Politics
Oklahoma measure seeks to make school district superintendents an elected position
Oklahoma will consider a new measure to make the role of school district superintendent an elected position in response to a spate of controversial situations involving scholastic leaders, Fox News Digital has learned.
There have been allegations and news reports about several issues: the refusal to remove “pornographic books” from school libraries, the dismissal of a teacher for failure to comply with a COVID-19 face mask mandate, and media coverage of “nothing [being] done” in response to reports a school football coach was bragging about sexual conquests with parents.
In 2021, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called firings of mask-averse teachers “preposterous” and said their talents are needed more than ever.
“This is about a school district not following state law — this isn’t a debate about masks,” he said, after the Oklahoma City district reportedly fired multiple educators, adding the state previously banned such firings.
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In February, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters — who is an elected official himself — threatened to lower the accreditation of Edmond, Oklahoma, schools if it didn’t remove the books “The Glass Castle” and “Kite Runner” from its high school libraries.
Walters called the inaction “subversion of accountability,” though Edmond’s superintendent said the state lacked authority to remove the books based on a 1997 district policy.
In another case, in Edmond, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz from neighboring Texas, among others, blasted videos showing a portion of a school fundraiser wherein students were licking each other’s toes.
In a public statement, school officials appeared to celebrate the event:
“This afternoon, Deer Creek High School announced a grand total of $152,830.38 raised for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, an organization created to ‘inspire our community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities,” school staff wrote.
“All participants in the assembly were students who signed up for the game(s) they played ahead of time. No Deer Creek faculty or staff participated in any of the games during this Clash of Classes assembly,” a portion of the latter part of the statement read.
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Walters called the fundraiser “filth,” and Cruz said it was “child abuse.”
In another district on the Arkansas line, now-former Muldrow Superintendent Leon Ashlock resigned after driving drunk and crashing a school vehicle on Creek Turnpike. Two 100-proof bottles of cinnamon schnapps were found in its console, according to KOCO.
Walters told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that a case involving a school’s response to an athletic director’s criminal exploits with a student also drew his attention.
“Even in a conservative state like Oklahoma, where voters have overwhelmingly made clear they want the radical progressive policies of the left out of public schools, we continually see superintendents defying their will, ignoring their concerns, and refusing to take action necessary to improve education outcomes while protecting Oklahoma children,” Walters said.
“This has to end.”
“And, the best way to do that is by requiring superintendents to be elected by the voters.”
Walters called the legislation a common-sense solution to efforts to improve education for Sooner State children.
Walters previously made headlines when he led his state in becoming the first to appropriate funding toward supplying a Bible to each school. The official said the move blunts “woke curricula” and provides students a “historical document” that the founders used to form their government.
Politics
Incoming Missouri state lawmaker introduces bill to give $1K to anyone who turns in illegal migrants
An incoming Missouri state lawmaker introduced a bill to provide $1,000 to people who report illegal migrants to authorities.
Republican state Sen.-elect David Gregory proposed a measure that would offer $1,000 to any person who turned in an illegal migrant who is subsequently arrested.
SB 72 would allow the state’s Department of Public Safety to “develop an information system for people to report violations of this act which shall include a toll-free telephone hotline, e-mail and online reporting portal.”
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The bill would also create the “Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program” which would allow local citizens to serve as bounty hunters “for the purpose of finding and detaining illegal aliens” in the state.
Only bail bond agents and surety recovery agents may apply to the program to serve as bounty hunters.
The proposal would also make it a felony for anyone to be in the state as an illegal migrant.
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“As I ran for State Senate, I promised to make Missouri a national leader in combating illegal immigration,” Gregory said in a post on the social media platform X.
“Now, I’m following through with my promise. SB 72 makes it a felony to be here illegally and the bill will finally allow Missouri law enforcement to find and arrest illegal immigrants,” he continued. “We need all hands on deck to ensure we catch illegal immigrants BEFORE they commit violent crimes.”
President-elect Trump has promised mass deportations in his second administration.
Politics
Schiff to be sworn in Monday as California's next U.S. senator
Sen.-elect Adam B. Schiff will be sworn in as California’s next U.S. senator on Monday, replacing Sen. Laphonza Butler, according to sources familiar with the arrangements.
