Democratic lawmakers have again called on Speaker of the House Charles McCall to form a bipartisan committee to investigate State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
TRANSCRIPT
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashley. Democratic lawmakers are renewing their call for Speaker of the House Charles McCall to create a bipartisan committee to investigate State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Shawn, what do they see as the focus of such an investigation?
Shawn Ashley: They would like a committee to investigate possible misuse and abuse of federal tax dollars at the State Department of Education by Superintendent Walters. The most recent questions concern the use of federal funds to pay the State Department of Education staff to serve as substitute teachers while Tulsa Public School teachers were receiving training in reading tutoring. House Speaker Charles McCall rejected the House Democrats’ initial request in August. He did not comment publicly when they renewed that request in December or again on Wednesday, but McCall has stated several times that ultimately it will be up to voters to decide whether Walters remains in office.
Dick Pryor: The March meeting of the State Board of Education was held on Thursday. Superintendent Walters announced that he's creating an Office of School Choice, and it's also notable that a teacher license revocation hearing that was expected to be held was not. What happened on that hearing?
Shawn Ashley: The board voted to postpone the teacher certification revocation hearing for Summer Boismier until its May meeting. Cara Nicklas, general counsel for the state board, noted the State Department of Education currently is without a general counsel. She represents the board and its members, not the department itself. The department's general counsel would be responsible for presenting the department's case against Boismier, Nicklas noted. Former State Department of Education general counsel Bryan Cleveland's departure is one of several in recent weeks that includes other members of the legal staff and Walters’ chief of staff, Jenna Thomas.
Dick Pryor: A Senate committee has advanced a bill that would revive a commercial space travel tax credit. The state had a credit for almost a decade, but it expired 15 years ago. Why the push to renew it now?
Shawn Ashley: There appear to be a couple of reasons. Representative Nick Archer (R-Elk City), the Bill's House author, told the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Transportation in February that Oklahoma is competing against Alabama for a company in this space, if you will, that could bring $174 million in investment and 250 jobs to western Oklahoma. The codename for that recruitment effort is Project Stellar. Senate Aeronautics and Transportation Committee Chair John Haste (R-Broken Arrow), who is the Senate author of the bill, noted NASA officials told policymakers and other officials in January that it is running out of launch sites for its and its contractors’ spacecraft. He also noted the commercial space industry is much more developed than it was in 2001, when the credit was originally created. Only one company, Rocketplane, took advantage of the original credit, but it never produced a viable spacecraft.
Dick Pryor: Another credit of a different kind would support the live entertainment industry in Oklahoma. This would expand the funds available under the Filmed in Oklahoma Act. How would it work?
Shawn Ashley: The bill creates the Filmed in Oklahoma Live Studio Audience Episodic TV Program Revolving Fund, and this would be a second pot of money from which credits for the Filmed in Oklahoma Act for programs filmed in front of a live studio audience would be paid. Senator Chuck Hall, the Senate author of the measure, told the Senate Finance Committee that live studio productions before an audience were long a bedrock of the television industry. He also said they are less expensive to produce and more consistent in their operations. Oklahoma, he said, would be filling a niche in the entertainment industry.
Dick Pryor: And what's next at the Capitol in the week ahead.
Shawn Ashley: On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Attorney General Gentner Drummond's challenge to the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board's approval of the Saint Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School. And, candidate filing for legislative seats, as well as some county and federal offices, begins Wednesday and continues through Friday.
Dick Pryor: Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find audio and transcripts at kgou.org. And look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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