Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt At Risk After Battles With Teachers And Tribes
OKMULGEE, Okla. — In a yr when Republicans are buoyed by historic traits and poised to probably retake management of Congress, Democrats are seeing a shiny spot in an unlikely place: the governor’s race in deep pink Oklahoma.
Kevin Stitt, the hard-nosed Republican incumbent, is beset by a sequence of scandals and going through a tricky problem from the state’s faculty superintendent, a Republican-turned-Democrat named Pleasure Hofmeister.
“It’s an actual contest,” stated Pat McFerron, a veteran Republican pollster within the state.
In a state the place Donald Trump took 65% of the vote and received all 77 counties, Stitt has needed to get last-minute assist from the Republican Governors Affiliation, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). He has additionally loaned his marketing campaign $1.9 million of his personal cash.
In distinction, Hofmeister acquired an unprecedented joint endorsement from the 5 largest tribal nations of the state’s 39 federally acknowledged tribes, seen ballot numbers that present her “aggressively average” message could also be working and nabbed the endorsement of former congressman and Oklahoma Sooner soccer star J.C. Watts, a Republican.
She has additionally harnessed the power and cash of two key constituencies which have lengthy had Stitt of their sights: lots of the state’s Native American tribes and the state’s lecturers.
“I wish to see motion that results in the most effective optimum outcomes, and it’s a must to have collaborative management to get that executed. And this governor is incapable,” Hofmeister advised HuffPost.
“I’m a bridge builder. He’s a bridge burner.”
“I don’t assume you could have any person, an incumbent governor, reaching into his personal pocket if it’s not a official concern concerning the end result.”
– Pat McFerron, veteran Oklahoma pollster
Polling on the race has been erratic, displaying both massive Stitt leads or slender Hofmeister benefits. The newest respected ballot, by Emerson School, put Stitt up 52% to 43%. One other ballot, launched Wednesday by an Oklahoma City TV station, although, confirmed Stitt with solely a 1-point lead, inside the margin of error.
McFerron pointed to Stitt’s private mortgage as proof of the race’s competitiveness.
“I don’t assume you could have any person, an incumbent governor, reaching into his personal pocket if it’s not a official concern concerning the end result,” he stated.
‘Starkly Totally different’ Candidates on Schooling
Hofmeister has portrayed herself as a reluctant warrior, switching events solely after Stitt had “hijacked” the Republican Celebration and, she stated, grew to become too divisive politically.
On the high of that checklist is training. Stitt’s assist of a college voucher invoice in 2021 that the state’s largest lecturers union stated would imply the closure of many rural faculties, mixed with Hofmeister’s background in elementary training, made Hofmeister the apparent choose for lecturers.
To assist cope with the voucher plan backlash, Stitt posted a video to Twitter Oct. 27 extolling his assist for rural faculties.
“Let me be clear — I’ll do nothing to hurt our rural communities, our rural faculties and our lifestyle,” Stitt said directly to the camera within the video. “I’ll stand for our lifestyle, our rural communities, like I’ve executed for the final 4 years.”
Alex Wong by way of Getty Photographs
With virtually 4 million folks, Oklahoma has 509 separate faculty districts, every with its personal cadre of lecturers, directors and assist workers. And, in response to the pinnacle of the state’s largest lecturers union, they can not wait to vote in opposition to Stitt.
“Our two candidates are starkly totally different,” stated Katherine Bishop, president of the 18,000-member Oklahoma Schooling Affiliation.
“We’ve got one that may be a champion for public faculties and desires to guarantee that we’re doing every part to guarantee that the general public faculties are a core service and obtain every part they should have. After which you could have one other candidate that wishes to usher in every kind of voucher schemes to dismantle our public faculties.”
Regardless of a 2018 enhance in assist led to by lecturers strolling out, Bishop stated Oklahoma’s faculties had been nonetheless digging out of a deep monetary gap. The Nationwide Schooling Affiliation ranked Oklahoma thirty fourth in trainer salaries and forty fifth in per pupil spending in its most up-to-date rankings.
