Oklahoma Senate Allows Criticized Education Standards Take Effect
Oklahoma lawmakers are allowing a set of newly proposed social studies education standards to take effect without any action. The standards have been criticized for their focus on 2020 election results denialism.
Democratic lawmakers say the Senate has failed again, to hold State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters accountable for trying to dismantle the state education system..
Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt says there is a long list of "questionable decisions" by Walters that the legislature doesn’t have control over.
The Education standards, however, are something it can control and still, she says Senate Republicans dropped the ball by not rejecting them.
"I think what I'm seeing is when we finally do get the opportunity to take a stand on something that's clearly gone awry and has been a bad choice by the superintendent, we're not taking that," said Kirt.
Sen. Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton says it’s true fellow Republicans and their constituents came to him with concerns about the standards.
But after multiple calls with the governor over the weekend, and a caucus meeting with Walters, Paxton says the support for that rejection just wasn’t there.
Walters To Pay $18,300 To Settle With Oklahoma Ethics Commission
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is settling another campaign finance issue with State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
Walters will pay more than $18,000 for an improper transfer of funds from his campaign war chest to a local school board election committee in Jenks.
It’s the second time he’s paid a fine in recent months, after another $5,000 settlement for improper use of his official social media account for political purposes in March.
Oklahoma National Stockyards Sold
The Oklahoma National Stockyards has new ownership.
The Oklahoma National Stockyards are the largest stocker and feeder cattle market in the world, and have been for sale for months.
A press release says it is under a new contract, continuing as a stockyard.
Scott Blubaugh is president of the Oklahoma Farmers Union and American Farmers and Ranchers. He says he’s happy to see the stockyards remain, and it’s a relief for those in agriculture.
"Truly, one of the last historic livestock markets in the United States is Oklahoma City, and most all of those other, what we'd call the downtown or the big markets, are gone now," said Blubaugh.
Oklahoma cattleman and business owner Chris Franklin is named as the managing member of the group that bought the stockyards. He says their focus includes supporting customers and preserving the stockyard’s role in the agricultural economy.
Oklahoma Has A New Jail Standards Law
A new state law mandates yearly inspections and minimum safety standards for county detention centers.
The law also allows jails to request a waiver from health department visits.
The law, known as the “Jail Standards Act,” was one of the first signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt this year.
It goes into effect immediately.
The law says all detention centers must meet minimum health and safety requirements and are subject to an annual inspection by the Department of Health.
But that’s not entirely new - Oklahoma has been conducting yearly jail inspections since the 1970s.
What is new is jails can now request a temporary waiver to delay or avoid a visit.
Counties, cities or public trusts running the jails can ask for a waiver in cases of hardship like a natural disaster or other emergencies.
And while the law gives examples, it doesn’t limit the reasons a waiver could be granted.
In 2024, state inspectors ruled 51 of the 65 county jails they visited were “not in substantial compliance” with the security, health care, sanitary and living conditions requirements laid out in state law.
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