This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Pardon and Parole Board sending a recommendation o Governor Stitt for the commutation of inmate Julius Jones from the death sentence to Life with the Possibility of Parole and Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett surviving a supreme court challenge trying to remove him from his position. The trio also discusses the state hiring two firms to over...
Sep 16, 2021•26 min•Ep. 125
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the impact COVID-19 is having on Oklahoma's health care system and Governor Stitt's decision to remove the only two doctors on the board for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. The trio also discusses the resignation of embattled cabinet secretary David Ostrowe and the new attorney general pushing back executions.
Sep 09, 2021•27 min•Ep. 124
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a judge's decision to put a temporary injunction against Senate Bill 658 banning schools from issuing a mask mandate, Congressman Markwayne Mullin returning home after attempting to get into Afghanistan and Governor Stitt calling the Supreme Court's McGirt Versus Oklahoma decision the most pressing issue facing the state. The trio also discussion a...
Sep 02, 2021•27 min•Ep. 123
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Right Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a new report from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency against the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust's spending on cessation programs, Epic Virtual Charter School's new board giving $2.5M to a company owned by the brother of its former chairman and a study looking at 18 fatalities from police pursuits over a five year period. The trio also...
Jun 24, 2021•26 min•Ep. 122
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about Oklahoma County handing its redistricting process over to state House and Senate staff, the governor mulling his decision for a replacement for former Attorney General Mike Hunter and a new study showing the power of prosecutors on legislation at the State Capitol. The trio also discusses the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission freezing jo...
Jun 17, 2021•28 min•Ep. 121
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about Oklahoma City passing it's budget for next year to include a $1.3M increase for its police department despite calls to reduce the funding, nearly 100,000 Oklahomans sign up for Medicaid expansion in its first week online and the Department of Education uncovered $1.6M in fraud over a federal program to feed children during the pandemic. The tr...
Jun 10, 2021•23 min•Ep. 120
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about President Biden's visit to Tulsa to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the State Supreme Court invalidated Governor Stitt's plan to partially privatize Medicaid and lawmakers bring an end to the 2021 Legislative session. The trio also discusses registration beginning for the expansion of Medicaid and State Treasurer Ra...
Jun 03, 2021•27 min•Ep. 119
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the announcement from Attorney General Mike Hunter over his resignation effective July First, the Governor signing the state budget for the 2022 Fiscal Year and a bill to use medical marijuana revenue to help charter and public schools with funding. The trio also discusses plans by President Biden to visit Tulsa for the centennial commemoration cer...
May 27, 2021•29 min•Ep. 118
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the governor's plan to get people back to work by opting out of federal supplemental unemployment payments and offering a $1200 bonus, legislative leaders agree on a budget for the 2022 fiscal year starting on July First and legislation banning new Oklahoma residents from applying for disability services to try and reduce the backlog of current peo...
May 20, 2021•26 min•Ep. 117
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney about the growing controversy over Governor Stitt signing a bill to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Oklahoma schools, lawmakers considering recommendation of a grand jury investigation for Epic Virtual Charter School and Congressman Cole working on legislation allowing the Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations to compact with the state over criminal jurisdictio...
May 13, 2021•27 min•Ep. 116
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt ending the COVID-19 State of Emergency and the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission urging Governor Stitt to veto a bill prohibiting schools from teaching subjects dealing with race and diversity. The trio also discusses the Department of Transportation halting construction on a project after fights between the governor and tribes and lawm...
May 06, 2021•27 min•Ep. 115
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and sitting in for Ryan Kiesel in ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox-Touré about the settlement between the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and Epic Schools to avoid termination hearings along with new bills signed by the governor including one requiring a fiscal impact statement on initiative petitions and several more making it harder to get abortions. The trio also discusse...
Apr 29, 2021•26 min•Ep. 114
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the State House unanimously approving a bill to help fund charter and traditional schools with low property taxes, Epic Virtual Charter School agreeing to the demands of the state in the hopes of avoiding contract termination proceedings and the Norman City Council voting to remove $865,000 from its police for community programs. The trio also disc...
Apr 22, 2021•25 min•Ep. 113
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a move by Epic Virtual Charter School to increase transparency of its funding ahead of a termination hearing, Tulsa Public Schools enters legal action against the State Board of Education in its move to put more money into charter school and the State Republican Party elects controversial former lawmaker John Bennett as its chair. The trio also dis...
Apr 15, 2021•27 min•Ep. 112
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the special election to fill the seat of now-Congresswoman Stephanie Bice along with other elections in central Oklahoma, lawmakers working to undo a resolution by the State Board of Education settling a lawsuit giving charter schools more access to public funds & the State Virtual Charter School Board setting a trial date for the contract term...