At a debate in Oklahoma Metropolis, Stitt stated he had put extra money into training than any earlier governor and “I’m going to face for fogeys over massive unions.”
Uniting The Tribes — In Opposition
Except for lecturers, the opposite main group upset with Stitt are the state’s tribal nations. Stitt acquired off to a nasty footing with them when he proposed unilaterally renegotiating the compact settlement between the state and tribes on playing revenues to extend the state’s share. Citing tribal sovereignty, the tribes took Oklahoma to courtroom, the place they finally received.
It was the beginning of an ongoing sequence of fights, the largest of which went all the way in which to the U.S. Supreme Court docket. In 2020, the courtroom, led by Justice Neil Gorsuch, stated Congress did not dissolve the reservations of a number of massive tribes within the state’s japanese facet when Oklahoma grew to become a state in 1907 and thus they remained legally intact.
The victory was seen as the largest win for Indigenous folks on the courtroom in many years.
However after the demise of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of many 5 votes for the tribes, Stitt succeeded in getting the courtroom to reverse itself on a serious portion of the so-called McGirt determination concerning state prosecution of crimes on Native lands.
“I’m a bridge builder. He’s a bridge burner.”
– Pleasure Hofmeister, Democratic candidate for governor in Oklahoma
The leaders of the state’s 5 largest tribes — the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Choctaw, Chickasaw and Nice Seminole nations — endorsed Hofmeister on Oct. 11. It was the first time the tribes had collectively endorsed a state candidate and should mark a brand new, extra aggressive stance by the tribal governments.
McFerron stated the tribes have been lively in state politics for a lot of the state’s historical past (the tribes’ presence predates the state by virtually 100 years) however they had been extra out entrance now.
Medicaid Vote A Mannequin?
Stitt, whose marketing campaign didn’t reply requests to be interviewed, has additionally suffered from a sequence of self-inflicted political wounds within the type of scandals which have led to accusations of corruption.
All of that also will not be sufficient to assist voters get previous the “D” subsequent to Hofmeister’s title on the poll, although.
“Oklahoma could be very deep pink. It’s troublesome present as blue right here,” nail salon proprietor Sarah Embrey-Wellinghoff, a 29-year-old impartial from Okmulgee, advised HuffPost.
Then again, a victorious statewide vote in 2020 to broaden Medicaid could level the way in which for Hofmeister. That enlargement squeaked by way of with a margin of about 6,500 votes out of roughly 667,000 forged.
It received in solely seven of the state’s 77 counties, however they included probably the most populated ones and people with massive school or tribal presences. Extra essential, the pro-expansion advocates prevented getting completely blown out within the rural counties, permitting for large margins however not so massive the votes within the denser counties couldn’t offset them.
Pacific Press by way of Getty Photographs
A type of rural locations Hofmeister can be attempting to maintain Stitt’s victory margin down is Okmulgee County, about half-hour south of Tulsa.
Simply quarter-hour south in Henryetta, Gwen Kearns, an 87-year-old registered nurse, stated she received’t be voting for Hofmeister, at the same time as she’s not keen on Stitt.
“She’s a Democrat. Is there the rest?” she stated. “I don’t notably like girls in political workplace, being a lady.”
Embrey-Wellinghoff, the nail salon proprietor, stated she received’t be too dissatisfied if Hofmeister loses. However she stated liberals like her wanted to vote.
“The extra Democrats that vote, they’re going to have the ability to be like, ‘Wow, the tide is likely to be shifting, folks would possibly truly be altering or one thing,’” she stated.
“Whereas in the event you simply sit at house and also you assume pink goes to win anyway, so there’s nothing I can do about it, it’s a must to nonetheless vote to indicate that it’s nearer than folks — hopefully — assume.”
