TRANSCRIPT
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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. Shawn. State Representative Andy Fugate has filed a lawsuit against Governor Stitt, challenging the governor's executive order that would require state employees to work in the office. Tell us about it.
Shawn Ashley: Governor Kevin Stitt issued the Executive order December 18th, ordering most workers back into the office, with just a few exceptions, effective February 1st. By March 31st, each agency director is required to report on how many staff they still have working remotely and any plans to bring them back into the office. Representative Fugate says Governor Stitt violated the separation of powers established in the Oklahoma Constitution. He and his attorney, Richard LaBarthe, said lawmakers should be the ones responsible for making laws, not the governor.
Dick Pryor: There is a long way to go, but bills that would legalize statewide sports betting have advanced out of legislative committees. What's the status of those bills?
Shawn Ashley: Two bills by Representative Ken Luttrell passed out of a House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee and are awaiting consideration by the full committee. The Senate Business and Insurance Committee approved three bills, but it appears Senator David Rader's Senate Bill 125 has been chosen as the bill that the Senate will ultimately consider. It passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The obvious question is what will these bills do? Both Luttrell and Rader said essentially the same thing. They don't know. That's because negotiations are taking place between the state, Native American tribes and other interested parties, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, about what sports betting in Oklahoma might look like. If those parties can reach an agreement before the end of the legislative session that's what we will see in one of those bills.
Dick Pryor: Two bills intended to help the film industry grow in Oklahoma have passed a House subcommittee. What are the authors of those bills hoping to do?
Shawn Ashley: Oklahoma's current film incentives programs are largely designed for movies, big productions. The changes in the two bills that made it out of a subcommittee expand and clarify that the incentives also are available for television and streaming series, as well as commercials. Ongoing productions like television and streaming series, the authors noted, tend to have a longer economic impact and would help solidify the film industry's presence in the state.
Dick Pryor: Four conservative bills failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee, one that would purportedly abolish abortion, one that would require a Ten Commandments monument at the state capitol, and two that would change Oklahoma divorce laws. Now, the bill that would abolish abortion generated a lot of debate before being voted down.
Shawn Ashley: That's Senate Bill 456 by Senator Dusty Deevers, a Republican from Elgin. It would have created the Abolish Abortion Act. The bill removed the exemption for abortion from the state's homicide and murder statute. Deevers called the exemption a massive loophole in Oklahoma's pro-life laws, and said abortions continue in the state by women ordering abortion inducing drugs from out of state. Chair Brent Howard and Vice Chair Todd Gollihare, both Republicans, said they agreed with Deevers's destination eliminating abortion, but they disagreed with this path to get there, charging women who have abortions with murder. They were joined by the two other Republicans on the committee and the committee's two Democrats in voting against the bill.
Dick Pryor: The next statewide election is just under two years away, and now there's another entrant into the race for Oklahoma governor, a familiar name who brings the number of announced candidates to three.
Shawn Ashley: Former House Speaker Charles McCall announced Tuesday he would be seeking the Republican nomination for governor. He joins Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who announced his candidacy in January, and Leisa Mitchell Haynes, a former city manager and previous state worker who began her campaign in 2024. In a letter posted on X, formerly Twitter, McCall touted his conservative resume. “Under my leadership, we were ranked the second most conservative legislature in the country,” McCall wrote.
Dick Pryor: And what's coming up in the week ahead at the Capitol?
Shawn Ashley: Last Tuesday's winter weather put lawmakers behind in their consideration of bills in committee. So, we'll see a lot of committee work in the week ahead.
Dick Pryor: Thanks, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online and find audio and transcripts at kgou.org. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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