Oklahoma Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Oklahoma politics with reporting on state government, oil and gas development, education freedom, and the Sooner State’s strong conservative tradition.
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Oklahoma Governor Reveals Markwayne Mullin Senate Replacement
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has announced that Alan Armstrong, an energy executive, will fill the vacant Senate seat left by Markwayne Mullin until the end of the year. Armstrong, 63, has never held public office and is the executive chairman of Williams Companies, an energy firm that specializes in natural gas. Mullin’s seat was left open…Virginia Grace McKinnon -
‘Patriotism, Not Pride’: Oklahoma Lawmaker Aims to Ban LGBTQ Flags on Federal Property
Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., is reintroducing a bill this week to end the display of LGBTQ+ pride flags on federal property, The Daily Signal has learned. The Patriotism Not Pride Act, if enacted, would “prohibit certain federal activity with respect to the promotion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month and the…George Caldwell -
Oklahoma GOP Lawmakers Push Marxist Health Care Scheme
Is Marxism the only way to save rural health care? Most conservatives would recoil from such a claim, but some Oklahoma legislators appear to have swallowed it. The House and Senate passed HB 2048, the 340B Nondiscrimination Act. The bill would lock in and expand Obamacare Medicaid drug policies in the Sooner State, but it…Trent England -
Oklahoma Bill Threatens Families’ Education Freedom
In recent years, Oklahoma has emerged as a leader in school choice. Regrettably, the state Legislature is considering a proposal that would curtail the education freedom that it only recently expanded, and jeopardize the ability of more than 1,300 students to access the schools that work best for them. In 2023, the Oklahoma Legislature crafted…Jason Bedrick -
Is Oklahoma in Danger of ‘Satanic School’?
The Supreme Court heard arguments on April 30 on whether a Catholic school in Oklahoma named for St. Isidore the Farmer can be the first charter school with a religious foundation. It’s the latest case to alarm the media about the so-called separation of church and state. New York Times legal reporter Adam Liptak cited…Tim Graham -
Oklahoma Case Offers Supreme Court Chance to Benefit Families
A great many of the cases heard by our nation’s courts, at every level, require the delicate parsing of subtly contradictory facts and opinions leading to a decision that, almost inevitably, will greatly benefit some people while frustrating the lives and purposes of others. Happily, Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond is not one…Andrea Dill -
Bill Amending Oklahoma’s Anti-ESG Law Dies
A bill in the Oklahoma Legislature to amend the state’s three-year-old anti-ESG law died last week after criticism that it would water down efforts to avoid public investments in companies boycotting oil and gas companies. ESG is an acronym for environmental, social, and governance-based investing. Oklahoma’s 2022 Energy Discrimination Elimination Act bans state investments with…Fred Lucas -
Oklahoma Debates How to Fight ESG, Amid AG-Treasurer Clash
Oklahoma lawmakers advanced legislation that could gut a three-year-old anti-ESG law and leave state taxpayers vulnerable to environmental, social, and governance-based investing, critics contend. The Oklahoma Senate Energy Committee recently advanced SB 714, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Rader, which amends the existing law on state contracts and transfers enforcement authority from the state treasurer…Fred Lucas -
Oklahoma Has Best School Choice in America, State Education Chief Says
Every state should adopt Oklahoma’s school choice model, says Ryan Walters, the state’s superintendent of education. “We have the best school choice in the country, and it’s a national model that every state should follow,” Walters told The Daily Signal at talk-radio host Erick Erickson’s The Gathering conference in Atlanta over the weekend. “But frankly, I think that…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
America Can’t Afford Ongoing Border Crisis, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Says
ATLANTA—The only rational explanation for the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policy is that Democrats think illegal immigrants will help them in the Nov. 5 election, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says. “It just doesn’t make sense, unless you think you can turn those [illegal aliens] into voters, and it’s going to help you in your next…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
Oklahoma Treasurer Leads Fight Against ESG
Oklahoma has taken center stage in the fight against environmental, social, and governance policies, and the man leading the charge is state Treasurer Todd Russ. Russ was in Washington, D.C., this week and visited The Daily Signal to share an update on his efforts to combat the ESG agenda. Oklahoma enacted the Energy Discrimination Elimination…Rob Bluey -
Oklahoma Takes Center Stage in Anti-ESG Fight
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt passionately defended the state’s anti-ESG law after a judge temporarily blocked it from being enforced. “We’re not going to let companies come into Oklahoma and attack our oil and gas industry,” Stitt said about the 2022 law. “That’s what the treasurer is trying to do, and we certainly support the treasurer…Rob Bluey -
How Oklahoma Is Fighting Teachers Unions and ‘Wokeism’ in Its Schools
“Listen, we’re going to have school choice. We’re going to bring back parents’ rights. We’re going to focus on the basics,” said the state superintendent for Oklahoma’s public schools. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts interviewed Ryan Walters on “The Kevin Roberts Show” podcast. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) The two…Noah Slayter -
Oklahoma Becomes Latest State to Condemn DEI on Campus
Criticism continues to mount against so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion offices on college campuses. And the list of state policymakers calling for defunding the offices and eliminating their discriminatory practices is also growing—just in time for state legislators to work on the issue in the new year. The latest lawmaker to prohibit the use of taxpayer spending on DEI…Jonathan Butcher -
Oklahoma Governor Slams AG’s Lawsuit Fighting Funds for Nation’s First Religious Charter School
Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is criticizing a lawsuit filed by his state’s attorney general against the nation’s first religious charter school as a “political stunt.” “Nobody is forcing kids to go to any religious charter school,” Stitt said in a phone interview Monday with The Daily Signal. “A charter school is just another option….Mary Margaret Olohan -
Oklahoma Supreme Court Ruling Striking Down Pro-Life Laws Can Be Easily Fixed by Legislature
The headline blared “Oklahoma Supreme Court Rules Abortion Laws Unconstitutional.” Wait, what? In Oklahoma? Yes, in two recent decisions, the Oklahoma Supreme Court decided that three recently enacted pro-life laws violated the state constitution. While abortion advocates are claiming victory, the state Legislature can easily correct those narrow decisions. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court…Thomas Jipping -
‘We’re Not Doing That Here,’ Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Says of DEI Instruction
Oklahoma is taking a lead on school choice programs and resisting far-left ideology in classrooms across the state. “It is amazing how aggressive the Biden administration is with this radical agenda towards our schools,” Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction, says. When he came into office, Walters says he told staffers there, “We’re…Virginia Allen -
Oklahoma National Guard Deepens Strategic Engagement With Azerbaijan
The U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program pairs state National Guards with America’s willing partners around the globe and advances practical engagement with them. For 20 years, Oklahoma’s partnership with the republic of Azerbaijan is one of the prominent examples of the program. The Oklahoma National Guard and Azerbaijan have been partners under the Department…Anthony B. Kim -
‘Irreversible Damage’: Oklahoma Governor Explains Decision to Ban Funding for Gender Transition Procedures for Minors
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill this week that blocks funding going to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health for children’s gender transition services—such as transgender surgeries, puberty blockers, and hormones. In a Wednesday phone interview with The Daily Signal, Stitt acknowledged the media uproar over the legislation but pointed out that…Mary Margaret Olohan -
After Conservatives Threaten Funding, Oklahoma Hospital Puts the Brakes on Transgender Treatment for Kids
When Oklahoma leaders descended on the state Capitol Wednesday morning, there were plenty of things on their special session to-do list. But none got more attention than the bullseye Republicans are painting on the University of Oklahoma health system. Like a lot of states, the Sooners were horrified to learn that the OU Children’s Hospital…Suzanne Bowdey