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Celebrates $51 Million Investment in Tulsa Region's Tech Hub – Oklahoma Department of Commerce
Governor Kevin Stitt released a statement celebrating the $51 million federal investment in Tulsa’s Tech Hub. The Tech Hub, which focuses on autonomous technologies such as drones, will make Tulsa the world’s leading destination for innovation, investment and talent in this technology and will find uses in industries spanning agriculture, defense, energy, health care, manufacturing and beyond.
“Oklahoma has a long legacy of excellence in aviation, defense and manufacturing, which makes our great state the ideal location to lead the development of the next generation of autonomous technologies,” said Governor Stitt. “The future of autonomous systems is right here in Oklahoma, and I am thrilled to see the innovations Oklahoma companies are generating as we continue to become a top 10 state.”
Led by Tulsa Innovation Labs – an initiative of the George Kaiser Family Foundation – Tulsa received a “Tech Hub” designation in October 2023 from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), recognizing northeastern Oklahoma’s potential to become globally competitive in the development of autonomous systems, such as drones. The designation also allowed the region to apply for implementation funding as part of EDA’s Tech Hubs Program, which aims to strengthen U.S. economic and national security. Through various projects and initiatives, THETA will create nearly 60,000 good jobs with wages higher than the current regional average.
“I’m grateful to organizations like Tulsa Innovation Labs, the George Kaiser Family Foundation and their partners for all their hard work to drive innovation to make Oklahoma a leader in secure autonomous systems,” Governor Stitt added. “These groups and their partners are working with us to secure our state’s economic future while simultaneously contributing to our national security and elevating Oklahoma’s international competitive standing.”
Governor Stitt and the Oklahoma Legislature submitted letters of commitment for Tulsa’s Tech Hub and Tulsa Innovation Labs as part of the application process. The state legislature committed to seeking $15 million in appropriations over a five-year period through the legislative budget process to bolster the Tech Hub’s efforts to grow our state’s autonomous systems workforce, enhance manufacturing and supply chain capabilities and support the expansion of research and development and commercialization activities.
“This investment not only strengthens our state’s economic foundation but positions the Greater Tulsa Region as a global leader alongside other great Tech Hubs across America,” said Jennifer Hankins, managing director of Tulsa Innovation Labs. “We are excited to partner with the governor and state of Oklahoma to usher in the future of innovation. We look forward to the day when autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics in use worldwide – whether protecting Americans on the battlefield or delivering medicine to the Heartland’s rural communities – bear the moniker ‘Tested and Made in Tulsa, USA’.”
Even 35 years later, Monica Taylor still remembers her first trip out to The Farm, the Stillwater homestead now recognized as the birthplace of Oklahoma’s Red Dirt music.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh my God, I’ve found my people,’” the Perkins singer-songwriter recalled with a laugh. “All the picking, all the (song) circles, oh, wow, it was just amazing. That was about 1989 or so … and ever since then, those people have been my family.”
If the Oklahoma songwriters’ scene is a big family, the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah is one of its biggest yearly reunions. Affectionately known as WoodyFest, the long-running event brings together dozens of Sooner State musicians, along with players from far and wide who admire the iconic folk troubadour the fest is named for.
“There are so many people there that you see. … With the artists, there’s some that you join on stage, some that you just chat with backstage and some that you pick with all night long in the parking lot,” Taylor said. “But it’s not just the artists: People come from all over the country — actually, from all over the world; there are always people who come from Europe, Australia and Canada, for sure — to enjoy every single day and every moment of the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. And they are family.”
Dubbed “The Cimarron Songbird” by the early WoodyFest staples the late Bob Childers and Jimmy LaFave, Taylor has become a fixture at the 27th annual event, playing 25 editions so far. The recent Restless Spirit Award honoree will join fellow WoodyFest legacy artists Ellis Paul and Joel Rafael in performing at this year’s opening-night concert, “Twenty-Seven Julys in Okemah: Memories of WoodyFest,” at 7 p.m. July 10 at Okemah’s historic Crystal Theatre.
