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Explainers, action alerts, and commentary on Oklahoma government and civic life.
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2026
SQ 845 and the Judicial Nominating Commission: Vote no
Let’s Fix This recommends a NO vote on State Question 845. Here’s the ballot title, what each side says, and why a retired district judge is voting no.
SQ 847 and your property taxes: Vote no
Let’s Fix This recommends a NO vote on State Question 847. Here’s the ballot title, what each side says, and why Oklahomans from Ada to Ponca City are voting no.
SQ847 cuts services, not taxes
Anahita Ervin of Oklahoma Policy Institute (OK Policy) joins Andy Moore and Emily Stacey to unpack State Question 847, a property tax measure she says slows the growth of local revenue rather than cutting anyone's bill.
2024
Immigrants Deserve to Be Here
The Oklahoma Senate just passed HB4156, which is a major anti-immigration bill, that is now headed to the Governor's desk for him to sign or veto. This Oklahoma bill is modeled after a recent Texas law that has been…
2023
U.S. Citizenship 101
We recently visited with one of our supporters, Bruce Caplinger, who teaches U.S. citizenship classes in the OKC metro area, about the citizenship process. You can listen to our interview with Bruce below, as well as…
What is a County Clerk (and why should you care)?
There’s a special election for Oklahoma County Clerk on April 4th, but not many folks are talking about it, so that’s what we will do here. Most voters want to know four things:
Top 5 ways to be involved during the legislative session
The legislative session is a busy time for lawmakers. They are working on many different bills and trying to make sure that the laws we have in place are effective. While it can be tempting to stay home and watch from…
2022
CIVICS CON 2022 will be held June 10-11 in Norman, OK
Join us for CIVICS CON 2022 on June 10-11 at the Sarkeys Energy Center in Norman, OK. The event is free for all attendees, and breakfast and lunch will be provided both days.
2021
Five Years Later...the Same Problems Are Back
Five years ago today, a group of strangers gathered in room 412-A of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Many had never been inside the building before and most weren’t sure what to expect. Some wore suits and seemed right at…
Two is Company; Three’s a Riot: Oklahoma Lawmakers Unleash a Barrage of Anti-Free Speech Bills in the 2021 Session
Note: The following post is a guest blog co-authored by Abby Henderson from the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable and Elly Page the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, published here in…
State of the...Stitt?
Governor Kevin Stitt delivered his third State of the State address this past Monday, a tradition that also kicks off the beginning of the annual state legislative session. Normally we’d be discussing the pros and cons…
How to Track Legislation
Today is a big day for the 58th Oklahoma Legislature—it’s the annual bill filing deadline, which means all bills must be filed by 4:30 p.m. to be considered this year.
2020
What the 2020 Election Means for Oklahoma
If you woke up this morning expecting to learn the definitive outcome of the presidential election, you’re going to need to hang on a little while longer. All the votes have been cast but the counting will continue for…
2020 Election Night Live Blog
We’ll start the conversation whenever we wake up, but the meat & potatoes will be served beginning at 6pm CT and will go until…well, it’s hard to say, really.
Timeline of Shenanigans in Oklahoma County Government
The past year has brought numerous challenges for government at all levels, and that includes the county level. Oklahoma County, in particular, has repeatedly made headlines for decisions regarding the county jail, what…
Virtual Civic Saturday: Perseverence
Below are the full text of the “civic scriptures” and “civic sermon” read during the event.
2020 Election Resources Compendium
Oklahoma is one of a handful of states that places state Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and other judicial officials on the ballot. This year, the only judicial elections are retention elections, which means that the…
2020 OKC Charter Amendments
The Oklahoma City Council called a special election on Nov. 3 for proposed City Charter amendments that are primarily intended to modernize wording, address inconsistencies and resolve discrepancies with state law.
2020 State Questions Guide
There are two state questions on the ballot this fall, both of which are somewhat nuanced in what they do. We’ve covered both questions on Let’s Pod This; links to the video & audio versions of those episodes are below.