Butler, a Democrat, was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to temporarily fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein after Feinstein’s death in September 2023. Schiff was elected last month, both to serve out the remainder of Feinstein’s term and to serve a full six-year term beginning in January.
A spokesperson for Schiff, a Burbank Democrat who previously served nearly a quarter of a century in the House, said he was grateful for Butler’s assistance in the transition process, and for the support of Newsom and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York.
A spokeswoman for Butler said she will remain in office until the swearing-in. Former Assemblymember Laura Friedman, a Democrat, won election in Schiff’s House district and will be sworn in to take his old seat next month.
Schiff and Butler are following a similar transition schedule as Sen. George Helmy and Sen.-elect Andy Kim, both Democrats of New Jersey. Helmy, former chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, was appointed by Murphy in August to replace Sen. Robert Menendez, after Menendez was convicted of corruption charges and resigned. Kim was elected to the seat last month, and will also be sworn in Monday, a spokesman for Kim said.
Butler rose to prominence in the labor movement and became a Democratic strategist before Newsom tapped her for the Senate post. She did not run to keep the seat.
Schiff beat out Democratic rivals Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee in last year’s primary, and handily defeated Steve Garvey, a Republican and former Dodger all-star, in last month’s general election.
Feinstein, who was 90, had held the seat since 1992, when she was elected as California’s first female senator. She died in office.
With Schiff’s swearing-in, California will be without a female senator for the first time since 1993, when former Sen. Barbara Boxer joined Feinstein in representing the state.
Schiff will be California’s junior senator, joining Sen. Alex Padilla, who was appointed to the Senate in 2021 and elected to a full term in 2022. Padilla is also a Democrat.
Schiff gained national prominence during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, namely as a Trump antagonist in the House and a leader in multiple investigations into Trump and his allies. He also helped lead Trump’s first impeachment trial.
Schiff ran in part on that record, but has said he hopes to focus in the Senate on the economic concerns of Californians and Americans across the country, including around housing, homelessness and child care.
It is unclear which assignments Schiff might receive in the Senate. Assignments are based in part on seniority, which Schiff lacks in the Senate despite his long run in the House.
Schiff’s serving out the remainder of Feinstein’s term and Kim the remainder of Menendez’s term will give them a sliver of seniority over the other incoming freshman senators elected last month, who take office next month. The timing also allows Schiff and Kim to serve a few weeks as part of the Senate’s narrow Democratic majority before a Republican majority takes control in January.
Politics
Congress eyes 14.5% pay hike for junior troops, limits on transgender treatment in $895B defense bill
Congressional leaders have agreed to terms for this year’s defense policy bill, with nearly $900 billion in spending, new limits on transgender-related medical care and a significant raise for young U.S. service members.
Roughly 1,800 pages detailing the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that outlines U.S. defense and national security priorities each fiscal year, were released Saturday evening.
The bill details policy for $895.2 billion in federal spending.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the bill “refocuses our military on its core mission of defending America and its interests around the globe by supporting law enforcement operations and the deployment of the National Guard to the southwest border, expediting innovation and reducing the acquisition timeline for new weaponry, supporting our allies and strengthening our nuclear posture and missile defense programs.”
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It includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops, according to the Republican leader’s office.
Another provision says “medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18,” referring to the transgender children of U.S. service members.
The measure sparked backlash from the Human Rights Council, which called it an “attack” on military families.
“This cruel and hateful bill suddenly strips away access to medical care for families that members of our armed forces are counting on, and it could force service members to choose between staying in the military or providing health care for their children,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
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The bill also includes border security elements Republicans had previously pushed for, including a bipartisan initiative to create a Northern Border Mission Center under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
According to Johnson’s office, it would also “fully support the deployment of National Guard at the southwest border to intercept illegal aliens and drugs.”
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., touted the significant pay raise for junior troops. He also said the NDAA “puts our service members first by boosting compensation, improving housing, supporting the spouses of service members, increasing access to child care and ensuring access to medical care.”
Other provisions also place limits on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-based recruitment and the teaching of critical race theory in military-run schools.
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The House is expected to vote on the NDAA next week.
The policy bill traditionally has passed with wide bipartisan support, save for some progressives and conservatives who are normally critical of the U.S. defense industrial complex.
However, it’s not immediately clear how many Democrats will be put off enough by its anti-DEI and anti-transgender medical care provisions to vote against the must-pass legislation.
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