Kevin Stitt

Governor Kevin Stitt is giving his first State of the State Address today.

The speech before a joint session of the State House and Senate kicks of the first session of the 57th Oklahoma Legislature.

Stitt says the State of the State gives him an opportunity to cast his vision and lay out his priorities for Oklahoma.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel and Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill about Governor Stitt's executive orders rearranging his cabinet, investigating lobbying by state agencies, placing a hiring freeze on "classified" employees and selling the governor's plane as well as thoughts on the coming State of the State Address this Monday.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the inaugural ceremony and speech for new Governor Kevin Stitt, former Sonic Executive John Budd tapped to not only perform as Stitt's Chief Operating Officer but also as acting head of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and deposits into the state's general revenue fund come in 9% above the estimate and 21% above 2017.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about lawmakers elected leaders of both parties in the lead up to the 2019 legislative session, the state House passes new controversial rules including a ban on videos by lawmakers on the House floor and the state of Oklahoma is getting ready for a new governor with inaugural parties this weekend.

Twenty-nineteen means a new governor for Oklahoma and a fresh class of state legislators — nearly 40 percent of whom have zero political experience. It’s a new year, but the state government’s slate hasn’t been wiped clean.

Here’s a roundup of some of the biggest policy issues on deck for the upcoming year and legislative session.

Energy & Environment

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about nearly $600M extra for the state to allocate in the coming fiscal year, incoming Governor Kevin Stitt nominate Blayne Arthur to be the state's first female Secretary of the Agriculture and a federal judge declares an OKC ordinance banning panhandling in certain medians constitutional.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the State Health Department passing rules for edible medical marijuana, Governor-elect Kevin Stitt might have to wait a while before moving into his new offices because of construction at the State Capitol and a southeast Oklahoma Democratic State Representative defects to the Republican Party.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the commitment from Republican leaders in the House and Senate for education funding,  a the Chair of the Canadian County Republican Party calls on his GOP lawmakers to, in essence, defund education and state Senators file bills to make abortions a homicide and allow anyone to carry a gun without a license.