February 24 - February 28

The Legislature has concluded its fourth week of session with the chamber of origin committee process dominating activity at the state Capitol. Thursday, March 6, is the deadline for House bills to be reported out of Oversight, Admin Rules and Rules Committees and Senate bills to be reported out of Senate committees.

A tax reform bill authored by Tulsa Republican Sen. Dave Rader, calculated to save typical single filers about $150 a year and couples filing jointly just north of $200, has earned passage through the Senate’s Revenue and Taxation Committee.

Senate Bill 304 proposes to eliminate the state’s current system of grouping people with varying incomes across six different tax brackets and to adopt a single “flat” 4.75% tax rate instead. Key to the proposal would be a major increase in the standard deduction that people would be able to claim to reduce their taxable income.

The standard deduction for single filers would be raised from the current $6,350 to $13,550. The standard deduction for couples filing jointly would be increased from $12,700 to $27,100.

Rader said lower- to middle-income Oklahomans would benefit the most from the plan but that tax savings would be realized by higher-income earners, as well. Figuring out taxes would be much simpler, he added, and the new system likely would make Oklahoma compare more favorably to other states in attracting new business investment. He said adopting the new system also would make it easier for future legislatures to provide tax cuts that would benefit all taxpayers.

An original proposal was to adopt a flat tax rate of 4.5%, but Rader said that would have reduced state revenues by a projected $300 million. The plan outlined by SB 304 would reduce revenues by about $90 million, which he said would be more manageable considering that the state’s Board of Equalization recently reported that the estimated $12.36 billion available to be appropriated this year will be $119 million less than what was appropriated for fiscal year 2025.

“This would be that first step that we could do that would be a softer way to land,” Rader said.

Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, who has advocated for a similar flat tax plan, said SB 304 would benefit average Oklahomans more than the 0.5 percentage point cut to the individual income tax rate that has been proposed by Gov. Kevin Stitt. In his recent State of the State address, Stitt also called for a path leading to an eventual elimination of the state’s income tax.

Howard said a half-point reduction would reduce taxes much more significantly for Oklahomans with the highest incomes.

“This (SB 304) path — that’s an actual reform,” he said. “For every single filer it’s $153.50, whether they’re making that $10,000 (in income) or $1 million. For married filing jointly it would be $207. Whenever we’re talking about the most that can be in there, the most taxpayers that can be affected, this really is the way to get reform. There’s probably still conversations that need to happen, but this is a vehicle that is very much on the path to reform.”

The bill passed through the committee on an 8-3 vote and now will be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The chairman of that committee, Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, who voted in favor of the measure, commended Rader and others for their work.

“We have seen already and will continue to see a host of ideas related to tax policy. … While some of them could be expensive and possibly troubling and may not see the light of day toward the end of this, I don’t think it serves us well to discount any idea that is presented,” he said.

One of the committee members who voted against the measure, Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, expressed concern that the bill would technically raise taxes for the lowest income earners, even though the increase would be more than offset by the increase in the standard deduction.

SB 304 drew a positive response from State Chamber of Oklahoma CEO Chad Warmington, who liked it for its simplicity, “fairness across the board” and advantages for businesses.

“(Also), this bill would not preclude them from doing anything further. If they want to do a top-rate cut with some triggers down the road, that’s great. There’s no preventing that,” Warmington said.

The Senate Education Committee has unanimously approved legislation expanding educational opportunities for members of the Oklahoma National Guard. Senate Bill 31, by Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, creates the “Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act,” providing tuition assistance for Oklahoma Guard members enrolling in programs leading to licensure or certification, making vocational education more accessible and affordable.

Hicks said she was proud to support Oklahoma National Guard members, ensuring they have the resources and education needed to succeed both in uniform and in civilian life.

“Our guard members not only protect our nation but help their fellow citizens throughout the state during natural disasters and other emergencies, and they do so at great personal sacrifice,” Hicks said. “This is a tangible way to recognize those sacrifices Oklahoma Guard members make on behalf of our communities, state, and nation by giving them the ability to create better a future for themselves and their families through additional education.”

Hicks’ legislation will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, on Tuesday secured unanimous committee passage of a bill that would waive financial eligibility requirements for children of longtime public school teachers applying for the Oklahoma Promise Scholarship.

House Bill 1727 passed the House Appropriations & Budget Committee. The bill specifies the student’s parent must be a full-time certified teacher who has taught for at least 10 years in Oklahoma public schools. The years do not have to be consecutive or in the same school.

