Lionel Ramos
State Government ReporterLionel Ramos covers state government for a consortium of Oklahoma’s public radio stations.
Previously, Ramos has reported for investigative news site Oklahoma Watch covering race and equity, reporting on the rising political capital of Latinos in Oklahoma, the resettlement of Afghan refugees, the stakes for Indigenous Oklahomans in the Supreme Court's 2023 Brackeen v. Haaland decision, unemployment, housing, and veterans’ issues.
Born into the circus, Ramos traveled across the country in an RV with his family for the first half of his life. He eventually landed in San Antonio, Texas, where he attended high school and community college before transferring to Texas State University in San Marcos. He holds a bachelor's degree in English with a focus on creative writing. While a student at Texas State, he covered local and student government for the college newspaper, The University Star.
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Gov. Kevin Stitt delivered his eighth and final State of the State speech Monday, as he kicked off Oklahoma's 2026 legislative session with his list of priorities: small government, insulation from expensive federal mandates and more. -
With the 2026 legislative session starting Monday, lawmakers have thousands of bills to consider. Here is what to expect, and what Oklahoma's public radio reporters are following. -
Oklahoma City Democratic Rep. Ajay Pittman announced her resignation from her elected position as a state lawmaker after pleading guilty to forgery charges Wednesday. The announcement comes after months of investigations and court proceedings. -
As federal immigration authorities continue to defend the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis Saturday, Gov. Kevin Stitt is among Republican elected leaders speaking out against the violence. -
Oklahoma lawmakers have filed dozens of bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration in the state ahead of the 2026 legislative session. Here is a breakdown of what to expect – mostly from the Republican supermajority. -
The multi-day winter storm has moved east through Oklahoma, with another round of snow blanketing the state, making travel treacherous. -
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to turn a warehouse into a new immigration detention processing facility in southwest Oklahoma City. It's part of a plan to more efficiently process tens of thousands of detainees at once. -
State lawmakers have filed thousands of bills ahead of Oklahoma's 2026 legislative session. Threaded among those bills are two priorities that seem to be at odds: cutting property taxes and improving education outcomes for Oklahoma schoolchildren. -
Before Oklahoma lawmakers convene in February, state agencies, boards, and commissions are laying out their budget proposals for the next fiscal year. -
Congress wasn’t informed before President Trump’s ordered military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But in the days since, some members of Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation have voiced support of the move.
