Oklahoma’s Regents for Higher Education are asking the legislature to up funding for the state’s public colleges and universities.
The regents make an annual wish list usually including a budget increase, before the legislative session.
This year, they’re asking for a $96 million hike to take overall funding up to $986 million.
Cuts have hit Oklahoma’s higher education institutions hard since the 2008 recession, but as the state socked away billions of dollars in savings accounts this year they did get a modest increase.
It remains to be seen what the legislature will do with the request. Lawmakers’ increase in higher education funding this session was not as much as initially requested.
For the latest edition of Capitol Insider, Quorum Call’s Shawn Ashley and KGOU general manager Dick Pryor talk with Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt as he campaigns for reelection. He was asked what he perceives as the biggest threat to Oklahoma. His answer: His opponent and the Democratic Party.
"I don’t want to be political here, but there’s never been a bigger difference between me and my opponent — or me and a state that was run by Biden’s party. And I don’t want to pick on them too much, but every President of the United States has had an energy independence policy since 1973. Whether they were Republican or Democrat," said Stitt. "In other words, let’s meet the needs of Americans with our own resources. Until this administration. Day one in office they killed the Keystone Pipeline. They are attacking our oil and gas industry. And my opponent joined that party."
You can hear the full conversation on this week's edition of Capitol Insider, and on the Capitol Insider podcast. And you can hear Dick and Shawn’s conversation with Democratic candidate for governor, Joy Hofmeister.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates utility and telecommunications companies, as well as oil and gas drilling. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports on who is running this November to fill a vacancy in the three-person commission.
In the race for Corporation Commissioner, Republican Senator Kim David faces Democrat Warigia Bowman, a law professor at the University of Tulsa.
David has been a member of the Oklahoma Senate since 2010 and describes herself as a conservative and a small business owner. She worked in petroleum marketing for about a decade and has a bachelor’s degree in petroleum geology.
Bowman served as an attorney in the environmental division of the U.S. Department of Justice before teaching law classes on water, natural resources and energy at TU.
Terms for the Corporation Commission are six years long, and commissioners can serve two times.
You'll find more on this and several other races that will be on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot in our online Voter Guide.
Oklahoma voters can cast their ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election even earlier following new legislation enacted last year.
Voters can now cast their in-person absentee ballot at their early voting location starting Wednesday instead of Thursday.
Early voting takes place this Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. As always, no excuse is needed to cast an in-person absentee ballot in Oklahoma.
For your early voting location and to view a sample ballot visit the OK Voter Portal atelections.ok.gov.
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