Representative John Waldron

D

District 77

Hi, I’m John Waldron and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 77th District.


representative

Leadership

Minority Caucus Vice Chair / Secretary

59th Legislature

Minority Caucus Vice Chair

60th Legislature

Assistant Minority Floor Leader

58th Legislature

News & Announcements

Oct 21, 2024
Recent Posts

Waldron explores county jail services, diversion programs for proper care in interim study

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, House Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, is hosting an interim study to explore county jail services and diversion programs in Oklahoma to help the process of criminal justice reform. Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, co-sponsored the study. According to the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, without diversion to proper care, too many Oklahomans with mental health needs wind up in emergency rooms, jails, and prisons. “Fulfilling the promise of criminal justice reform–that is our mandate,” said Waldron. “Oklahomans were loud and clear with their responses to SQ780 and SQ781 that demand an alternative to mass incarceration, a system that is too expensive, unjust, and unwieldy. We still have almost 23,000 people in prison, ranking Oklahoma fourth in the nation for incarceration rates. I believe we can develop bipartisan solutions for alternatives to a system that needs to be fairer, more humane, efficient, and less expensive to taxpayers.” Some policy recommendations include investing in judicial and treatment service systems to better address behavioral health needs of justice involved people, expanding the use of high-quality treatment courts guided by evidence-based standards, improving jail data collection, and screening people entering jails to determine whether they would benefit from treatment court programs. Speakers at the study include Co-corridinator with Anna McBride Court Sarah Smith; Director of Programs for Diversion Hub Sydney Woods; Sean Presley with Tulsa Alternative Court Programs, Policy Director for Healthy Minds Brittany Hayes; and Michael Olson and Damion Shade with Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. -END-

Jul 9, 2024

House Democrats voice concerns following State Superintendent’s overhaul of social studies standards

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Democrats have voiced their concerns regarding an announcement from the State Superintendent that Oklahoma social studies standards will be completely overhauled. The State Superintendent’s press release says these new standards include the introduction of the Bible as an instructional book and the implementation of a classical learning model. House Democrats say it is a violation of constitutional rights and promotes American exceptionalism. “The State Superintendent continues to put his extremist political agenda over the needs of Oklahoma’s students and teachers,” House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said. “His Executive Review Committee is made up of extremist Republicans who are seeking to strip Oklahomans of their right to freedom of religion and a well-rounded, public education. It is a continued attack on Oklahomans and another attempt at erasing the valuable programs that are actively benefiting Oklahoma’s students and the future of our state. Our public school teachers are leaving the classroom in droves, and this latest action only exasperates this very real challenge we are facing in our public schools – both in urban and rural Oklahoma. Since the Republican supermajority has done very little to hold the State Superintendent accountable, he continues to be emboldened to dismantle, defund, and destroy our public school system daily.” Former educator and current House Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, says this overhaul is a dangerous political tactic. “The latest atrocity from OSDE is an affront to the Oklahoma educators who have always developed and refined our social studies standards,” Waldron said. “This ‘carpetbagger curriculum’ would be made up from whole cloth by a panel of out-of-state so-called experts, and would represent a dangerous politicization of our academic process. Simply put, this is un-American and un-Oklahoman.” Former educator and current House Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, says this overhaul does not address the needs of Oklahoma children and parents. “We already know that the State Superintendent doesn’t care about the children and parents of Oklahoma; he only cares for himself and his next appearance on far-right news media,” Rosecrants said. “His enlisting of out-of-state extremists behind Project 2025 to revamp our own Oklahoma State standards in social studies only further proves this. The State Superintendent says Oklahomans want to erase the line between church and state, but that is simply not true. Oklahomans are disgusted by his blatant disregard of the Constitution.” -END-

Jun 27, 2024

Provenzano, Waldron advise school districts to review existing state law before implementing new directive from State Superintendent

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, and Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, expressed caution today over the State Superintendent’s most recent directive to mandate Bibles in public school classrooms as instructional support.   “Following this new directive from the State Superintendent of Education, we advise school districts to carefully review and follow existing state law when it comes to religious instruction in schools,” Provenzano said. “We know from the outcome of SQ 790 that Oklahomans are overwhelmingly against using public dollars to fund religious purposes. The Oklahoma Constitution is very clear on what is allowed when it comes to public education.   “Religious instruction should begin with and remain in the rightful hands of parents and guardians. Today’s directive feels like an unprecedented attempt from the State Superintendent to distract from the reported investigations into financial mismanagement of tax dollars meant to support our schools.” According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, effective immediately, all Oklahoma school districts are required to incorporate the bible as instructional support in the curriculum throughout certain grade levels. “The Superintendent should focus on running his department, not issuing ridiculous directives that are unconstitutional and don’t do anything to advance the goals he claims to be setting for Oklahoma public schools,” Waldron said. -END-