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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Southeast Oklahoma experienced a total solar eclipse of the sun Monday afternoon.
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Oklahoma's budget-making process has hit a snag: Senators won’t consider any money bills from the opposite chamber, and Pro Tem Greg Treat said they’ll continue with that stance until they get a budget plan from the House.
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Oklahoma lawmakers are one step closer to sending a controversial immigration bill to the governor’s desk. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a measure that targets state-funded resources supporting Oklahomans in the country illegally.
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This week, Oklahomans will learn whose names will appear on upcoming ballots this election year. It’s candidate filing week in Oklahoma, and here is why it matters:
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Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole is vying for greater control of the federal budget. The U.S. representative pitched to his colleagues in Congress Friday to choose him as the next chair of the U.S. House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
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House Speaker Charles McCall vows to secure Oklahoma’s borders via a measure similar to one passed by Texas lawmakers last year that allows local police to arrest and deport people they suspect entered the country illegally.
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House Republicans are pushing the conversation about more tax cuts forward with a slate of bills passed late last week. The Senate’s proposed budget, however, doesn’t account for slashes to any more of Oklahoma’s revenue streams.
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Oklahoma lawmakers are considering ways to make the state less attractive to immigrants who don’t have legal permission to be in the country.
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There’s a sign that Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce points to when telling the story of a full-street reconstruction project right across from city hall.
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Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, will be the next Speaker of Oklahoma’s House of Representatives. Current House Speaker Charles McCall announced Hilbert as his successor in a news conference Monday.