What are we voting on? (June 2020 Edition)
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard that phrase, though I suppose it’s understandable - due to how we schedule elections in our state, there’s inevitably one somewhere in Oklahoma nearly every month of the…
How to Vote by Mail
Just a quick reminder that any registered voter in Oklahoma can vote by mail – no excuse necessary! (Although a pandemic is certainly a worthy excuse!) All you have to do is sign up online. We made this quick "how-to"…
2020 State of the State (full text transcript)
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Temp, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, members of my cabinet, Madam Chief Justice, members of the 57th Legislature, my best friend — the First Lady Sarah Stitt, my children, my parents, and my…
2019
2019 wrap-up...and a look ahead
Did Governor Stitt deliver on the plans and promises he listed during his 2019 State of the State address? We break it down and then look ahead at what to expect from the 2020 legislative session.
This is how we fix this
Today, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma we helped launch People Not Politicians, a new organization that is entirely focused on ending gerrymandering in Oklahoma. [Read the press release here.]
Podcast Ep. 99 | Should student athletes be paid? (with Peter Daggett)
Much to the chagrin of the NCAA, the state of California recently passed the Fair Pay to Play Act, which law permits collegiate athletes to hire agents and make money from endorsements. A similar bill will likely be…
Podcast Series: Gerrymandering Oklahoma
Conduct the decennial census (i.e. attempt to count everyone who lives in the country), and
Podcast Series: Criminal Justice Reform
This is the first episode in our three part series on the criminal justice system in Oklahoma. We're joined by policy experts Damion Shade & Ryan Gentzler to lay a foundation of data about the Oklahoma criminal justice…
Podcast Ep. 89 | Let Bartlet Be Bartlet (live panel discussion)
Audio from the panel discussion following our "The West Wing" Watch Party, recorded live on May 15, 2019, featuring Donelle Harder (Gov. Stitt's spokesperson), Phil Bacharach (Chief of Staff to State Superintendent Joy…
Podcast Ep. 88 | The Politics of Pride (w/ James Cooper & David White)
We're joined by two members of OKC's LGBTQ community - one a Republican and the other a Democrat - to talk about how they got involved in politics, what Pride means to them, and how they navigate the waters that contain…
Podcast Ep. 87 | 2019 Predict-o-Rama Results (with Rep. Zack Taylor)
We review the results of our 2019 #okleg Predict-o-Rama game and visit with one of the winners, Rep. Zack Taylor from Seminole.
Podcast Ep. 86 | Can we run OKDHS like a business?
We discuss the pros & cons of Governor Stitt replacing the veteran director of DHS with a young venture capitalist, Justin Brown. Special guest: attorney Brian Ted Jones.
Podcast Ep. 85 | The Art of Activism
We're joined by Oklahoma state Senator Carri Hicks and local actress/producer/activist Cacky Poarch to get their perspective on the 2019 legislative session and learn about "Faces of the 47th: The Art of Activism," a…
Podcast Ep. 84 | Sine Die (with Rep. Josh West and Rep. Marcus McEntire)
Both chambers of #okleg have effectively adjourned, but did they complete all their work? We talk about what was left on the table and also visit with Representatives Josh West and Marcus McEntire about their experience…
Podcast Ep. 83 | "I Stand With Pruitt!"
The #okleg reaches a budget agreement, the Governor sold his airplane, Andy's bill was vetoed, and we have not one but TWO Pruitt Watches. The end of session must be near!
Podcast Ep. 82 | Mo Money, Mo Problems (w/ Jonathan Dodson)
As #okleg nears a budget agreement (or ARE they??), we turn to the municipal level and discuss designing safer, "complete" streets with guest Jonathan Dodson.
Podcast Ep. 81 | BudgetWatch 2019
With less than a month 'til the end of session, we discuss rumors about the budget, the status of criminal justice reform, and Governor Stitt's use of the veto. We also curse more than usual. Earmuffs, kids. #SSGOTV.
Podcast Ep. 80 | Government overreach!
From map data to prison data, from county government feuds to former legislators back in the news, from Medicaid expansion plans to a ban on bans, we've got a little something for everyone this week!
Open Primaries: A Primer
Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.
Podcast Ep. 79 | Rally for Coverage (with Sabine Brown & Carly Putnam)
Sabine Brown (Together Oklahoma) and Carly Putnam (Oklahoma Policy Institute) join us to review the current state of healthcare in Oklahoma and their upcoming "Rally for Coverage."
Podcast Ep. 78 | Legislative Update and Texts with Mom (with Effie Craven and Jason Dunnington)
Special guests Effie Craven and Rep. Jason Dunnington join the show to discuss where the legislature is with various bills and what it's like to text their moms.
