Latest news with #RyanWalters'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Does Ryan Walters need a history refresher? Many Oklahomans say yes
For years, Oklahoma state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has had many missions on reforming the education system. Here's the latest on recent Oklahoma initiatives. WRONG AGENDA: Oklahomans aren't willing to sit idly by while Ryan Walters rides off into the sunset chasing his political dreams at the expense of taxpayers, writes former legislator Mark McBride. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Our kids deserve better than Ryan Walters' disguised political agenda, David L. Myers, of Oklahoma City, writes in a letter to the editor. FORCED UPON: Christian nationalism is being pushed in public schools, guest columnist writes, and secular students made to feel "less American" in violation of church/state separation. MISPLACED PRIORITIES: There's no money in the new state budget for higher teacher pay, but the Legislature may authorize more inexperienced "adjunct" teachers in classrooms. WHAT'S THE PLAN?: A new classroom cell phone ban law will be futile unless Ryan Walters' Oklahoma agency steps up to provide direction. Sign up for the Public Square newsletter here. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Social studies rules show Walters needs history refresher | Cartoon
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmakers reject Ryan Walters' proposal to track immigrant students
A resolution rejecting state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' proposal to track immigrant students and their families is on its way to the governor's desk. Senate Joint Resolution 22, which covers proposed education policies, passed without opposition on the House floor on Wednesday, May 21, but not before a long debate about whether to amend the resolution to green light Walters' immigration-check rule. The resolution now awaits the approval of Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has been a staunch critic of the proposal. 'Collecting 6-, 7-, 8-year-old kids' addresses and immigration status in the state of Oklahoma, that's not a public safety issue,' Stitt said in February. 'Let's go after the bad guys, the people that are committing crimes, and let's not terrorize and make our kids not show up at school.' The proposed rule from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which is led by Walters, would have required schools to seek information about the immigration status of students and their parents during enrollment. Another proposed rule by that agency that's in line for rejection is one that would require Oklahoma teachers to take the U.S. Naturalization Test to renew their teaching license. Attempts to revive Walters' immigration rule were rejected multiple times by lawmakers in recent weeks. On Monday, Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, introduced an amendment to do so in the House Administrative Rules Committee, and it failed on a 10-3 vote. On Wednesday, Jenkins tried again, proposing a similar amendment on the House floor. It was ultimately tabled by a 75-12 vote. The House immediately then voted 90-0 to approve the resolution. Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, also tried to revive the rule on the Senate floor earlier in May, but his proposed amendments were tabled. More: Attempt to revive Ryan Walters' immigration-check rule in Oklahoma schools fails Walters, during a news conference at the Capitol on Friday, accused the Legislature and the governor of not being transparent about the issue. 'It's incredibly disappointing that we see the Senate not provide that type of transparency for taxpayers,' Walters said. 'Let's just be real clear. Our rule says that we are going to account for how many taxpayer dollars, how much goes towards illegal immigrants in our schools. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK lawmakers reject Ryan Walters' proposal to track immigrant students
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Legislature 'kicking the can down the road' again
Cliches are expressions that once captured an original thought or described an action or situation so perfectly that they were used over and over again and became overused. For example: "You can't judge a book by its cover." "What goes around comes around." "Time heals all wounds." There's truth in all of these expressions, but they've been used so often they've lost their punch. I was trained as a reporter to avoid cliches and try to be more original, which I do. But I'm making an exception because of what our state Legislature and other elected officials are doing this year ― instead of their jobs: They're kicking the can down the road. Or, to borrow a Chinese expression, 2025 will be known as the "Year of Kicking the Can." The phrase "kick the can down the road" started to be heard in the U.S. Congress in the mid-1980s. Some lawmakers began using it as a colorful and