Oklahoma Watch

A pregnant woman waits to be seen. (File Photo/Shutterstock)

In November 2020, 58% of Oklahoma’s eligible voters voted; during the midterm election year of 2022, 47% of eligible voters cast their ballots. Oklahoma has ranked among the bottom 10 states for voter turnout in the past 10 years. While the national voter turnout rate has increased slightly since 1996, Oklahoma has stayed largely unchanged. […]

Oklahoma Watch · Oklahoma Department of Corrections pushes to revive the prison rodeo Keaton Ross discusses the Oklahoma Department of Corrections’ push to revive the prison rodeo. Jennifer Palmer has been working to find out why the Education Department moved to revoke the teaching certificate of an Edmond high school teacher. Reporter Paul Monies on […]

Two women walked past the Cookie Cottage, Shannon Hanchett's bakery in Norman. (File Photo)

This article was originally delivered to subscribers of our Education Watch newsletter. Sign up now to receive Education Watch directly in your inbox. The state Education Department recently purchased a statewide dyslexia and reading intervention screener from Amira Learning at a cost of $3 million for the first year, public records show. The tool uses artificial intelligence […]

Ryan Walters’ pursuit of an Edmond teacher’s certification exemplifies his priority is to score cheap political points, constitution be damned.

More than $11 million, including $4.3 million in independent expenditures, was spent to influence voters leading up to the June primary and August runoff elections. That’s nearly double the $6.2 million spent over a similar period in 2020.

Essie Johnson, 79, sits in her apartment at Elm Terrace Apartments on Sept. 8, 2024. (Heather Warlick/Oklahoma Watch)

Keaton Ross about Gov. Kevin Stitt setting a June 2026 election date for a ballot initiative that proposes an incremental minimum wage increase to $15 per hour by 2029. Jennifer Palmer covers why the Department of Education is trying to decertify a teacher over a 5 year old Instagram photo. Keaton rejoins to discuss a revised federal lawsuit that claims Cleveland County Detention Center staff grossly neglected a woman’s fatal mental health crisis in late 2022. Ted Streuli hosts.

This article was originally delivered to subscribers of our Education Watch newsletter. Sign up now to receive Education Watch directly in your inbox. The Oklahoma Department of Education published spring test results for the 2023-24 school year. Oklahoma parents and schools received individual student test scores last month. Each spring, schools administer exams in English language arts […]