Oklahoma

Oklahoma Senate Democrat might take legal action against OSBE, Superintendent Walters

Published

6 months ago

July 3, 2024

Oklahoma Senate Democrat might take legal action against OSBE, Superintendent Walters

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – An Oklahoma State Senator is saying she might pursue legal action against the Oklahoma State Board of Education as well as the Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters for denying her access to a June 27 executive session.

The potential lawsuit surrounds the private executive session part of an OSBE meeting. The incident took place at the same meeting where Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters said Bibles will be in every classroom of the state.

Oklahoma Sen. Mary Boren (D-OKC) is saying she was denied access to the executive session part of the meeting despite having legal authority to attend. By being denied access, the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act could have been violated, according to Boren.

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the State Board of Education conveniently interpreted the Open Meetings Act to exclude me in my official capacity as a state senator from their executive session,” Sen. Boren wrote in a statement sent to 7News. “Section 310 of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes provides for attendance of state legislators in executive sessions.”

The section Boren references within the above quote does seem to give specific members of the Oklahoma Legislature the ability to attend meetings.

Any member of the Legislature appointed as a member of a committee of either house of the Legislature or joint committee thereof shall be permitted to attend any executive session authorized by the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act of any state agency, board or commission whenever the jurisdiction of such committee includes the actions of the public body involved.

Boren is a part of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, as well as other committees within the same chamber.

“I had anticipated the executive session would involve decisions that will likely incur significant legal costs by misapplying administrative rules and unconstitutionally targeting teachers and rights of students,” Sen. Boren wrote. “All of these issues are within my role as a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, the Administrative Rules Committee and the Judiciary Committee.”

Superintendent Walters pushed back on the idea that the statute gives Boren the ability to enter the executive session she attempted to enter.

“Senator Boren is as disingenuous as she is ignorant of Oklahoma law,” Walters said in a statement. “The statute she cited does not grant her access to State Board proceedings in executive session which are specifically for the adjudication of individual licensure revocation matters. It is absurd that she has claimed constitutional infirmities in these Board processes. Adequate and proper notice and due process was afforded each individual in each case. She has blocked additional accountability measures from the Senate floor and now wants to interfere with the agency tasked with keeping sexual predators out of the classroom.”

Anyone who is found to have violated the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act could face fines up to $500 or jail time for no longer than a year.

You can count on your 7News team to provide an update when information becomes available.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma 8-year-old girl missing, father dead after SUV crash in Texas flood

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma 8-year-old girl missing, father dead after SUV crash in Texas flood

An 8-year-old Oklahoma girl is still missing in Texas after floodwaters carried away the family SUV on Christmas Eve.

According to local reports in Sherman, Texas, the SUV ran off the road into a drainage ditch before succumbing to the flood. The Sherman Police Department said six people were inside the vehicle when it crashed.

Four family members were rescued. CBS News reported that the missing girl’s father, Will Robinson, did not survive. Robinson was a coach for the Durant High School Lady Lions basketball team.

By the afternoon of Christmas Day, searchers had covered seven miles of creek in the area without success.

“We are shifting our focus into the county, targeting some possible locations where we have not looked to as yet,” the department wrote on Facebook Wednesday. “Our search will continue until dark today, then we will resume searching again (Thursday) before daylight.”

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma 111-65 Omaha (Dec 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

13 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma 111-65 Omaha (Dec 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

NORMAN, Okla. — — Raegan Beers matched a career high with 28 points, and No. 10 Oklahoma rolled past Omaha 111-65 on Sunday.

Beers, a 6-foot-4 center, made 11 of 13 field goals and grabbed nine rebounds to help Oklahoma win its fifth straight since an overtime loss to Duke.

Skylar Vann had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Kiersten Johnson added 12 points for the Sooners (11-1). Oklahoma scored at least 100 points for the third time this season after entering the day ranked fourth nationally with 90.7 points per game.

Ja Harvey scored 21 points and Cora Olsen added 15 for Omaha. The Mavericks (8-5) had won seven straight since a 79-77 loss to Wisconsin, but gave up a season-high point total against the Sooners.

Oklahoma led 52-34 at halftime, with Beers producing 15 points and six rebounds.

The Sooners exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 35-25 to take an 87-59 lead. It matched the most points Oklahoma has scored in a quarter this season. The Sooners made 14 field goals and five 3-pointers in the period.

Takeaways

Omaha: Aside from Harvey, none of the Mavericks could get going. Harvey made 8 of 14 field goals while the rest of the team made 15 of 52.

Oklahoma: The Sooners continued to bully opponents in the paint and beat them with pace. They outrebounded the Mavericks 57-33 and forced 20 turnovers.

Key moment

Oklahoma set the tone from the beginning by scoring the game’s first eight points. The Sooners led 26-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Key stat

Omaha made just 2 of 21 3-pointers while Oklahoma made 13 of 35.

Up next

Omaha hosts North Dakota on Jan. 2. Oklahoma hosts New Mexico State on Dec. 29.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners add another transfer portal quarterback

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma Sooners add another transfer portal quarterback

The Oklahoma Sooners made a splash via the transfer portal when they added former Washington State quarterback and the top player in this year’s portal class, John Mateer. But the Sooners weren’t done at quarterback, adding Western Carolina signal caller Cole Gonzales.

Gonzales started 22 games in three seasons with the Catamounts, completing 63.5% of his passes for 6,445 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. On non-sack rushing attempts, Gonzales averaged 5.4 yards per carry and ran for 701 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2023, he was the 2023 Southern Conference Player of the Year and was a two-time first-team All-Conference selection. Last year, he completed 66.1% of his throws for 2,547 yards, 26 touchdowns and threw just six interceptions in 11 games. That year, Gonzales threw for five touchdown passes three times and six games with more than 250 yards passing.

In 2024, he completed 61.7% of his passes for 2,545 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw seven interceptions this season. Gonzales was really efficient in the deep passing game, with a 45.5% completion percentage on throws greater than 20 yards down the field. That was good for sixth in the FCS among quarterbacks with at least 44 pass attempts on deep throws.

In the 2024 season opener against N.C. State, Gonzales threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, completing 62.9% of his passes. He also carried the ball six times for 78 yards, according to Pro Football Focus, who removes sacks from rushing totals.

Against Furman, in week eight of the 2024 season, Gonzales threw for 620 yards and five touchdowns.

In Gonzales, the Sooners add more quarterback depth to the roster to go along with Mateer, Michael Hawkins Jr., and 2025 signee Jett Niu. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

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