“This bill has so many positives,” Moore told his fellow committee members. “It would incentivize those teachers who are not yet fully certified to get certified. It would increase retention of longtime certified teachers in our public school classrooms where their dedication and expertise is so desperately needed.

“We also know that students of educators teach at a higher rate than other students. This would keep them in Oklahoma for college, making it more likely they will stay here to live, work and raise a family.”

The Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), better known as Oklahoma’s Promise, allows students who meet certain income, academic and conduct requirements to earn a college or technology tuition scholarship. It was created in 1992 by the Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. The program is administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Moore said he hopes this measure would help address a teacher shortage, which is not just in Oklahoma but nationwide. And it’s hoped it would cut down on the need for the record high number of alternative emergency certified teachers who now fill Oklahoma classrooms.

“I’m grateful to all who are willing to step into teach in our schools, particularly in rural areas where its often hard to find enough traditionally certified teachers,” Moore said. “But study after study shows us that the No. 1 factor to a student’s success in the classroom is a qualified teacher – one who has been trained in classroom management and has specific subject-matter expertise.”

House Bill 1727 passed 31-0 in the House Appropriations & Budget Committee and now is eligible for consideration on the House floor.

Through a series of bills, a prominent Republican state senator is working to set guidelines and limit the Oklahoma State Board of Education’s ability to revoke teaching licenses and lower the accreditation statuses of school districts.

The Education Senate committee unanimously passed three bills Tuesday authored by its chairman, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, that could create specific language regarding the state education board’s processes in considering teaching certificates and accreditation status, providing due process for educators whose licenses might be in jeopardy.

Senate bill would limit the Oklahoma State Board of Education’s ability to revoke teaching licenses

SB 797 would provide specific reasons for which the Oklahoma State Board of Education can revoke or suspend a teacher’s license. Reasons included in the bill include: a willful violation of federal or state law, the abuse or neglect of a child, moral turpitude, incompetency in the performance of duty or neglect of any professional duty.

Last year, the board voted to revoke the teaching license of Summer Boismier, a former Norman High School teacher, pushed back against House Bill 1775, a controversial state law that targeted the teaching of critical race theory. In 2022, Boismier covered the bookshelves in her classroom with red butcher paper.

At the time, State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said Boismier was attempting to indoctrinate students with a “liberal political agenda” and called for her teaching license be permanently revoked.

In July, the board referred the application to revoke an Ardmore teacher’s teaching certificate to a hearing officer after the educator commented on a Facebook post about the assassination attempt of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

An individual posted on Facebook saying they’d give the shooter $500 for trying to “save us” from Trump. Under the post, Scott commented: “Same!! Wish they had a better scope.”

Pugh’s bill would prohibit the board from summarily revoking or suspending a teaching certificate before an individual proceeding for revocation or other action is conducted for the teacher.

Chair Sen. Adam Pugh during a hearing at the Senate Education Budget subcommittee meeting at the Oklahoma Capitol Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.

The board would be required to provide notice to a teacher and their school district at least five days prior to suspension or revocation. Under the proposed law, the board also would be required to take action on a teaching license within 60 days of providing notification.

“This bill seeks to provide due process that the teacher and the school district will be notified when a teacher is under investigation,” Pugh said during the committee meeting.

Currently, there is no timeline in the state statues that clarify when the time an investigation into a public teacher begins to when it’s adjudicated and closed, Pugh said.

“When teachers have been notified of investigation, the school district immediately has to place them on leave,” Pugh said. “However, they do not take those teachers off the payroll. There’s one particularly large school district in the state of Oklahoma that’s had a teacher on leave since September, paying them to not be in the classroom.”

Senate bills seek to place guidelines on school accreditation statuses

Authored by Pugh, SB 707 would direct the Board of Education to adopt standards for the accreditation of school districts, rather than school sites, as it’s now done. The bill would require evaluations of school districts beginning in the 2025-26 school year to be conducted every four years, and prohibit the board from interrupting that four-year cycle.

Under SB 699, the board must create rules establishing due-process procedures, providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing prior to the accreditation status of a school site or school district being changed.

If passed, school districts would be granted the opportunity to request a hearing before the board takes action on classifying a school site or district with deficiencies, warning, probation or nonaccredited status. Districts must receive notice, by mail, of their right to a hearing under the proposed legislation.

“(Accreditation) should be a hammer,” Pugh said. “That’s not the point of accreditation.”

