While the news received very little mainstream media attention, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has accomplished something profound: they quickly and cleanly banned data centers on their native land. No quibbling, equivocating, or cutting backroom deals while simultaneously telling their people they were on their side, they just did it. As reported by Native News Online, the Seminole Nation had been approached by a developer with the data center proposal, followed by a request to sign a non-disclosure agreement and a letter of intent. While most Oklahoma community leaders would jump at this opportunity (they’ve virtually all been jumping), Seminole leaders held a town hall to discuss the matter on March 3rd, and vote unanimously to,
““implement a moratorium on the advancement of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and hyperscale data center development within the Seminole Nation and within tribal lands and territories.”
What a wonderful example of single-minded courage they’ve provided for the rest of Oklahoma. Can we live up to it? While it’s been slow in coming, signs of resistance are beginning to pop up around the state. Tulsa and Oklahoma City have both passed temporary moratoriums on construction of new data centers, to address shortfalls and gaps in zoning regulations, which highlights the exploitative nature of the data center land rush: they’re taking advantage of areas with lax zoning laws around the country. It’s now common knowledge that developers actively seek out areas with easily-wooed council members, along with overly-lenient zoning laws and an executive and legislature hypnotized by “growth” at any cost. More than anything we need elected leaders slightly less willing to sell our state down river. Seems like a low bar, but one that vanishingly few of our leaders appear willing to clear.
Thanks to this plague of moral cowardice, data center development is running wild like an invasive species in the Sooner State. Every week we hear of a new proposed data center, and we find out that some small town council has been in talks for months, and they’ve already signed the NDA and letter of intent, all under the noses of the people they’re supposed to represent. By the time the plans are made public, the data center seems inevitable. Protests, lawsuits, council meeting crowds, there is a feeling of futility among communities, who feel as if they’ve been kept out of the loop on purpose. They, who will be forced to foot the bill in higher utility bills and a generationally blighted landscape, get no say in the matter.
In the United States alone, around 4,000 data centers already exist, and 1,500 to 3,000 are being planned. Contrast this with the fact that the country with the next highest amount is Germany, with only 500. China, who we’re constantly being told is the reason we’re building these facilities at such a break-neck pace, has only around 400. What is going on here? Who, and what, are these for? What could possibly justify the enormous resource drain that data centers inflict on the communities they move into?
Last year, data centers in the US consumed roughly 224 terawatt hours of electricity, or 4.5% of the total electricity supply of the US for that year. By 2030, that electricity consumption is expected to reach 17%. But given the rapid pace of data center construction, that number could reach much higher.
In 2025, US data centers drained over 260 billion gallons of water from the total supply. Google’s data center campus near Pryor, Oklahoma, alone used 1.1 billion gallons of water in the same year. Also last year in Texas, data centers used a staggering 25 billion gallons of water. Is this really sustainable? The question seems rhetorical. There’s an unsettling realization occurring that no one allowing these data centers to be built is giving the slightest thought to long-term consequences of allowing our power and water to be drained in this way.
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has shown us that data centers are not inevitable. So why are we being made to believe that they are? Why are so many being built here compared to other countries? What are they going to be used for, and will it benefit us or enslave us within a digital panopticon? Myself and others are getting a very bad feeling about this rapid and unchecked rise of AI data centers, and what comes after this AI infrastructure in put into place. Not merely in resource drain, but consequences for privacy and civil liberties. With our every movement tracked and recorded, can it reasonably be said that privacy will cease to exist even just a few years from now? Will every facet of our lives be catalogued, judged, even predicted? Will AI be used to assign each of us a social credit score? Does freedom and prosperity really seem compatible in slightest with this rapid rise of an AI oligarchy?
Our elected leaders, for the most part, appear slavish in the face of Big Tech. Whether it’s our schools, city councils, state and federal legislatures, few are willing to just say no.
The Age of Apathy must come to an end. We have to wake up and fight back. Anything less would be an insult to our heritage of American liberty, and to the legacy that we wish to pass on to our descendants.
Just recently I learned that SQ832 would be on the ballot during the Primary Election, June 16th, 2026.
This is a question that seeks to raise the MINIMUM WAGE as determined by the Federal Labor Commission-determined cost of living for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, not voters, through the Oklahoma Legislature. Currently, our state follows the Federal Minimum Wage, but this value may be increased beyond the minimum via state law, as has happened in other states – particularly those that make up the east and west coasts.
If the SQ is voted into law, the minimum wage in Oklahoma would immediately raise from $7.25 to $10.50/hour.
It is important to remember that while $7.25 is the current federally-mandated minimum, ANY employer in Oklahoma, can offer wages above that to their employees as it makes sense to their budgets, at any time.
Because an increases in minimum wage can cause large ripples in a state’s economy and simply ruin small businesses, I decided to put a bit of time into researching the people who signed their name to SQ832’s petition.
According to the filing, Kelsey Cobbs, of El Reno, and Dustin Phelan, of Salina, created the petition.
Kelsey Cobbs is the head pastor of The Federated Church of Weatherford.
Please note that Kelsey has a Master of Divinity with a concentration on Spirituality and Social Activism from Vanderbilt Divinity School.
I have two questions about Kelsey:
Does your church accept donations? Why is it then, that you can’t help the poor in your community? Why is it that ALL OF OKLAHOMA has to carry the burden you want carried yourself?
What did God say about the poor? “’When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.’” Leviticus 23:22. “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 7-11. It doesn’t say anything at all about the government forcing wages, or that the government should make sure there are none in poverty. Jesus told us that the second greatest commandment was to, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 29:39. If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we can’t possibly be commanded to steal from others to give to others. We must INDIVIDUALLY, PERSONALLY donate money to churches and to organizations who help the poor. “I think the minimum wage needs to go up because the cost of everything has gone up, and it is time that wages people earn can actually help them make a living,” Cobbs told the Oklahoman.