Podcast Ep. 77 | Opioid Settlement, Round 1 (with Attorney General Mike Hunter)
Oklahoma has sued more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies over their creation & marketing of addictive opioid medications. Last week we learned that one company, Purdue Pharma, was settling out of court for $270…
Podcast Ep. 76 | Talkin' Tourism with Lt. Gov Matt Pinnell
Recorded live at Missy's Donuts in Guthrie, OK, we sit down with Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell to discuss his approach to the Lt. Gov position and his other position as Secretary of Tourism & Branding.
Podcast Ep. 75 | Privileged Pollution and Secret Sh*t
This week we discuss a bill to keep pollution audits private, cleaning up the voter rolls, and the high cost of transporting people with mental illness. Just a typical week in Oklahoma, right?
Podcast Ep. 74 | Dead Candidates Society (with Megan Funderburk & Bo Broadwater)
Should deceased candidates be allowed to remain on the ballot? We discuss the implications of that situation along with independent redistricting and the structure & finances of the Office of Management and Enterprise…
Live Podcast | 3-2-1- Council Contact
This week we held a special, experimental event called “3-2-1 Council Contact,” which was a mashup of two podcasts - Let’s Pod This and the WAFTI Show - interviewing three members of the Oklahoma City city council,…
Podcast Ep. 73 | Mid-Session Update (with Bo Broadwater)
As bills move from one chamber to the other, we take a look at what legislation has been signed, what's [mostly] dead, and what are still alive. Special guest: Bo Broadwater from The Journal Record Legislative Report.
Independent Redistricting: A Primer
Many thanks to our intern, Megan Funderburk, for researching and writing this post.
Podcast Ep. 72 | Gravel Tax and Sunshine Week (with Tres Savage & Joe Hight)
Tres Savage from NonDoc explains the finer points of why Oklahoma counties should be allowed to tax the production of aggregates (i.e. rocks and gravel) and we visit with Joe Hight, chairman of Freedom of Information…
Podcast Ep. 71 | Religion & Politics (with Jon Middendorf)
Most of us were taught that it's impolite to discuss religion & politics, but in Oklahoma, those topics are often intertwined. In the eyes of Jon Middendorf, pastor at @okcfirst, the gospel "has to have skin on it," and…
Podcast Ep. 70 | Auditing Oddity and Agency Appointments (with Julia Kirt)
Are multiple, concurrent audits of Oklahoma's Medicaid program really necessary? Plus we're joined by Senator Julia Kirt to discuss if allowing the Governor to appoint agency directors more or less transparent than the…
Podcast Ep. 69 | Why "Women's Issues" Matter (with Liz Charles and Bo Broadwater)
The first month of the 57th legislature has been dominated by guns and abortion, and this week has been no exception. We're joined by the Liz Charles of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition and Bo Broadwater of The Journal…
Podcast Ep. 68 | Show Me the Money
The State of Oklahoma has some extra money this year...or does it? We discuss how much, where it's going, and status updates on bills about guns, HIV education, and Medicaid expansion.
Podcast Ep. 67 | Guns, Weed, and #oklegvalentines
We discuss the loosening of gun laws, find out who actually writes bills, and chat with Senator Greg McCortney about the details of "Unity Bill" that will tweak Oklahoma's new medical marijuana law. Plus a few tidbits…
Podcast Ep. 66 | Kevin Calvey & The Blue Eyed Butcher
County Commissioner Kevin Calvey also Capitol lobbyist (NonDoc)
2019 State of the State [full text]
It is such an honor to be with you today. I’d like to take a moment to recognize the honored guests with us:
Podcast Ep. 65 | All About Agendas
This week it seemed like every party and organization released their legislative agenda - including Let's Fix this. So we decided to compare & contrast the big ones to parse out what policies we think will actually get…
2019 Legislative Agenda
OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 29, 2019) — Let’s Fix This, a non-partisan nonprofit that educates and equips Oklahomans to actively engage with their government, is releasing its first legislative agenda for the first session of…
Podcast Ep. 64 | 2019 Predict-O-Rama
We're joined by Krystal Yoseph to discuss Governor Stitt's first Executive Orders and cast our predictions for the 2019 Oklahoma legislative session.