Members of the House Education Oversight Committee had major concerns about a bill Wednesday requiring schools provide an expansive list of records on their child.

HB2696, by Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, requires public schools and public school employees to provide all of a student’s records to the students parents or to the student themselves if they are over 18-years old in a timely matter at no cost. The bill prohibits a school from redacting or omitting information from the record unless it would otherwise violate the law. The bill includes school staff and teacher correspondences, personal communications about the student, individual student records, meeting notices, student athlete contracts, proposed changes to an Individualized Education Program or other program for a student with disabilities, student assessments, progress reports and internal complaints and recommendations regarding the student as records that must be provided.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, and Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, both expressed concern about requiring teachers and school staff to give access to their personal cellphones to parents. Ford said that would only happen if they’d discussed a student on their cellphone.

Hasenbeck gave an example of multiple teachers texting each other to find a solution to help a student at that exact moment, as a reason why a teacher may use their phones to discuss a student. Ford questioned why a parent would not also be included in that text conversation. Hasenbeck said parents cannot always be reached when an incident is happening, but agreed parents should be notified later.

Ford said he had too many parents share stories about schools denying access to information, or going into IEP meetings knowing the other members of the meetings had already discussed what they believed should happen with their child without the parents’ input.

Rep Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, said it seemed the committee was in agreement with “98 percent” of Ford’s bill, but every member had concerns about the same section of the bill allowing access to school staff’s persona devices.

Ford agreed to change the language before the bill went to the floor, and eventually, the bill was laid over for a short amount of time while Caldwell wrote an amendment to the bill addressing those concerns. The bill then passed unanimously once the amendment was adopted.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today advanced House Bill 2151 out of the Education Oversight Committee. Authored by Rep. Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, HB 2151 is aimed at increasing transparency in the federal Department of Education (ED) guidelines for the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). The bill requires the Oklahoma State Department of Education to publicly disclose online all guidance documents it receives from the U.S. Department of Education, ensuring that the public have access to the federal influence on state-level education decisions.

Rep. Hall emphasized the need for this legislation, citing concerns over how federal guidance can shape state policy outside of the proper legal framework.

“Federal agencies can use guidance documents to tip the scales of state policy in an improper and extralegal manner. These directives are often used as a backdoor means of pressuring state officials into compliance with federal priorities, without going through the proper rulemaking process,” said Hall.

The motion to file HB2151 follows a May 2023 guidance document from the Biden Administration, which cited Oklahoma City Public Schools in allegations of racial discrimination. This document, which raised concerns about the federal government’s overreach into local education matters, highlighted the urgent need for transparency in how federal agencies influence state education policies.

“This legislation is critical because it guarantees the public’s right to know exactly what guidance the federal government is handing down to our state’s education system. Oklahoma parents, educators and policymakers deserve full visibility into the directives shaping their schools,” said Hall.

HB2151 passed 9-0 out of the Education Oversight Committee and will now move to the House floor for consideration.

A Senate panel on Tuesday passed five bills to start the process of giving some retirees a 2% cost-of-living adjustment.

Senate Bill 8, by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, would provide a 2% increase in benefits for members of the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System.

Senate Bill 174, by Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, would provide a 2% cost of living adjustment for members of the Teachers’ Retirement System.

Senate Bill 9, by Weaver, would provide a 2% increase in benefits to members of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System.

Senate Bill 90, by Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, would provide a 2% increase in benefits to members of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.

Senate Bill 21, by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, would provide a 2% increase in benefits to members of the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System who have been retired for five or more years.

The proposals must first receive an actuarial analysis to determine the costs.

Lawmakers next session could then consider any proposed increases.

Lawmakers typically file cost of living adjustment bills in odd-numbered years and take them up in even-numbered years after the actuarial analyses are completed.

A bill that would add items to Oklahoma’s back-to-school sales tax holiday advanced Monday from a Senate committee.

Senate Bill 231 would add sportswear and school items like art supplies, instructional materials and computer items to the list.

Clothing and shoes under $100 are already exempt from taxes during the annual holiday weekend, which runs from the first Friday in August through the first Sunday.

The bill, by Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, passed the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee by a vote of 11-0 with no debate. It passed with title stricken, a legislative procedural move to slow the bill down.

It is eligible to be heard on the Senate floor.

A bill that would ban schools from using corporal punishment on students with disabilities passed the Senate on Tuesday despite concerns it removes local control and could go against parental wishes.

