Tulsa World Opinion

State Rep. Regina Goodwin of Tulsa's District 73  joins Ginnie Graham to discuss the most recent state board of education meeting, where she was allowed to speak during the public comment portion. How can the relationship between state legislators and State Superintendent Ryan Walters improve? "Allowing them access into the board room for a state board meeting would be a start. Returning phone calls would be a start to really having genuine and authentic communication." Plus, Rep. Goodwin talks about the controversial PragerU; and why HB 1775 is a "trash law."

Related

Aug. 24 video: 'Folks don't need threats. Folks need assistance,' Rep. Goodwin tells State Board of Education

Editorial: TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist moved district forward, left with grace and honor

Controversial PragerU videos, curriculum materials touted by Walters not adopted in area schools

Civil rights bill draws ire of Black state senators

House Democrats push for Ryan Walters' impeachment

Rep. John Waldron: Will you stand up against the rotten state of affairs being foisted on Oklahoma's public schools?

Terms of Gist's separation released with incoming superintendent's employment agreement

From the Tulsa World archives: Coverage of State Superintendent Ryan Walters

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Ginnie Graham and Stacey Woolley talk about a variety of public school topics ranging from Deb Gist's departure, who might be next, the fight between TPS and Ryan Walters and more. 

Related

Rep. John Waldron: Will you stand up against the rotten state of affairs being foisted on Oklahoma's public schools?

Opinion: State Superintendent Ryan Walters failed his reading homework on Tulsa Public Schools

Ginnie Graham: Extremism thrives on people not checking out the daily headlines

Terms of Gist's separation released with incoming superintendent's employment agreement

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Editorial Editor Ginnie Graham: Email | Twitter | Follow her stories

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Rep. John Waldron represents Tulsa’s District 77 in the Oklahoma House. Previously, he worked as a social studies and history teacher at Booker T. Washington High School. He joins Ginnie Graham to reflect on Tulsa Public Schools under Superintendent Deborah Gist, and if the Oklahoma State Board of Education's criticism of TPS under her leadership is warranted. How can Oklahomans and the state legislature proceed after the most recent meeting?

Related

Rep. John Waldron: Will you stand up against the rotten state of affairs being foisted on Oklahoma's public schools?

More school bomb threats keep investigators busy, parents worried

TPS students, community rally to support district during accreditation vote: 'Nobody is talking to us'

Oklahoma State Board of Education to require foreign funding reports from schools

TPS board unanimously approves separation agreement with Gist

Local leaders react to TPS leadership change

Embezzlement case at TPS highlighted in Walters' state takeover threats. What happened?

Lawmakers weigh in on Ryan Walters' TPS remarks

From the Tulsa World archives: Coverage of State Superintendent Ryan Walters

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The Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill, a progestin-only, estrogen-free method of contraception. Laura Bellis, Take Control Initiative executive director and Tulsa City Council District 4 councilor, talks about what this means for access to birth control and supporting women in having healthy births on their own terms.

Related

Laura Bellis: OTC birth control bright spot for women's health care

First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval

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Dr. Chris McNeil joins the podcast this week to explain that, in his opinion, because of a poor medical recruiting system, we are losing lives, talent and time. McNeil is the only Black male resident emergency physician in Tulsa, and starting July 1, he'll be the only one in the state. He has ideas on how and why that needs to change. 

Related

Dr. Chris McNeil: Oklahoma must recruit Black physicians like it does Black athletes

People to Watch: Dr. Chris McNeil takes pride in being approachable

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Ginnie Graham talks with Michael Lapolla about the hymn "Mansions of the Lord" ahead of Memorial Day. He is a graduate of West Point, veteran of the Ia Drang Valley campaigns of the Vietnam War, member of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and Tulsa resident. The hymn's first verse lyrics are as follows:

To fallen soldiers let us sing

Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing

Our broken brothers let us bring

To the mansions of the Lord

Related content:

Column by Michael Lapolla: Oklahoma POW survived with coded message

Column by Michael Lapolla: Remembering and honoring Lt. Gen. Raymond McLain

Column by Michael Lapolla: Stop excluding virtual public school charter students from state-sanctioned extracurricular activities

Column by Michael Lapolla: Celebrating honor and valor of veterans in Tulsa

Column by Michael Lapolla: Remembering and honoring Lt. Gen. Raymond McLain

Late WWII Lt. Gen. Raymond McLain honored at Tulsa high school that bears his name

Medal of Honor recipient missing 73 years to be buried Memorial Day

History of taps is focus of Memorial Day ceremony; volunteers needed for flag duty

Video of West Point Glee Club performance of "Mansions of the Lord"

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Ginnie Graham talks with David Blatt, OU-Tulsa professor of public policy and Oklahoma Policy Institute founder. What are highlights and problems with the Oklahoma legislature's historic education funding plan?

