Bill Expands Access To State Board of Education Agendas
A bill amended by the Oklahoma House Speaker passed through the House Education Oversight Committee Wednesday.
The measure allows any two members of the State Board of Education to place items on board agendas.
House Bill 1491 originally dealt with teacher license revocation but was shucked and replaced with the support of the Senate Pro Tem and Gov. Kevin Stitt.
In the new version, items can be placed on the board agenda if requested in writing by at least two members. Here’s bill author Ronny Johns.
“There’s no mechanism for the state school board members to request that they discuss an agenda - or to put an agenda item on the agenda. It goes back possibly all the way to Superintendent Garrett when I first started teaching,” Johns said.
The issue came to a head at the last State Board of Education meeting, in which three new members, appointed by Stitt, pushed back against State Superintendent Ryan Walters having the sole authority to write meeting agendas.
Trump Administration Considers Selling Oklahoma City Federal Building
Nearly thirty years after Timothy McVeigh destroyed Oklahoma City’s Murrah Federal Building, the Trump Administration is now considering shuttering the facility built to replace it.
The U.S. General Services Administration oversees the federal government’s real estate. The agency announced Tuesday it’s considering selling 443 of its properties, including the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
The news comes just one month before the 30th anniversary of the truck bombing that destroyed the Murrah Building in 1995.
OKC’s new federal building opened its doors in 2004, one block north of the bombing site. At the time, it was dedicated as a “symbol of freedom.”
Now, the General Services Administration has listed it as a “non-core asset” it’s considering for “disposal.”
It’s unknown what exactly the government has in store for the Oklahoma City Federal Building. But its meaning as a symbol of resilience remains clear.
The General Services Administration took down its list of non-core assets Wednesday morning.
Its website now says a list is "coming soon."
Whooping Cough Cases On The Rise In Oklahoma
Health experts in the state are warning about a rise in whooping cough cases.
They consider this is the largest outbreak in Oklahoma in decades.
Whooping cough cases have been increasing since October.
The CDC reports since the start of 2025 Oklahoma has reported a total of 77 cases of whooping cough, which is higher than the same time in 2024 that eventually saw a total of 469 cases.
Doctors who spoke with Oklahoma City TV station KFOR said the illness can be prevented with vaccines.
Former Oklahoma State Medical Association President Dr. George Monks says missed vaccination during the pandemic and vaccine hesitancy could be contributing to the rise in cases.
Whooping cough starts as a cold and progresses into an uncontrollable cough and can cause severe symptoms for infants.
Expecting mothers can get the vaccine and anyone coming in contact with an infant not old enough for the vaccine should be up-to-date on their vaccinations.
State Lawmakers Consider Banning Some Food Additives
A bill to ban the manufacture and sale of some food additives, but not the foods which contain them, passed a state Senate committee.
Republican Senator Kristen Thompson of Edmond said her interest in food dyes and other additives began with her then 5 year old son after a soccer game.
“He had a red sports drink at the end. I thought we were going to be taking a nap. He did just the opposite - was like bouncing all over the walls,” Thompson said.
The list of 21 additives includes the common sweetener aspartame. The manufacture and sale of the additives would be illegal in Oklahoma, and foods with them would have to carry a warning label.
Next the bill goes to the full senate.
This story was produced by Sam Moore at The Freelancer.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU AM NewsBrief.