In 2021, Taylor embarked with her husband, fellow musician Travis Fite, on recording her current project, the multi-volume “Red Dirt Ramble.” Paying tribute to the pioneers of Red Dirt music, the collection features 55 guest vocalists and musicians, and she’ll be playing selections from Vol. 1 during her WoodyFest opening-night set. She’s also planning to perform a few songs from her early WoodyFest days with the Farm Couple, her former duo with the late Patrick Williams.
“There is not a line, really, between the audience and the artist, and the artists make lifetime fans and friends at WoodyFest. And it’s a beautiful thing for everybody,” said Taylor, who will host on July 15 her Annual Post Woodyfest Concert featuring Don Conoscenti and Tim Easton at the Old Church Center in Perkins.
Organized by the nonprofit Woody Guthrie Coalition, WoodyFest 2024 is scheduled for July 10-14 at multiple venues in Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah. Here’s what you need to know about the 27th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival:
Who was Woody Guthrie?
Legendary singer-songwriter Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912, in Okemah. He would have been 112 years old this year.
The festival annually takes place on and around his July 14 birthday in his Okfuskee County hometown, which he once described as “one of the singingest, square dancingest, drinkingest, yellingest, preachingest, walkingest, talkingest, laughingest, cryingest, shootingest, fist fightingest, bleedingest, gamblingest, gun, club and razor carryingest of our ranch towns and farm towns because it blossomed out into one of our first Oil Boom Towns.”
Guthrie died Oct. 3, 1967, at the Creedmoor State Hospital in Queens, New York, of Huntington’s disease, a degenerative genetic neurological disorder. He was just 55 years old.
But in his relatively short life, he wrote prose, poetry and thousands of songs — including “This Land is Your Land,” “Oklahoma Hills” and “Pastures of Plenty” — and influenced a wide range of musicians, from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to Lead Belly and Guthrie’s own son, Arlo Guthrie.
More than half a century after Guthrie’s death, the iconic singer-songwriter’s influence continues to grow: He has been cited as an inspiration by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez and many more. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2006.
Who will be playing WoodyFest 2024?
Along with the trio playing the July 10 opening-night WoodyFest retrospective, this year’s festival will feature more than 50 musical acts performing at the Crystal Theatre, Rocky Road Tavern, Bound for Glory Stage at the Hen House restaurant and Pastures of Plenty outdoor stage.
The lineup features Guthrie’s granddaughter Annie Guthrie as well Guthrie great-granddaughter Serena Guthrie.
Oklahomans on this year’s WoodyFest roster include the Red Dirt Rangers, Ken Pomeroy, John Fullbright, Carter Sampson, Travis Linville, Selby Minner, Gypsy Twang, Jacob Tovar, Jared Deck, Jared Tyler, Randy Crouch, Susan Herndon, Melissa Hembree, Cassie Latshaw, Peggy Johnson, Miss Brown to You, RT Valine, Joe Baxter, Kierston White and Nellie Clay.
The lineup also features David Amram, Beat Root Revival, Butch Hancock, Jaimee Harris, The Deslondes, James McMurtry, Jamie Lin Wilson, Opal Agafia, Crys Matthews and Willi Carlilse.
Several daytime song swaps are on the schedule for this year’s festival, plus the WoodyFest House Band — Norman guitar hero Terry “Buffalo” Ware, bassist Uncle Don Morris, accordion and keyboard player T.Z. Wright and drummer Michael McCarty — will play their new House Band Happy Hour each day July 11-13.
Hosted by Dan Martin, the open mic is another daily festival highlight: It’s set for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Rocky Road Tavern.
WoodyFest 2024 will include camping, poetry, Children’s Festival and more
WoodyFest 2024 will include two longstanding traditions that raise money for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America: Mary Jo’s Pancake Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. July 13 at the Rocky Road Tavern and the event-closing Hoot for Huntington’s at noon July 14 at the Crystal Theatre.