Apr 08, 2021•27 min•Ep. 111
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and sitting in for Ryan Kiesel is Democratic State Representative Forrest Bennett about the state of Oklahoma moving into phase four of its vaccination plan allowing all residents over the age of 16 to get inoculated against the Coronavirus, Epic Virtual Charter School fails to repay the state $11.2M by a deadline set earlier this week and Attorney General Mike Hunter appointing a special co...
Mar 25, 2021•24 min•Ep. 110
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the 9,000 correspondences to Governor Stitt from citizens and businesses regarding lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic and the state's response to a lawsuit over its plan to purse managed Medicaid care without input from the legislature. The trio also discusses the House Speaker moving forward with $500 million in tax cuts despite a provisio...
Mar 18, 2021•27 min•Ep. 109
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Oklahoma moving into Phase Three of the COVID-19 vaccine meaning most Oklahomans can know get inoculated against the disease, the Pardon And Parole Board votes to hear new evidence in the commutation hearing of death row inmate Julius Jones and Attorney General Mike Hunter joins other Republican Attorneys General in a lawsuit against President Bide...
Mar 11, 2021•26 min•Ep. 108
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about reports showing a nearly 2,500 COVID-19 death count discrepancy between the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Oklahoma, Governor Stitt joins other governors in complaints about President Biden's $1.7T Stimulus Package & Lawmakers work to curb the governor's powers during an emergency. The trio also discusses a bill passed by the Stat...
Mar 04, 2021•26 min•Ep. 107
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about state officials calming fears of skyrocketing utility bills after last week's winter weather, President Biden approving a second emergency declaration on clean up from the storms and a bill to give the State Health Department more control of the Oklahoma and Tulsa County Health Departments. The trio also discusses a measure by Republican lawmakers ...
Feb 25, 2021•25 min•Ep. 106
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt coming under fire for leaving the state for a family vacation shortly before a winter storm moved is and state lawmakers learned of an extra $1.2B for the fiscal year 2022 budget. The trio also discusses a pending lawsuit from health organizations against the Oklahoma Health Care Authority over its plan to move forward with partially...
Feb 18, 2021•27 min•Ep. 105
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt signing legislation allowing public bodies to hold meetings online rather than in person and new bills currently working through the state legislature. The trio also discusses the race for Senate District 22 which now pits Republican Jake Merrick against Democrat Molly Ooten on April Sixth and the passing of Maxine Horner one of the ...
Feb 11, 2021•28 min•Ep. 104
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Governor's State of the State Address and his push to get schools to open for in-person learning. The trio also talks about the governor's mention of the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt v. Oklahoma decision and the lack of any mention of criminal justice reform.
Feb 04, 2021•26 min•Ep. 103
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a move by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to spend $2.2 billion to hand the state's Medicaid program over to a for profit company, MyHealth Access out of Tulsa losing its challenge after getting denied a bid with the OHCA despite coming in $30 million dollars less than the winner and Attorney General Mike Hunter suing a piano bar owner after he ...
Jan 28, 2021•28 min•Ep. 102
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Oklahoma Health Care Authority denying the bid of a local company despite the organization coming in $30M less than the bid winner, prominent Oklahoma Republican Mickey Edwards announces he is quitting the Republican Party and Senator James Lankford apologizing to Black Tulsans for his involvement in questioning the election for President Biden...
Jan 21, 2021•27 min•Ep. 101
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about a new policy from Governor Stitt allowing students exposed to COVID-19 to not be quarantined if they were wearing a mask and social distancing, officials at the State Capitol stepping up security ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration and some Tulsa black leaders asking for Senator James Lankford to be removed from the 1921 Race Massacre Commission. The...
Jan 14, 2021•28 min•Ep. 100
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel talk about President Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Oklahoma health officials are moving into phase two of the Coronavirus vaccine and releasing a mobile phone app to help people get appointments and lawmakers hold Organizational Day to get ready for the Legislative Session starting in February while dismissing a rule for lawmak...
Jan 07, 2021•30 min•Ep. 99
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about new restrictions by Governor Stitt in the hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19 and Oklahoma's seven electors cast their vote for President Donald Trump while the governor acknowledges Joe Biden did win the overall election nationwide. The trio also discusses the candidates for Senate District 22 previously held by Congresswoman-elect Stephanie ...
Dec 17, 2020•30 min•Ep. 98
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter joining a Texas lawsuit to overturn votes in four states won by President-elect Joe Biden and Governor Stitt rescinds the nomination of an anti-mask advocate for the State Board of Education. The trio also discusses the mustang in-school quarantining pilot program which died after failing to get any volunteers ...
Dec 10, 2020•25 min•Ep. 97
This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Oklahoma City ending its enforcement of restaurants and bars staying open after 11:00, Governor Stitt announcing special election dates for the seat held by Congresswoman-elect Stephanie Bice and a law to keep trains from stopping for more than ten minutes at street crossings getting declared unconstitutional. The trio also discusses Oklahoma Count...
Dec 03, 2020•26 min•Ep. 96
