TRANSCRIPT
Announcer: Capitol Insider sponsored by United for Oklahoma - tribal nations building unity and economic strength to benefit all Oklahomans. More at unitedforoklahoma.com. Oklahoma Thrives Together.
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - where each week we take you inside politics, policy and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum call publisher Shawn Ashley. Today we conclude our look at the top ten Oklahoma stories of the year for 2024 as heard on Capitol Insider. Starting with number five - elimination of the state sales tax on groceries.
Shawn Ashley: This was the culmination of several years of back and forth between the Senate on one side and the House and Governor Kevin Stitt on the other regarding tax cuts. The House passed this bill in 2023, along with a series of income tax cut proposals. But the Senate did not take up any of those measures that year. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat announced near the end of February that the Senate would take up the grocery sales tax bill, but it would be the only tax relief proposal his chamber would consider. It passed and was signed by Governor Stitt. The bill took effect in late August and is forecast to save state taxpayers just over $300 million on their grocery bills this fiscal year.
Dick Pryor: Number four - legal challenges over the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which could become the first state-supported religious school in the nation.
Shawn Ashley: This story also began in 2023 when the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, which is now known as the Statewide Charter School Board, approved a contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Attorney General Gentner Drummond challenged that action before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, saying it violated the Oklahoma Constitution and state law. The court agreed in June with Drummond. The Statewide Charter School Board has now asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, and now we wait to see if it will.
Dick Pryor: The number three story - turmoil at the State Department of Education: Ongoing cultural battles involving State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
Shawn Ashley: Edmond Public Schools sued Walters and the State Department of Education in February, challenging the State Board of Education's administrative rules that prohibit books with certain sexual content from being on school library shelves. The lawsuit came after the State Department of Education threatened to lower the district's accreditation because of two books on its high school library shelves. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in favor of Edmond Public Schools.
In July, Walters released a series of directives for Oklahoma public school teachers to teach from the Bible in their classrooms. In September, he indicated he would use $3 million from the State Department of Education's budget this fiscal year to purchase Bibles for Oklahoma schools. And he is requesting another $3 million in the agency's fiscal year 2026 budget to buy more Bibles. A request for proposals to purchase 55,000 Bibles this year was canceled in November. But a few days later, Walters announced the department had purchased more than 500 Bibles to be used in advanced placement government classes and that more would be purchased in the future. That, too, has prompted a lawsuit.
Walters also has focused attention on immigration. A proposed administrative rule for the State Board of Education's consideration would have Oklahoma public schools ask students, parents or legal guardians to provide proof of their own citizenship and a student's upon enrollment.
Dick Pryor: Number two - the vote to not retain Justice Yvonne Kauger on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Shawn Ashley: Kauger became the first sitting judge or justice not to be retained by voters during November's general election. Kauger was targeted by several conservative groups who accused her of being a liberal. They also noted she was the oldest member of the state Supreme Court. Now, Kauger’s term would have ended in January, but in late November, she announced that she was retiring December 1st. Governor Stitt will appoint her replacement from a slate of candidates submitted to him by the Judicial Nominating Commission.
Dick Pryor: And the number one story also told us something about the mood of the electorate. Top legislative leaders - Senator Greg McCortney and Representative Kevin Wallace - lose their bids for reelection.
Shawn Ashley: McCortney was Senate Majority Floor Leader and the Senate Republican caucus choice to become the next Senate President Pro Tem, the leader of that chamber. Wallace has been House Appropriations and Budget Committee chair for more than four years. They were the top two legislators on the 2024 ballot. McCortney lost his seat in the primary election, Wallace in the primary runoff. In other words, the top two Republicans seeking reelection in 2024 lost their seats to fellow Republicans, something that had never happened before.
Dick Pryor: Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: And that's Capitol Insider for 2024. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor. Happy New Year, everyone!
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