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StateImpact Oklahoma
316 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsStateImpact Oklahoma reports on education, health, environment, and the intersection of government and everyday Oklahomans. StateImpact Oklahoma is a collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU.
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Episodes
What to expect in the coming months as La Niña impacts Oklahoma's weather
June 20, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.64 MBFar out in the Pacific Ocean, the latest El Niño cycle is at an end, and La Niña is expected in the coming months. But what does that mean for Oklahoma’s weather? Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Lawton officials attempt to mitigate East Cache Creek issues amid growing concerns
June 13, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.13 MBAfter a TikTok video went viral about water pollution in East Cache Creek, City of Lawton officials have explained their plan to restore water levels. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
StateImpact Oklahoma wraps up the 2024 legislative session
June 06, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.33 MBStateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis and health reporter Jillian Taylor talk with managing editor Logan Layden about some of this year's legislative highlights. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Oklahoma’s transition to managed Medicaid brings new benefits, challenges
May 30, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.27 MBMore than 600,000 Oklahomans on Medicaid are now seeing their care coordinated by private insurance companies. Proponents say the change incentivizes preventative care, and its rollout has been going well. But, it has caused problems for some Oklahomans on Medicaid and smaller providers. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Edmond ‘bike bus’ puts a healthy spin on kids’ school commute
May 23, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.6 MBKeeping kids active and healthy can be an uphill battle, especially in the age of smartphones, video games and other distractions. A new volunteer initiative in Edmond is getting kids’ hearts pumping — and their wheels turning. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Oklahoma schools need bus drivers and are straining to fill the gaps
May 16, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.36 MBStatewide, Oklahoma public schools are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers — and they’re struggling to adapt. StateImpact analyzed every public school district in Oklahoma and found that of the 400-plus schools with hiring listings accessible on their websites or that answered a superintendent survey, over 40% showed open driver positions. About a quarter of the 80 surveyed superintendents said they or other school administrators drive a bus. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
How Oklahoma’s transition to managed Medicaid happened and what’s next
May 02, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.58 MBMost of Oklahoma’s Medicaid population is transitioning to managed care. This means that instead of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority paying providers directly, it’s paying private companies to coordinate some enrollees’ care. Proponents say the new system incentivizes better preventative care, which could cost the state less in the long run. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Oklahoma immigrant communities rally in face of state policy to arrest people in country illegally
April 25, 2024 11:00 - 4 minutes - 5.83 MBAs a crisis continues on the U.S. Southern Border, Oklahoma lawmakers are among counterparts from about a dozen states taking things into their own hands. For StateImpact, Lionel Ramos reports on their efforts and the backlash they face from immigrant communities. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
The end of pandemic-era federal dollars may mean the end for the school programs it funded
April 18, 2024 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.44 MBIn Tulsa, there are about 450 after-school programs at risk of shrinking to just 75 once ESSER funds are gone. One of those programs is an after-school gardening club at Tulsa Public Schools' Eugene Field Elementary. There, each participant gets a garden box to plan, decorate, plant and harvest from throughout the school year. Schools across the country may be on the brink of making tough calls once these "pennies from heaven" run out. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
First over-the-counter birth control pill offers family planning amid Oklahoma’s abortion ban
April 11, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.73 MBOpill, which was approved by the FDA last July, is the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, and it’s hitting pharmacy shelves now. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Eclipse brings tourism and challenges as Oklahoma goes under the shadow of the Moon
April 03, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.18 MBAny point on the globe can expect to see a total solar eclipse about once every 400 years. This Monday, it’s far southeast Oklahoma’s turn. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
What education measures are still alive at the 2024 legislative session’s halfway point?
