The Latest in Oklahoma: January 17, 2025
A&A Advocates
The 2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial race is taking shape with confirmed and potential candidates, including Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Senator Mike Mazzei. The race is anticipated to feature debates over education, economic policy, and state governance as Oklahoma gears up for its next gubernatorial election.
Eight candidates have filed to run for Oklahoma’s Senate District 8 seat, which became vacant following the resignation of Senator Roger Thompson on November 1, 2024. The district encompasses Okmulgee, Okfuskee, and McIntosh counties, as well as parts of Creek and Muskogee counties. The candidates include six Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent. The Republican primary is scheduled for March 4, 2025.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, joined by 22 other state attorneys general, has filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of a new methane tax. Drummond contends that this tax, introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act, exceeds the EPA’s statutory authority and represents an unlawful attack on the oil and gas industry.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters has filed a $474 million lawsuit against U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement Director Robin Flores. The lawsuit aims to recover funds the state claims were spent to support the education of undocumented students, which Walters argues should have been covered by the federal government. The suit seeks to recoup expenses dating back several years.
Bills for 2025
Bill filing deadline was January 16th, and nearly 3,000 bills were submitted for the 2025 legislative session. Stay tuned for updates on bills to watch!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“There’s a lot of work to be done at the commission – a lot of challenges – and I think we’re ready to begin and move Oklahoma forward,” said Oklahoma’s newest corporation commissioner, Brian Bingman, after being sworn in at the state capitol. “Our oath of office says support and defend the Constitution, and so that’s what we should commit ourselves to.”
