OHP metro patrol plan halted, education board hires attorney as fall policy debates loom

Political Analyst Scott Mitchell was joined by state leaders this week, focusing on two issues drawing attention across Oklahoma: a halted plan by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) to reduce metro patrols and growing tension at the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).

Attorney General halts OHP’s metro withdrawal

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told the Highway Patrol it cannot move forward with a plan to stop patrolling urban areas around Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said the ruling was the correct decision.

"OHP had said that coming up this fall that they were not going to patrol the areas around Oklahoma County, Tulsa County, so basically the two big urban areas," Former Representative Jason Dunnington said. "We said on the show, my colleague and I, that we thought that was a mistake."

Dunnington said local police departments acknowledged they do not have the same highway-specific training OHP provides. He and republican State Senator Paul Rosino both argued that public safety requires OHP’s continued presence in Oklahoma’s largest cities.

“This becomes the rule of law unless a court or the legislature changes it,” Rosino said.

Education board hires Bob Burke amid canceled meetings

The discussion also turned to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, where canceled board meetings and disagreements with Superintendent Ryan Walters have led to legal questions about the board’s authority.

Four board members hired attorney Bob Burke, a constitutional lawyer, to assist with a request for independent legal counsel from the Attorney General’s office.

“ It is their right as a board to request that of the Attorney General's office,” Rosino said. “It'll be up to the Attorney General whether or not to issue an attorney to that board.”

Rosino added that while the board’s request is within its authority, the larger concern is the continued focus on internal disputes instead of classroom outcomes.

“We're not concentrating on kids. We're not concentrating on our teachers. We're concentrating on all the chaos that's happening at SDE," Rosino said.

Looking ahead to fall policy debates

With September beginning, lawmakers are also preparing for fall interim studies and the 2026 legislative session.

Healthcare, Medicaid funding, energy policy, and workforce development are among the issues expected to dominate. Legislators say the potential federal change to Medicaid’s 90-10 match rate could significantly affect Oklahoma families, while debates over renewable energy and traditional sources remain politically charged.

Workforce shortages, especially in aerospace and maintenance, are also on the horizon. “They need 400 people to come work for them. They're high-paying jobs, but where is that workforce coming?” Rosino said.

As lawmakers prepare, they encourage Oklahomans to follow interim studies online at OKHouse.gov and OKSenate.gov.

“Next year is an election year, so everything will be seen through that prism,” Mitchell said..