OKLAHOMA CITY (March 26, 2021) – Today Governor Kevin Stitt named Christina Gungoll Lepore as Director of the Governor’s Washington, D.C. Office. A fourth generation Oklahoman originally from Enid, and former staffer for Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03), Christina has had a distinguished career in government affairs and public relations. 

“I am excited to have Christina in Washington to help us advance and defend key priorities for the State of Oklahoma,” said Governor Stitt. “It is critical for our success to have as many boots on the ground as possible to ensure Oklahoma is receiving its fair share, as federal dollars make up 40% of our state budget. Many other states, such as Texas, have long-standing state executive offices in our nation’s capital and it’s vital we are on a level playing field as we continue our ascent to becoming a Top Ten state.” 

“It is truly an honor to once again serve my home state of Oklahoma,” said Lepore. “I look forward to working with our outstanding Congressional delegation and all our federal partners to further enhance our strong state-federal partnership and move Oklahoma forward.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 29, 2020)— Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement in response to the State Board of Education’s decision last week to settle a nearly 4-year-old lawsuit with the Oklahoma Charter School Association:

“I commend the State Board of Education for its lawful decision to uphold current statute and affirm that charter schools are public schools.

“This decision is the right one for Oklahoma students. The COVID pandemic has shown us that students learn in a variety of different ways and there is no one-size-fits-all school for every student. Public school students should not be punished for succeeding in a charter school setting. Further, existing statute makes clear that charter schools are eligible for local revenues.

Stress of School District Funding During Covid-19 Made Worse by Bad Policy

A recent article in The Oklahoman discussed the financial impact of the mid-year funding adjustment for Oklahoma school districts. School administrators bemoaned the adjustment, citing the hardships of the pandemic. This reduction should come as no surprise, however, considering how Oklahoma’s school district funding works.

State appropriated school district funding is allocated based on Weighted Average Daily Membership (WADM), a convoluted “per student” measure. WADM is then used to calculate how much funding a school district will receive from the state. Basically, the more students there are in a district, the more money the district will receive. Therefore, if a district loses students, it will receive less funding, and if a district gains students, it will receive more funding.

In 2020, Oklahoma school districts decided to shut-down in-person learning but were not adequately prepared to teach students virtually; consequently, they lost students to schools that did virtual schooling better. Over 60,000 students left traditional public schools and enrolled in various charter schools. Therefore, the traditional districts’ enrollment fell while charter school enrollment rose. As a result, based on our discussion of formula funding above, you would think that traditional school districts would lose funding and charter schools would gain.

A bad trade

What if someone offered to serve you nothing but dessert every day for a month—but in exchange you had to promise that you would forgo the opportunity to buy health food for the rest of the year? From an economic standpoint, that’s what congressional Democrats have offered Oklahoma with the latest round of federal bailout funding.

While Oklahoma government is expected to receive $2.1 billion in bailout funding, that money comes with a catch. One provision of the federal legislation prohibits states from using the money “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction in the net tax revenue of such State or territory resulting from a change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation during the covered period that reduces any tax (by providing for a reduction in a rate, a rebate, a deduction, a credit, or otherwise) or delays the imposition of any tax or tax increase.”

Put simply, congressional Democrats tried to strip states of their power over state taxes. They offer states a financial sugar high so long as we promise not to do anything that would improve our economic health long term.

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, on Tuesday passed a bill in the House Administrative Rules Committee that he said will ensure agency rules go through a more transparent and thorough process before being approved or repealed.

Senate Bill 913, by O’Donnell and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, would create the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to review and recommend to the Legislature approval or repeal of agency rules.

“State agencies promulgate rules that once approved by the state Legislature have the full effect of law,” O’Donnell said. “The problem is, we currently have one House committee dedicated to overseeing rules from almost 200 agencies, boards and commissions during the crush of the four-month legislative session. This measure would establish a committee that would meet throughout the year to review these rules to see which might need to be removed or amended. This would lead to much greater transparency and greater input into the rule-making process.”

GOVERNOR STITT APPOINTS TRICIA EVEREST AS SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY|

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 22, 2021)— Governor Kevin Stitt today announced he has appointed attorney, nonprofit founder and philanthropist Tricia Everest as Secretary of Public Safety. Upon Senate confirmation, Everest will oversee over 55 agencies including the Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Pardon and Parole Board, and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

“Tricia is a proven leader who has done a tremendous job over the last few years building successful relationships with law enforcement and delivering meaningful criminal justice reform for Oklahoma,” said Gov. Stitt. “I am confident Tricia’s wealth of experience and heartfelt passion for serving the state will translate into success in this role.”

“It is an honor to be appointed to serve in Governor Stitt’s Cabinet as Secretary of Public Safety,” said Everest. “As a native Oklahoman, I am deeply committed to the success of our state, especially when it comes to protecting our citizens and our communities, and I am ready to get to work to carry out Governor Stitt’s vision for a safe and just Oklahoma.”

Critical race theory’s harms widespread

What do Pepé Le Pew and a high-school student in Las Vegas have in common? Both are targets of adherents of Marxist-derived “critical race theory” and its offshoots—and many Oklahomans could soon join them.

Pepé Le Pew drew attention when a New York Times columnist, soon joined by other critics, complained the cartoon skunk “normalizes” rape culture. That the female cat in the cartoons is always fearfully, frantically trying to escape Pepé’s embrace is proof, they say.

Yet anyone who has seen the cartoons knows that’s not what’s occurring. The cat is desperately trying to flee—first and foremost—because Pepé is a literal skunk. His foul odor can be physically viewed wafting through the air as a dark cloud. All who cross his path run fleeing, man and beast alike.

The joke is that a guy who thinks he is irresistible to women actively repels them. That’s not condoning rape. It’s making fun of boorish men. While the laws of that time may not have dealt with sexual harassment as forcefully as today’s statutes, Pepé Le Pew cartoons show such men were not viewed as role models in the past but were instead objects of ridicule.

How does this tie to a student in Las Vegas? Keep reading.