Oklahoma bill would curtail state superintendent's control over school board meetings
The House Education Oversight Committee meets Wednesday at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. The committee advanced a bill that would give members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education authority over the topics discussed in the board's meetings. (Photos by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Following complaints from the Oklahoma State Board of Education, lawmakers introduced legislation to limit the state superintendent's control over the board's operations.
Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, repurposed House Bill 1491 with new language that would allow board members, not only the state superintendent, to place items on their meeting agendas. Leaders of the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Kevin Stitt, endorsed the measure.
'No one member should unilaterally control a board, especially one that directly impacts the outcomes of our students,' Stitt said Wednesday.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters' office didn't immediately return a request for comment Wednesday morning.
Three members whom Stitt appointed last month complained that they had no control over the topics they're able to discuss during meetings.
One of the members, Chris Vandenhende, said he wanted to schedule a meeting and vote to 'suspend all activity related to immigration.' The board in January had agreed to submit rules to the state Legislature that would have schools report students' immigration status.
The governor, who pledged to block the immigration rule, appoints all members of the state Board of Education except for the state superintendent, who is elected and acts as chairperson of the board. The board oversees the state's public education system and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The House Education Oversight Committee unanimously approved Johns' amended bill on Wednesday, advancing it to a potential vote by the full House. Originally, the bill focused on teacher certification penalties before Johns replaced the language.
The bill would allow any two state Board of Education members to place an item on a meeting agenda if they submit the request in writing. Currently, the state superintendent decides the meeting agendas as the chairperson of the board.
Oklahoma administrative codes require the board to follow Roberts' Rules of Order, which advises that a board's chairperson should set meeting agendas. Johns said the state board has followed this procedure for decades. State law largely forbids a public board from taking up any matters not posted on its agenda.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said board members should have a say, and it's a 'longstanding issue that needs to be fixed.'
Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the new legislation would reinforce transparency and accountability in the education system by giving all board members a voice on the matters they meet to discuss.
'With the current structure, the board is neutralized and has no say in shaping policy,' Paxton said in a statement. 'Allowing this will provide a fair and more effective structure.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Johnson: Deploying Marines to Los Angeles protests would not be ‘heavy-handed'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Sunday that deploying the Marine Corps to Los Angeles to suppress protests, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested, would not be 'heavy-handed.' 'Secretary Hegseth said that active-duty Marines there at Camp Pendleton, there by San Diego, are on high alert and could be mobilized. Could we really see active-duty Marines on the streets of Los Angeles?' ABC News's Jonathan Karl asked on 'This Week.' 'You know, one of our core principles is maintaining peace through strength. We do that on foreign affairs and domestic affairs as well. I don't think that's heavy-handed,' Johnson responded. Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area on Saturday amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the action was due to 'violent mobs' attacking federal agents 'carrying out basic deportation operations.' 'The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE,' Hegseth said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday morning. Deploying active-duty forces against Americans on U.S. soil would be an extraordinary move and would require bypassing laws that prevent the military from being used for domestic law enforcement purposes. There's also little precedent for deploying the National Guard to states that have not requested the help. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday went after Trump over the deployment of the National Guard to the Los Angeles area, saying the president 'thinks he has a right to do anything.' 'He does not believe in the Constitution; he does not believe in the rule of law,' Sanders told CNN's Dana Bash on 'State of the Union.' 'My understanding is that the governor of California, the mayor of the city of Los Angeles, did not request the National Guard, but he thinks he has a right to do anything he wants,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan's attorneys ask for no prison time for bribery conviction