Our next signer is Dustin Phelam. Dustin is an electrician and member of IBEW Local 584 who looks as though he might be making a bit more than minimum wage already.
He is also a Democrat who wants to begin the RURAL REVOLUTION today. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I do know that Revolution is a Communist construct, so there’s that.
There is also a group involved, called, “Raise The Wage Oklahoma“, piloted by our old Common Core nemesis, Amber England. England worked VERY hard to make Common Core the law of Oklahoma and we fought her every step of the way until it was finally repealed from law in 2014.
Both Raise the Wage and Oklahoma Appleseed ask for donations. Let’s think…if you are REALLY invested in making sure people in poverty have their needs met, shouldn’t you be using the DONATIONS YOU’RE COLLECTING and GIVING THEM TO THOSE IN NEED?
Absolutely. This is how you know – IMMEDIATELY – that SQ832 is yet another scam to ruin the middle class, by attacking their businesses.
Do not be fooled. Share this information and VOTE NO ON STATE QUESTION 832 June 16th.
Friday, May 16th, Michael and I interviewed Twila Brase, co-founder and president of the Citizens’ Council For Health Freedom (RN, PHN) a nationally-recognized expert on the REAL ID. You can find the full live video on our YouTube and Rumble channels. Please take the time to watch and forward on to your family and friends. ALL Americans need to know this information.
Twila is very knowledgeable about the issue of REAL ID and made clear the ways in which Americans are being mislead into accepting a NATIONAL ID. In fact, she mentioned the head of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem’s lie to the American people who told us that Americans MUST get a real ID by May 7th, when that was simply an arbitrary date that attaches to absolutely zero administrative regulations or laws. Propaganda to create mass compliance much?
Starting May 7, you will need a Real ID to fly. Real IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. If you plan to fly, make sure you get a Real ID so you won’t be denied from your flight or face travel delays!
dhs.gov/real-id/are-yo…
“These ID’s keep our country safe”, Noem says. How? Recently, Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen and I were at an event together. We were talking about REAL ID and he told me that Congress KNOWS Chinese gang members are counterfeiting the cards. Gosh. How does that “prevent fraud” or “enhance security”?
In the clip below, Twila is clear: this issue is not about the type of data the government has on you, or how much data they have. It’s about ALL Americans having a SINGLE ID card – a single identification card which holds ALL the personal data of that one person, from health records to what they buy at the grocery store. A SINGLE ID card that can be repurposed BY THE GOVERNMENT THAT ISSUED IT for other uses such as collecting healthcare records, or what you buy at the grocery, or where you are in a day. THAT’S the danger.
Congressman Thomas Massie’s X post is below and makes it clear – this is a digital ID system that can only function when every American complies.
Unfortunately, as Massie points out in another X post, though the REAL ID was authored by the man who gave us the Un-American Patriot Act, it wasn’t enforced until Trump got into office. This should give every MAGA affiliate pause for concern.
In the clip below, Twila reiterates this thought and goes on to talk about how facial recognition is a form of digital ID and how Americans absolutely can – and should – OPT OUT of having our photos taken at the airport.
During the interview we talked about the fact that REAL ID is NOT Constitutional. States do NOT HAVE TO COMPLY with the REAL ID system. Unfortunately, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) have been putting the REAL ID system into place in states – sometimes without lawful approval. Under Governor Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma has moved away from independent tag agencies and created Service Oklahoma – a new branch of government to issue driver’s licenses. Gosh. How much easier would it be to administrate the REAL ID system if ALL the personal data of Oklahomans had to run through ONE agency? Here’s the front page of the Service Oklahoma website with this friendly pop up TELLING us that we CAN’T fly after May 7th if we don’t have a REAL ID. Amazing. I guess a lie isn’t a lie if it’s repeating the Director of Homeland Security’s lie?
Absolutely you can fly without a REAL ID after May 7th – and any other time! If you’re not sure how to assert this right to the TSA when you get to the airport, be sure to go to Twila’s website and download the PDF documents she has there including, how to turn in your REAL ID for a regular driver’s license, and how to fly WITHOUT a REAL ID.
Make sure to do that and ALSO, contact Senator Kendal Sacchieri and THANK HER for attempting to bring awareness to this issue this session through her SR18, A Resolution affirming Oklahoma’s right to opt out of the federal REAL ID system; supporting the state’s obligation to offer residents a meaningful choice between REAL ID-compliant and -noncompliant identification; and opposing unwarranted collection and sharing of personal data.
Oklahomans must band together to protect our civil liberties here – including the bodily autonomy and privacy that should be protected with the 5th amendment to the Constitution. Please share this information with your Oklahoma Representative and Senator. Tell them you are concerned about REAL ID, that Oklahoma does NOT have to comply with the federal government push for a central ID and that you want Oklahoma to protect your liberty by opting out of REAL ID. And DO NOT COMPLY. DO NOT GET A REAL ID!
I’m not a huge fan of AI, but I’ve been a researcher since 1990 and this tool has helped me find data more quickly and completely than I ever have before.
Today, because I’m still trying find a way to explain that SB224 is NOT FOR Oklahoma’s kids, but to satisfy a broader need to plan the economy on a national level, I asked Grok “does the federal government require states to codify the need to connect education and workforce data”? I got a long, in-depth, very interesting answer. So, is this to help Oklahoma’s kids, or get more federal grants? I’ll let you be the judge.