mildly critical new way of referring to putting off work on an issue for a later date. Some would argue that's what Congress has been doing ever since. For sure it's a fair way to describe what Oklahoma lawmakers and other leaders have been doing this year. Here are some of the cans they've punted into the future: State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' key achievement was to require teachers to make sure students learn all about President Donald Trump's delusion that election fraud cost him the 2020 election. Walters' Republican club members in the Legislature had nothing to say about that. They also saw no reason for another increase in teacher pay and are considering legislation to allow more uncertified "adjuncts" to teach reading and math. Apparently they all believe that's the best way to thrust Oklahoma to top 10 in education. More: Ryan Walters uses Education Department to further his own political career | Opinion Legislators listened in astonishment as the state's Mental Health Commissioner, Allie Friesen, explained she couldn't explain how her department overran its budget by $21 million and might (or might not) have enough money to pay employee salaries. Apparently neither they nor Gov. Kevin Stitt were keeping up on what was going on. Now they have only days to come up with a temporary fix before the 2025 session ends. Another flat budget year for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections despite grudging admissions from officials that, yes, too many inmates are taking drugs, fighting and dying; yes, they have a shortage of guards and nurses, but can't pay them more, and, yes, bribery and smuggling throughout the system is a big problem, but maybe a new fleet of drones might help. Legislators scoffed at the notion that state's 1910 abortion law might need updating. They dismissed the concerns expressed by Oklahoma women and the state's medical community that the law allowing abortion "only to save the life of the mother" is vague and confusing. What procedures performed on women are legal? Who decides whether or when action should be taken? Gov. Stitt also vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to diagnostic mammograms to ensure women throughout the state have access to the latest technology. Could negativity toward women be discouraging new employers from moving to Oklahoma? Our state leaders apparently believe low cost of living is enough to attract them. More: Imagine this ― A Freedom Brigade of young Gen Z women bucking the Legislature | Opinion The Department of Mental Health Department and Substance Abuse Services wasn't the first state agency to come up with a $20 million shortfall. We still haven't learned how it came to be that the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs approved a new hospital in Sallisaw that didn't meet fire codes and had to be redesigned. Who was responsible? The department is blaming the architect and builder. The Legislature appropriated more money to finish the hospital, but demanded no accountability. Maybe next year. The Legislature passed a bill attempting to move forward on a problem that has long been kicked down the road ― the disappearance and murder of hundreds of Indigenous women. The measure would have allowed state funding for more robust investigation of the crimes. But the governor vetoed the bill, even though he agreed in 2021 that federal spending on the problem would be OK. Our state ranks second in the nation for the number of Indigenous people who have gone missing, with 86 out of 840 cases reported across the U.S. as of January 2024, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Yes Stitt said investigators shouldn't prioritize cases "based on race." That's a sentiment reminiscent of the Jim Crow-era mentality that allowed our nation to kick down the road for decades laws enforcing racial discrimination and segregation. More: Oklahoma governor vetoes MMIP bill, saying investigators shouldn't prioritize cases 'based on race' All these mothballed issues bring to mind a song from the Broadway musical "Annie." "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow. You're always a day away." Wertz is deputy opinion editor of The Oklahoman. If you have a comment on what he's written or a suggestion for a future topic or someone he should talk to, his address is wwertz@ This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Legislature kicks its problems down the road | Opinion
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New OSDE chief of staff paid nearly $50K in first month, still listed as active employee for Florida company