The state Department of Education has already prohibited the practice, but Senate Bill 364 seeks to codify into state law a ban against deliberately causing pain by using physical discipline on students with federally protected disabilities.

“I have never, ever, ever met a parent of a disabled child call for the beating of their child to make them better,” said Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, the author.

Rader said some of the protected disabilities include deafness, emotional disturbance, intellectual disability, visual impairment or an orthopedic injury.

It defines corporal punishment as the deliberate infliction of pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping, or any other physical force used as a means of discipline.

Rader said corporal punishment could not be used by a school even if a parent agreed to it.

“Perhaps the parent of the child, in most cases, knows best what that child is going to respond to and how the child is going to perform his or her duties in the classroom,” said Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, who voted against the bill.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1977 allows corporal punishment usage in schools, but leaves it to states to set their own rules.

Traditionally, Oklahoma lawmakers have left those decisions to local districts, but the state Department of Education quietly barred the practice on children with disabilities starting in the 2020-21 school year. A 2017 law also prohibits the practice on children with the most “significant cognitive disabilities.”

During the 2017-18 school year, over 20% of corporal punishments in Oklahoma schools were administered on disabled children, according to federal statistics.

Other forms of discipline are available, Rader said. The bill does not prohibit parents from using corporal punishment, Rader said.

Previous efforts to ban the practice have proven controversial. A similar effort last year cleared the state Senate, but died in the House.

Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said Tuesday that banning the practice in schools amounts to “a top down socialist aligned ideological, unilateral divorce between parents’ ability to collaborate with their local schools to establish a disciplined regimen.”

He also said it “is a violation of scripture,” and cited Proverbs 22:15 which he said says “folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”

“There are going to be times when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we won’t have to fear evil because your rod and your staff comfort me,” Rader responded.

Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, said there could be negative consequences to removing a partnership between parents and local administrators and forcing the removal of a historically necessary and important disciplinary tool for order.

“This is not a blanket ban,” Rader said.

The vote was 31-16.

The measure moves to the House for possible consideration.

Two measures authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R- McCurtain, were unanimously approved by Senate Committees.

The Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 96 Monday.

The measure requires cell-cultured meats or insect-protein food products to be labeled as such.

“This legislation fosters transparency and promotes informed consent by requiring clear labeling of food products made from cell-cultured meats or insect protein, ensuring consumers are fully aware of what they are purchasing and consuming,” Hamilton said. “The provisions of this measure will eliminate any confusion amongst consumers about which products are made through traditional agricultural production and processing, versus products made in a lab or with insect parts. By implementing these labeling requirements, consumers can make informed choices based on their preferences and dietary needs.”

Senate Bill 445 was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The measure raises the age of consent from 16 to 18 years of age.

“It is our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our society— our children,” Hamilton said. “I extend my appreciation to my colleagues who have already supported this measure, and I look forward to continuing to work on this critical piece of legislation that will put further safeguards in place for Oklahoma’s youth.”

Senate Bills 96 and 445 are now eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

Oklahoma’s public schools chief has asked for clarity over whether a presidential executive order could block federally funded services to undocumented students.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Feb. 19 stating “that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The purpose of Trump’s order is to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States,” according to the text of the decree.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters on Monday requested an opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond, asking whether Trump’s order affects federally funded school programs in Oklahoma and, if so, what steps the state should take to comply with the order.

The Attorney General’s Office has received Walters’ request for an opinion and will respond in due course, spokesperson Phil Bacharach said.

Specific programs that could be affected are Title I funds that support impoverished students and “migratory children,” Walters wrote in a letter to the attorney general. Federal dollars also underwrite the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or reduced-price cafeteria meals, and programs teaching English to students who don’t speak it as their first language.

A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling forbids states from denying undocumented students access to public education.

Walters has said the Court “got it wrong” in that ruling and has pursued policies that he said would eliminate “sanctuary schools” in the state.

While endorsing immigration raids in public schools, Walters proposed a rule that would require districts to ask families for proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency during enrollment. Districts would have to report to the state the number of students who couldn’t provide this documentation.

The proposed rule is now before the state Legislature for consideration.

“I am fully committed to ensuring that Oklahoma is a strong partner in advancing President Trump’s agenda for public education,” Walters said in a statement Monday. “Taxpayer dollars should be used to support the education of American students, not to subsidize or create a magnet for illegal immigration. We must ensure compliance with the president’s executive order and take the necessary steps to uphold the rule of law in our schools.”