Grok’s answer:
The federal government does not explicitly require states to codify into state law a specific mandate to connect education and workforce data as a condition for receiving federal grants. However, federal policies, grant programs, and regulations often incentivize or require states to establish systems for linking education and workforce data to meet reporting, accountability, or performance goals. These requirements can typically be met through administrative actions, interagency agreements, or data systems like Oklahoma’s Data Sharing Hub (DASH), without necessarily codifying the connection into state statutes. Below is a detailed analysis based on available information:
Federal Context for Education and Workforce Data Integration
Relevant Federal Laws and Programs:
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, 2014):
WIOA is the primary federal law governing workforce development programs. It requires states to develop integrated data systems to track participant outcomes across workforce, education, and training programs (e.g., Title I for adults, Title II for adult education, Title IV for vocational rehabilitation).
States must report performance metrics, such as employment rates, earnings, and credential attainment, which often require linking education and workforce data. For example, WIOA’s performance accountability provisions (29 U.S.C. § 3141) mandate data collection and reporting, which may involve connecting education records (e.g., high school or college completion) with employment outcomes.
While WIOA encourages states to establish data-sharing agreements or systems, it does not explicitly require codification into state law. States can comply through administrative frameworks, such as memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between agencies or platforms like DASH.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015):
ESSA requires states to report on student outcomes, including college and career readiness indicators, which may involve linking education data to workforce outcomes (e.g., post-secondary enrollment or employment).
States receiving ESSA funds must submit state plans and comply with accountability requirements, but these do not mandate codifying data linkages. Instead, states often use existing data systems or establish new ones to meet federal reporting needs.
Perkins V (Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, 2018):
Perkins V funds career and technical education (CTE) programs and emphasizes aligning education with workforce needs. It requires states to report on CTE student outcomes, such as employment or post-secondary success, which often necessitates data integration.
Like WIOA, Perkins V encourages data system interoperability but does not require states to pass laws mandating data connections. States can use administrative tools or data-sharing platforms to comply.
Higher Education Act (HEA):
The HEA governs federal student aid and includes reporting requirements for post-secondary institutions, such as graduation rates and employment outcomes. Some grant programs under HEA may encourage data linkages to track student success, but codification is not a requirement.
Federal Grant Conditions:
Federal grants, particularly those tied to WIOA, ESSA, or Perkins V, often include conditions related to data collection and reporting. For instance, WIOA grants require states to submit annual performance reports that integrate education and workforce data (e.g., 20 CFR § 677.155).
These conditions typically focus on outcomes rather than prescribing how states achieve them. States can meet requirements through data-sharing agreements, longitudinal data systems (SLDS), or platforms like DASH, without codifying policies into law.
Some competitive grants, such as the U.S. Department of Education’s State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program, explicitly fund the development of integrated data systems. While these grants require states to build capacity for data linkages, they do not mandate legislative codification. Instead, they emphasize technical and administrative solutions.
The Department of Labor’s Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) provides grants to enhance state data systems for tracking workforce and education outcomes. WDQI encourages states to link data across agencies but allows flexibility in implementation, typically through administrative means rather than statutory mandates.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):
FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g) governs the privacy of education records and impacts how states link education and workforce data. States must ensure compliance with FERPA when sharing student data, which may require data-sharing agreements or secure systems like DASH.
While FERPA imposes strict requirements on data handling, it does not mandate codification of data-linking policies. States can address FERPA through administrative protocols or interagency agreements.
State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS):
The federal government has supported SLDS development since 2005 through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). SLDS grants aim to create systems that link early childhood, K-12, post-secondary, and workforce data to inform policy and improve outcomes.
While SLDS grants require states to build and maintain these systems, the focus is on technical infrastructure and data governance, not on passing state laws. States can establish SLDS through executive action, agency collaboration, or platforms like DASH.
Oklahoma’s Context and DASH
Oklahoma’s Data Sharing Hub (DASH):
As noted in your previous question, DASH is Oklahoma’s platform for secure interagency data sharing, managed by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES). It supports data integration for various state functions, including those tied to federal grants.
DASH likely facilitates compliance with federal reporting requirements under WIOA, ESSA, or Perkins V by enabling secure data linkages between education agencies (e.g., Oklahoma State Department of Education) and workforce agencies (e.g., Oklahoma Employment Security Commission).
There is no evidence that DASH’s operation or Oklahoma’s participation in federal grants requires codifying a mandate to connect education and workforce data. Instead, DASH serves as an administrative tool to meet federal expectations for data integration and reporting.
Oklahoma’s Approach:
Oklahoma has pursued data integration through initiatives like the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), supported by federal grants. These efforts focus on technical and administrative solutions, such as data governance frameworks and interagency MOUs, rather than legislative mandates.
State laws, such as those governing data privacy or agency operations, may indirectly support data sharing (e.g., compliance with FERPA or state data security standards), but there is no specific Oklahoma statute mandating education-workforce data linkages as a condition of federal funding.
Does Codification Ever Occur?
Federal Incentives, Not Mandates:
While the federal government does not require codification, it may incentivize states to formalize data-sharing frameworks to ensure sustainability or compliance. For example, SLDS or WDQI grants may encourage states to establish governance structures, which some states codify into law for clarity or permanence.
States like Tennessee and Kentucky have passed laws to formalize SLDS or data-sharing governance (e.g., Tennessee’s P-20 Council), but these are state-driven initiatives, not federal mandates. Oklahoma has not taken this approach, relying instead on administrative tools like DASH.
State Discretion:
States may choose to codify data-sharing policies to address privacy concerns, ensure long-term funding, or align with federal grant requirements. For instance, a state might pass a law to clarify agency roles in data sharing or to comply with FERPA. However, this is not a federal requirement but a state policy choice.
Limitations and Variability
Grant-Specific Requirements: Some federal grants may include conditions that indirectly require data linkages, such as reporting on employment outcomes for CTE students under Perkins V. These conditions focus on outcomes, not codification, but states may codify policies to streamline compliance.
Privacy and Security: Federal laws like FERPA and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) impose strict requirements on data sharing, which may necessitate state-level policies or agreements. However, these can be administrative rather than legislative.
