Latest news with #NuriaMartinez-Keel
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Collection of student immigration data in Oklahoma public schools blocked
A proposed rule collecting the immigration status of Oklahoma public school students was blocked after Gov. Kevin Stitt let an altered set of rules take effect. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A controversial proposed rule from Oklahoma's chief education official to require schools to collect immigration status of students will not take effect. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt let the legislatively altered set of rules governing the State Department of Education take effect without his signature. The measure, which passed the House and Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support, removed two of the most controversial rules: a requirement that public schools collect proof of U.S. citizenship during enrollment and that teachers pass the U.S. Naturalization Test to earn or renew their certifications. Stitt had said he would reject the proposed immigration rule. He previously said even though it was a political issue that people would 'come after' him for, it was the 'right thing to do' and kids shouldn't be 'put on a list.' Lawmakers had argued the immigration rule didn't have any statutory authority and was unenforceable. The administrative rules are proposed by state agencies based on current law. They are subject to review and approval by the Legislature and the governor. When approved and enacted, the rules carry the force of law. 'I will never waver in my belief that Oklahoma taxpayers deserve the utmost transparency – especially if their hard-earned dollars are being used to fund illegal immigrant's education,' said state Superintendent Ryan Walters in a statement Thursday. He said Oklahomans should know who is in their schools. 'Conservatives have an obligation to uphold conservative principles, not just to win an election, but year round,' Walters said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, I just don't think that's good government, and I don't think that that's a correct argument, nor do I think the judge is gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, I just don't think that's good government, and I don't think that that's a correct argument, nor do I think the judge is gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mental health department has ‘glaring' issues, Oklahoma state auditor reports
State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released the preliminary findings of an audit of Oklahoma's mental health department Tuesday. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A growing number of high-dollar executive hires and 'questionable spending' on a Super Bowl commercial and Narcan machines have contributed to the financial disarray at the state's mental health department, the state auditor reported Tuesday. The audit of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services also reported that leadership at the agency is unable to understand and explain some complex issues within the agency and that employees were forced to sign nondisclosure agreements and discouraged from cooperating with investigations. State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd said the report's preliminary findings, released Tuesday, revealed 'some glaring financial and systemic issues' at a 'massive state agency' that has a budget of over $750 million. 'It needs a director with executive managerial experience and a mastery of basic budgetary and compliance skills,' she said in a statement. The audit comes amid reports of financial shortfalls, canceled or cut contracts and other disarray at the department. The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector's Office expects to release a more detailed audit at a later date. Although Gov. Kevin Stitt requested the audit in March, on Tuesday his spokesperson said the report didn't fulfill his request, is 'politically charged' and wastes taxpayer dollars because it duplicates work already completed. The audit found that since January 2024, when Stitt named Allie Friesen commissioner, her agency has hired 38 people at a salary exceeding $100,000 and awarded 376 employees pay raises greater than 10%. Only 17 of new hires were medical while the rest were executive hires. The agency's payroll was over $150 million in budget year 2024, according to the audit. The audit urged the agency to reexamine its recent executive hires and review terminations to ensure they weren't retaliatory. The state's transition to a Medicaid managed care health care insurance system has created issues paying providers which also impacted the agency's budget. The agency also hasn't communicated effectively that there have been changes in the federal government's Medicaid reimbursement rates since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the audit found. The transition to managed care 'caused a lag in both billing and payments after implementation,' the audit found, creating issues with properly paying claims. Payments have been made to the wrong parties and sent to wrong locations. The payment issues affect the department's cash flow, the report found. The mental health department's existing budget request, made by Friesen to lawmakers at the beginning of the year, was impacted by the governor's request for executive branch agencies to submit flat budget requests and 'difficulty explaining complex and misunderstood needs related to topics like Medicaid growth and pended payments, which resulted in a lack of urgency around these issues,' according to the audit. The mental health department also began the current budget year with a deficit as $9.4 million from its current budget was used to pay last year's debts, according to the audit. But the audit also flagged 'questionable' spending and said there's increasing pressure on employees from agency leadership with required nondisclosure agreements. The pressure on employees also included 'employing armed guards, locking down the administrative floor, and even threatening employees in meetings,' according to the report. One lawmaker on the select committee previously asked agency leadership about a report that someone had threatened to go 'full cop mode' on staff that hadn't signed an NDA, but leadership said they were not aware of this instance. While testifying to a select committee of state lawmakers, Friesen admitted that some employees were asked to sign NDAs, but that it was an optional practice. But the report from the state auditor's office revealed agency staff told investigators they were 'required' to sign the NDAs. Staff also reported to investigators issues with leadership not attending meetings, signing documents, having to learn about 'internal events' through the media, and frequently changing the supervisor structure so they don't know who to report to. Friesen did not directly comment on the findings, but agency spokesperson Maria Chaverri said the department is reviewing the state auditor's report. 