March 28, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.61 MBLawmakers are at the halfway point in this year’s legislative session, and just a fraction of the education bills filed at the top of the session have survived big legislative deadlines. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Oklahoma Voice education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel about the bills that still remain on the legislature’s radar. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Oklahoma social workers face barriers in getting licensed, a bill could help them get to work faster
March 27, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.4 MBThis legislative session, lawmakers are working with faculty from OU’s School of Social Work and Oklahoma Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, advocating for Oklahoma’s requirements to be reduced to 3,000 hours. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags
Oklahoma paraprofessionals provide critical student services — but many are barely making ends meet
March 07, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.53 MBSchool support staff received a statewide pay raise after the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, but while teacher pay remains a major legislative priority, support staff pay hasn’t. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports many paraprofessionals, who often provide critical support to students with disabilities, live paycheck to paycheck.
Watchdog agency failed to perform required inspections at elite Oklahoma high school plagued by culture of harassment
February 22, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.53 MBAn Oklahoma Watch investigation last year revealed a pervasive culture of harassment at an elite Oklahoma high school. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Jennifer Palmer, the reporter behind the story, about a recent update: the agency responsible for addressing those issues failed to perform required inspections for 16 years.
What to expect from Oklahoma lawmakers on healthcare in 2024
February 14, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.76 MBAbortion restrictions, the ongoing opioid crisis and access to mental healthcare are in focus this legislative session. Jillian Taylor is StateImpact Oklahoma’s health reporter, and spoke with managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.
What to expect from Oklahoma lawmakers on education in 2024
February 07, 2024 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.97 MBThe state legislature is back in session, and there’s no hotter topic than education policy. StateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis talked with StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.
Oklahoma’s Education Department awarded teachers life-changing bonuses — and created a nightmare for some by demanding them back
January 25, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.24 MBThe Department of Education overpaid at least $290,000 in teacher bonuses and is working to claw back the money mere months after it was distributed. Nine teachers have been issued demands for repayment, and five additional teachers are under review.
Shawnee enacts no sit, no lie ordinance as future for homeless residents is uncertain
January 18, 2024 03:00 - 4 minutes - 5.93 MBAt least 150 of Shawnee's 30,000 residents are homeless. And because of an ordinance enacted this month, life might be getting a little more difficult for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
The road ahead for Tulsa Public Schools: five months into Walters’ mandated improvement plan
January 04, 2024 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.32 MBNo district in Oklahoma is under the State Board of Education’s microscope quite like Tulsa Public Schools. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and OPMX’s Max Bryan have this update on how TPS’ state-mandated improvement plan is going so far and the work that lies ahead.
StateImpact Oklahoma on the year that was and what's next
December 21, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.4 MB2023 is coming to a close, and it’s been an eventful year for StateImpact Oklahoma’s reporters. Managing editor Logan Layden talks with the team about highlights of this year and what to expect in 2024.
How Oklahomans are navigating the ‘chaos’ of SoonerCare unwinding
December 13, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.55 MBOver 300-thousand Oklahomans have lost SoonerCare coverage as state agencies remove ineligible people after a pandemic pause. StateImpact’s Jillian Taylor has more on how confusion around the Medicaid unwinding process is affecting members.
Tulsans regrow urban tree canopy after summer’s severe weather
December 07, 2023 13:00 - 3 minutes - 5.28 MBSevere weather damaged thousands of trees in the Tulsa area earlier this year. A million cubic yards of green waste was collected, and many trees were bent or broken. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera reports on how the community is coming together to regow the city’s uban tree canopy.
'This is their story': Why a teacher in Osage County wants to teach Killers of the Flower Moon
November 30, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.38 MBThe new Killers of the Flower Moon movie is sparking a conversation about Oklahoma’s difficult history. But those conversations in schools are complicated by Oklahoma’s law limiting lessons that make students feel uncomfortable about their race or sex.
Oklahoma schools turning to the new, old way of teaching students to read
November 16, 2023 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.13 MBThe science of reading is returning to the limelight, and Oklahoma schools and universities are using those techniques to teach literacy to the next generation.
Oklahoma doesn’t mandate sex ed, some churches are trying to fill the gaps
November 02, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.68 MBSome Oklahoma churches are providing comprehensive sex ed to fill gaps in a state that doesn’t require it in schools.
