Oklahoma
Oklahoma lawmakers to consider expanding school meal programs, but GOP views vary
Lawmakers and child nutrition advocates say there’s a “growing conversation” at the state Capitol on expanding school meal programs, but opinions among the Republican majority are mixed.
The topic has been in and out of Oklahoma news headlines over the past year, most recently when Gov. Kevin Stitt turned down federal funds for a summer food assistance program for children.
Families and schools have reported confusion and outstanding cafeteria debt since the federal government stopped paying for universal free meals in schools. The pandemic relief program lasted for two years and ended in June 2022.
Some Republican lawmakers say they want to boost the state’s investment in providing free meals in schools. Others say they’re not interested in footing the bill for expired federal initiatives.
Last year, a bill to raise the household income threshold for a student to qualify for free meals passed the state House with overwhelming support, but the state Senate never gave it a hearing.
That legislation, House Bill 1376, is still eligible for consideration when lawmakers gavel in for their next session on Feb. 5.
The bill’s author, Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, filed two more pieces of legislation on the issue. Garvin said she developed both bills with Hunger Free Oklahoma, an organization advocating against food insecurity.
Senate Bill 1473 is a farm-to-school program that would offer grants to local farmers and producers to grow fresh products for school districts. It also would offer grants to schools to buy locally grown food products.
Garvin’s SB 1363, called the Thrive Act, would reimburse 80% to 100% of the cost for high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all of their students, as long as they also enroll in the federal government’s Community Eligibility Provision program. The CEP program reimburses schools for the same purpose — providing free meals to all students regardless of their family’s income.
These bills could build the local market for Oklahoma-grown products while helping schools provide more free meals and fresher food, said Chris Bernard, Hunger Free Oklahoma’s president and CEO.
“We do believe in stronger local food systems, and we’d love to see kids eat more fresh vegetables,” Bernard said. “This was a way to kind of include all those things to make it more economically viable for schools, build the local food system (and) create healthier options.”
Investing in child nutrition is “imperative” to improve health and academic outcomes in the state, Garvin said. But she said she’s unsure what action the Legislature will ultimately take.
The head of the Senate Appropriations Committee said he’s open to the idea of spending more state dollars to expand access to free and reduced-price meals in schools. Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, filed a bill to create a universal electronic form for families to apply for these discounts.
Thompson said there’s a “growing conversation” in the state Legislature to tackle food insecurity.
“Raising levels (of state support), especially in the current economic environment, does not discourage me at all,” he said.
But, Thompson said he doesn’t envision Oklahoma paying for free meals for all public school students, as some states have done. Nor does Sen. Adam Pugh, the lawmaker in charge of committees on education policy and funding.
Pugh, R-Edmond, said he and most members of the Senate Education Committee don’t support the state taking on the cost of expanding free meals in schools now that the federal program has expired.
Rather, he prefers to explore ways to “leverage local sources of food.”
“The votes were not there to move any of those bills last year because it was just footing the bill for the program that was going to end at the federal level,” Pugh said. “But I think there’s a lot of ways to still get a concept like that passed but do it in an Oklahoma way, do it responsibly, do it where it’s got a lower fiscal impact but has a higher nutritional and educational impact for the kid.”
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to honor country music artist and Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 recognizes Keith’s lasting impact on music and proposes renaming a planned turnpike in his memory.
The concurrent resolution was authored by Rep. Jason Blair, R-Morgan, and Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman.
The planned route will extend from Interstate 44 east to Interstate 35, then continue east and north to I-40 at the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
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