'We've created a large table of external diverse experts to help us bring light and end years of corruption,' she said in a statement. '… We look forward to the additional contributions from third party investigators and financial auditors in the coming months.' Friesen's agency has come under fire and is the subject of a handful of probes. A certified public accountant appointed by Stitt most recently reported a nearly $30 million shortfall for the current budget year, and lawmakers are currently working to finalize the agency's budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Byrd said the state agency needs $28.7 million in emergency funding to make it through the current budget year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Some providers have reported a lack of reimbursements for services provided to indigent populations, and Byrd's report found over $87.6 million of those. These payments are historically reimbursed with funds still available at the end of the budget year, but not at 100%. Stitt has continued to express his support for Friesen and previously said she is 'shining a light' on bureaucracy and agency mismanagement. The commissioner has previously blamed her predecessors for many of the issues at the state agency. 'This is disappointing,' he said in a statement Tuesday. 'On behalf of the Oklahoma taxpayers, I asked for a financial audit of the financial management of the last five years, not an exploration into whether or not Cindy Byrd approves of the culture of the department. This reeks of politics. Oklahomans deserve an audit done in good faith and a report that gives them the answers they deserve.' Byrd said the urgency of Stitt's audit request forced her office to put other investigations on the 'backburner,' including one of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, but plans to resume them immediately. In addition to the report from the state auditor, reports from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Oversight, a select investigative committee of lawmakers and David Greenwell, an accountant appointed by Stitt, have publicly shared their own findings. None of their numbers for the agency's deficit have been the same. Robert Campbell, a special investigator appointed by Stitt, has not yet released a report. He was appointed May 8.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Our racial history is shadowed. Will Oklahoma repeat its past mistakes or learn from them?
A sign marks Black Wall Street at North Greenwood Avenue and East Archer Street in Tulsa. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Our state has a shadowed history when it comes to racial issues that includes the forced removal of Native Americans on Trail of Tears, the slaughter of Black residents during Tulsa Race Massacre and a 2007 law touted to be the nation's harshest anti-immigrant state law. I've long watched as Oklahoma's elected officials have failed to learn from and rectify that dark history. Instead, they've oft chosen to embark on campaigns that seem to further highlight those past inequities. It had seemed that we were growing more comfortable with teaching public school students about these dark tales. My administrators were supportive of history teachers teaching about injustices in our criminal justice system, lawful racial segregation and the abuse of immigrants. In fact, I was allowed to discuss how the best of our pioneer spirit has been intertwined with immigration from a variety of countries. Immigrants brought with them the values of hard work, family and community. But today, we are again seeing a cruel backlash against migrants and communities who are racially different. That backlash has included prohibitions against discussing 'race' in schools. State Superintendent Ryan Walters has attempted to pass a requirement that 'students must provide proof of U.S. citizenship when enrolling in public school.' It would also force schools to report to the state the number of students 'who couldn't verify legal residency or citizenship.' Moreover, under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, some Oklahoma law enforcement officers can 'arrest individuals without a warrant if they are suspected of violating immigration laws' if it is believed that they 'are likely to evade capture.' But even that raises the question as to who makes that judgment call. Oklahoma City has been in the headlines after a mother and her daughters were traumatized by a raid conducted at the wrong home by federal officers. They were forced outside their apartment in their underclothes by agents who had misidentified them. The officers ripped up their home, seized phones and took much of the woman's life savings. And, they didn't give any information about getting her property back. And Gov. Kevin Stitt recently generated ire when he vetoed a bill funding the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons on the national advocacy day that brings attention to the crisis. Hours before his veto, Indigenous advocates were rallying outside the state Capitol to bring attention to the fact that our state has the second highest number of missing Native Americans. Stitt argued in his veto message that 'justice must be blind to race.' I'll also never forget when lawmakers passed the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, which was designed to be the nation's harshest anti-immigrant state law. After that law took effect, federal agents would intimidate parents as they dropped their kids off at elementary schools. When one of my student's family was deported for legally driving down the Broadway Extension, they were forced to get down on their knees. They unsuccessfully begged the police officer to not turn them over to ICE. The law accomplished nothing except for spreading a 'culture of fear,' and opposition to it grew. As Hispanic workers exited the state, business leaders, church congregations, and civil rights advocates joined the fight against anti-immigrant racism. I'm encouraged that today's cycle of cruelty is also bringing forth another, and I believe larger, side of our nation and state, which is coming to the defense of immigrants. For instance, there has been bipartisan pushback, including by Stitt, against Walters' support for immigration raids in schools, and collecting information about immigrants that would be turned over to the federal government. But we're at a crossroads. Do we embrace the dark side, which has traditionally been driven by fear and racism, or do we embrace a path of inclusionary hope that aims to not repeat the mistakes of our past? Today's attacks on immigrants are an outgrowth of our dark side, but I have reason to believe that we'll choose the path of hope by learning from the sordid sides of our past. I believe there will be a time again when our political leaders recognize the proven economic benefits brought by undocumented workers. I believe we'll again recognize the harm that is done to our reputation when Oklahoma doesn't stand up for its residents. Because if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that doing the right thing always encourages economic investments, entrepreneurs, and brings new opportunities to our state. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