Both Walters and Drummond have called themselves allies of Trump and the president’s strict immigration policies.

However, requiring citizenship checks in schools has become controversial even among Republicans in Oklahoma.

Gov. Kevin Stitt vocally opposed Walters’ proposal to have schools collect this information. Stitt, though supportive of Trump’s border policies, said checking children’s immigration status is “not a public safety issue.”

The Republican governor called on Drummond, with whom Stitt has had several public spats, and Walters to “do the job you’re elected to do” instead of campaigning for higher office. Drummond is running in the 2026 election for governor, and Walters has long been rumored to potentially join that race.

“I think that’s what’s so frustrating is you see people weaponizing their offices, doing different things to get publicity,” Stitt said in a Feb. 12 news conference. “Maybe they’re doing it out of a clean heart, but it sure looks questionable especially when you pick on 8-year-old kids.”

Stitt also replaced three members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education who voted in favor of Walters’ immigration rule.

In response to Stitt’s critical comments, Walters accused the governor of “ignoring a mandate from President Trump” and contravening the will of Oklahomans. Drummond said Stitt is “not a true conservative.”

Drummond, though, has not commented on whether he supports having schools carry out citizenship checks or denying federal education funds to undocumented children.

He celebrated Stitt’s changes to the state Board of Education but urged the governor’s new appointees to act independently of Walters and Stitt.

“I am hopeful that you realize your duty is to the people of Oklahoma, not to any politician or his personal agenda,” Drummond wrote in a Feb. 13 letter to the new appointees. “While I welcome the governor’s apparent ‘shake-up’ of the board, this action is only necessary because of Gov. Stitt’s extremely poor judgment in appointing, promoting and then endorsing Ryan Walters and his anti-public schools agenda.”

While its effort to buy Bibles for classrooms is tied up in court, the Oklahoma Department of Education initiated a new vendor search to purchase materials containing Bible-infused character lessons for elementary-aged students.

The department is looking to buy supplemental instructional materials containing age-appropriate biblical content that demonstrates how biblical figures influenced the United States. Additionally, the materials must emphasize virtues, significant historical events, and key figures throughout Oklahoma history, according to bid documents published Friday.

The request for proposals doesn’t specify how many copies the state wants to buy, only that the vendor must be willing to ship directly to districts.

Like the Bibles the department sought in the fall, this request could be challenged under the state constitution, which prohibits public money from being spent for religious purposes.

“This RFP seems to be another constitutional violation,” said Alex Luchenitser, an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and one of the attorneys representing Oklahomans in the Bible lawsuit.

“It seeks to inject the Bible into public school curricula, and only refers to the Bible and doesn’t refer to any other religious texts, so it’s clearly a move to push Christianity,” he said.

The Education Department wants the character materials to align with Oklahoma’s new social studies standards, which have been revised to contain more than 40 references to the Bible and Christianity, compared to two in the current version. But the proposed standards haven’t been approved.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is expected to present the standards to the Board of Education at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday. It will be the first time the board meets since Gov. Kevin Stitt replaced three members. If approved, the standards will move to the Legislature for consideration.

The standards review committee included several nationally prominent conservatives: Dennis Prager of PragerU, David Barton of the Christian Nationalist organization Wallbuilders, and the president of the Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts.

While standards guide what schools are to teach, school districts have sole authority to choose curriculum and books.

In November, the state abruptly canceled a search to buy 55,000 King James Bibles, an effort that attracted criticism for appearing to exclude all Bibles except an expensive version endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Walters vowed to reissue that request, but a coalition of parents, students, teachers and faith leaders asked the Oklahoma State Supreme Court to block the purchase and Walters’ mandate to teach the Bible.

The Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the state’s central purchasing agency, also wants to wait. It asked the court for an order allowing it to delay the new Bible request for proposals until the case is resolved. Two OMES employees are named in the lawsuit.

The race for state superintendent has begun with the first candidate announcing his campaign Tuesday.

Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller, a Republican, said he is running for the post in the 2026 election. Miller said he will retire from Bixby at the end of the school year.

Miller, 63, made the campaign announcement at a Public Schools Day rally in front of the state Capitol. He already had filed paperwork with the state Ethics Commission to establish his candidacy.