No Universal Mandate: There is no blanket federal requirement for states to codify education-workforce data linkages. The emphasis is on functional data systems and compliance with reporting requirements, which states can achieve through various means.
Conclusion
The federal government does not require states to codify into state law a mandate to connect education and workforce data to receive federal grants. Instead, laws like WIOA, ESSA, and Perkins V, along with grant programs like SLDS and WDQI, encourage or require states to integrate data for reporting and accountability purposes. States can meet these requirements through administrative actions, data-sharing agreements, or platforms like Oklahoma’s DASH, without passing new laws. While some states voluntarily codify data-sharing frameworks, this is not a federal mandate but a state choice. In Oklahoma, DASH likely supports compliance with federal data requirements, but there is no evidence of a codified mandate tied to federal funding. If you have a specific grant or program in mind, I can analyze its requirements further.
This is a post that will go with several other posts to come, but because we’ll be going live on Monday morning at 9am to talk about this specific issue (5.5.25), I wanted to be able to get this timeline I constructed out into the public view so the discussion was easier to follow.
The information below is just in a raw format, but it was information I collected via internet searches and using the AI research tool, GROK on X. I have saved all that information, so if you have questions, I can help answer those with the saved information.
Also, I’ve included URL linkages wherever I can so that you can see where the information came from and how to get their yourself.
The BOTTOM LINE?
Oklahoma is pushing federal Workforce policy as education and has been THROUGHOUT the years since the 1990’s assuredly. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, this timeline makes it very easy to see how the Powers That Be, direct policy statewide (regardless of the 10th Amendment) through the carrot and string approach of federal grants to be used to create federal programming.
There is NOTHING good about tracking students across the years of their lives while saying that we’re doing it for them. WE’RE NOT! We’re doing it because the Powers That Be want a PLANNED ECONOMY which will enrich their toady friends and the useful idiots that carry their water, while making the poor poorer, decimating the middle class and turning our children into cogs to fit into the planned economy jobs machine.
SB224 was about using DASH – OMES new data sharing hub – to fit the State Longitudinal Database System holding educational data together with the Data Quality Workforce Initiative holding employment and workforce data – TOGETHER to create a seamless way of sharing data on kids from cradle to the grave. It sounds crazy, but I’ve put enough of the policy below for you to determine whether that assertion is crazy or not.
The worst part is that our STATE GOVERNOR is selling this as something good for kids. IT’S NOT! It’s good for business. Kids should be educated classically in as many subjects as we can stuff into their little heads and then they can use that information to INFORM THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. We don’t need the government MINIMALLY educating our students (What? Proficiency ratings are above 50% in reading and math? No.) so they know just enough to think that they’re deciding what they want to be when they grow up when the counselor at school gives them ‘suggestions’. We need WELL-EDUCATED kids.
If the repeal of Common Core from state law and the inability to secure an NCLB waiver caused the state an inability to secure a completed SLDS (to create widgets of Oklahoma kids that are only educated to fill the need for jobs), WHY WOULD WE WANT TO HOOK THESE TOGETHER NOW? Oklahomans didn’t like it in 2014, but they’re going to want that now? Not only that, but if we did that back then, what could we do NOW if we unite against this?
Help us STOP SB224. Share this. Share the video from Monday morning. Let your senators know they’ll be primaried if they vote for this nonsense. Educate others about what is going on in this state. We made a difference with Common Core – we can do it again!
1965 – President Lyndon Banes Johnson creates the first Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to dovetail with his War On Poverty. It has been reauthorized every 5 years since.
1990 – President George H.W. Bush created Goals 2000 after he signed an international agreement entitled, “World Declaration on Education for All” 42 (EFA), the result of a summit sponsored by the United Nations, called “The World Conference on Education for All”
Included the call for the nation’s FIRST State Longitudinal Database to track student progress
1990 – Oklahoma legislature creates the Office of Accountability
Tasked with overseeing school performance through the Oklahoma Educational Indicators Program (OEIP) and the Oklahoma School Performance Review program (OSPR)
OEIP developed standards to gauge performance of schools
Required by Goals 2000 legislation
1994 – Bill Clinton’s ESEA called, “Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994. Also created School-To-Work Opportunities Act and the Goals 2000 Act in conjunction with the ESEA
School boards and elected legislators would be bypassed as applications would be made and federal funds received by state Governors and their appointees on workforce development boards.
A computer database (aka Labor Market information System) would be used into which school personnel would scan information about students and their family including medical and psychological data that could be shared from the school to others deemed important in the student’s education
1995 – Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP) created by legislature (HB1549)
Created teacher preparation system
The non-profit, Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (OWIB) was formed in1998 and established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which required states to establish state workforce investment boards to oversee workforce development programs.
2001 – George W. Bush – renames Clinton’s ESEA, “The No Child Left Behind Act”
Included Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) required testing public school students in 3rd, 8th and twice in high school. State set benchmarks they then had to meet with 100% proficiency. Schools missing target two years in a row were put on a “needs improvement list”. If schools didn’t make AYP, funding could be removed.
Needed database to collect test scores at a minimum
1st slds undertaken in Florida as a pilot project
2002 the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program, authorized under the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 and launched in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This program provided grants to states to design, develop, and implement longitudinal data systems, starting with the first round of funding in fiscal year 2005, which awarded $265 million to 41 states and the District of Columbia by 2009.
