The #OU Board of Regents has started its meeting. Here's a look at today's packed house of local and national media. People like football. #Big12#SEC (1/3)
For those who may not have followed the #OU Board of Regents extensively, @RepMarkMcBride has once again exercised his #okleg authority to enter today's executive session as an observer. Here he is being patted on the back by Regent Eric Stevenson as Sean Burrage grins. #oklaed
Lastly, it's no secret that I have committed my #OUDNA to covering every meeting of the #OU Board of Regents for the foreseeable future. My articles can be found here. nondoc.com/tag/ou-board-o…
The #OU board is back out. Here's the link to watch:
Joe Harroz just referenced "TiVo," and I did not anticipate that today.
"The question is what's changed, what's changed between 2012 and today. And the answer is everything."
"The question today is potentially existential." — Harroz, then referencing #OU's "strategic plan.
Harroz is approaching the 23-minute mark of his monologue, which has touched on everything from COVID to TV deals to the strategic plan to kickoff times to OSU to academics to the word "manifest" several times.
AD Joe Castiglione is speaking now, and he reiterates several of Harroz's points. He likes to use the adjective pairing "very, very" when describing things.
"We would have been remiss if we weren't always looking at opportunities to control our own destiny."
"We are in an era of dramatic change and historic transformation. And it has happened at a pace that none of us has ever experienced."
"It became obvious that standing pat would mean falling behind. It would mean putting our program in a precarious position (...)" — Castiglione
Castiglione finishes his remarks. Chairman Michael Cawley asks for a round of applause "for Joe H and Joe C." Cawley notes that Regent Frank Keating is on a scheduled family vacation.
Regent Shirley makes a motion to join SEC in 2025; Regent Stevenson seconds and has remarks.
Stevenson reads some remarks about COVID and how #OU appointed a chief COVID officer for the state, delivered more than 60,000 vaccinations and has been testing water systems.
Now he discusses the strategic plan. "Kudos to you for that."
Now he discusses the OU Health merger.
Stevenson praises Harroz holding tuition flat for two years prior to this year's $6 million tuition hike. He also notes former #OU President Jim Gallogly, saying the tuition freeze started with him.
First time a regent has said his name in a while, I think. #OUDNA
"I want to thank President Gallogly for helping to lay the foundation that we are working on," Stevenson says, referencing him a second time.
He thanks former Regent Gary Pierson.
Sports reporters are presumably getting wrestless.
"Lest we forget why we're here..." - Cawley
They vote, it passes unanimously.
"Motion carries. Welcome to the Southeastern Conference. Actually, it's welcome to the Southeastern Conference at the end of June 30, 2025." — #OU Board of Regents Chairman Michael Cawley
*Reissued tweet owing to typo
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Another condemnation of OKGOP Chairman John Bennett, this time from Rep. @JoshWestOKHD5, a former #okleg colleague and a fellow veteran. Note the #2018CW hashtag at the end. Amusing!
Let my next couple tweets take you down memory lane... #thread
The #2018CW tag refers to the campaign "Civil War" that sprung up around the historic revenue raising package that funded #oklaed raises, et al.
MR in the Facebook post = Mike Ritze, a Broken Arrow GOP Rep. who constantly talked about how many babies he delivered as a doc. (2/?)
Ritze annoyed some #okleg colleagues who griped privately that they believed he drove down to the Capitol on Thursdays to check in (and receive more per diem) but then leave quickly and not stay for all the day's work.
I can't say if that was exactly true, but Ritze made some 🙄
On the Twitter list, I still haven't seen any GOP #okleg members condemning the comparison of COVID-19 vaccine requirements to an atrocity perpetrated against #Jewish people.
One senator is sad about the Cubs trading away players. A rep. earlier retweeted an OU video. (3/?)
Posted up at the #Oklahoma Development Finance Authority again today because I lover #bankers and also figure the $4 billion #securitization program of February's #okwx-related utility debt should be monitored.
Buckle up for a thread!
Board member Bridger Cox and Secretary Brent Kisling are not in attendance today. Chairman Roger Wagner introduces a woman named Katherine (Catherine?) to go over financials. Says "over the last 11 months, ODFA has held an average cash balance of $9.1 million."
"The current balance sheet is very in line with our budgeted balance sheet," she says, adding that composition of general fund revenue has changed. Gone from $104,000 to $213,000 in closing cost revenue year to year.
The House Rules Committee is starting its 40-bill agenda. Thoughts and prayers are welcomed. There are a few interesting bills here, including one that would provide a cost of living adjustment for some state retirees. okhouse.gov/CommitteeCalen…#okleg#oklaed
Chairman Zack Taylor (R-Seminole) read a list of bills and asked if any members object to those bills being do-passed without discussion. Some lawmakers (and others) seem surprised. I'm hearing this used to happen a lot when Democrats were in charge. Lots of murmuring! #okleg
Floor Leader Jon Echols asks for the "consent agenda" list to be re-read: HB 3367, HB 1382, HB 2617, HB 3803, HB 3766, HB 3185, HB 4052, HB 4058, HB 4068, HB 4078, HB 4080, HB 4085, HB 4064, HB 1799, HB 3447, HB 3483, HB 3479, HB 3477, HB 2936, HB 1931, HB 1282, HB 3790 #okleg