Stitt Cans Three State Board of Education Members
Gov. Kevin Stitt is shaking up the State Board of Education.
Stitt announced Tuesday he was removing three members and nominated three others to take their place.
Donald Burdick, Katie Quebedeaux and Kendra Wesson are off the governing board of the State Department of Education. In a news release, Stitt cites Oklahoma’s low national test scores and “needless political drama.”
The remaining board members, Sarah Lepak and Zach Archer, were absent from the board’s last meeting in which it passed a slew of controversial administrative rules.
The two have also pushed back on State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ initiatives, such as the classroom Bible mandate and the requirement for Tulsa Public Schools to give monthly in-person updates to the board.
Stitt nominated Ryan Deathredge from Kingfisher, Michael Tinney from Norman and Chris VanDenhende from Tulsa.
They are subject to approval by the state Senate.
Oklahoma Institutions Respond To Trump Administration Cuts To NIH Research Funding
A federal judge is temporarily halting a new policy from the National Institutes of Health nationwide.
The policy, which was announced Friday and took effect Monday, limits NIH research funding for indirect costs to 15% of grants. Those costs go toward maintaining buildings and equipment and paying support staff. The agency says it applies to current and future grants.
This policy impacts universities and research institutions.
Dr. Martin Paulus, the scientific director and president of a clinical neuroscience research institute in Tulsa, says if the policy stands, it would result in an estimated 30% immediate reduction of the institute’s budget.
“We have maybe of the order of 20-30 research projects going on. They have a certain budget. We have carefully calculated what we need on a day-by-day basis, and, literally, overnight, all of a sudden, we have to recalculate. It's very, very, very disruptive," said Paulus.
The pause extended to institutions nationwide after the judge responded to a suit filed Monday afternoon.
State Senate Committee Advances Bill With Restrictions On Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
A state senate committee passed a bill Monday that places additional restrictions on the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
The proposal would require the OTA to provide more notice to impacted property owners.
Nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports Senate Bill 80 passed with a vote of 12 to 0 Monday in the Senate Aeronautics and Transportation Committee.
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is working on a 15 year turnpike expansion and improvement project that includes the proposed turnpike through Norman.
SB 80 requires a 30-day comment period with a public hearing, a map of the changes and impacts for businesses, governments and consumers, and additional notification for all property owners impacted before new construction or modification.
If it becomes law, failure to comply with the bill could result in civil action against the OTA.
Films With Oklahoma Ties Shine At Sundance Film Festival
Two films with Oklahoma ties made waves at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah earlier this month.
Tiger is a short documentary about Muscogee woman Dana Tiger and her efforts to revive her family’s T-shirt company.
It’s told in a dreamy, experimental style with punk rock flair. This approach earned Loren Waters a special jury award for directing at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I was just very honored that the jury saw the uniqueness of the story and the style that we put into it, and the intentionality and the spirituality of Dana's story,” Waters said.
Comanche and Blackfeet artist Jhane Myers produced Free Leonard Peltier, about the AIM activist and the injustice that caused him to remain behind bars for nearly 50 years.
Both films are making their rounds.
Here in Oklahoma, the Comanche Nation is expected to screen Free Leonard Peltier on Feb. 18 in Lawton.
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