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma State Department of Education was unable to explain to News 4 why it paid State Superintendent Ryan Walters' newly-hired chief of staff nearly $50,000 during his first month on the job, despite a Florida company also listing him as an active, full-time employee. The records show OSDE Chief of Staff Jon 'Matt' Mohler received two paychecks with vastly different hourly payrates during his first month on the job — totaling nearly $48,000. According to Oklahoma state payroll records, the state paid Mohler two paychecks in February. One check, on Feb. 28, was for $15,833.33, at a pay rate of around $98.96 per hour. The other check, on Feb. 12, was for $31,884.06, at a pay rate of around $398.55 per hour. The payroll system classified both payments as 'regular pay.' The chief of staff role had been vacant since last year, when News 4 reported the department's previous chief of staff and entire legal team resigned. On Friday, an OSDE spokesperson confirmed to News 4 State Superintendent Ryan Walters hired Mohler as chief of staff in February. Records: State paid former OSDE spokesperson more than $75k in final paycheck It's not clear whether Mohler's role at OSDE is his only full-time job. As of Friday, Mohler's LinkedIn profile did not mention his role as OSDE's Chief of Staff. It says he works in Tallahassee, Florida, as an external affairs and special projects manager for Florida Power and Light. His profile says he has worked in the role from Feb. 2021 until 'present.' News 4 called Florida Power and Light's media hotline on Friday in an attempt to reach Mohler. The staff member who answered the phone did not work for the media relations department. They told News 4 they could not find Mohler's contact information in their company directory and asked for News 4's contact information so they could reach back out with a more definitive answer as to whether Mohler still works for the company. As of Monday, nobody from Florida Power and Light has reached back out to News 4. However, also as of Monday, Mohler was still listed on Florida Power and Light's website as an active employee, complete with a headshot and full biography. Mohler's LinkedIn account also says he previously worked for Front Line Strategies, a political consulting firm, from 2007 until 2024. OK School Standards with 2020 election theories 'going to take effect' OSDE Chief Policy Advisor Matt Langston, who Oklahoma Watch reported received a nearly $40,000 bonus this year, also previously worked for Front Line Strategies. As of Friday, Mohler was listed online as a current board member for United Way of North Central Florida (UWNCF). His profile on UWNCF's website lists 'Florida Power and Light' beneath his name. UWNCF shared a statement from Mohler in a Facebook post on Jan. 27. 'I look forward to working hard alongside fellow board members, volunteers, and staff to continue to make North Central Florida a healthy and happy place to live, work, and raise a family,' Mohler said in the statement. Mohler also previously served on the board of a Florida charter school – Tallahassee Classical School. Mohler was on the school's board in 2023 when multiple Florida news outlets reported the board's chairman forced a principal to resign because a parent complained a lesson involving Michelangelo's 'The David' statue was 'pornographic' – gaining national headlines. Publicly-available voter registration records show Mohler was still actively registered to vote in Florida as of Friday. On Friday, News 4 reached out to an OSDE spokesperson and asked if Mohler has been working for the department in-person—as a recent executive order from Governor Stitt required for all state employees—or, if he is working remotely. The spokesperson told News 4 Mohler has been working for OSDE in-person since February, but could not say anything more. News 4 asked the spokesperson why Mohler received the additional paycheck at a seemingly-inflated hourly rate in February. The spokesperson told News 4 they were 'unsure' why Mohler received the nearly $32,000 payment. When News 4 asked the spokesperson if they could ask Walters or Mohler for the reason and get back to News 4 with it, the spokesperson said they would be 'unable to say more.' 'Oklahomans have a right to know where this money is coming from and what it's paying for and why,' said Tim Gilpin, a former Oklahoma State Board of Education member and former Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General. Gilpin said, if he were still in office, payments like the ones OSDE recently gave Mohler and Langston would certainly raise red flags. 'Large sums of money going out to current and former employees would raise suspicion.' Gilpin said. 'And you would certainly ask Mr. Walters for a detailed explanation. But that's going to have to come from either a process from the state attorney general's office or the state legislature authorizing a review or investigation of it.' Last week, News 4 uncovered records showing OSDE paid its former spokesperson Dan Isett more than $76,000 in his final paycheck when he separated from the department in February. At the time of that report, multiple Republican and Democratic state lawmakers called for an investigation. 