians is connecting with the tragedy through performing themes of resilience. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

April 19, 2025 marks 30 years since a bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. 168 people were killed — including 19 children — and hundreds more were injured. It forever shaped our community."That April Morning: The Oklahoma City Bombing" is a production of KOSU, KGOU, StateImpact Oklahoma and our partners with the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange.

Since Oklahoma's near-total abortion ban went into effect, providers and thousands of people who have left the state to receive care have experienced its impacts. A new group hopes to educate Oklahomans on those continued effects by bringing people from all walks of life together to have conversations about reproductive health care. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Thanks to a new law, schools across the state are now required to allow off-campus religious instruction during elective courses. Those courses are currently operational or in the final stages of development in at least six Oklahoma schools.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

A report released this month states at least a third of the nation's birds are in peril. Local community scientists are contributing information critical to understanding the decline.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Last week, wildfires raged across Oklahoma, claiming thousands of acres of land and hundreds of buildings. KOSU's Sarah Liese reports for StateImpact that the flames also destroyed a historic church in Kiowa County, leaving a congregation to rebuild. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

New Oklahoma Human Services rules approved this year require non-accredited five-star child care programs to provide proof of an accreditation application submission by April 10 and get nationally accredited by Sept. 1 — or face a star reduction tied to their reimbursements.Providers said the timeframe to comply with a process that typically takes one to two years is too short and could cost them thousands.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

A book coming out next month argues the way states perform executions is inhumane. KOSU's Sierra Pfeifer talks to University of Richmond Professor Corinna Barrett Lain about her new book Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection, and Oklahoma's role in how the condemned are executed for StateImpact.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Over the next four years, the Well Done Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife will plug more than 100 orphan wells on public land.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

The state expected millions of dollars to plug wells abandoned by their owners. But the funds are in limbo under a new federal administration.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

ECU debuted its first-ever doctoral program this January, which focuses on administrative issues in rural education.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

None of Oklahoma's rural counties have enough primary and mental health care providers. A federal grant is training University of Oklahoma physician assistant students to serve rural communities in both areas. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahomans are using more and more electricity. But as energy companies meet with landowners to build the needed infrastructure, opposition is growing. KOSU'sAnna Pope reports for StateImpact on one transmission project troubling Oklahomans. This story was co-reported by KOSU's Graycen Wheeler.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Nationally, college enrollment has declined over the last 15 years. But Oklahoma's land-grant institutions managed to avoid the post-COVID fallout and are now at all-time highs.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Change and uncertainty abound as 2025 begins. But you have the StateImpact Oklahoma team to guide you through and keep you informed about the seismic shifts coming in education policy, healthcare and the climate crisis. StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden and the StateImpact reporters to preview what's to come.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

More students with disabilities than ever before are spending at least 80 percent of their school day in general education classrooms. Federal data show that share of students has more than doubled in the last 35 years.But how are teacher prep programs at universities changing to meet the needs of more inclusive classrooms?Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

The federal government is increasing funding for a program that offers families free, voluntary home visits by health professionals from pregnancy to kindergarten. The state hopes to use those dollars to fill maternal and infant health care gaps.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden introduces us to new science and environment reporter Chloe Bennett-Steele.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Four years ago, lawmakers passed a bill requiring all Oklahoma public schools to offer at least four Advanced Placement courses. It went into effect this fall. But, according to data analyzed by StateImpact, most schools still aren't teaching four AP courses — and rural schools say the law has had little impact.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahoma nursing homes are working to meet federal staffing rules, which require them to have a registered nurse on site 24/7 and employees to spend a minimum amount of time with each resident every day.Facilities say the unfunded mandate asks them to find staff they can't afford and that doesn't exist. Oklahoma is one of about 20 states that recently joined a lawsuit against the federal government over it.StateImpact's Jillian Taylor spoke with Claire Dowers-Nichols, the CEO of LeadingAge Oklahoma, which represents 58 nonprofit nursing homes.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahomans took to the polls Wednesday for the first day of early voting. Oklahoma has four early voting days this year — that's two more than in the 2020 Presidential general election.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

A growing list of Oklahoma colleges and universities are offering their workers paid parental leave. But it's still a minority. The momentum comes after Oklahoma mandated maternity leave for state employees and teachers last year. Lawmakers say it's time for the state to intervene for higher education workers.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahoma schools use technology apps to manage everything from attendance to grades to parent communications. And now, a growing number of districts are updating hall passes to the digital age. They say the new tech is helping them curb behavioral issues that have spiked since the pandemic.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

He was 15 when he killed his sister's abuser. Even after years of good conduct, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has rejected recommending him for release.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

