The Oklahoma Observercast

The Oklahoma Observercast

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To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable

The Oklahoma Observercast


    • May 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h AVG DURATION
    • 53 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Oklahoma Observercast

    Academic Standards For The Pre-Modern Age

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 56:16


    Who's afraid of state Superintendent Ryan Walters?

    Slippery Slope

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 64:26


    The quest to obliterate Oklahoma's strict constitutional prohibition against spending public tax dollars for religious purposes goes to the U.S. Supreme Court this week. State courts ruled the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would violate the Oklahoma Constitution's strict church-state separation that was enshrined at statehood and reaffirmed by a 2016 statewide […]

    To the Ballot Box … Or Not

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 56:16


    There are good bills. Bad bills. And bills best described as, well, Grade A cow patties, flies buzzing all around them, the stench wafting across the state. On today's Observercast, Oklahoma City Rep. Mickey Dollens helps unpack one of the 2025 legislative session's worst – SB 1027 – in which a power-hungry Republican supermajority seeks […]

    Sprint To The Finish

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 55:52


    The 2025 Legislature's final eight weeks begin today with a daunting list of constitutionally mandated tasks and of...

    Getting Real About Democratic Politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 48:27


    Across the land, Democrats are engaged in soul-searching. On a national level, it's the fallout from Donald Trump reclaiming the White House. In Oklahoma, it's the party's superminority status in the Legislature and the fact not a single Democrat holds statewide office. What can – indeed, what must – Democrats do to get back in […]

    Stitt Still Oversteps

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 65:34


    Gov. Kevin Stitt rode into office in 2019 having rarely voted and with little idea how government worked.

    Caring For The Sick And Lowly

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 69:08


    Oklahoma's public health infrastructure worked hand in glove with the first Trump presidency's public health response, complete with the botched unemployment software and rollout as well as preemptively reopening businesses in the spring of 2020. But we might consider something else is going on with the state government's poor oversight of our public health systems: […]

    Loving Your Neighbor As Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2025 63:16


    To say Donald Trump is obsessed with immigrants would be an epic understatement. From the moment he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower to announce his 2016 presidential campaign through his 2024 bid to reclaim the White House, The Donald hasn't hidden his racism and bigotry and devotion to white nationalism. As he prepares […]

    An Electoral Silver Bullet?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 60:54


    It's official: Oklahoma recorded the nation's lowest age-eligible voter turnout in the November general election – a Code Red warning that our body politic is on life support, if not in a death spiral. Can anything be done to restore the patient to health? One citizens' group, Oklahoma United, thinks it has identified the antidote: […]

    Mansplaining, Oklahoma-Style

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 65:34


    In a reality where the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare protections has been rolled back or eliminated nationwide by the disastrous Dobbs U.S. Supreme Court decision, Oklahoma legislators still manage to work overtime to reduce women's rights from every angle possible. When the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women picked two of the hardest rightwing state […]

    Wreckin’ Ball Lyin’ Ryan’s Latest

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 84:07


    It's difficult, if not impossible to keep up with state Superintendent Ryan Walters' antics these days. But we know this much for certain: He's doing everything he can to dismantle the State Department of Education and straight-jacket Oklahoma's K-12 schools with his non-stop social media gaslighting and right-wing media appearances in which he uses public […]

    ‘Here We Are Again’

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 36:11


    If nothing else, the Oklahoma Legislature's Republican supermajority has proven itself world-class at one thing: virtue signaling. Any piece of legislation they can remotely link to DEI or ESG … anything they can tar-and-feather as “Woke” … anything they think undermines the historical, patriarchal, white status quo … they attack like buzzards feasting on roadkill […]

    The Emperor Has No Clothes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2024 60:44


    It took 13 years, but the chickens finally came home to roost for legislative Republicans, who handed Oklahoma governors absolute power over the State Board of Education in response to push-back from Democratic appointees against then-newly minted and wholly unqualified superintendent Janet Barresi. At the time, GOP lawmakers were warned their fit of pique could […]

    ‘A Six-Gun Or A Fountain Pen’

