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Influential Oklahoma lawmaker presses Ryan Walters to buy inhalers for schools after delay

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Influential Oklahoma lawmaker presses Ryan Walters to buy inhalers for schools after delay


The Oklahoma Senate’s budget chairman had a terse message for state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters on Thursday: Show him the money.

Sen. Chuck Hall, a Republican from Perry, made the point in a brief letter to Walters just one day after Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a “letter of counsel to Walters regarding the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s yearlong delay in purchasing emergency asthma inhalers for public schools.

In his letter, Drummond told Walters and Education Department officials to act quickly to make sure public school students have access to the inhalers. “Waiting more than a year to ask for guidance, changing procurement methods multiple times and now requiring school districts to individually procure emergency inhalers is neither speedy or responsible,” Drummond wrote.

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Hall cited Drummond’s message, as well as the numerous attempts by lawmakers to get the agency to buy the inhalers. Hall wrote that Walters had “a clear opportunity and pathway to do the right thing that will benefit everyone.” He added that “there is now no excuse to not execute the delivery of these funds as expeditiously as possible.”

The Legislature funded the inhalers for every Oklahoma school district through a law passed in 2023, but Education Department officials have not spent the money.

‘I continue to be disappointed in the lack of action’

Hall also took issue with agency spokesman Dan Isett’s statement to The Oklahoman on Wednesday which said the “OSDE has been distributing funds for inhalers for the past two years.”

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“My concern is the timeline of this statement,” Hall wrote. “The law to provide the $250,000 for the program only took effect last year. If this statement is accurate, I would also appreciate information on the vendor you used to distribute the inhalers.”

Hall said he believed a single supplier, the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation, was the lone entity in the state that could distribute inhalers to schools and train administrators and teachers on proper inhaler use.

More: Oklahoma attorney general criticizes Ryan Walters, OSDE over delayed inhaler purchase

“I have been in communication with the foundation after reading your spokesman’s statement, and they said they are unaware of OSDE distributing any funding for school inhalers,” Hall said.

For several years now, lawmakers have been trying to ensure emergency asthma inhalers are in schools.

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In 2019, lawmakers passed legislation that allowed the state to partner with the McLarty Foundation to buy emergency asthma inhalers. That measure, Senate Bill 381, authorized schools to stock emergency albuterol inhalers in the event that a child goes into respiratory distress and required at least two staff members at the school be trained on how to use the inhalers.

In 2023, lawmakers, again partnered with the McLarty Foundation to develop and pass legislation that earmarked $250,000 to buy albuterol inhalers and spacers for all Oklahoma school districts.

While Hall told Walters he respected his diligence in asking for guidance, he said he was disappointed by the yearlong delay in processing the funds.

“I continue to be disappointed in the lack of action as this money has been available for over a year,” he wrote. “Please end the delays and distribute this funding immediately.”



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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: February 23

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Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: February 23


This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb and Toby Rowland begin the show with their opening takes.

Sunday, February 23rd 2025, 11:14 pm

By:

News 9,

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News On 6

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland begin the show with their opening takes.

Toby’s Top 3

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Thunder Report: Thunder Vs Timberwolves

OSU Wrestling recap

OU, OSU, TU, ORU Basketball recap

Viewer Question

OSU, OU, ORU, TU Baseball and Softball update

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Play The Percentages





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No. 2 Softball Tops Tulsa in Home Opener, 8-0 – University of Oklahoma

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No. 2 Softball Tops Tulsa in Home Opener, 8-0 – University of Oklahoma


NORMANKierston Deal spun 4.0 scoreless innings and Kasidi Pickering clubbed her third three-run home run of the season as No. 2 Oklahoma Softball (11-0) defeated Tulsa (5-6), 8-0, in five innings in front of 4,261 at Love’s Field Saturday, Feb. 22.

OU has won five straight games in run-rule fashion, while earning its 30th straight win in home openers.

Oklahoma clawed away in the second inning, pushing across three two-out runs to take a 3-0 advantage. Isabela Emerling walked, Gabbie Garcia singled up the middle on an eight-pitch at-bat and Abigale Dayton walked on five pitches. After getting down 1-2, Ella Parker rolled a grounder over the first base bag that went by Tulsa’s Paige Knight, scoring three.

OU added one more in the third. Pickering one-hopped the wall with a double and Ailana Agbayani scored her with a nice piece of hitting, roping an RBI single through the left side. 

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The Sooners got to eight in the fourth, starting with a Garcia double, who scored after a groundout and wild pitch. Parker started the rally again, finding space in left field for a double before Cydney Sanders walked. Pickering hit a three-run home run to dead center to make it 8-0.

Isabella Smith spun a scoreless fifth to continue her scoreless inning streak to 16.2 innings.

OU 8, Tulsa 0 (5 inn.)

Pitchers of Record
Win: Kierston Deal (2-0)
Loss: Maura Moore (4-3)

Statistical Snapshot

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  • The official attendance was 4,261, good for a program record for attendance in home games in February
  • OU has won five-straight games via run-rule
  • The Sooners picked up their 25th win at Love’s Field
  • The last time OU won by five consecutive run rules was in March of 2022
  • OU is 49-10 against Tulsa
  • Parker is on an 11-game hitting streak this season and a 15-game hitting streak dating back to June of last season
  • OU has won 30 consecutive home openers
  • OU has won via run rule in two of the last four home openers

Up Next
No. 2 Oklahoma continues its home-opening tournament tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. against Wichita State.
 



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Oregon State Baseball Set To Face Oklahoma

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Oregon State Baseball Set To Face Oklahoma


Oregon State and Oklahoma are meeting for the 10th time and first since 2015. The Sooners hold a 6-3 advantage and the teams are playing their fourth neutral-site game in the series.

– The win over Virginia marked Oregon State’s 24th over a top-25 team in the Mitch Canham era. It was the fifth versus a top-10 club.

– All nine Beaver starters recorded at least one hit versus the Cavaliers.

– The Beavers and Sooners are two of the remaining 42 teams to be unbeaten nationally this season.

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– Oregon State’s scoring margin of plus-8.8 is tied for 12th nationally. The Beavers have scored 55 runs to opponents’ 11.

– OSU has yet to allow a run in the first, fourth or sixth innings.

– Just three of the 25 hits allowed by OSU’s pitching staff this season have gone for extra bases.

– All five wins this season have come by five or more runs.

– The Beavers have tallied 10 or more hits in the last four games and have 64 on the season. That’s an average of 12.8 per game.

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Aiva Arquette, Trent Caraway and Tyce Peterson all carry five-game hit streaks into Saturday’s matchup. Wilson Weber has also hit safely in every game he’s played this season, at four games.

Dax Whitney, Saturday’s probable starter, is the reigning Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Week. He struck out eight in five scoreless innings in his collegiate debut versus UNLV in Surprise last week.

– OSU is in the midst of a now 10-game road trip to open the 2025 season. It was shortened from 11 to 10 games after Wednesday’s game versus Houston was canceled.

– Oregon State is 98-35 when not committing an error under Mitch Canham. OSU is 3-0 this season.

– OSU is 121-37 when scoring first during Canham’s tenure.

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