Oklahoma
Oklahoma school chief cites Harris’s ‘mass chaos’ in request for over $474 million – Washington Examiner
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters argued Vice President Kamala Harris’s leadership on the border has offloaded the burden of illegal immigration to school districts.
Walters requested that the Biden-Harris administration reimburse over $474 million to Oklahoma schools for “the financial impact borne by Oklahoma taxpayers for education of illegal immigrant children.” The letter, issued Tuesday, comes as Walters deemed Harris as “the number one threat to parents and kids” in the United States.
“This open border policy has cost our state $474 million to educate illegal immigrant children,” Walters said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends First. “We have fentanyl pouring across into our schools, and we even had a terrorist that came across in our open border policies, that was arrested in one of our schools. Her open border is causing mass chaos into our schools, into our economy and into our society. We never had these problems under President Trump. We never had these issues in our schools and in our society. We had a closed border, safer schools, safe border. This is absolutely essential that her administration is held accountable. The border czar has failed us.”
Walters’s comment on Harris as “the border czar” comes after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a messaging bill in July condemning both the vice president and the Biden administration’s handling of border security. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, has sought to portray himself as the new border czar should he and Trump win.
The Oklahoma superintendent explained that the federal government mandates school districts to educate any child who will attend their school, regardless of whether they are legal immigrants or not. As such, schools are required to “quickly” allocate resources originally intended for students already enrolled, with one district even getting “100 a week” in illegal immigrants attending their district.
“So all of the resources that were there, prepared for our students in Oklahoma, are now being diverted to the students of illegal immigrants,” Walters said.
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The superintendent’s letter is not the first time Walters has feuded with the Biden administration, as he directed all of his local school districts not to comply with the administration’s rewrite of Title IX because it puts “women in danger.” He has also sought a “complete overhaul” to Oklahoma school curriculum with the goal to “inspire in students a love of country and a proper understanding of the American founding.”
Illegal immigration has been a major topic ahead of the 2024 presidential election, including the possibility of non-residents of the United States voting. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow Virginia to carry out a purge of an estimated 1,600 people from its voter rolls to prevent ineligible noncitizens from voting, a decision Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) deemed “a victory for commonsense and election fairness.”
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon
YUKON, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon Monday night.
The shooting happened near Northwest 10th Street and South Yukon Parkway near the border of Yukon and Oklahoma City.
Police are on the scene, and officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the hip.
OKCPD said they have at least one person in custody.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Oklahoma
Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property
As consumer electricity needs grow, lawmakers are discussing strategies to ease the burden on landowners who don’t want the towers and wires carrying that energy on their property.
As it’s written now, the bill would require transmission owners to pay landowners $2 per foot of line annually. During the committee meeting, Murdock said he introduced the legislation to “start a conversation.”
“ This is an idea of, maybe moving forward, if the landowners are getting a royalty off of the power being pushed across their property, it may make it a little more palatable for someone to have a transmission line go across their property,” he said.
Landowners can enter into easement agreements with companies to set aside portions of their land for the builds. But in some cases, eminent domain is used to obtain a right-of-way.
“ I’m not saying that this is going to do away with eminent domain,” Murdock said. “What I’m hoping is this just makes it a little more palatable.”
Murdock said he spoke with utility companies about the legislation, though he didn’t name them. The bill’s language could change after creating an alternative rate based on conversations with the companies, he said.
Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, said the bill could raise utility rates for consumers living in Oklahoma’s most populous counties if companies charge more to make up for the annual fee.
Murdock pushed back, noting the lines are necessary to deliver electricity to other counties.
“You understand that you flip that light on because — and have that ability to have electricity because — the people in my district have a transmission line that goes across them, getting you that power,” he said.
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: Mar. 1, 2026
Steve McGehee reports live from Paycom Center with the latest on SGA’s return after missing nine games, the Thunder’s push to hold the top spot in the Western Conference, and what getting healthy means for OKC’s title hopes.
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