Legal Challenge Filed Against Proposed Social Studies Academic Standards
Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has filed a lawsuit against the state board of education on behalf of a half dozen plaintiffs.
Hunter is questioning the department’s approval of the latest proposed academic standards.
Hunter said the state board of education violated the law when it approved proposed social studies standards and sent them to the legislature.
“The Oklahoma Administrative Procedures Act required the Oklahoma State Board of Education to follow its internal rules and procedures in developing, proposing and adopting the new social studies standards. They did not,” Hunter said.
Among other changes to the state’s curricula, the standards expect students to question the results of the 2020 General Election.
And because Republican lawmakers’ ‘silent acquiescence’ toward approving or rejecting them, Hunter said, they are set to take effect next school year.
Hunter is representing a group of families and teachers. They’re seeking a review of the procedure the education board underwent to approve the standards in order to stop the curricula’s eventual implementation.
Gov. Stitt Vetoes Eviction Timeline Extension Bill
Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill that would have extended Oklahoma’s eviction timeline by five days.
Senate Bill 128 proposed increasing the required amount of time between an eviction trial notice and the court date from a minimum of five days to ten days and a maximum of ten days to fifteen days.
In his veto message, Stitt said the bill would make it more difficult for landlords to obtain an eviction and that state law already provides adequate due process and notice for tenants.
The bill was a bipartisan effort - it was authored by Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt and co authored by Republican Representative Daniel Pae.
Kirt said despite their efforts, it did not pass with a wide enough margin to make a veto override possible.
“His veto message made it really clear that he was really more concerned about landlords' timelines than looking at the urgency of the matter,” Kirt said. “We have tons of people getting evicted where we probably could mediate and keep people in their places and also get landlords that back rent.”
Kirt said the issue of ensuring modern protections for Oklahoma tenants will be a multi-year discussion.
Bill To Bolster OSBI Office For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Peoples Vetoed
Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed legislation that would've supported investigative agencies' efforts to find Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
As people gathered at the Capitol to remember loved ones for MMIP Awareness Day Monday, Stitt vetoed House Bill 1137.
Authored by Choctaw Freedmen Ronald Stewart, the bill tweaked Ida’s Law to allow the state to fund the resource-limited tribal liaison office through OSBI.
The measure received nearly unanimous support from the legislature.
Tribal leaders, such as Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., said Stitt’s action showed his ignorance.
Currently, Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for missing Indigenous people.
OKC Thunder Take On Denver Nuggets In Game 2 Tonight
The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to even their second-round playoff series with the Denver Nuggets tonight.
Aaron Gordon’s late-game three-pointer is what made the difference in the Nuggets’ two-point, come-from-behind victory on Monday.
But, Nikola Jokić's 40-point, 24-rebound performance was the real elephant in the room, for which the Thunder did not have an answer.
Guard Lu Dort said the Thunder have to keep finding ways to contain Jokić.
“He’s been in those positions before. He’s going to make a lot of tough shots, so…anything that we can throw at him to make it tougher and harder for him. He’s the type of player he is for a reason. We’ve got a lot of good defenders, so whoever we can throw at him, we’ll do it,” Dort said.
Game 2 is set for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Paycom Center, and airs on TNT.
Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti was named the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Tuesday. It was his first win, after finishing second in three previous seasons.
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