As the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, Ukrainian physicians are tending to a historic volume of patients with complex head and neck injuries from missile attacks and rocket blasts. OU Health is teaching some of these surgeons reconstructive techniques they can take back home.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Many Southeast Oklahomans are gearing up to fight a proposed hydropower project that could displace hundreds of people. For this week's StateImpact Oklahoma in-depth, KOSU's Graycen Wheeler has more on the project and the response from residents and officials."Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahoma CareerTech oversees 29 technology centers across 60 campuses statewide. It takes about 500,000 yearly enrollments and offers courses to students in about 400 school districts and adults.And about 7,500 students are sitting on a waitlist to get in.To tackle the waitlist, the Oklahoma Legislature allocated $26.7 million in new one-time funds for the agency this year. The money was recently disbursed to schools and is now being used across the state for facility upgrades, expanded programming and more.CareerTech Director Brent Haken is grateful for the boost, but he cautions against considering it a windfall that would fully eliminate the waitlist. He plans to return to the legislature next year with the same pitch — that increasing base funding is the only way to fully reach the thousands of Oklahomans hoping for a spot in a CareerTech program.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Recruiting long-term care CNAs can be challenging, and fighting consistent turnover is costly. But groups in Oklahoma are finding ways to invest in these workers' education and futures.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahoma students face many barriers to high school graduation, even more so since the pandemic. But educators at two Oklahoma City area high schools have teamed up with a new community organization to tackle root causes of student behavioral issues.Because of the efforts of educators and nonprofits, communities are finding solutions to help young people in Oklahoma City avoid violence and turn their lives around.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

The farther a woman has to travel to receive maternity care, the greater risk they have of maternal morbidity and adverse infant outcomes.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

“Summer slide” is the phenomenon of students losing ground academically during the summer break. It usually refers to learning loss in reading and math, though other areas of child development can be affected, like behavior.On average, students lose about 20% of their school-year gains in reading and 27% in math.StateImpact visited two Oklahoma schools that provide free, multi-week summer programming to see how districts hope to make a dent in learning loss.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Oklahoma nursing homes are preparing for staffing rules finalized in April by the Biden administration, meant to improve safety and quality of care in long-term care facilities.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Far out in the Pacific Ocean, the latest El Niño cycle is at an end, and La Niña is expected in the coming months. But what does that mean for Oklahoma's weather?Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

After a TikTok video went viral about water pollution in East Cache Creek, City of Lawton officials have explained their plan to restore water levels.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

StateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis and health reporter Jillian Taylor talk with managing editor Logan Layden about some of this year's legislative highlights.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

More than 600,000 Oklahomans on Medicaid are now seeing their care coordinated by private insurance companies. Proponents say the change incentivizes preventative care, and its rollout has been going well. But, it has caused problems for some Oklahomans on Medicaid and smaller providers.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Keeping kids active and healthy can be an uphill battle, especially in the age of smartphones, video games and other distractions. A new volunteer initiative in Edmond is getting kids' hearts pumping — and their wheels turning.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Statewide, Oklahoma public schools are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers — and they're struggling to adapt.StateImpact analyzed every public school district in Oklahoma and found that of the 400-plus schools with hiring listings accessible on their websites or that answered a superintendent survey, over 40% showed open driver positions. About a quarter of the 80 surveyed superintendents said they or other school administrators drive a bus. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Most of Oklahoma's Medicaid population is transitioning to managed care. This means that instead of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority paying providers directly, it's paying private companies to coordinate some enrollees' care. Proponents say the new system incentivizes better preventative care, which could cost the state less in the long run.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

As a crisis continues on the U.S. Southern Border, Oklahoma lawmakers are among counterparts from about a dozen states taking things into their own hands. For StateImpact, Lionel Ramos reports on their efforts and the backlash they face from immigrant communities.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

In Tulsa, there are about 450 after-school programs at risk of shrinking to just 75 once ESSER funds are gone.One of those programs is an after-school gardening club at Tulsa Public Schools' Eugene Field Elementary. There, each participant gets a garden box to plan, decorate, plant and harvest from throughout the school year.Schools across the country may be on the brink of making tough calls once these "pennies from heaven" run out.

Opill, which was approved by the FDA last July, is the nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill, and it's hitting pharmacy shelves now.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Any point on the globe can expect to see a total solar eclipse about once every 400 years. This Monday, it's far southeast Oklahoma's turn.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags

Lawmakers are at the halfway point in this year's legislative session, and just a fraction of the education bills filed at the top of the session have survived big legislative deadlines. StateImpact's Beth Wallis spoke with Oklahoma Voice education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel about the bills that still remain on the legislature's radar.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags