Lionel Ramos
State Government ReporterLionel Ramos covers state government at KOSU. He joined the station in January 2024 after covering race and equity as a Report For America corps member at Oklahoma Watch, a nonprofit investigative newsroom in Oklahoma City.
Born into the circus, Ramos traveled across the country in an RV with his family for the first half of his life. He eventually landed in San Antonio, Texas, where he attended high school and community college before transferring to Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He holds a bachelor's degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing from Texas State, where he covered local and student government for the school's newspaper, The University Star.
At Oklahoma Watch, Ramos reported statewide on the rising political capital of Latinos in Oklahoma, the resettlement of Afghan refugees, the stakes for Indigenous Oklahomans in the Supreme Court's 2023 Brackeen v. Haaland decision, unemployment, housing, and veterans issues.
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Oklahoma lawmakers in the Senate unveiled their $254 million education spending plan this week. They're proposing to "right-size" the state's teacher pension contributions to cover the cost. -
President Donald Trump reportedly plans to invite only Republican governors to an annual meeting, usually hosted by the bipartisan National Governors' Association (NGA). Gov. Kevin Stitt, who chairs the group, sent a letter to members Monday with a message about staying united in light of Trump's partisan antics. -
Among the largest single recurring budget requests before lawmakers this year is the Oklahoma Water Resources Board's $50 million investment into fixing the state's dire water infrastructure needs. One state senator hopes his bill will jumpstart the work. -
As the first week of Oklahoma's legislative session closed, leadership in both chambers held the first of many weekly press conferences. With thousands of bills filed and federal funding cuts looming, a budget shortfall is one top concern shared across party lines. -
As federal workers continue to live without work and miss their paychecks, some federal credit unions are stepping up to provide temporary financial help. -
The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a $4 billion budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 on Thursday. The proposed budget has a few key differences from last year's — consistent with the new state superintendent's priorities. -
Newly appointed Oklahoma State Superintendent Lindel Fields is trying to set a new tone for his leadership era of Oklahoma's education department. It includes a three-step plan Fields laid out for reporters at a press conference Tuesday. -
Oklahoma Highway Patrol can not legally decide to shift the bulk of its patrols away from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, according to a binding Attorney General opinion released Wednesday. -
House Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, wants input from Oklahomans on how their state government could be more efficient. The House launched an online portal this week in hopes of collecting that feedback. -
Gov. Kevin Stitt is launching Operation Guardian, which aims to prepare the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and all tiers of law enforcement to deport hundreds of unauthorized immigrants arrested for crimes unrelated to their immigration status.