“I have been encouraged by quite a few people to give this a shot,” Miller told reporters as a high school band boomed behind him at the rally. “I’m at that point in my career where this has nothing to do with politics. This is about going to the state Department (of Education), rolling up my sleeves and working hard on behalf of Oklahoma’s students and families because I have no aspirations beyond this job unlike other people.”

The comment was a barb against the incumbent state superintendent, Ryan Walters, whom many believe will seek higher office in 2026. Walters, though, has not announced a political campaign. He is eligible to seek a second term as state superintendent.

Miller said he hopes to address the critical shortage of qualified teachers in Oklahoma, if elected, and to bring “pride and respect back to education.”

The longtime educator and former Marine criticized the political atmosphere hanging over Oklahoma schools and educators, indicating Walters is the one responsible. Walters has spent much of his time in office remarking on culture-war issues and seeking to place Bibles in classrooms.

“Right now, teachers feel like they’re under a storm cloud,” Miller said. “They’re afraid to teach certain things. They’re afraid to speak out because of retribution from certain leaders, and what I want teachers to know is we support you (and) we value you. You make a difference in the lives of kids every single day. Tell us what you need to do that job better.”

A crowd cheers after Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller announces his campaign for state superintendent during a Public Schools Day rally on Tuesday outside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Miller has become an increasingly prominent figure in Oklahoma education particularly because of his clashes with Walters.

Before the 2024-25 school year began, the Bixby schools leader complained Walters’ administration failed to give adequate notice of each district’s federal funding levels.

In response, Walters called Miller a “clown” and a “liar” and insinuated Bixby had “all kinds of financial problems.”

Miller sued Walters for defamation over the comments. The lawsuit is still pending in Tulsa County District Court.

Walters’ administration has called the case a frivolous political stunt.

Miller’s profile continued to rise when he received a shoutout in Gov. Kevin Stitt’s State of the State Address earlier this month. Stitt complimented Bixby’s decision to prohibit cellphone use during the school day for students up to ninth grade.

The governor joined Miller at the Bixby Ninth Grade Center in November to discuss the issue of cellphones in schools with students and teachers.

 Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller smiles after performing a rap parody to announce his campaign for state superintendent during a Public Schools Day rally outside the state Capitol on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Miller’s most recent claim to fame, though, came in the form of a viral internet video. He parodied Eminem’s rap hit “Lose Yourself” to announce a snow day on Feb. 12.

Miller reprised the parody to announce his campaign for statewide office on Tuesday, donning an Eminem-style beanie hat and performing rhymes for the eager audience outside the Capitol.

Afterward, he said he wanted to set an example of “doing things that are fun and encouraging.”

“Because that’s what we want our teachers to do, right?” he said. “We want them to go to their classrooms and make it fun, relevant and exciting for kids. And so, if they’re not seeing that from the top, then what prompts them to do it in the classroom?”

John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, has filed Senate Bill 701 to enhance educational opportunities for students at Northeastern State University’s (NSU) Broken Arrow campus. The measure grants the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education the authority to offer lower-division, upper-division, and graduate-level courses at the branch campus, broadening access to higher education in the region.

The bill was unanimously passed in the Education Committee by an 11-0 vote with no debate, signaling strong bipartisan support for expanding educational opportunities in the state.

“Expanding course availability at NSU-Broken Arrow is a critical step in ensuring that students in our community have the academic resources they need without having to travel long distances,” Haste said. “By giving the State Regents the ability to offer a full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate courses, we’re providing more flexibility and opportunities for students to earn their degrees and strengthen Oklahoma’s workforce.”

NSU’s Broken Arrow campus has historically been limited in its course offerings. SB 701 seeks to remove these barriers and make higher education more accessible for students in the Tulsa metropolitan area and surrounding communities.

“Education is a cornerstone of economic development, and this legislation provides students with access to the education they need to succeed in their careers,” Haste added. “This bill is about investing in the future of our workforce and making it easier for students to reach their full potential.”

The bill now moves to the Senate floor for consideration.

Oklahoma City Republican Jon Echols served in the House of Representatives for 12 years. Then he had to retire. Last fall, term limits forced Echols out of his post as majority floor leader, a leadership gig he held for the last eight of those 12 years.

But Echols is far from retirement. In fact, if the next general election goes right, Echols will continue to work for the state for the next four years. This week he’s announcing that he will run for attorney general in 2026.

Though his formal announcement is set to be made Wednesday afternoon at Christian Heritage Academy in Del City, Echols sat down with The Oklahoman to talk about why the position of attorney general is important and why he wants to spend another eight years working in state government.