An Oklahoma non-profit uses Hip-Hop to increase mental health awareness
October 26, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.63 MBA local non-profit is hosting rap battles and other events to advocate for mental health awareness in Oklahoma. The organization called SoulBody Cyphers is working to destigmatize conversations around mental health and cultivate a community of MC’s.
What Oklahomans need to know about student loan repayment
October 19, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.23 MBThis month, millions of Americans will have to make student loan payments after a three-year pandemic era pause. But since 2020, there have been some big changes made to the repayment system, and StateImpact’s Beth Wallis is here to break it down.
How is the first commercial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines going in Oklahoma?
October 12, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.64 MBAfter its recent FDA approval, the CDC recommended everyone six months and older get an updated COVID vaccine. But getting it hasn’t been easy for some Oklahomans, with appointments canceled day of due to insurance snags and issues finding a place that carries it.
Butterflies are on the move, and Oklahomans are keeping track of them in monarch conservation effort
October 05, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.25 MBMonarch butterflies, like many insects and birds, migrate twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the weather gets cold, monarchs travel over two thousand miles from North America to central Mexico to hibernate.
What does it mean for Oklahoma to partner with PragerU?
September 28, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.66 MBEarlier this month, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a partnership with conservative nonprofit media group, PragerU. Existing PragerU Kids content now populates the state’s social studies website, and Walters says PragerU and the State Department of Education are collaborating on an Oklahoma-specific curriculum. So what is PragerU? StateImpact spoke with parents, teachers, legislators and Walters to find out.
Oklahoma trans youth, providers face uncertainty in gender-affirming care access
September 21, 2023 12:00 - 4 minutes - 6.31 MBA bill in Oklahoma banning all forms of gender-affirming care for trans youth was paused by Oklahoma’s attorney general amid litigation from the ACLU of Oklahoma. Now, trans youth and providers are coping with all the uncertainty.
OKC community comes together to collect data on impact of urban heat islands
September 13, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.44 MBMore than 250 volunteers collected temperature and air quality data around Oklahoma City through a community science project in August to study urban heat islands. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera reports the NOAA funded project could help the city prepare for extreme heat.
Oklahoma schools adapt recreational activities to sweltering summer heat
September 07, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.24 MBFaced with the dangers of excessive heat, educators around the state are getting creative to keep kids safe and cool while still providing recreational opportunities.
StateImpact Oklahoma welcomes health reporter Jillian Taylor
August 30, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.73 MBStateImpact Oklahoma’s health coverage informed listeners through the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s voter-mandated expansion of Medicaid, and the opioid epidemic. StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden introduces us to Jillian Taylor, the new reporter continuing the work to tell health stories that impact you, your community and the entire state.
'I’m talking about what’s best for the Greenwood area': What the removal of a highway could do for Black Wall Street
August 24, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.76 MBTulsa’s North Peoria Church of Christ used to call Greenwood home. That was before I-244 displaced it and cut through historic Black Wall Street. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera talked with State Rep. Regina Goodwin, who represents the area and attends the church, about its legacy and a planning grant to study the removal of the expressway.
What you need to know as Oklahoma’s state board of education weighs Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditation
August 17, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 6.89 MBNext Thursday, the State Board of Education will consider changing the accreditation status of the state’s largest school district, Tulsa Public Schools. This comes after over a year of remarks from State Superintendent Ryan Walters targeting the district. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and Public Radio Tulsa's Max Bryan break down what’s behind the battle for TPS.
Private landowners in Oklahoma are stepping up to preserve habitat for prairie chickens
August 10, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 7.02 MBRebecca Jim owns a mile and a half acreage just north of Vinita, Oklahoma, at the northern edge of the Cherokee Nation. She inherited this land from her family who used to ranch cattle here. She said her land is longer than it is wide, perfect for bringing back prairie chickens. She is turning two fields on the land into prairies to bring back prairie chickens.
Big Bonuses, Bigger Risks: Oklahoma’s New Teacher Sign-On Bonus Program Raises Concern
June 22, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.57 MBSigning bonuses of as much as $50,000 are what Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said is needed to attract new and retired teachers to the classroom.That’s also what makes his new bonus plan a risky policy. StateImpact's Beth Wallis teamed up with Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer for this story.
