Listen Frontier

Five years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma decision affirmed much of eastern Oklahoma as Indian Country, some towns are still issuing traffic and municipal tickets to tribal citizens. In this episode, we talk with reporters Clifton Adcock and Allison Herrera about their investigation into why this happens, how it plays out in municipal courts, and what that means for tribal sovereignty.The conversation looks into the tension between local governments and tribal nations, the burden on everyday citizens caught in the middle, and the patchwork of settlements and agreements reshaping law enforcement. We also explore whether tribal courts and police departments have the resources to handle the cases being shifted their way, and what models of cooperation might point the way toward a lasting solution.This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Oklahoma has officially adopted new social studies standards that require public school students to be taught about "discrepancies" in the 2020 presidential election — language critics say mirrors debunked conspiracy theories. Despite the lack of evidence supporting claims of widespread voter fraud, the state’s new standards embed references that educators and parents fear could mislead students and turn classrooms into ideological battlegrounds.The standards, approved earlier this year by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, include mandates criticized for their similarity to talking points from conservative media outlets rather than academically sound instruction. Teachers, parents, and education experts worry the inclusion of partisan narratives threatens the integrity of education and places pressure on educators.On this episode of Listen Frontier, we speak with Aaron Baker, an Oklahoma-based U.S. History teacher, Sandra Valentine, whose daughter is entering high school and will soon be taught these concepts, and Heather Goodenough, President of the Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies.

Gentner Drummond. Ryan Walters. Matt Pinnell. A year out from the 2026 primary elections, those three names have emerged as leaders to be Oklahoma’s next Republican candidate for governor. The catch? Only one of them has officially declared their candidacy.Drummond, Oklahoma’s Attorney General, has a large -— though not insurmountable lead — according to polling released Wednesday by Sooner Survey, which asked 500 registered Republican voters in Oklahoma about their thoughts on likely GOP candidates for governor. Walters, Oklahoma’s state schools superintendent, and Pinnell, the lieutenant governor, lag behind Drummond. This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, told The Frontier she hopes her bill will help Oklahoma schools limit cellphone use and increase learning outcomes. This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Oklahoma to vacate the murder conviction of Richard Glossip, the state’s most famous death row inmate, finding that prosecutors violated Glossip’s civil rights during his trial more than 20 years ago. “Glossip is entitled to a new trial,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion for five justices. She was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Kentaji Brown and Amy Comey Barrett, who dissented in part. Glossip has spent 26 years on death row, had two trials, nine execution dates and three last meals. Tuesday’s ruling came as Oklahoma prepares to execute its first inmate of the year in March, the 16th since the state resumed executions in 2021.On today's podcast, I'm joined by former Republican lawmaker Kevin McDugle. In his time in the Legislature, McDugle advocated for Glossip, as well as for various reforms to Oklahoma's use of the death penalty.This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

During his penultimate State of the State address earlier this month, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt called for "half and a path" - his term for a half-percent income tax cut that would put us on a "path to zero" income tax.Joining us on the podcast today is Aanahita Ervin, fiscal policy analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Ervin said the state cannot afford even a half-percent income tax cut, and urged the Legislature to look at modernizing tax credits instead. This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

A group is seeking to boost voter participation in Oklahoma by opening primary elections to all voters, regardless of political party.  State-level races are often decided in Republican primaries in Oklahoma, because there are no Independent or Democratic candidates on the ballot, leaving many voters locked out. “Voters are showing up with nothing to vote for and all the meaningful decisions are happening in the primary.” said Jeremy Gruber, an organizer for the group Oklahoma United. “That’s why everyone needs a chance to participate.”The change would come through Oklahoma’s Initiative Petition process. Gruber said if signature collection goes well, the group hopes to get the measure on the ballot as a State Question in 2026, when Oklahoma will be selecting a new governor.Independents are the fastest growing voter demographic in the state, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. There are 481,817 Independent voters registered in the state, a 32.4% increase since 2020. Meanwhile, Democrat voter registration declined  by 12.2% during the same period. Republican voter registration has increased 13.1% in Oklahoma since 2020. Oklahoma currently allows political parties to hold closed primary elections. In recent years, the Oklahoma Democratic Party has allowed independents to vote in primaries, but the Republican and Libertarian parties have continued to hold closed primaries. Gruber said there are multiple systems of open primaries in use across the country, but the version the group hopes Oklahomans will soon see on a ballot mimics municipal elections most are already familiar with.“Many of those municipalities across the state, which are arguably some of our more functional forms of government, use a unified primary,” former State Sen. AJ Griffin, who supports open primaries, said.“Voter participation is a sign of a healthy democracy,” Griffin said. “This isn’t a partisan issue … but it is a way to engage all of the voters in the process and increase civic participation in a state with one of the highest ratings for election integrity in the country.Gruber said every state that has enacted an open primary system has seen voter turnout increase.“It's not hard to understand why,” he said. “You let more voters vote, you get higher voter turnout. It's basic math.” Only 64% of Oklahoma voters participated in this year’s 2024 general election. The Republican mayors of both Oklahoma City and Tulsa favor the switch. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said in September that he hopes a statewide open primary system would wipe out some of Oklahoma’s partisan divide.“People say ‘Gosh it sure seems like you’re electing mayors that unify people, that seem competent, that are well-liked across the political spectrum,” Holt said. “It’s not magic … every voter gets to see all the candidates, and all the candidates have to face all of the voters.” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum told The Tulsa World earlier this year that he now supports open primaries, after he campaigned against them  as a city councilor more than a decade ago.“I think it is important to point out, there is a Republican dominance right now (in Oklahoma), but we have had for a longer period of time in Oklahoma with Democratic dominance, and I think we would have benefited from this under either scenario,” Bynum told the paper.Griffin said Holt’s political career – he has been elected under a closed primary model to the state Legislature, and an open primary model as Oklahoma City’s mayor – is a prime example of how the system should work.“When you’re in (an open) system, you are beholden to everybody in your district,” Griffin said. “Which means it’s your responsibility, as it always should be as an elected leader, to meet with, represent and lead everybody.”