At the Capitol, Echols has often been a key figure in the Republican Caucus. He’s helped shape ideas and steer them through the Legislature to become law. He wears the moniker of conservative proudly.

And while Echols, 45, is seen as easy going and approachable — even by his opponents — he has had his share of controversies.

He was part of Turn Key, the highly criticized company that contracted with cities and towns to provide health care in the state’s jails. He also sponsored legislation that made major changes in the health care system, including hospice care in Medicaid coverage.

And, Echols was also part of the leadership team that sponsored the state’s anti-immigration bill, House Bill 4156. That bill, which is currently tied up in court, criminalized those in Oklahoma without federal permission “for an impermissible occupation crime.”

Echols isn’t apologizing for the measures. He said immigration will continue to remain an issue, adding that his goal was “simply to make the state safer.”

But now, as a former member of the Legislature, Echols, an attorney by trade, isn’t ready to leave state government. He’s got plans for the next eight years.

Former House Floor Leader Jon Echols attends a budget meeting at the Oklahoma Capitol in May 2024.

Jon Echols on why he has decided to run for Oklahoma attorney general

Instead of serving in the House of Representatives, Echols wants to take his experience, his background and yes, even his law degree, out for a spin, so Jon Echols is shifting gears.

“There is a great deal the attorney general can do,” Echols said. “There’s a civil division and a criminal division and its important to make sure those serve the people of this state.”

Though Echols is proud to be labeled a conservative, and he’s quick to say he supports the policies of President Donald Trump, Echols will also tout his independence and say his main focus is the law.

During his announcement, Echols released a list of endorsements — from 16 sheriffs across the state, including Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III and Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado.

“My job is to uphold the law,” he said. “We can disagree and still get along. But my goal is to help keep this state safe.”

A graduate of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, Echols received numerous academic awards and graduated first in his class. He said he wants to take his legal experience and understanding of state government to the office of attorney general.

The goal isn’t to run later for governor or a federal office, but he said, to focus on the problems faced now by Oklahomans. “This state has problems that need to be addressed,” he said. “I believe the AG’s office is the way to do that.”

He points to his family background — five generations that go back to the Land Run of 1889 — as part of the reason for serving. Call it family ties with state history.

“My family still owns the ranch they had in 1889 in Okeene,” he said. “We love this state, that’s why we’re here.”

With the race for attorney general expected to heat up — even though right now, Echols is the only announced candidate — the debate over what issues the AG’s office should tackle quickly continues.

For Echols, those issues are centered on one big problem: fentanyl.

A synthetic opioid that is about 50 times as potent as heroin, fentanyl has a huge following because it is cheap to manufacture and a small amount goes a long way.

“Fentanyl is a huge problem,” Echols said. “And it’s something we will hit from day one.”

Granted there are other issues, too, he said, that will be priorities. Echols said transparency in government, open records, and the ability to ensure that state funds are spent properly would all be focuses of his tenure if elected.

“Yes, I’m a Republican and I’m a proud conservative,” he said. “But I also believe in public service. Once elected you have to serve every Oklahoman — no matter what their politics — and I want to do just that.”

The filing period for the 2026 elections will begin in April of 2026.

 March 2025

• Thursday, March 6: Deadline for Senate Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Committee
• Thursday, March 6: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Oversight, Admin Rules, Appropriations and Rules Committees
• Thursday, March 27: Deadline for Third Reading and Final Passage of Bills and Joint Resolutions by the Chamber of Origin (House and Senate) 

April 2025

• Thursday, April 10: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Policy Committees and Appropriation Subcommittees
• Thursday, April 24: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Oversight, Admin Rules, Appropriations and Rules Committees
• Thursday, April 24: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Committee (Senate)

May 2025

•   Thursday, May 8: Deadline for Third Reading and Final Passage of Bills and Joint Resolutions by the Opposite Chamber (House and Senate) 
•  Friday, May 30 (no later than 5:00 p.m.): Sine Die Adjournment of the First Session of the 69^th Legislature

OkACTE tracks and monitors legislative bills. These bills can vary from CareerTech education policy, common education policy, education funding, teacher pay raise, tax credits, licensing, Ad Valorem, retirement, state employee pay raise, guns, economic development and much more.

Of these bills, we've compiled a listing of CTE Priority Measures linked below.

Visit oklegislature.gov to view entire text of the measures.

CTE Priority Measures