What's ahead on the Oklahoma political front? Eight storylines to follow in 2023

2022 was a captivating year for Oklahoma politics, which included compelling elections, the fall of Roe v. Wade that triggered a state abortion ban, and numerous reports of financial scandals.

But the state's political landscape over the next 12 months could be equally as interesting with more elections, new administrations and policy proposals that would significantly alter everything from health care to taxes.

Here are eight Oklahoma political storylines worth watching in 2023:

Oklahomans will vote on recreational marijuana

On March 7, Oklahoma voters will have a chance to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults, building upon the state’s already robust medical marijuana industry.

Campaign commercials should start appearing soon, and many of the state’s top elected officials, including the governor, already have spoken against the state question.

But voters surprised lawmakers in 2018 when they approved medical marijuana, leading to hundreds of dispensaries and grow facilities across the state.

More:Oklahoma’s next big election will ask voters to legalize recreational marijuana

National marijuana policy experts also are keeping a close eye on Oklahoma's election to get a better sense of what the appetite for recreational marijuana is in red states.

“It's basically a Wild West, wide-open market now (in Oklahoma), and we’ll see where voters decide to go next,” said Chris Walsh, CEO of MJBiz, an annual cannabis business conference.

Stitt begins his second term off a big reelection win

Gov. Kevin Stitt campaigned four years ago on a platform of change and he delivered, expanding the powers of his office and restructuring agency leadership, moves that ruffled some feathers even among his own party.

After winning reelection last year by a decisive margin, even as some predicted a close race, Stitt enters his second term promising to be aggressive on many fronts, including school choice.

Stitt also begins his second term with a new chief of staff, who might bring renewed energy to the office.

More:Gov. Kevin Stitt's new chief of staff signals a push for 'innovative' education solutions

New attorney general takes office, replacing Stitt's man

Stitt appointed John O’Connor in 2021 to become attorney general and campaigned for him last year in hopes he would retain the office. But voters selected Gentner Drummond, a Tulsa attorney who campaigned on the idea that Oklahoma needed an attorney general independent of the governor.

Drummond also has spoken about his desire to investigate corruption, and while he hasn’t yet announced those details, there are a few cases surrounding the governor that might draw his attention, which would create a frosty relationship between the two powerful public officials.

More:Oklahoma's incoming AG says pandemic funds will be investigated

"Constitutionally the (Oklahoma) attorney general is independent of the governor, which is a different model than the federal model, and I think a lot of your readers and some of our elected officials fail to grasp that distinction," Drummond recently told The Oklahoman.

Ryan Walters takes control of the Education Department

While Stitt's pick for attorney general didn't win, his candidate for state schools superintendent did, giving the governor an ally in the Oklahoma State Department of Education, an agency he frequently criticized during his first term.

Ryan Walters, Stitt's current education secretary who won the election for the open superintendent seat, drew plenty of attention during the campaign for his rhetoric against "wokeness" and "liberal indoctrination" in schools. He promised to investigate schools and revoke the licenses of teachers he disagreed with politically.

The 2026 gubernatorial race (quietly) begins

The 2026 gubernatorial election might not be on the minds of voters, but you can bet it is on the minds of potential candidates. Stitt will be term-limited in four years, meaning the next election will be for an open seat, which typically draws a large number of candidates.

While we aren't likely to hear anyone announce their candidacy this year, you might see some posturing from those considering a run.

More:Cyndi Munson, the new Democratic House leader, sees a path forward for her party

The suspected list of candidates includes Walters, Drummond, House Speaker Charles McCall and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell. But there may also be a few candidates we’ve never heard of, or who themselves have not yet contemplated a run for office, as four years before the 2018 election most of the political world had never heard of Kevin Stitt.

Could the Legislature tackle sports betting this year?

More than half of all states have legalized sports betting in recent years, including some neighbors of Oklahoma. It's a growing industry that some local lawmakers want to take advantage of.

The governor also has expressed openness to the idea, which could be debated in this legislative session.

“We’ve been behind the scenes looking into how we can do that in Oklahoma,” Stitt recently told Fox 23. “We already have casino gambling in Oklahoma. We just need to make sure we do it the right way and responsibly. We need to make sure we have audit capabilities, and we get a fair deal for Oklahoma. It’s something I’d love to see us work on.”

Abortion likely to remain a political focus

Abortion access was a dominant political storyline last year as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Oklahoma instituted a near total ban on the procedure. But the issue remains relevant in 2023, especially as some lawmakers may look to further restrict abortion access.

Some anti-abortion lawmakers already have raised questions about medication-induced abortions, signaling a possible effort to further restrict the method. Others have said they want to limit the work of groups that help women access abortions in other states.

While supporters of abortion rights don't have the numbers in the state Legislature, a group of Oklahomans recently announced an effort to put a question before voters on whether abortion access should be protected. However, that plan was quickly shelved.

Are tax cuts on the way?

Cutting taxes is a popular campaign pledge for most lawmakers but can be difficult to achieve, even with a Republican supermajority in the state Legislature. But leaders in both the House and Senate say they want to cut taxes in 2023.

"Tax reform is going to be something that we focus on this year," House Speaker McCall said last month.

McCall has said he wants to continue cutting the personal income tax rate. House leaders and the governor also have proposed eliminating the state's sales tax on groceries, but the idea has met resistance in the state Senate.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 8 Oklahoma political storylines to follow in 2023