Oklahoma Political News

Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed 21 bills over the past week.

Provenzano’s proposal was far from the only bill Stitt vetoed last week. Uncapping the veto pen he has used liberally throughout his seven-year tenure, Stitt has already axed 21 of the 281 bills sent his way this session, with more likely to come.

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JeKia Harrison and Aletia Timmons have filed to run in the June 10 Democratic primary election for House District 97, which was vacated by former Rep. Jason Lowe (D-OKC). Lowe resigned this month after being elected to the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners in February.

No GOP candidates filed for the HD 97 primary, meaning the winner of the Democratic primary will win the seat.

House District 97 includes Forest Park, Jones, Lake Aluma, Midwest City, Spencer, and parts of Oklahoma City. Lowe has represented the district since 2016, before his election to the District 1 Oklahoma County Commissioner seat.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — On Friday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Division of Government Efficiency (DOGE-OK) announced savings of approximately $19.4 million through collective work with state agencies.

Agencies regularly submit projects with DOGE-OK, which are reviewed and shared on the department’s public website. The projects can include items like the elimination of costly contracts, replacing old processes with new technology, and reducing state-owned assets.

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After entering a four-man field and surviving a tight general election cut, Mark Nash has won the Edmond mayoral seat in a runoff against former Ward 1 Councilman Tom Robins, finalizing a new-look city council set to be seated this May. Meanwhile, Edmond Public Schools Board of Education District 5 incumbent Marcus Jones retained his seat as the district moves through its superintendent search.

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House Bill 2106 by Edmond Republican Mike Osburn limits Oklahoma to five elections a year, with certain exceptions related to special elections called by the governor. The measure aims to increase voter participation by reducing voter fatigue.

As it stands, Oklahoma’s election dates are numerous and often scheduled at the pace of once a month. That’s a cap of 12 elections on odd-numbered years and seven on even-numbered years.

In a press release, Osburn called his bill a “common sense” way to streamline the voting process and keep people focused on their representation.

"Consolidating elections not only helps keep voters engaged but also ensures a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and maintains Oklahoma's election security," Osburn said.

The Senate Education Appropriations subcommittee presented its budget recommendation for the Oklahoma State Department of Education Wednesday, which nixed a $3 million request by the agency to place Bibles in classrooms.

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Hot Seat: Oklahoma Democrats outline priorities ahead of Governor's State of the State Address

As Oklahoma's 60th legislature convenes, Democratic leaders Senator Julia Kirt and Representative Cyndi Munson share their expectations for Governor Stitt's upcoming State of the State address, focusing on public education, housing, and the governor's proposal to eliminate the state income tax.

Rebuffed in its original request, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission voted Thursday to file a subpoena seeking campaign records related to Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ successful 2022 election.

In October, the Ethics Commission authorized a formal investigation of alleged campaign finance rule violations by Walters’ 2022 campaign. Walters, elected state superintendent of public instruction in November 2022 with nearly 60 percent of the vote, served as chairman and treasurer of his own campaign committee. The Ethics Commission’s attorney notified Walters in October that a subpoena would be issued seeking campaign reports and other financial records and information dealing with his campaign if he didn’t turn over the material.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has at times pushed back against his own party’s governor and other politicians who sought to push religion into public schools, announced Monday his candidacy for governor.

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Since 1990, I have been a South African permanent resident living in Cape Town. Our family of four have voted by Absentee ballot for the Democratic Party presidential candidate, current Vice President Kamala Harris, and her Vice-Presidential running mate, current Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. They were the obvious choice to provide strong and empathic leadership as they both bring many years of dedicated service to both community and country.

Read the full article at Democrats Abroad