2006 – Created the Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development (GCWED – codified by Senate Bill 1397 (2006) to comply with federal and state workforce development priorities – especially the WIA (1998)
The GCWED was created to support the GOVERNOR’s economic and workforce development vision (such as the initiative Oklahoma Works under Governor Mary Fallin in 2013)
2007 – National Chamber of Commerce “Leaders and Laggards” report gave Oklahoma an “F” in accountability, academic achievement and data quality
Oklahoma received an A for its teaching force
Oklahoma had no alignment between educational outcomes and workforce needs
2009 – Barrack Obama – did not reauthorize NCLB, but created a grant process called Race To The Top. States competed for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for 4 reforms
Including “building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction”
RTT Early Learning Challenge began to collect testing data on infants, toddlers and preschoolers enrolled in preK programs
2009 – Governor Brad Henry, takes State Fiscal Stabilization Funds from the Obama Administration including to create STATEWIDE P–16 EDUCATION DATA SYSTEMS.— (A) ESTABLISHMENT OF SYSTEM.—Each State that receives a grant under subsection (c)(2) shall establish a statewide P–16 education longitudinal data system. https://www.congress.gov/110/plaws/publ69/PLAW-110publ69.pdf
2009 – Educational Accountability Reform Act created by SB111 (Republican legislators) and signed into law by Governor Brad Henry
Created in part due to Chamber of Commerce F grades in their “leaders and laggers” report
Transferred management of student data, determination of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP from NCLB), cut scores for tests, and oversight for academic standards and testing to the Office Of Accountability created in 1990
Centralized data
2010 – Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) grant for 1 million dollars from the Department of Labor to “support the creation of data systems linking workforce and education data to evaluate training and employment outcomes
2012 – Oklahoma applied for an NCLB Waiver under Republican Chief For Change, State Superintendent Janet Barresi and Republican Governor Mary Fallin, Chair of the National Governor’s Association – we did NOT get a waiver
implementation of the A-F School Grading System (and Common Core, etc) and data collection
It will strengthen the OSDE’s ability to link students with teachers, programs, interventions and outcomes and allow the OSDE to link P-12 data with education data from other agencies.
2012 – Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) created
Governor Mary Fallin signed SB1797 which consolidated the Office of Accountability and Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation into the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality And Accountability
Now under supervision of the State Secretary of Education
7-member Board created to govern the office (Commission For Educational Quality and Accountability
The OEQA uses the SLDS and National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to create the school report cards
2013 – Governor Mary Fallin, announces through her position as the Chair for the National Governor’s Association, creates the America Works: Education and Training for Tomorrow’s Jobs, which spotlights improving education and workforce training systems and aligning those systems with the needs of individual state economies.
2014 – Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) – replaced Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998
States required to strengthen their workforce systems by aligning them with economic development goals, emphasizing business-led strategies and improving data-driven decision making
2014 – Governor Mary Fallin creates Oklahoma Works
“Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Governor of each State must submit a Unified or Combined State Plan to the U.S. Secretary of Labor that outlines a four-year workforce development strategy for the State’s workforce development system.
This linked WDQI and SLDS to track education plus workforce outcomes
Provided the framework for a statewide coalition to connect education, training and job opportunities
Five goals – one of which was to “enhance data-driven decisions by using longitudinal data systems to track outcomes and evaluate program effectiveness
Oklahoma Works influenced education policy, including charter school expansion (moving Oklahoma’s charter law ranking from 37th to 10th nationally) and literacy improvements via the Reading Sufficiency
Grok
The initiative’s data-driven approach informed performance-based budgeting, shifting state funding to programs with proven outcomes Grok
The SLDS – which integrated K-12, postsecondary and workforce data gave Oklahoma Works the data to align education programs with employer needs – Grok
Changed the Central Oklahoma Workforce Board (COWB – 1998) to the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) still a non-profit organization covering 9 counties in central Oklahoma
Board is composed of business leaders, county commissioners and representatives from education and community organizations
According to GROK the WDQI and SLDS grants are NOT CONNECTED which is a problem for implantation of its mission
GROK also says that the 2014 Common Core data repeal and NCLB waiver revocation “created policy turbulence, potentially disrupting COWIBs alignment with Oklahoma Works’ educational goals. Political resistance to federal mandates may have complicated WIOA implementation”.
2015 – State ‘reaffirmed’ Governors Council for Workforce and Economic Development in order to meet updated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act federal mandates in order to receive federal workforce grants.
2021 – National Chamber of Commerce calls on states to adopt the America Works Agenda to “address the nations worker shortage”
Introduce 4 ‘immediate action’ items
Help Americans acquire the skills they need to fill today’s open jobs
Improve education and job training opportunities for the jobs of tomorrow
Remove barriers to entering the workforce
Expand the workforce through immigration reform
Under number 2 we are told that every state needs Learning and Employer Records (LERs): In addition to providing a verified and authenticated record of employment history for every American worker, support the ability of education, training, and credentialing providers to produce a digital record of learning that is based on open and available data standards and used to empower learners and workers with information about their skills and qualifications.
2022 – Oklahoma’s WIOA State Plan for 22-23 is filed
Introduces ICAP: The Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) was recently developed for the state’s PK- 12 system by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) with input from students, families, educators and other partners. The ICAP equips students with the awareness, knowledge and skills to create their own individualized, meaningful exploration of college and career opportunities. In order to reflect students’ changing passions, aptitudes, interests and growth, the ICAP is a flexible, evolving document. The ICAP incorporates labor market data into occupational exploration materials to allow students to make informed decisions about education and training for future career goals.
2022 – Oklahoma Public Resource Center Commissions the Office Of Educational Quality and Accountability Transformation Proposal
Recommendation 2 was to Provide impactful P-20 (SLDS) information
Recommends that OEQA become a data hub for student data
Recommends using the Oklahoma Data Matrix visualization tool
Recommends the use of the Baldrige Excellence Framework for P-20 institutions across Oklahoma
Must have access to the data that follows a student throughout and beyond their formal participation in the education system
a data hub also helps address another core desired outcome of the stakeholder engagement process by not just knowing where kids are now, but where they are six years after high school or college graduation
2023 – Governor Stitt creates Executive Order 2023-21 to transfer the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development under the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission
The Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission is designated as the single point of funding and accountability for the WIOA federal Department of Labor workforce grants
2024 – Oklahoma’s WIOA required long range plan for 24-27 states the following on page 119
Improve Access to and Sharing of Data: Oklahoma recognizes the weaknesses it has faced in the past regarding access to and the possession of data critical for the success of the workforce system. We are committed to identifying and acting on opportunities to systematize the sharing of data among partners in the workforce system, to coordinate resources expended on data research and evaluations, and to expand tools available at both the state and local levels to include dashboards and other modern technologies. The main objective of these efforts is to strengthen the aligned efforts of the core, required, and additional workforce system partners for more effective outcomes.
