Oklahoma Political News

University of Oklahoma to end NEW Leadership program over governor’s executive order

The closure of a popular women’s leadership program has caused uproar among female officials at the state Capitol and across Oklahoma, who say the governor’s executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion is striking down initiatives meant to improve representation.

The University of Oklahoma announced last week the National Education for Women’s Leadership program, which encourages young women to engage in politics and public policy, will end because of an anti-DEI executive order Gov. Kevin Stitt signed in December. The program has graduated more than 650 female students from 42 colleges since it was founded in 2002.

NEW Leadership’s closure heightened concerns about the fate of state-funded programs meant to empower women and minorities.

Read the rest of the story on Oklahoma Voice.

Two Oklahoma tribal nation leaders were on Capitol Hill this week to stress the importance of public safety funding almost four years after the McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling.

The McGirt ruling had a significant impact on Indian Country, particularly on the Cherokee and Muscogee nations, whose leaders testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr., and Muscogee Nation's Self-Government Coordinator, Carson Ball, addressed Congress, requesting increased funding for law enforcement.

“Since the McGirt decision Cherokee Nation has dramatically scaled up its criminal justice system, boosting spending by $35 million annually to strengthen our law enforcement capabilities and meet the massive 380 percent increase in felony and misdemeanor case filings,” Hoskin Jr. wrote in a submitted testimony.

Read the rest of the story on KOSU.

When Edmond City Council members received a citywide housing study at an August meeting, they sought to start a conversation with community members about how to address the city’s lack of affordable housing. Instead, what ensued was an hour of intense public comments that underscored the robust challenges and major disagreements often defining housing and homelessness conversations in Oklahoma’s mid-sized municipalities.

With nearly 75 percent of Edmond’s workforce living outside the city limits, the study projected a need to add at least 8,900 homes — of all housing types — over the next decade to meet Edmond’s housing demand.

Read the full article at NonDoc...

Governor Kevin Stitt wants to make Oklahoma the business headquarters of the world with corporate welfare and big business incentives at the expense of everyday tax-paying citizens. Stitt calls for: “…not more taxes, but more taxpayers” in his address, putting all the burden on individuals while not increasing taxes on his big business friends. His desire to cut income taxes to zero with no plan to pay for core services already stretched to their limit is reckless and poor management of our state’s economy. Read more from Oklahoma Democrats...

In a wide-ranging speech that repeatedly emphasized Christian principles, getting “government out of the way” and business recruitment goals, Gov. Kevin Stitt kicked off Oklahoma’s 2024 regular legislative session with a call for “flat budgets across state government” and a pledge to “sign any tax cut that comes to my desk.”

“To be clear, I’m not advocating for cutting core services. What I am advocating for is a sustainable amount of growth where we are funding needs not wants,” Stitt said. “Listen, there is never a shortage of new programs or someone pitching a good idea. In politics, you are only criticized for saying, ‘No.’ It’s easy to feel like you’re leading when the wind is at your back and you’re always saying, ‘Yes.’ But it’s our jobs as leaders to make the tough decisions now for (the) future prosperity of Oklahoma.”

Read the full article at NonDoc...

Republican Erick Harris, Democrat Regan Raff and Libertarian Richard Prawdzienski disagreed on tax policy and education funding in a House District 39 debate presented by NonDoc and News 9 on Wednesday night at Edmond Santa Fe High School.

The three candidates are wooing voters ahead of a Feb. 13 special election to succeed former Rep. Ryan Martinez, who resigned in September. The winner will be seated shortly after the Oklahoma Legislature convenes for its 2024 regular session Monday, and they would file again in April and run for a full term in November, should they choose to seek re-election.

House District 39’s boundaries stretch as far north as Waterloo Road and as far south as 15th Street in Edmond. Historically Republican but subject to changing demographics, the district has Bryant Avenue as an eastern boundary and Western Avenue as the western boundary.

Read the full article at NonDoc (includes video)...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 9, 2024

EDMOND DEMOCRATIC WOMEN ENDORSE REGAN RAFF FOR HD 39 SPECIAL ELECTION

Edmond Democratic Women proudly endorse Regan Raff for HD 39 Special Election this February.

Regan Raff is a small business owner, accounting professional, wife, mother, and community advocate. As a lifelong Oklahoman and graduate of Edmond Public Schools, Regan is running for state representative to give back to the community that raised her.

Regan has spent her professional career working in accounting and real estate. She has experience in oil and gas accounting and now runs her own bookkeeping business, working with home builders and other small businesses. Additionally, Regan and Michael have built a real estate portfolio over 20 years, and currently own residential and commercial properties in Edmond, Oklahoma City, Stillwater and Minnesota.

Regan is running for state representative because she believes that Oklahomans deserve a representative that is willing to work with everyone to move our state forward. She will bring her wealth of experience in oil and gas, business, and real estate to the State Capitol to find common-sense solutions to the challenges that Oklahoma faces.

Legislative Priorities:
Providing a First Class Education
As a product of Edmond Public Schools and the mother of three kids in our public schools, Regan knows that public education is the backbone of our community. “We need to continue to invest in our public schools by committing more resources to the classroom and ensuring our teachers are paid competitive salaries in comparison to neighboring states.” Regan believes that parents deserve choices when it comes to their kids' education but also knows that public taxpayer dollars should stay in public schools.

Access to Healthcare
Oklahomans deserve access to first-class healthcare here in Oklahoma. Many families have to go out of state to get the healthcare they need making it inaccessible for many families. Regan is committed to finding innovative solutions to providing access to affordable healthcare for all Oklahomans. “Health care decisions should be left to families and their doctors, not politicians or government bureaucrats.”

Quality Jobs for All Oklahomans
As a small business owner and an accountant who works with small businesses everyday, Regan understands the importance of bringing quality jobs to Oklahoma. The rising cost of living has affected everyone and we need to work with people from across the political spectrum to provide relief and support to Oklahoma families.

Regan resides in Edmond with her husband and three children. She is a member of St. Luke's Methodist Church and a proud citizen of Chickasaw Nation. Regan is a former board member of Junior League of Oklahoma City, served as a Project Manager of community outreach to KIPP College Preparatory School, and was a co-chair of Gathering of Angels, an annual fundraising luncheon of Pi Beta Phi OKC Alumnae Chapter that serves to promote literacy initiatives in the OKC Metro Area.

This information was taken from Regan’s website: reganraff.com

After congratulating City Attorney Stephen Murdock for his decades of service Monday night, the Edmond City Council hired his successor and approved the fourth phase of the city center complex despite fears the project could tip over its $44 million budget.

Council members also approved a contract to renovate Edmond Mobile Meals’ kitchen and finalized an agreement with American Medical Response to take over emergency medical services owing to dissatisfaction with EMSA, the city’s longtime provider.

Read the full article at NonDoc...

A 5-4 majority ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court said three laws related to abortion should be put on hold pending legal challenges. It orders the Oklahoma County District Court to keep a temporary ban on the laws in place while a lawsuit works its way through the courts.

Read the rest of the story from KGOU...

An Oklahoma judge has rejected a request from a group of medical providers and families with transgender children to temporarily block the state from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, ruling that prohibiting such care is “rationally related to legitimate state interests.”

Read the rest of the story from The Hill.