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 52:16


    With the new school year just weeks away, state Superintendent Ryan Walters is busy lobbing one Molotov cocktail after another into Oklahoma's classrooms in pursuit of his Christian Nationalist agenda. For this week's Observercast – A Six Gun Or A Fountain Pen – former social studies teacher-turned-state Rep. John Waldron of Tulsa joins us to […]

    For And To Oklahomans

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 62:30


    When lawmakers adjourned sine die late last month, it wasn't just the end of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature. It was the end of a leadership era, too. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall are two of the longest serving top dawgs in their respective chambers in Oklahoma history – Treat […]

    Reflections For Pride Month 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024


    If the 59th Oklahoma Legislature is remembered for anything, it will be its preoccupation with 2SLGBTQ+ folks, especially transgender Oklahomans. This session, more than 50 bills were introduced that the American Civil Liberties Union identified as anti-2SLGBTQ+. Fortunately, few got so much as a hearing. What did gain traction was open hate speech – remember […]

    An Old Boogeyman Enters Stage Right

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 62:17


    Students Or Sprockets?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 62:06


    The Oklahoma Legislature's 2024 session has had plenty of headline-grabbing moments: thwarting an attack on judicial independence, undermining The People's initiative powers, embracing a show-me-your-papers expansion of police powers that could target almost anyone who's not lily-white. But it's often the legislation that flies beneath the radar that ends up with the potential to have […]

    If It Ain’t Broke

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 65:49


    An Observercast Reprise: For Our 2SLGBTQ+ Friends

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2024 83:19


    With the recent death of Owasso High School student Nex Benedict, The Observer is re-posting the August 2023 Observercast in which therapist/counselor Paula Sophia and Freedom Oklahoma's Nicole McAfee call out bigotry and hatred aimed at our 2SLGBTQ+ friends — and offer ways forward to support them. Sophia's and McAfee's powerful, illuminating conversation was recorded […]

    A New Session Looms

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 61:11


    Oklahoma legislators have 16 weeks to get it right during the legislative session — to concentrate on the concerns and issues that our state honestly, truly faces — but, if history is any indication, there's a next to zero chance they will. For an overview of the filed legislation and what we might see in the […]

    The Dark Ages Loom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 74:06


    Higher education in Oklahoma took it personally in December when Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order to “review” all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the state's public sector. Never mind DEI programs attract business and position Oklahoma students for global competitiveness, Stitt still made his move in the continuing Culture War on so-called “woke ideologies” […]

    ’23 In A Rearview Mirror

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 85:38


    What will be remembered about 2023? Way too many lows and too few highs politically? Former Senate President-turned-Observer columnist Cal Hobson joins us for this week's Observercast – '23 In A Rearview Mirror – to unpack the good, bad and ugly of it all – and to offer up fearless predictions for 2024.

    What We Could Have Paid For

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 48:53


    Michelin's recent announcement it is closing its manufacturing plant in Ardmore sent shockwaves through southern Oklahoma and the statehouse. The Senate quickly assembled a “select committee” to consider where Oklahoma's gone wrong in its efforts to lure major economic expansions and investments and to keep major employees from skedaddling and leaving towns high-and-dry after cashing […]

    Workforce Development For ALL Oklahomans

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2023 49:50


    When it comes to workforce development, Oklahoma has huge opportunity: finding ways to get more of the 614,000 Sooners with disabilities employed. During this interim study season at the state Capitol, OKC Rep. Ellyn Hefner explored why only about 40% of adults with disabilities have jobs and why 30% who do are paid below the […]

    Coming To Grips With Our Past

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2023 47:58


    Earlier this month, for the first time, survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre brought their case for reparations to the state Capitol – thanks to an interim study pursued by state Rep. Regina Goodwin, whose family survived the carnage. Goodwin, who's now in her fourth term representing the area once hailed nationally as Black […]

    The Burdens On Everyday Oklahomans

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 72:40


    In their quest to create a Top 10 state, statehouse leaders seem to think it's a better bet to throw hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars at corporations that promise a few thousand jobs than to invest in building Oklahoma from the grass roots up. In this week's Observercast – The Burdens On Everyday Oklahomans […]

