Representative Trish Ranson

D

District 34

Hi, I'm Trish Ranson and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 34th District.


representative

Leadership

Minority Caucus Chair

59th Legislature

Minority Caucus Chair

60th Legislature

News & Announcements

Aug 16, 2024
Recent Posts

House Democrats request timeline for OSDE funding remedy

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, Oklahoma House Democrats requested a timeline from the Oklahoma State Department of Education on the outstanding funding and service issues as schools open their doors for the 2024 school year. “House Democrats have called on the Republican supermajority five times now for accountability of the State Superintendent,” House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said. “We need an investigative committee charged with holding him accountable to his willful neglect to do his job as State Superintendent, especially with the most recent announcement by the Senate Pro Tem stating Senators will need to recuse themselves from the LOFT investigation. We remain committed to being the adults in the room and focused on the work important to all Oklahomans.” On Thursday, August 15, 2024, it was announced the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency will begin an investigation into the spending concerns of OSDE. “I welcome the bipartisan LOFT investigation into the dealings of the OSDE,” Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater said. “This investigation will push findings until next year, and our students need help now - not a year from now.”  Many school districts have reported missing dollars. Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, says these monies should have been accounted for before the beginning of the school year. “Perhaps schools start later in other states, but here in Oklahoma, it starts mid-August. They need answers and service today, now,” Fugate said. Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, says solutions are needed as soon as possible. “Title 1 dollars, maternity leave reimbursement, school security dollars and money for inhalers for kids are still all in question,” Provenzano said. “Teacher certification renewals have lagged for months and the student information systems needed to properly serve special needs students appears to be offline. These issues require resolution sooner rather than later. We must move quickly to restore missing funding and fix broken services.” House Democrats also requested OSDE provide evidence of sufficient staff that are capable of resolving these issues. “It’s important to remind folks why we are working so hard to ensure that there is accountability and transparency under our current State Superintendent: It’s about making sure the public-school districts that serve our kids have the funding and support they need,” said Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman. -END-

Aug 29, 2023
Recent Posts

House Democrats Call on Speaker of the House to Form Special Bipartisan Committee to Investigate State Superintendent

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, House Democrats called on the Speaker of the House to form a special bipartisan committee to investigate possible impeachment charges for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters amid recent bomb threats at Tulsa area elementary schools believed to be linked to Walters' rhetoric about Tulsa Public Schools. “Oklahomans deserve a public school system where parents, students and teachers feel safe to go to school and the needs of our students are prioritized over dangerous political rhetoric,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater. House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City said the special bipartisan committee would investigate the current state superintendent to determine if his actions rise to the level of impeachment. “Allocating funds for public education should be free of corruption or political gain. There is already evidence of Walters’ corruption through misspent federal dollars along with discrepancies in his campaign finances. Paired with his toxic rhetoric that is impacting the safety of our schools, we believe it is more than enough to, at the very least, investigate him,” Leader Munson said. Rep. Provenzano mentioned that the rhetoric from the state superintendent has been harmful and potentially compromised the safety of school children. She also believes he is willfully neglecting his duty of office. “The rhetoric from the state superintendent has, up until now, been designed to distract and ?sow chaos. But now, elementary schools in the Tulsa area have received bomb threats as a ?result of disinformation shared by him. Our children deserve to be safe. The willful neglect of ?that duty, even in the highest offices in our state, cannot and will not be ?overlooked. Enough is enough,” Rep. Provenzano added. Leader Munson said, "We share in the growing frustration of Oklahomans across our state who want action to address their deep concerns for the future of public education. It is now time for action." -END-

Apr 4, 2023
Recent Posts

House Democrats Call for Clean Teacher Pay Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus on Thursday expressed support for a bipartisan proposal, initiated by Senate Republicans, to fund a teacher pay raise without entangling it with the contentious issue of private school vouchers. Democrats urged that teacher pay discussions be separated from the politically charged private school voucher debate. “Oklahoma teachers face numerous challenges,” said Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater. “My concern is that the Legislature's egos and politics will hinder our bipartisan efforts to build and retain a robust teacher corps.” Ranson also proposed an amendment to double the graduated teacher pay raises in Senate Bill 482, by Republicans Sen. Adam Pugh and Rep. Mark McBride. The Ranson amendment would increase teacher pay by: $6,000 for teachers in their first through fourth year (up from $3,000 in the original bill);  $8,000 for teachers in their fifth through ninth year (up from $4,000 in the original bill);  $10,000 for teachers in their 10th through 14th year (up from $5,000 in the original bill); $12,000 for teachers with 15 years + of service (up from $6,000 in the original bill) She emphasized the importance of a clean vote on the amended teacher pay bill. “Teacher pay raises have consistently received bipartisan support,” Ranson said. “Let's capitalize on this backing and make Oklahoma attractive to top-tier teachers within our state and beyond.” Ranson expressed interest in utilizing a portion of the $300 million from the Republican House Voucher Plan to cover the increased cost of the historic pay raises her amendment calls for. "Democrats are committed to voting on a clean teacher pay bill. This amendment is a game changing opportunity for public education" said Rep. Melissa Provenzano D-Tulsa. "The proposed vouchers, claiming to promote school choice, don't provide funding for new students but merely cover current private school attendees. It’s a flawed approach that neglects the educational improvement of 700,000 Oklahoma public school students. By redirecting these funds to our teachers, we can substantially enhance our children's education and support Oklahoma educators." -END-