Oklahoma
Ryan Walters names Libs of TikTok creator to Oklahoma school library panel – Arkansas Advocate
OKLAHOMA CITY — An out-of-state conservative running the far-right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok will sit on an Oklahoma committee reviewing school library content.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced on Tuesday he named Chaya Raichik to a Library Media Advisory Committee at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Over the past year, Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education passed new rules that prohibit pornographic material and sexualized content from school libraries. Violating the rules could result in an accreditation downgrade for a district.
The Library Media Advisory Committee reviews books in question to give recommendations on whether they contain banned content.
The volunteer committee is made up of parents, current or retired librarians, and English literature teachers, according to the state Education Department. And now it will add Raichik, a Brooklyn real estate agent who became a major voice in conservative social media channels.
She celebrated her committee appointment in a Tuesday social media post in all capital letters: “WE WILL GET PORN OUT OF SCHOOLS!”
Her account is known for calling out “pornographic” content in schools and for making anti-LGBTQ+ posts. Two Oklahoma school districts received bomb threats after being highlighted on Libs of TikTok.
“If you’re going to sexualize kids and introduce really inappropriate subjects in school, I’m going to call it out,” Raichik previously told Oklahoma Voice.
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Walters has shared Libs of TikTok posts multiple times and met with Raichik in September. He said she has a “much-needed and powerful voice” and referred to her social media presence as a “tremendous platform that will benefit Oklahoma students and their families.”
“Chaya is on the front lines showing the world exactly what the radical left is all about — lowering standards, porn in schools, and pushing woke indoctrination on our kids,” Walters said in a statement. “Because of her work, families across the country know just what is going on in schools around the country. Her unique perspective is invaluable as part of my plan to make Oklahoma schools safer for kids and friendly to parents.”
Union Public Schools faced several days of bomb threats in August after Libs of TikTok shared a video from a district librarian, who satirically posted about pushing a “woke agenda.”
Libs of TikTok left out context from the video — a caption where the librarian stated her “woke agenda” was to teach children to love books and be kind. Walters shared the Libs of TikTok post on his own social media, stating “Woke ideology is real and I am here to stop it.”
The bomb threats against the Tulsa district stoked outrage throughout the state and prompted state lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, to urge elected officials to tone down political rhetoric around education.
An Education Department spokesperson, Dan Isett, said Raichik isn’t responsible for the threats.
“The people who post bomb threats are the people who post bomb threats,” Isett said.
It was only a few weeks later that Walters and Raichik raised the alarm about another Oklahoma school district — Western Heights Public Schools.
They complained an elementary principal in the southwest Oklahoma City district performed as a drag queen in his spare time. Raichik also drew attention to a possession of child pornography charge the principal had faced two decades earlier.
That charge had been dropped and expunged from the principal’s record.
The episode put Western Heights and the principal at the center of a national firestorm, as Walters called for him to be fired while speaking on Fox News’ prime-time broadcast. The district also received a bomb threat, but Oklahoma City police determined it wasn’t credible.
Both Walters and Raichik have vocally opposed transgender people and their presence in schools.
The state superintendent also targeted books with LGBTQ+ themes. He said graphic novels like “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Flamer” by Mike Curato contain explicit sexual images and shouldn’t be available to students.
His administration called for 190 books centering LGBTQ+ perspectives to be reviewed. The titles came from the American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List.
School library content also appears to be a concern among the state Legislature. Two bills on the topic have been filed for consideration in the coming legislative session.
Senate Bill 1208 from Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, would prohibit pornographic content in school libraries and would require all school districts to submit a list of their library materials to the state Department of Education.
SB 1888 from Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, would ban books on the study of sex, sexual lifestyles or sexual activity and books that are “predominantly sexual in nature” from public schools.
This story was originally published by the Oklahoma Voice, which is a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma senator renews push for new agency that focuses on child welfare services
Sen. Paul Rosino, R, Senate Health & Human Services Chairman, is renewing an effort to create a single Oklahoma agency focused exclusively on children after similar legislation failed to advance last year.
Senate Bill 1570 passed the Senate but never received a hearing in the House. Sen. Rosino, who is behind the proposal, says growing concerns about child welfare and the well-being of Oklahoma children prompted her to bring the idea back.
A “holistic approach” to children’s services
The proposal would combine several child-focused programs and agencies under one umbrella, including child welfare, foster care, behavioral health services, the Office of Juvenile Affairs and other youth-related programs.
The goal, he said, is to create a more coordinated system that addresses the full range of children’s needs.
“We need to have a sole agency that really concentrates on kids,” said Sen. Rosino. “By having a holistic approach, everything in one agency would be helpful to children.”
Concerns about child welfare
Sen. Rosino says Oklahoma must do more to protect abused and neglected children, noting that intervention doesn’t always mean removing a child from a home.
In some situations, he said, families simply need education, support or services. However, safety concerns can require children to be placed elsewhere.
He also pointed to growing behavioral health challenges facing Oklahoma adolescents as another reason for restructuring services.
DHS already handling broad responsibilities
The proposal is not intended as criticism of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, he said.
DHS currently oversees a wide range of programs, including aging services, childcare, family support and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“DHS is a behemoth,” said Sen. Rosino. “Those people work very hard over there.”
Still, the senator believes child welfare is an area where Oklahoma can improve by creating a dedicated agency focused solely on children.
Not a quick fix
The senator acknowledged the proposal is not a “silver bullet” and would take time to implement.
He said he worked with stakeholders, including foster care advocates, and revised the legislation multiple times based on feedback.
According to the proposal, most existing funding would move with the programs into the new agency, limiting the need for significant new spending outside of administrative costs.
Building support for a long-term change
Sen. Rosino described the effort as a multi-year project requiring lawmakers to understand why a structural change is needed.
While disappointed the bill stalled in the House last year, he said she believes support is growing.
“It’s going to take some time to change hearts and minds,” said Sen. Rosino. “I’m hoping this year we can make some headway there.”
Key Takeaway
Supporters say a standalone children’s agency would give Oklahoma a more focused approach to child welfare, foster care and youth behavioral health, while opponents and lawmakers continue to weigh the costs and logistics of a major government reorganization.
Oklahoma
OKFB pleased with newly proposed settlement in long-running State of Oklahoma poultry case | Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek released the following statement after the State of Oklahoma and 11 Arkansas-based poultry announced Monday, July 13, that a nearly $44 million settlement had been reached in the decades-long lawsuit regarding the application of chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are pleased with the proposed settlement reached between the State of Oklahoma and 11 poultry companies operating in Oklahoma’s Illinois River Watershed over the state’s long-running lawsuit that was based on outdated science and production methods.
The original lawsuit, filed in 2005, created uncertainty for family farmers and ranchers for more than two decades, and this agreement provides a way for Oklahoma farm and ranch families to continue their important work to feed Americans without being unnecessarily burdened.
We appreciate Attorney General Drummond working with the poultry industry to reach a proposed solution that allows the poultry companies and our family farmers to continue to produce the food products we all rely upon while ensuring our shared natural resources are safeguarded for generations to come.
Our state’s farmers and ranchers, including poultry producers in the Illinois River Watershed, are committed to implementing voluntary environmental stewardship practices each and every day to ensure their land is productive and our rural communities are protected.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: July 12, 2026
In this week’s Your Vote Counts, Jason Dunnington and Sen. Paul Rosino discuss the importance of Oklahoma’s runoff election, Oklahoma insurance lawsuits, and mental health issues.
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