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. Shawn, a week ago we were talking about how summer is a slow time at the state Capitol. How quickly things change. By now it's well documented that two State Board of Education members claim they saw images of nude women on State Superintendent Ryan Walters' TV screen while meeting in his office. Walters denies it. But there's more. This matter has escalated.
Shawn Ashley: It certainly has. During a press conference Tuesday, Walters claimed Governor Kevin Stitt - who appoints the members to the State Board of Education - was behind the allegations, as well as some of the board members’ reluctance to go along with various proposals put forward by Walters. I asked Meyer Siegfried, Stitt's press secretary, whether Stitt was involved in the board member's allegations. Siegfried replied he wasn't. Walters also called for the board members to resign. Which they have indicated they will not be doing.
Dick Pryor: What are legislative leaders saying about this?
Shawn Ashley: Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton said, “more transparency is essential before strong conclusions can be drawn.” And House Speaker Kyle Hilbert indicated, “if no wrongdoing occurred, a prompt and transparent review should quickly clear Superintendent Walters’ name. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson said her caucus would follow Hilbert's lead. “While we wait for more information,” she said, “we will follow the guidance of the speaker and trust that any alleged moral or criminal wrongdoing will be thoroughly investigated.”
Dick Pryor: So, looking at precedent and law, where could this go?
Shawn Ashley: There really are a number of possibilities. Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna expressed an interest in the allegations Wednesday when she asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to assist the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office in its investigation, something Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommy Johnson said he was already doing.
Depending on what that investigation finds, Behenna could file charges in district court. Attorney General Gentner Drummond could take the current investigation's results or have his office conduct its own investigation and seek charges from a multi-county grand jury. He also could file charges on his own in district court or intervene in a case filed by Behenna, like he has in some other local cases.
And finally, the legislature. They could take the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office findings or conduct its own investigation as it did last year with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or like it did in past years with probes into the Tourism and Recreation Department's purchasing practices or the various allegations against former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher in 2004.
Now, lawmakers cannot terminate Walters like they did the former commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, but they could impeach him like they did Fisher, who resigned before he could be removed from office. And each one of those legislative probes resulted in statutory policy changes. That is something that they could take up in this instance as well.
Dick Pryor: And now in other news. Governor Kevin Stitt has begun serving as chair of the National Governors Association. He's only the second Oklahoma governor to be elected NGA chair. Mary Fallin was the first. So, what does having a governor in this position mean to their state?
Shawn Ashley: Well, it gives that governor an opportunity to work with other governors on projects that could have even nationwide impacts. When Governor Fallin was chair, for example, she worked with then Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper on a multi-state solicitation designed to encourage U.S. automakers to develop more functional and affordable compressed natural gas vehicles. Ultimately, twenty other states participated in that initiative, and those were able to buy the vehicles at discounted prices.
Dick Pryor: Finally, we're going to close with another governor, Governor George Nigh, who's died at the age of 98. One of the true giants in Oklahoma history, and a good guy in a white hat. We could talk about him for hours, but for now, let's focus on his firsts. And there were many.
Shawn Ashley: Nigh was the first to serve two full terms as governor, the first governor re-elected, and the first governor to win all 77 counties. And he also served briefly as governor twice when he was lieutenant governor, making him the longest serving governor in state history. And before being elected governor, he served two terms in the Oklahoma House, being the youngest person elected to the House, and then the youngest person at the time elected lieutenant governor. He also appointed the first women to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. And of course, he may be best known for authoring and passing the bill that made “Oklahoma!” the official state song.
Dick Pryor: Absolutely. That's quite a record. Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: You can listen to my hour-long A Conversation with…George Nigh, an encore presentation of the OETA production, Sunday at noon on KGOU. For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org. And look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
(music, singing) Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain and the waving wheat can sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain. Oklahoma, every night my honey lamb and I…
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