    Cutting Revenue, Harming Ourselves

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 54:15


    The rightwing Republican love affair with trickle-down economics endures. Though the state Senate turned its back this week on a new round of tax cuts, there's little doubt tax-cutters will try, try, try again. For this week's Observercast – Cutting Revenue, Harming Ourselves – the Oklahoma Policy Institute's Emma Morris helps us cut through the […]

    Prager WHO?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2023 61:57


    Wrecking Ball Ryan Walters is at it again. He's cut a deal to slip rightwing propaganda from the so-called PragerU into Oklahoma public school classrooms. Prager's videos and lesson plans are full of revisionist history, extolling America's virtues while ignoring its underbelly. For this week's Observercast – Prager WHO? – former classroom teacher-turned-Norman state Rep. […]

    One More Lawsuit For Wreckin’ Ball Ryan

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 48:19


    Top 10? Heck, state Superintendent Ryan Walters may be the No. 1 litigation target ever among statewide elected officials. At last count, in less than eight full months on the job, Walters has been named a defendant or respondent in seven lawsuits – the most recent filed by a former state department school counselor specialist, […]

    The Impeachment Of Wreckin’ Ball Ryan

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2023 62:25


    If legislatures were to compete on Dancing With The Stars, Oklahoma's would have an excellent shot at winning, given lawmakers' exquisite tap dancing when it comes to oversight of state Superintendent Ryan Walters. Privately, supermajority Republicans – at least the sanest ones – are choreographing impeachment; publicly, they make like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, pirouetting […]

    The Least Of These

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2023 50:10


    You never know what could happen during a session of the Oklahoma Legislature but one thing is a sure bet: The supermajority will zero in on a bogeyman to help whip up the culture wars. This year's target is trans Oklahomans, with at least a half dozen bigoted bills threatening gender care and individual liberty. […]

    Inauguration Day 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023 51:51


    The 59th Oklahoma Legislature kicks off Feb. 6 with Republican supermajorities in both houses threatening to widen the state's already massive gulf between the Haves and the Have-Nots. Tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich. Vouchers that further starve underfunded public schools. Book bans. More restrictions on what can and can't be taught about history […]

    A Harbinger For The Next Four Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 59:15


    An important subplot in this year's elections involved the extraordinary tension between Oklahoma's sovereign tribal nations and Gov. Kevin Stitt. Now that Stitt has been re-elected, how will the governor, tribes and state lawmakers navigate the next four years? And what will it mean for workaday Oklahomans and the state's economic, social and political future? […]

    What’s It All Mean?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2022 62:58


    Two post-election questions linger for beleaguered Oklahoma Democrats: How did a seemingly tight governor's race end up in lopsided defeat? And how can D's get more competitive in statewide races? For this week's Observercast – What's It All Mean? – Joy Hofmeister's campaign manager Brigette Zorn helps dissect the disappointing results and chart ways to […]

    joy hofmeister
    State Races, National Rhetoric

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 55:04


    Last week's midterm elections were expectations breakers – both nationally and in Oklahoma. State Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn joins us for this week's Observercast – State Races, National Rhetoric – to give her take on the state's Red Wave and what it portends for the 2023 Legislature and beyond.

    Election Preview: What’s At Stake

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 85:01


    House Democratic Leader Emily Virgin, former Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson and former House Democratic Leader Scott Inman join us for Observercast's deep dive into Tuesday's Oklahoma elections — arguably the most consequential ever.

    From One Governor To The Next

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 44:09


    In this week's Observercast – From One Governor To The Next – former Gov. David Walters makes the case for Democratic nominee Joy Hofmeister in her battle to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt in what arguably is the most consequential Oklahoma gubernatorial race this century.