Related content:

Historic education plan advances through Oklahoma House, Senate

$625 million 'monumental education package': Oklahoma officials celebrate long-awaited agreement

Legislative budget efforts draw mixed responses from educators

Epic Charter School: Tulsa World reporting and investigating since 2019

Tulsa World Newsroom podcast: Longtime grant writer says Ryan Walters lied to lawmakers, federal grant money for Oklahoma in jeopardy

Paid maternity leave for Oklahoma teachers part of GOP education plan

Oklahoma Legislature's education dispute to spill into public forum with Treat, Walters

Stitt hopes cooler heads prevail after education face off with Oklahoma Senate

Stitt vetoes 20 Senate bills to spur approval of his education plan; senators push back

As GOP leaders spar over education funding, Stitt proposes compromise plan

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The Supreme Court on Friday blocked Oklahoma from executing death row inmate Richard Glossip for his role in a 1997 murder-for-hire after the state’s attorney general agreed Glossip’s life should be spared. Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, said that he is for the death penalty, but "if they kill Richard Glossip, you will see me running every bit of legislation to kill the death penalty in Oklahoma, because if we can't trust the system then we have to vacate what we're doing. We have to be able to trust the system."

Related content:

Richard Glossip supporters, including Dr. Phil, rally at state Capitol

DAs share concerns on Oklahoma AG's handling of death penalty case

Supreme Court blocks Richard Glossip's execution

Richard Glossip sues Pardon and Parole Board over split vote to deny clemency

Gov. Stitt indicates no plan to intervene in Glossip execution as faith leaders plead for mercy

Conservative Oklahoma lawmakers call for moratorium on death penalty

From June 2020: Oklahoma death-row inmate Richard Glossip wrongfully convicted, third-party probe finds

Rep. Kevin McDugle column from September 2020: Either we get the death penalty right, or we don't do it

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Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa of House District 72, is chairman of the Oklahoma Black Legislative Caucus. He speaks with Ginnie Graham about HB 1397, which would direct the Oklahoma State Department of Education to develop or make available a curriculum that reflects upon the civil rights movement between 1954 and 1968 and includes the principles Martin Luther King Jr. taught concerning nonviolence, bigotry and Jim Crow laws. Rep. Nichols said the Oklahoma Black Legislative Caucus was not consulted about HB 1397, and critics said the measure goes against HB 1775, a law passed in 2021 that prohibits teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another and that anyone, by virtue of race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Related content:

Civil rights bill draws ire of Black state senators

From May 2021: Gov. Stitt signs controversial bill that limits in-school instruction on race, gender and history

From June 2022: Tulsa Public Schools violated state law on race, gender, history, State Education Department says

Podcast episode from August 2022 with Rep. John Waldron: House Bill 1775 is a dumb law but we're dealing with it

From September 2022: State pushes back in HB 1775 lawsuit over race, gender instruction

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Editorial Editor Ginnie Graham: Email | Twitter | Follow her stories

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month — a time to recognize the importance of our community working together to prevent child abuse. Ginnie Graham talks with Maura Guten, president and CEO of the Child Abuse Network in Tulsa, about how Oklahomans can protect our most valuable and vulnerable population.

People with a reason to believe that a child under 18 is a victim of abuse or neglect are required per the Oklahoma Statutes —10A O.S. § 1-2-101 — to promptly report it to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-522-3511.

Related content:

Opinion column by Maura Guten: I regret not knowing more about child abuse

Breaking the Cycle: The Tulsa World's 8-day series on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

More than $5 million pledged to Child Abuse Network expansion campaign

Column: Everyone has a role in preventing child abuse and neglect

Child Abuse Network CEO 'extremely concerned' at rise in abuse stemming from pandemic

Maura Guten: Look out for child abuse; reaching out can save a life

$9.5 million grant to help expand OSU Center for Health Sciences childhood trauma research

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Contact us

Editorial Editor Ginnie Graham: Email | Twitter | Follow her stories

Subscribe to this podcast at: Apple | Google | Spotify

Support the show: https://tulsaworld.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.