This year’s free WoodyFest Children’s Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 13 at Okemah City Park will include harmonica instruction, a water slide, games, storytelling and a children’s stage. The Red Dirt Rangers and the winners of the Children’s Festival songwriting contest will perform.
Also on July 13, the Woody Guthrie Poets will perform at 11 a.m. at the Okfuskee County History Center, while the Native Spirit Collection Art Show, hosted by the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, will be on view from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside The Grind coffee shop.
WoodyFest is famous for its campfire jams. Camping will be available at the Okemah Round-Up Club Arena starting at 3 p.m. July 5. All sites are first come, first served, and limited camper hookups are available.
What panels and workshops will be presented at WoodyFest 2024?
WoodyFest annually includes a slate of free educational panels, with experts and activists covering timely topics as well as Guthrie’s life and legacy. This year’s sessions include:
- “Something to Say: Making Music that Matters,” with Barry Ollman
- “Legends and Legacy — Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame Induction,” with Deana McCloud
- “Secrets from the Woody Guthrie Archive,” with Guthrie granddaughter Anna Canoni and Rafael
- “Lead Belly’s Contributions to American Roots Music,” with Alvin Singh
- “Struggles and Victories: United Mine Workers of America,” with Tom Breiding
- “Native American Music of Oklahoma,” with Hugh Foley
- “I Didn’t Want to Tell You: Mental Health and Musicians,” with Chad Cochran
- “Growing Up with Woody,” with Tamara Logsdon Hawkinson
- “Arlo Guthrie’s Guthrie Center,” with Annie Guthrie and Shivadas (Mo) Guthrie
In addition, the festival will feature songwriting workshops with Paul and Canoni.
How will the free WoodyFest app and shuttle help attendees navigate the festival?
Last year’s debut of the WoodyFest mobile app was successful, especially when Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather forced organizers to move the event’s outdoor performances at the last minute, so the coalition is making the app available again in the Google Play store.
Plus, festivalgoers who have mobility issues or just want to beat the heat can catch a ride on the event’s new free daytime shuttle service, which will make continuous loops among the festival venues, stopping at each one in 30-minute intervals.
How much are WoodyFest tickets and how can people get them?
WoodyFest offers several free panels, activities and concerts, including all indoor daytime performances on July 11.
Tickets to the opening-night concert on July 10 are $30 in advance or $35 at the door of the Crystal Theatre.
Music lovers ages 17 and older will need wristbands to enter the Crystal Theatre and the Hen House’s Bound for Glory stage July 12 and 13 as well as to attend all evening performances at the Pastures of Plenty.
Attendees 16 and younger will be admitted free of charge at the Pastures of Plenty if accompanied by an adult.
Single-day tickets for July 12 or 13 are $60. Passes for the Pastures of Plenty on July 11 are $40.
Weekend and three-day passes range from $100 to $250.
All passes purchased in advance must be exchanged for wristbands at the all-ages festival.
Tickets and information are available at woodyfest.com.
Cooler temps arrive Friday! Some storms are possible in southwestern Oklahoma Friday afternoon.
What is the weather like on Friday, July 5 in Oklahoma?
Much cooler temperatures arrive Friday and into the weekend. By Friday afternoon storm chances will be mainly across SW OK with temperatures in the upper 80’s for most with much lower humidity!
What does the weather look like for the rest of the week?
A great weather pattern for next week as the heat dome is out west leaving us in a cooler spot!
Saturday looks to be a lower humidity day as well and should be fantastic for any of your outdoor plans.
Follow our meteorologists!
Meteorologist David Payne
Meteorologist Lacey Swope
Meteorologist Jed Castles
Meteorologist Cassie Heiter
Meteorologist Justin Rudicel
Meteorologist Andrew Adams
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