Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt kicked off the legislative session with his seventh annual State of the State address on Monday. The Governor laid out his policy priorities for the session: which include cutting state income taxes, keeping state agency budgets flat, and ending fines, fees and court costs to reform the criminal justice system. He also called for the elimination of virtual days in K-12 schools, as well as a cell phone ban in those schools. His priorities and those of state lawmakers don’t always align, but Stitt’s speech gives us a glimpse into what the GOP-dominated legislature will consider during this session. We’ll have more coverage and offer context on the radio, on this podcast, and online at KOSU.org.

Ryan Kiesel, a civil rights lawyer, former Oklahoma state lawmaker, political consultant and KOSU commentator, died Friday at the age of 45 following a long battle with cancer.

Kiesel was a political commentator on KOSU’s weekly radio program and podcast This Week in Oklahoma Politics, hosted by Michael Cross. For 13 years, Kiesel sat opposite Republican political consultant Neva Hill, as they provided analysis and discussion of the week's political and state government news.

We have more about Kiesel's life and legacy and KOSU.org.

You can leave your remembrances of him by clicking the ‘Contact Us’ page at KOSU.org.

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and former Democratic House Speaker Steve Lewis sitting in for Ryan Kiesel about President Trump's executive order to freeze federal funding grants, the State Board of Education advancing a new rule requiring parents to give citizenship status upon enrollment of their children and State Superintendent Ryan Walters announcing Oklahoma history standards had changed to include the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley.

The trio also discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take up a Catholic charter school in OKC and the State Supreme Court making a ruling over tribal compacts.