'It is appalling to see a payout this size, effectively creating a golden parachute for somebody who's separated from an agency for unknown reasons,' State Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Del City) told News 4 last week. 'I will point out that we have just impaneled a special investigative committee to take a look at what's going on in Department of Mental Health and substance abuse. We should be doing the same kind of thing with what has been happening at State Department of Education.' 'I do think the taxpayers deserve an answer as far as what happened here, why the money was spent this way,' State Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton) told News 4 last week. 'As the legislative branch, it is our responsibility to provide oversight and accountability to all the state agencies. I know there's a conversation on looking at what specific budget requests each agency has brought forth, where the expenditures are. And so I think this can be part of that conversation.' News 4 has submitted multiple open records requests to OSDE for documents such as employment agreements, paystubs and severance agreements for Mohler, Isett, Langston and others who have received significant payouts. As of Monday, nobody at OSDE had responded to News 4's requests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
March madness: Columnists had takes on Ryan Walters, Donald Trump and Oklahoma government
The month Marched by like a lion. Here is some of the opinion commentary you may have missed. EDITORIAL: State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' track record suggests the need for strong oversight on how federal funds are spent when they reach Oklahoma. EDUCATION NEEDS FIXED: Oklahoma will never be able to attract the right amount of talent to sustain jobs needed to move forward until we fix our education system, writes guest columnist Brian Busey. 'CRISIS OF COMMUNITY': For decades, Oklahoma has expanded charter schools, instituted school voucher programs and prioritized private schools, writes Sen. Carri Hicks. Public schools are lagging. SLIPPERY SLOPE: If we give the state the power to decide which faith must be taught, we also give it the power to decide which faith must be silenced, writes guest columnist Brian Montgomery. The Bible doesn't need you to force it into schools to endure. More: See our March editorial cartoons on Ryan Walters, Trump and more READERS' TAKES: We asked readers how they feel about Trump's order to dismantle the federal Education Department. Here's what they had to say. HOW DO YOU LIKE HIM NOW?: President Donald Trump is firing essential workers, abandoning Ukraine and hurting farmers. And we still have inflation. Guest columnist Nancy Snow asks: Is this the Trump you had in mind, Oklahoma voters? DOGE'S LEADERSHIP VACUUM: Our lack of great leaders is on full display in Washington, D.C., writes guest columnist Phil Busey, and Oklahomans won't be immune from the repercussions of those leaders' failures. DOGE firings will hurt us here, too. LITTLE HOPE AHEAD?: As the extreme lies and dictates of the Trump administration become worse, who knows how extreme the costs could be? Guest columnist John Thompson writes that presentations at a University of Oklahoma conference leave little hope about control of executive powers. Blaming Ukraine for defending itself against an invading horde bent on murder, devastation and oppression is counterfactual and counterproductive. Trump risks the same trap with Putin as Britain did with Hitler, write guest columnists Andy Lester and Mariana Pitts. Want the latest Viewpoints? Sign up for the Public Square newsletter. GRAVE CONCERN: Oklahoma's casket industry is regulated to death. State Sen. Michael Bergstrom writes in a guest column that he has introduced a bill to fix that. TAKING AWAY OUR VOICES: An Oklahoma Senate bill moving forward would put more barriers in the way of residents wanting to bypass the Legislature with an initiative petition. William C. Wertz writes about why it's a bad measure. STATE CONTROL: Foreign money is pouring into U.S. election campaigns, and the federal government isn't acting. Oklahoma elections must be decided by the people, not undisclosed campaign funds, writes guest columnist Josh West. CARE CRISIS: Laws like Oklahoma House Bill 1224 have been used to let pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions, doctors to turn patients away and hospitals to withhold treatment. The bill lets doctors deny care. Your life may be at risk, writes guest columnist Nicole Sukenis. BETTER THAN TAX CUT: Senate Bill 638 would bring a larger relief to Oklahoma households than the reduction in the state's portion of the sales tax on groceries. Guest columnist James Davenport tells you why. DEI WORKS: The company I co-own formally adopted our diversity, equity and inclusion program about 10 years ago, writes guest columnist Russ Florence. It's been great for business. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: March commentary: Takes on Ryan Walters, Donald Trump and more
