I am not that interested in politics, except when I am. It seems to me, though, that our lame duck governor is putting his foot in it lately.
He influenced a prisoner’s release and that prisoner just happened to be the spouse of a good contributor to Stitt’s campaigns. It all might have been perfectly legitimate, but it just looks wrong. And it probably is wrong.
Then, he vetoed OETA, Oklahoma’s public television. Again. Senate Bill 1461 would have reauthorized OETA until 2031. Stitt had vetoed similar bills in 2023 and 2022, but it is unclear whether this veto will be overridden in the Legislature. He also vetoed a bill that would have reauthorized OETA with no sunset clause.
The House overrode him last week, but the Senate has to do so before the end of the session on Thursday. The money is in the budget, so what is the governor’s objection?
Today, we as a family can afford to subscribe to OETA. It’s cheaper than streaming services.
But back in the day, when the kids were still home, free public TV was our only TV. And I believe programming on those stations in other states helped them be ready to learn. Granted, we read to them a lot, but the programs helped, no doubt. In a state where our test scores are sketchy at best, can we really afford to eliminate something that could help?
Then, last but not least, is Stitt’s plain silly feud with the Attorney General. The AG had requested legislation to shore up the Open Meeting Act. You know, the one that keeps elected officials from conducting business behind closed doors and the next day you wake up with a data center across the street? That might be a little exaggerated, but still.
This bill would have allowed the AG’s office to issue a violation and a fine if the Open Meeting Act were violated, or insist on more training. The governor swore the bill would give the AG too much authority and get around the checks and balances in place.
What we really have here is a pissing contest. He doesn’t like the AG, and the two have butted heads for years. He vetoed because he could. This bill would have helped keep politicians more honest and do business in the light. The veto raises two questions.
One, who is the outgoing governor trying to shield? And two, why would you deliberately stop something that might help some of the citizens who elected you? I’m starting to see a pattern, and it ain’t good.