This Week in Oklahoma Politics is taking off during Christmas and New Year's Day. Neva, Ryan and Michael will return on January Seventh. In the meantime, keep up with the news and information you need at KOSU.org. You can also find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at KOSU Radio.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Governor Stitt refusing to renew hunting and fishing licenses for Oklahoma tribes, the U.S. Supreme Court setting a date to consider an appeal based on its McGirt decision from summer of 2020 and a state lawmakers submitting a bill banning Oklahoma schools from teaching curriculum based off the New York Times' Pulitzer Prize winning "1619 Project" regarding the Black experience during and after slavery.

The trio also discusses a lawsuit from the founders of Epic against their former school and the leader of the Oklahoma National Guard warning them of possible consequences if they don't get vaccinated by December 31st.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the state of Oklahoma announcing its taking part in at least five lawsuits against the Biden Administration over vaccine mandates, the state's new public health lab in Stillwater comes under federal scrutiny and the Department of Education is starting an investigation of Epic Virtual Charter School after allegations from a resigning member of its governing board.

The trio also discusses a call by community activists for a Grand Jury investigation into Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater and an audit of the State Republican Party by the Federal Elections Commission over issues during the 2020 election cycle.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Secretary of Defense denying a request from Governor Stitt of a COVID-19 vaccination waiver and a federal judge putting an injunction against vaccine mandates against health care workers in facilities receiving Medicaid and Medicare funding.

The trio also discusses the approval of a new Oklahoma County jail by the Oklahoma County Jail Trust and the Pardon and Parole Board denying clemency requests for two men on death row less than two weeks after approving another over concerns of the state's execution protocols.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the announcement from Epic Virtual Charter School of cuts to its workforce as the district has lost nearly three-fifths of its student population, the Republican plan for redistricting is moving through the state capitol and Julius Jones faces execution.

The trio also discusses the Pentagon refuting the policy of the new leader of Oklahoma National Guard concerning vaccine mandates and Governor Stitt reverses the decision by the State Health Department on allowing nonbinary gender individuals to make changes to their birth certificates.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the State Supreme Court overturning a $465M award against opioid manufacturers and the State of Oklahoma challenging the Biden Administrations order mandating vaccines or testing for private businesses with more than 100 employees, federal agencies and organizations with federal contracts including several Oklahoma universities.

The trio also discusses a chastisement by Governor Stitt against Oklahoma City Public Schools after its board voted unanimously to fire six teachers for not following the school's masking policy and Oklahoma County Commissioner and former lawmaker Kevin Calvey announcing he is running for district attorney.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the new map released by legislative leaders for the special session to deal with redistricting, the Pardon and Parole Board recommending clemency for death row inmate Julius Jones and a judge stopping an anti-protest bill from taking effect.

The trio also discusses the state preparing to get kids ages five to eleven vaccinated against COVID-19 and the governor heading to Mexico to talk about opening a consulate in Oklahoma City.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel and former Republican Speaker of the State House Kris Steele sitting in for Neva Hill about the resignation of Health Commissioner Lance Frye a day after his agency settled a lawsuit allowing non binary Oklahomans to the gender on their birth certificates and an appellate court puts executions on hold again after granting stays for two death row inmates.

The trio also discusses the state Supreme Court's decision to keep three anti-abortion bills from moving forward on Monday while a lawsuit is pending and several news stories recently dropped concerning McGirt versus Oklahoma.

This week in Oklahoma politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about Republican gubernatorial candidate Ervin Yen announcing he plans to leave the GOP to challenge Governor Stitt as an independent and Stitt threatening to sue the Biden Administration over its vaccine mandate for private businesses.

The trio also discusses a group filing a lawsuit against House Bill 1775 which bans the teaching of racial issues in Oklahoma schools and newly appointed Attorney General John O'Connor asking the state Supreme Court to remove two Pardon and Parole Board members from upcoming clemency hearings.

This week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about State Superintendet Joy Hofmeister switching her political affiliation to Democrat to challenge Governor Stitt in next year's election, tribal leaders calling out the governor for his stance on the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt versus Oklahoma decision and a new poll showing more Oklahomans don't agree with the governor that McGirt is the most pressing issue facing the state.

The trio also discusses a new petition set to gather signatures allowing voters to decide whether to add recreational marijuana for adults in the Oklahoma constitution and Edmond voters overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase to purchase land near Hafer Park.