2018
Podcast Episodes 60-62: All Things Election
We recorded two episodes the week prior to the election that didn’t get posted here, so I’m combining them with our post-election recap for a comprehensive election post!
The Election Night Show [complete video]
Our inaugural election night watch party & entertainment event was a tremendous success! More than 700 people attended and raised nearly $5,000 for our organization. Huge thanks to all of our guests, sponsors, and…
Podcasts Eps. 58 & 59 | Recap of a debate and follow-up with several candidates
This week is a banner week for #LetsPodThis - we posted not one but two episodes! (Okay, yes, we did that once last month as well. What can we say - it’s a busy time of year!)
Podcast Ep. 57 | 2018 State Questions Guide
We discuss the pros and cons of each of the five state questions that are on the ballot this year.
Podcast Ep. 56 | Everybody likes sandwiches
Ballot review meet-ups on Nov 3rd (specific times & locations TBD)
Podcast Ep. 55 | Commissioner Candidates Chat
In this episode, we sit down with two candidates running for statewide office - Kimberly Fobbs, who is running for Insurance Commissioner, and Fred Dorrell, who is running for Labor Commissioner. #Votelahoma
Podcast Ep. 54 | Gubernatorial Debate Recap
Podcast Ep. 53 | Someone should poll our dogs
Education Leaders See Few Benefits of in Ballot Measure to Give Schools More Financial Stability
Podcast Ep. 52 | Capitol Reporters, Vol. 1 (with Grant Hermes and Sean Murphy)
In this episode we visit with two of Oklahoma's intrepid journalists, Grant Hermes (News9) and Sean Murphy (Associated Press) to get an inside look into what it's like to cover the State Capitol and politics in general…
Podcast Ep. 51 | Too Close for Missiles
In this episode, Andy & Scott are joined by Commander Scott Downey, USN, Retired, for what starts out as a discussion of current events and the run-off election but what ends up being a rather vulnerable conversation…
Podcast Ep. 50 | Sit-down with the Solicitor General
Did you know Oklahoma has a Solicitor General? (We didn't.) Do you have any idea what they do? (We definitely didn't.) Join us for an insightful conversation with Oklahoma's Solicitor General, Mithun Mansinghani.
Podcast Ep. 49 | Labor Commissioner 101 with Leslie Osborn
We discuss the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project and sit down with Oklahoma Representative and GOP candidate for Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn to find out what, exactly, the position does in our state.
Podcast Ep. 48 | Words Have Meaning (with Daniela Busciglio)
We're joined by academic linguist and political consultant Daniela Busciglio with DFB Consulting to discuss why words matter and how advocates can use science to help us get our point across more effectively.
Podcast Ep. 47 | Post-mortem with Senator AJ Griffin
This week's episode is just a round-up of three quick articles and then a fantastic interview with outgoing state Senator AJ Griffin.
Podcast Ep. 46 | You're in charge while I'm gone (feat. Dana Murphy & Matt Pinnell)
As the primary run-off nears, we're joined by Republican candidates for Lt. Governor, Dana Murphy and Matt Pinnell, to discuss their perspectives on what that position actually does and their plan for it, should they be…
Podcast Ep. 45 | Carpathians, Kardashians, and Cardassians
For recreational marijuana in Oklahoma, November vote might be too early
Podcast Ep. 44 | Reefer Madness Continues, plus an interview with state auditor Gary Jones
We discuss the bizarre things that happened this week in Oklahoma's medical marijuana saga, and then we speak with State Auditor Gary Jones to learn about the role of that position in our state government. At the end, a…
Join the LFT Board of Directors
This past Saturday was our annual board retreat, and it was fantastic. Staged in Verbode's beautiful downtown office space, we began the day with a recap of the past year and then moved into our strategy session. Tons…
Podcast: A Doctor, a Lawyer, and a Therapist Walk Into a Bar
In this episode, Scott (a doctor) and Andy (a therapist) have an unusually candid discussion about SQ788 (medical marijuana), ridiculous voter outrage, and how the issue is playing out in Oklahoma. (The lawyer couldn't…
Preparing for the Primaries
We believe that there should be more to political campaigns than commercials, mailers, and knocking doors. In particular, we believe that those who seek statewide office should be required to stand on a stage with their…
2018 Session: Week 4 Recap
Hey everyone! It was a busy week at the Capitol with a packed schedule of committee meetings, floor votes and wrapping up business from the Second Extraordinary Session. Thursday was the deadline for bills to get out of…
2018 Session: Week 3 Recap
Hey guys! Welcome back - this will be a short post as the weather made for a short legislative week. The House met only on Monday and Tuesday while the Senate met briefly on Wednesday. All legislative offices were…
2018 Session: Week 2 Recap
Hey guys! Welcome back to blog...this week we’ve got some great articles you can check out, a recap of the major legislative activity this week and some more details about what happened with HB1033XX. We’ll also preview…
2018 Session: Week 1 Recap
Hey guys! Since we recorded our weekly episode of #LetsPodThis early this week for Governor Fallin’s State of the State Address, we put together a quick blog post to make sure you’re up-to-date with what has been a…
2017
Pulling Back from Partisanship
School has started, 2018 campaigns are kicking off, and interim studies are being conducted - it's a typical fall at the Oklahoma State Capitol. This is the time of year is typically when the thrashing tide of partisan…
Capitol Restoration Project, vol 1.