StateImpact breaks down Oklahoma's 2023 education budget
June 01, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.64 MBStateImpact’s Logan Layden sat down with education reporter Beth Wallis for a breakdown of what education measures Oklahomans are going to get for their money after a contentious 2023 legislative session.
‘We will strive to survive the Ryan Walters time’: Oklahoma superintendents respond to Walters’ claims, rhetoric
May 25, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.33 MBWalters repeatedly emphasized his focus on open communication with superintendents around the state. But when StateImpact sent out a survey to those superintendents, a much more complex picture emerged.
The battle for Oklahoma education funding
May 11, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.48 MBThe Oklahoma legislature has been deadlocked for weeks as it hashes out a plan for education funding. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis sat down with Oklahoman newspaper education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel to talk about the events at the Capitol that led up to this moment.
Health secretary's ouster gives a look into "frustration" between the Senate and Gov. Stitt
May 04, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.58 MBThe governor and the Legislature have been at odds over the state’s Medicaid agency, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. That fight came to a head last week, when the Senate booted the agency director from his Secretary of Health position. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney talks with Tres Savage, the editor of nonprofit outlet NonDoc, about what led lawmakers to reject Secretary Kevin Corbett's re-instatement.
OU’s swatting event was a hoax, but the trauma it caused was real
April 27, 2023 10:00 - 4 minutes - 6.62 MBRun. Hide. Fight. Those were the words that ended the first of several text updates from OU’s emergency alert system on the night of April 7. The Norman Police Department had received calls that appeared to be coming from OU’s campus. The caller told police there was a shooting at the Bizzell Memorial Library and that one of the caller’s friends had been shot. And in secondary calls to Norman dispatch, gunshots can be heard. But as it turns out, it was a swatting incident — that is, a b...
Oklahoma nursing schools ramp up admissions amid worker shortage
April 19, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.94 MBThe state ranks 46th in the nation for nurses per capita, and of course, the pandemic has only made that worse. But all along, one of the major contributing factors to that shortage has been nursing school. There are a finite number of slots offered, and Oklahoma hasn’t had enough. Why? It’s complicated.
Five years after the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, the stakes are higher than ever
April 06, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.68 MBEven though funding measures advocated for by 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout participants were stymied largely by Republican lawmakers, Oklahoma’s GOP is now authoring record-level education funding measures that include teacher raises, along with a slew of labor rights bills for educators. But the funding bills are far from a done deal — in fact, due to a disagreement in how those bills should operate, there could be no deal at all.
StateImpact Oklahoma discusses the state's newly extended postpartum Medicaid benefits
March 30, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.73 MBOklahoma offers pregnant residents special Medicaid coverage. That coverage used to last only 60 days after delivery, but under a new policy, that coverage will run for a full year instead. StateImpact’s Logan Layden and Catherine Sweeney discuss how the policy will affect thousands of new parents in Oklahoma.
A proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors would affect Oklahoma adults too
March 23, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 5.71 MBHouse Bill 2177 is making its way through the statehouse. It purports to ban gender-affirming care for children and teens in Oklahoma. Supporters say children and teens aren’t equipped to make life-altering health decisions for themselves. One provision says no health facility receiving state funds can administer gender-affirming care to anyone of any age. Another provision would ban insurance companies from covering gender-affirming care, again, for all Oklahomans, no matter how old they are.
Trans Oklahomans find community through music amid heightened anti-queer rhetoric in legislature
March 16, 2023 09:00 - 4 minutes - 6.08 MBRecent pushes from the Oklahoma legislature to target queer issues in schools and medicine have mobilized some Oklahomans to fight back. The Transgender Action Choir is one group lifting their voices to speak up.
Oklahoma legislation would require insurance companies to cover high-tech medical screenings called biomarker tests
March 08, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.08 MBBiomarker testing is a tool that doctors use to get a clearer picture of a medical problem — often cancer. Providers and patients say it can be difficult to get insurance companies to cover it. Oklahoma lawmakers are working to change that.