2024 – Oklahoma’s WIOA State Plan for 24-25 is filed
Vision includes: Becoming more data-driven, using independent and objective data to drive workforce transformation.
Coordinating and “braiding” WIOA funds to drive the state’s workforce strategy
Goals include: Preparing an educated and skilled workforce and meeting employers’ skilled workforce needs go hand in hand. Oklahoma will achieve innovation and efficiency through alignment, collaboration, and education. All entities are working together to drive collective and meaningful outcomes.
2024 – Oklahoma Works, Governor’s Council for workforce and Economic Development votes to accept the plan: minutes of meeting January 19th, 2024
Discussion & Vote to approve policy informing/establishing publicly OESC’s Authority to administer the WIOA programs including policy and procedure. – this allows OESC as the agency to administer the program to DOL, standing in accordance with the Workforce Act, signed by Governor Stitt, on August 10, 2023. Chair Gray motion for a vote, Stan McCabe move the motion and David Reid seconding the motion, with all voting aye, no opposed. No further discussion.
2024 – Governor Stitt signs Executive Order 2024-24: creating a Task Force on Human Potential for Future Industries to go through 2027
Mandates coordination between Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development and Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and Career Tech to align curricula with high-demand occupations.
Requires use of Oklahoma SLDS and DASH (data sharing hub at OMES) to integrate education, workforce, and economic data
Supported by MOU – Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) among 9 agencies which, according to GROK are NOT LISTED IN AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Possibly OSDE, OESC, OK dept of commerce, OSDH, Oklahoma office of workforce development
Cannot find the exact members of the task force – only the criteria are found in the EO
Not able to find any meeting agendas or minutes
2024 – October meeting of Oklahoma Works, Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development speaker, Chad Warmington from the Oklahoma State Chamber
Warmington also addressed House Bill 621, which led to the creation of a new workforce commission, with its priority being the recruitment of a CEO to lead these initiatives. A secondary priority is enhancing workforce data. Warmington stressed the importance of building a strong workforce infrastructure, particularly in preparing K-12 students to be career-ready by the time they graduate. He shared Superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools’ vision that students should be ready to “Employ, Enroll, or Enlist” upon graduation, and he talked about the need for schools to align their programs with the state’s workforce requirements.
Our focus has been to establish OEQA as a central hub for data, analytics, and actionable information—fostering a culture of data driven decision-making that supports systemic improvements, transparency, and accountability.
With the launch of Power BI dashboards and progress toward integrating data across K-12, higher education, and workforce sectors in a Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)
2024 – December – OMES creates DASH – Data Sharing Hub in conjunction with Google (for analytical tools) and Cloudflare (for security)
According to GROK, DASH supports secure data sharing for Oklahoma Works and OLDS, but specific developer names are undisclosed
Rolled out to 6 unnamed agencies with plans for more agency use
According to GROK, DASH was needed to share data to align education and workforce programs according to Governor Stitt’s EO 2024-24 and Oklahoma Works
2025 – Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce 2025 Legislative Priorities states:
Support improving K-12 Graduation Requirements to include Career Ready, Advanced Placement, and concurrent academic credit options.
Advocate for partnerships and the integration of workforce system partners, resources, and strategies supported by state funding, that utilize data driven strategies for skill alignment and credential attainment, ensuring alignment with economic development goals and employer needs.
Oklahoma has a data sharing agreement (DSA) among NINE state agencies which are unnamed according to GROK.
Oklahoma also has specific Memoranda Of Understanding (MOU) with
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Local Workforce Boards including The Governor’s Council For Workforce and Economic Development
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Oklahoma Department of Labor
The State Data Platform and DASH
DATA PROTECTIONS – listed
Government Transparency Act of 2019
Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act
Oklahoma Student Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act
MOUs are to align with HIPAA, FERPA and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
DATA CONCERNS
GROK was asked “do the Government Transparency Act of 2019, Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act, Oklahoma Student Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act, FERPA, and HIPPA protect individual data in Oklahoma.
The following is copied from the result
Critical Examination
Strengths:
Robust Framework: The five laws collectively cover diverse data types (student, health, consumer, government), ensuring comprehensive protection in OLDS and DASH, as seen in COWIB’s secure data use.
Interagency Coordination: DSA and DASH, supported by the Government Transparency Act, streamline secure data sharing, aligning with Executive Order 2024-22’s focus on personalized learning.
Compliance Mechanisms: Audits (Student Data Act), penalties (Computer Data Privacy Act), and public disclosures (Government Transparency Act) enhance accountability, reducing misuse risks.
Weaknesses:
Re-Identification Risks: FERPA and HIPAA exemptions allow de-identified data sharing, but indirect identifiers (e.g., ZIP code, race) could enable re-identification, especially in small Oklahoma communities.
Enforcement Gaps: FERPA’s rare use of funding penalties and HIPAA’s federal oversight may limit state-level accountability, while the Computer Data Privacy Act lacks a private right of action.
Transparency Limitations: Sensitive MOUs or audit details may remain non-public to avoid security risks, as allowed by the Student Data Act, reducing full transparency.
Narrative Scrutiny:
Oklahoma’s narrative of robust data protection is largely accurate, given the layered legal framework, but overstated due to re-identification risks and enforcement weaknesses. The 60% attainment goal’s stagnation (~30%) suggests data protection alone cannot address systemic educational barriers.
