StateImpact Oklahoma
309 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days 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
Other State Workers Feel Ignored As Teacher Walkout Continues
April 05, 2018 21:13 - 4 minutes - 4.09 MBThe Oklahoma teacher walkout and educators’ demands for more school funding dominates the news. It's unclear if lawmakers are willing to meet those demands and quell daily protests. One lingering question: If schools get more money, what happens to other state agencies and workers who need funding, too?
Oklahoma Legislature Passes Rare Tax Increase For Education, But Funding Falls Short Of Teachers’ Demands
March 30, 2018 02:08 - 4 minutes - 4.29 MBAfter months of gridlock and failed deal-making, the Oklahoma House and Senate have passed a nearly $450 million tax package designed to fund raises for teachers and avoid statewide school closures. Gov. Mary Fallin said she’ll sign the tax package, which fell short of teachers’ demands. Educators still plan to march at the Capitol April 2 to pressure lawmakers to spend more on schools and public employees and continue a debate that has highlighted growing gaps and frustrations over taxes and...
Faith And Firearms: Oklahoma Churches And Legislators Grapple With Security In Age Of Mass Shooters
March 22, 2018 22:59 - 4 minutes - 4.24 MBOklahoma church members are flocking to training classes led by state security experts and considering carrying guns. At the same time, state lawmakers are considering legislation to extend legal protections to churchgoers who use lethal force.
People with Developmental Disabilities May Face Organ Transplant Bias
March 15, 2018 17:00 - 4 minutes - 4.12 MBNew research suggests people with intellectual disabilities are being turned down for organ transplants because of their disability. A growing effort to take human bias out of the decision highlights a little-known area of medicine.
Ready To Walk Out: Oklahoma Teachers Say Enough Is Enough
March 15, 2018 03:09 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBMany Oklahoma educators are fed up with state lawmakers who have promised teacher pay raises for years but have failed to actually deliver. At their wits end, these teachers are now planning to walk out of their classrooms to push legislators to act.
Wind Companies Reconsider Oklahoma As Lawmakers Roll Up Economic Welcome Mat
March 01, 2018 23:03 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBFor more than a decade, Oklahoma embraced the wind industry with both arms and a suite of incentives and tax breaks. The state is now the country’s No. 2 wind producer but an oil crash and budget crisis has pushed lawmakers to pull back the economic welcome mat.
One Oklahoma Student Plans For An Uncertain Future As DACA Deadline Looms
February 23, 2018 04:14 - 4 minutes - 3.69 MBIn Oklahoma, there are about https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-oklahoma ( 6,000) people protected under the DACA policy. An 18-year-old high school student named Suzeth is one of them.
One Way To Relieve Overcrowded Prisons: Make Lock-Up A Last Resort For Probation Violations
February 15, 2018 22:44 - 4 minutes - 4.03 MBOklahoma’s prisons are bursting at the seams. A state task force charged with reforming the state’s justice system discovered that thousands of new inmates are locked up for violating the terms of their probation. To slow prison growth, the group recommended making prison a last resort for probation and parole violators.
How Increasing The Minimum Wage Could Lead To Healthier Babies
January 23, 2018 03:08 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBAbout 7.8 percent of babies born in Oklahoma are low birth weight, which translates to roughly 4,000 of 50,000 annual births, Kinney says. Many of the babies don’t have a significant health problem, so their weights likely could have been improved by outside factors, like money. Research suggests increasing the minimum wage could lead to few low-birth-weight births.