    Breaking The Senate Drought

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2022 64:03


    In the midterms four years ago, Kendra Horn shocked the political world, unseating an incumbent Republican congressman who thought he could coast to victory in Ruby Red Oklahoma. This year, Horn hopes to recreate the magic and become the state's first Democratic U.S. senator in 28 years. For this week's Observercast – the latest in […]

    The Future Of Public Ed On The Ballot

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 49:42


    This year's gubernatorial and state superintendent elections will determine Oklahoma's commitment to public education. Will privatizers and profiteers finally get their way, spelling the end of K-12 schools as the Founders envisioned? Democratic Superintendent nominee Jena Nelson joins us for this week's Observercast – The Future of Public Education On The Ballot – to discuss […]

    In Conversation With Madison Horn

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022 54:49


    Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Madison Horn hopes to unseat a well-funded Republican incumbent, Sen. James Lankford, with strong ties to Southern Baptists and an endorsement from former President Trump. In this week's Observercast – In Conversation With Madison Horn – the political newcomer discusses her non-traditional campaign that's planted seeds in all 77 counties and hopes to […]

    Prisons Or Periscopes: The Battle For Public Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 77:07


    For Oklahoma educators, the culture wars fanned by the far right are making an already tough job even tougher. Just ask former Norman High School English teacher Summer Boismier, who quit recently after getting in hot water for daring share with her students a QR code to the Brooklyn, NY Public Library – giving them […]

    What’s A Parent To Do?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 57:29


    Oklahoma is anything but family-friendly. One in five kids doesn't know where their next meal will come from. Nearly half the women of child-bearing age live in maternity deserts – not a single birthing facility in their home counties. Twenty percent of Sooners remain uninsured. Child care remains unaffordable and inaccessible for far too many. […]

    Brewing Up A Union

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2022 50:26


    The last two-decades-plus have been tough for unions in Oklahoma, but organized labor is enjoying a renaissance thanks to Starbucks' baristas. For this week's Observercast – Brewing Up A Union – Alisha Humphrey, who helped organize her fellow workers at the Nichols Hills' Starbucks in Oklahoma City, joins us to discuss how the union movement got started […]

    Executions In A Pro-Life State

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 56:11


    Starting this week, as many as 25 Oklahoma death row inmates are scheduled to face lethal injection over the next two years – despite persistent questions about whether the state's killer cocktail violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. State Rep. Jason Lowe, a criminal defense attorney, joins us for this week's […]

    Unseating James Lankford

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2022 80:45


    Next week, in the Aug. 23 statewide runoff, Oklahoma Democrats and independents will decide who gets to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford in the November general election – Madison Horn or Jason Bollinger. For this week's Observercast, the first-time candidates join us to discuss why they entered the race, what they're hearing […]

    #OklaEd At Risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2022 62:39


    Oklahoma's K-12 schools teeter on the brink – underfunded and undermined by venal politicians pandering to deep-pocketed special interests whose goal is to replace the current system with private for-profit or religious education. This year's elections – especially the races for governor and state superintendent – could well determine the fate of our constitutionally-mandated system […]

    ARPA Dollars, Where Art Thou?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2022 67:51


    Top 10 state? Not when it comes to spending the once-in-a-lifetime federal infusion of $1.87 billion in taxpayers' capital from American Rescue Plan Act. One national ranking puts Oklahoma's allocation at 40th. Why the holdup? For this week's Observercast – ARPA Dollars, Where Art Thou? – state Rep. Meloyde Blancett, who serves on the Legislature's Joint Committee […]

    Confronting A Post-Roe World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 48:50


    For 50 years, the rightwing has used Roe v. Wade as the main talking point in their culture wars. But now, the United States, and states like Oklahoma that were waiting with baited breath to ban abortion, will have to confront the reality of what it means to live in world without legal access to […]

    Managed Care Comes To Oklahoma

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 53:38


    All but lost in the regular session's acrimonious final hours was a massive change in Oklahoma's health care for the working poor. The Legislature passed and Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation that outsources management of Medicaid, even though the current state-run system, administered by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, is widely heralded as one of […]

    It’s The Guns, Stupid

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 57:48


    The list of slaughters grows – Tulsa, Taft, Buffalo, Uvalde, and Philadelphia now among the American towns plagued by mass shootings. Yet in OKC's and Washington's halls of power, elected Republicans resist even modest firearms regulation, considering it an affront to the 2nd Amendment. For this week's Observercast – It's The Guns, Stupid – state Rep. Monroe Nichols, […]

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