The business-led focus of Oklahoma Works and GCWED may prioritize employer data needs, potentially straining privacy protections, though FERPA and HIPAA compliance mitigates this.
Political controversies, such as Stitt’s Executive Order 2023-31 (anti-DEI) or the 2024 OMES audit citing mismanagement, may erode public trust in data systems, despite legal safeguards.
Sources and Further Inquiry
Primary Sources:
Oklahoma Statutes, Title 74, § 3122 (Government Transparency Act), Title 70, § 3-168 (Student Data Act), via www.oscn.net.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HIPAA guidance (www.hhs.gov/hipaa).
Secondary Sources:
Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (dash.ok.gov) for DASH and DSA details.
Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board (cowib.org) for workforce metrics.
CaseGuard on Oklahoma’s Student Data Act (caseguard.com, April 6, 2022).
McAfee & Taft on HB 1030 (mcafeetaft.com, March 9, 2023).
Contact for Verification:
OMES Data Services: 405-521-2141 or data.services@omes.ok.gov (mailto:data.services@omes.ok.gov) for DASH and DSA.
OEQA: 405-522-5399 for OLDS and student data policies.
OSDH: 405-426-8000 for HIPAA MOUs.
Oklahoma Attorney General: 405-521-3921 for HB 1030 enforcement.
Accessing Details: Request MOUs or audit reports via the Oklahoma Open Records Act (51 O.S. § 24A.1 et seq.) through OMES or OSDH. Visit oklahoma.gov for transparency policies.
An Analysis of Recent Education Reforms and The Resulting Impact On Student Privacy
“Our system isn’t tapping into the potential of every student. That’s what we’re setting out to change,” Oklahoma State Secretary of Education, Nellie Sanders said. “Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other emerging technologies can offer Oklahoma students a learning advantage. We’re going to explore ways to personalize curricula to interest, expand apprenticeship programs and define universal soft skills so our students are ready to lead us into the future.”
Wednesday, April 30th, during the regular ROPE Report podcast, Jenni and Michael discussed Senator Kendal Sacchieri’s Senate Resolution 18.
Here is the Introduction: A Resolution affirming Oklahoma’s right to opt out of the federal REAL ID system; supporting the state’s obligation to offer residents a meaningful choice between REAL ID-compliant and -noncompliant identification; and opposing unwarranted collection and sharing of personal data.
As a person who has been VERY CONCERNED about the religious aspects of the REAL ID, I’ve also been angered that Oklahoma did away with the protections offered citizens in legislation from 2007 that would have delayed REAL ID implementation for Oklahomans. Unfortunately, our legislature sold us out to the feds in 2017 with a bill former Congresswoman, Governor Mary Fallin (R?), was only too happy to sign so that Oklahomans ‘could’ fly.
Though we have a law currently on the books (47 OK Stat § 6-110.3) that says essentially the same thing as the resolution put forth by Sacchieri, it is my hope that this is the first step in moving the legislature toward a RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION FOR ANY BIOMETRIC DATA OF ANY KIND.
NO American citizen should have to provide biometric ID to the government for ANYTHING, let alone travel. If you don’t know anything about REAL ID, please tune in to our podcast, Friday, May 16th (at 9am) as we welcome REAL ID expert, Twila Brase from the Citizens Council for Health Freedom. In the meantime, CALL YOUR SENATOR AND ASK THEM TO HEAR THIS RESOLUTION!
April 11th, the Department of Homeland Security released a short clip of its Trump-appointed head, Kristi Noem, commanding that all Americans must obtain a REAL ID before May 7th, in order to board domestic flights and enter federal buildings. These national ID cards, in her words, “prevent fraud and enhance security. Please do your part to protect our country.” To hear Noem speak like this, utilizing the mummified vernacular of Bush-era neoconservatives, two decades after the REAL ID Act was first passed, brings back a hideous nostalgia. How is anyone still taking this seriously?
REAL ID was passed into law in 2005 amid the hysteria of the War on Terror, a hysteria we’ve long ago emerged from. Despite this, DHS and the TSA are still hellbent on forcing a national ID card upon us. Why? Surely not to “prevent fraud and enhance security”. We’ve done just fine the past twenty years, so why do we need it now? The answer is we don’t. But they, our federal government do. They want all our information compiled in one tidy bundle, linking all state driver’s licenses together in one big database, for their ease in accessing all of our information immediately.
In response to Noem’s announcement and the coming deadline, Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie posted on X:
“Real ID isn’t needed and won’t stop terrorists from hijacking planes. Most of the 9/11 hijackers held Saudi, UAE, Egyptian, or Lebanese passports. Real ID is a national standard and database of IDs that is primarily a tool for control of Americans. Trump shouldn’t enforce it.”
Resistance against REAL ID has been surprisingly vigorous over the past two decades. At one time, 25 states rejected the notion of a mandatory federal ID card, and announced their noncompliance. 15 states had laws on the books prohibiting compliance with the REAL ID Act. But as the years went on, non-compliant states began to lift their ban on REAL ID, including Oklahoma in 2017. It’s mind-boggling that agencies that should have been abolished years ago are bloated and thriving to this day, and wielding a vulgar and unchecked amount of power over the rights and privacy of American citizens.
Noem’s ridiculous announcement that the Trump administration would begin enforcing the REAL ID Act is very alarming. Is Trump’s “Golden Age” ushering in a return of domestic authoritarianism? The DHS and the TSA were products of War on Terror hysteria, and have long outstayed their welcome. The TSA famously has never captured a single terrorist, but has succeeded tremendously in humiliating travelers with strip-searches, while stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in items from luggage from the moment of creation. A quick Google search produces endless news articles of TSA agents pilfering anything and everything from unwitting fliers. If you’re a frequent flier, you know first-hand that the TSA agents aren’t exactly the best and brightest among society. More often than not, they look and behave like thugs, drunk on the power trip they receive from barking commands all day. Despite this, the TSA is now acting as the DHS’ muscle, enforcing REAL ID at our airport gates for domestic flights.