The Brief Lawyers for ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan are asking that he not be sent to prison for his bribery conviction. Federal prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of more than 12 years and a $15 million fine. Earlier this year, a jury found Madigan guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including bribery and wire fraud. CHICAGO - Attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are asking that he not be given a prison sentence after he was convicted of bribery and conspiracy earlier this year. What we know Federal prosecutors have already called for sentencing Madigan to more than 12 years in prison, which his lawyers called "draconian," in a new court filing. Madigan's attorneys argued it would essentially be a life sentence for the 83-year-old. Instead, they're asking that Madigan be sentenced to five years' probation, including one year of home detention, community service, and a "reasonable" fine. Prosecutors said they're also seeking a $15 million fine from Madigan. "Madigan was in a special position of trust and responsibility to the public. Yet he deprived all residents of Illinois of honest government and eroded the public's trust," prosecutors wrote in their memo." Earlier this year, a jury found Madigan guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including bribery and wire fraud. The former speaker, arguably the most powerful politician in Illinois at one point, was accused of using his role leading the state House and heading the state Democratic Party to enrich himself and his allies by securing jobs, contracts, and other financial benefits. What's next Madigan's sentencing is scheduled for this Friday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Thom Tillis avoids censure at NCGOP convention despite MAGA backlash
Back in 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party censured Sen. Thom Tillis during its annual convention for 'blatant violations' of the party's platform. This year, after Tillis opposed some of President Donald Trump's nominees and policies and MAGA conservatives pushed for a 2026 primary challenger, another censure vote seemed possible. But at the party's convention, which took place from June 5 through Sunday, no such action was taken, signaling a smoother path to re-election for Tillis — at least for now. 'Republicans across the state look forward to a robust primary and the convention shows Republicans are unified to keep our Senate seat to ensure President Trump's agenda has the votes in Congress to continue delivering for the American people,' said NCGOP spokesperson Matt Mercer in a message following the convention, held this year in Greensboro. Mercer said no censure motions were introduced this year. MAGA Republicans have taken issue with Tillis in the past few months for questioning Trump's pick of Pete Hegseth, as Defense secretary, though, Tillis ultimately voted for Hegseth. Tillis told Trump he wouldn't confirm Ed Martin as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia due to their differing views on the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Tillis says he has 'no tolerance for anyone who entered' the Capitol on Jan. 6. Tillis is also pushing back on provisions within a more than 1,000-page reconciliation bill that Trump and House Republicans named the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.' Chief among Tillis' concerns are 'no tax on tips,' a campaign promise Trump made, and cutting clean energy tax credits. The friction is not new. Since joining the Senate, Tillis has found himself at odds with far-right factions of his party for his willingness to work with Democrats and decisions they've seen as disloyal to Trump. Once widely favored by the party, Tillis' favorability is on shaky ground. Tillis has been a mainstay in North Carolina politics, beginning his political career on local boards in Cornelius before being elected in 2006 to the North Carolina House. There, Tillis worked his way into leadership positions, and served as the House Republican Caucus campaign chairman where he traveled across the state recruiting Republicans to run for office. He is credited with playing a significant role in taking the House majority away from Democrats. Republican House members rewarded him by electing him speaker of the House, where he led the chamber through debates on same-sex marriage, election laws, Medicaid expansion and restructuring the state tax code. By the time he ran against Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, The New York Times called Tillis 'a favorite among the party establishment.' But that sentiment faded as Tillis found his footing in Congress and established himself as a moderate willing to work with Democrats to get major pieces of legislation passed. That led to Tillis' first censure in 2023, for voting in favor of same-sex marriage and working on the largest piece of gun legislation passed in 30 years. Two years prior, the state party censured then-Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, after he voted to impeach President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Tillis, 64, a Huntersville Republican, is running for a third term in 2026. He was first elected in 2014, defeating Hagan, who served one term. And he's one of 53 Republicans helping to hold the party's slim majority in the Senate, over the minority's 47 seats. MAGA conservatives have taken to social media to call for a primary challenger to Tillis in 2026, though no candidate has emerged. Contenders they floated early on included names like former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson or Lara Trump. She's the president's daughter-in-law, who grew up in North Carolina but resides in Florida and just joined Fox News. Neither seem likely. Don Brown, a retired Navy JAG officer, and Andy Nilsson, a retired businessman, threw their names out to challenge Tillis, but neither have large name recognition. Democrats are waiting to learn whether former Gov. Roy Cooper, who left office in January after being term-limited out, will challenge Tillis. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat from Cary who has a history of winning challenging races but has not yet run statewide, jumped ahead of Cooper and announced he would seek the Democratic nomination. Tillis announced last week he has added big names to his campaign team including three people who served on Trump's reelection campaign: Tony Fabrizio, Tim Saler and Jim McCray. The 2026 election in North Carolina is expected to be the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history, a record Tillis broke twice in his race against Hagan and again in 2020 against attorney Cal Cunningham.