If you've driven by or seen photos of the Oklahoma State Capitol recently, you probably noticed that about half of the building is surrounded by scaffolding and shrouded in white tarps. A few weeks ago I had the…
What do we have to lose?
A guy approached me at the coffee shop this morning, asked my name, said he recognized me from a Let's Fix This event or news story or something, and struck up a conversation. Important to note that we didn't discuss…
Leadership, Vision and Legacy
A lot of folks, myself included, have commented on the lack of leadership among our state legislature and other statewide elected officials. That deficiency has been highlighted repeatedly this year by the legislature's…
It's time to Save Our State
Yesterday Let's Fix This stood with nearly two dozen nonprofit and professional organizations to announce the Save Our State budget plan. This three-year budget blueprint is far more than just the gimmicky fixes that…
A New Deal for Oklahoma
Just over 84 years ago, in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office and delivered his first inaugural address. The speech mostly was about the Depression, which was (and still…
Breaking the Cycle
Most of my career has been spent working in the mental health field, which isn't exactly known for being lucrative. (For reference, it's likely that NASA will put a man on Mars before I will pay off my student loans.)…
You Must Get Involved
A lot of people started this legislative session feeling fairly optimistic - we believed the new leadership in the Oklahoma House & Senate were going to be thoughtful, reasonable, and empowering to the people of…
The Enemy of Our Time is Inaction
If you're like me, you spent the past weekend indoors, awaiting the arrival of an ice storm that [thankfully] didn't materialize for most of the state. And, if you're like me, that also means you spent most of your time…
Why We're Here
A few hours ago I watched President Obama deliver his farewell speech to the nation. It was a good speech - warm, reflective, inspiring. All the things you'd want an outgoing, two-term president's speech to be. After…
Knowing Your Limits
Several months ago Together Oklahoma invited me to write a blog about the importance of self care for advocates, and at the time I eagerly agreed. We had just finished the 2016 state legislative session and everyone was…
Promoting Public Comment
You know how most city council meetings have an item on the agenda for "public comment?" That's the time when they allow residents to get up and share their opinion/perspective on a given issue. In most every city…
The Plan for 2017
Wow, what a year it's been! It's hard to imagine that it was just 8 months ago I created a Facebook event and invited a bunch of people to join me at the Capitol to talk to our lawmakers about the dire situation in…
2016
Counting Every Penny
The Oklahoman recently published an editorial written by Oklahoma House of Representatives Speaker-elect Charles McCall (R-Atoka), in which he states that before the legislative sessions starts in February, the House…
Wrap-Up: Hall & Oaths and Capitol Crawl
Last week we hosted our first events of the 2017 Oklahoma legislative season - Hall & Oaths and the inaugural Capitol Crawl. Both of these events were timed to coincide with the swearing-in ceremonies of the 56th…
First time at the Capitol?
Tomorrow will be the first event of Oklahoma's 56th Legislature, and for many of the folks attending our Hall & Oaths event, it will be their very first time to ever visit the state Capitol.
2016 State Questions Compendium
It's pretty clear that, in Oklahoma, the 2016 election is about two things: presidential candidate hoopla and the seven state questions. With less than a week until the election and early voting already under way, it's…