Most Americans have no idea the scope of danger inherent in REAL ID, hence their nonchalant attitude. “Compliance” could mean anything, depending on the year, the political temperature, or whether or not we’ve found ourselves in another national emergency. Personal records required for a REAL ID could, in the future, contain information on gun ownership, vaccination and medical records, employment, wealth, and all manner of biometrics. The list of requirements for compliance will grow steadily each year. Just watch. The list of “checkpoints” throughout the country will only grow. For now, it’s federal buildings and airports. In the near future, it could (and probably will) be the doctor’s office, your job, your children’s school. If we awake to find ourselves in the midst of another pandemic panic, what will DHS do with its power over our ID cards? It doesn’t take much imagination to see that we’d exist at the mercy of the federal government at the merest hint of a national crisis.
REAL ID means the federal government has us by the throat. Failure to comply means a revocation of your Big Brother hall pass that you previously used to navigate Uncle Sam’s panopticon. You will no longer exist as a functioning member of society. In this sense, REAL ID makes an American social credit system much more a possibility than before. A central bank digital currency moves much closer to reality as well. The type of control that the federal government is striving for can’t have the loopholes or exit ramps that the cash economy provides.
Trump’s victory has lulled many conservatives into indifference over privacy-obliterating legislation like REAL ID. If Biden had been re-elected, their tune might be different, but because their team is in control, there’s no need to worry. Let’s hope that conservatives reawaken to these very real issues of privacy and freedom before its too late.
Ask yourself: does our government care more about protecting us, or controlling us? This is rhetorical. The sole reason for the REAL ID is to enhance our government’s ability to monitor and compel obedience from every American citizen. REAL ID makes us less safe, because it dramatically diminishes our freedom, exposing us to the whims and insane ideologies of anyone who gains power in the future. The Constitution exists to prevent this sort of thing, do you think Kristi Noem’s heard of it?
Friday, March 28th, President of Pike Off OTA, Amy Cerato and our friend Whitney Mullica with Pike Off, joined us to talk about the OTA’s new route for Norman and other items.
Amy was a joy to talk with! She has a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering and teaches at OU. Truly, this woman is extremely knowledgeable and it was so obvious from our conversation. She also has a Substack and you should definitely check that out! Also, make sure you check out the full video of the interview on both our Rumble and YouTube channels.
During our chat, both Amy and Whitney talked about how frustrating this particular session of the legislature has been – not being able to find out when bills are getting scheduled, trying to find out when bills are being heard and even when Oversight Committee meetings are being held – something we’ve complained about. In fact, here is Amy saying what I’m sure every conservative is thinking right now – we need to give the People’s House back to THE PEOPLE.
We’ve talked quite a bit on this program about OTA and the real spirit of lawlessness they seem to embody. When we had OTA’s attorney, Richard LaBarthe on last December, he talked about how OTA doesn’t follow their own trust agreements and creates bonds before the others are paid off. It’s simply their way of doing business.
In that vein, Amy talked about how the OTA is planning to build a bridge over the South Canadian river without any kind of impact studies at all. Listen as Amy describes the situation:
How is OTA allowed to get away with these kinds of things? No one can be exactly sure, but there is a whole lot of money tied up in contractors and business developers and land developers and other economic development arms with these turnpike builds that it seems more about money than about people for certain. Certainly, it seems that the OTA has very little regard for the people who own the land they virtually steal to build their roads – roads not even needed.
Every Oklahoman needs to be very aware of what goes on with the OTA and how they operate. This all needs to be stopped. There is no reason for OTA when the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can build/repair any roads. OTA is more a jobs program than a necessity for Oklahomans and we need to make our representation at the Oklahoma State Capitol fully understand that.
Friday, March 28th, Julianne Romanello was our guest on the ROPE Report podcast to talk about REAL ID and the biometric identification methods the government is using to track US citizens in the name of safety. I suggest you watch the full video on our YouTube and Rumble channels, but I’ll include a lot of information in this blog post for you to (hopefully) read and share.
The one thing I want to stress right now is that, the whole, “they’re already doing it right now what are we going to do to stop them” mentality HAS TO END. We human individuals are given BY GOD the ability to think and reason and as long as we can do that, we can effect what happens to us. It may not be easy, but in the end, it will be worth it to stop the government from surveilling our every move. Toward that end, you must be EDUCATED about what is happening and this is the beginning of our attempt to start you on the road toward education on REAL and biometric ID.
In this video clip with Julianne, she tells us that, right now, citizens are not getting the REAL ID and it’s becoming hard for the government to institute it among men (sorry…lol). This is going to be the point at which we have to stop it OR become engrossed in a global biometric digital ID system.
In the clip below, Julianne talks about the biggest problem we have right now – UNEDUCATED ELECTED OFFICIALS! If you are concerned that ‘they’re already doing this’, the best way to get our foot in the door to stop it is to TELL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT’S GOING ON AND WHY WE DON’T WANT REAL TIME/FULL TIME DIGITAL BIOMETRIC SURVEILLANCE. Don’t wait. Share this information with your Senator and Representative and educate and involve them. It’s the only way to get any headway on the issue.
Here is an information sheet that was put together a number of years ago in Oklahoma by a group called OK-SAFE. Though it’s an older document it’s a great primer on the topic. Please read it and share it.
This is another article – longer – but great in terms of learning about REAL ID.
One last thing. If you really want to know exactly what the government is expecting to do read the document below. If that doesn’t scare you, I’m honestly not sure what to say. Please, add this to your list of things we IMMEDIATELY need to stop now and get education today.
