'It’s baffling': Anti-LGBTQ Oklahoma GOP governor's veto of bill will snatch PBS’ funding

Oklahoma GOP Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed legislation that would have provided significant funding to the most popular children's programming in the state, CNN reports.

CNN's The Lead, hosted Jake Tapper, tweeted a clip from a Friday interview with senior media reporter Oliver Darcy, writing, "Oklahoma Republican Governor Stitt vetoes a bill that would've funded the state's PBS station over his belief its programming indoctrinates children @oliverdarcy reports."

Tapper opened the segment by sharing a brief video from an episode of PBS' Sesame Street, which includes representation of a same-gender couple.

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After airing the clip Tapper said, "Sweet moment – although, maybe not everyone feels that way. Maybe Oklahoma's Republican Governor Kevin Stitt doesn't. He seems to think that LGBTQ inclusive programming on PBS such as that example is 'indoctrination' for kids, and now he has vetoed a bill that would've provided crucial funding to the PBS network in his state."

The host continued, "Oliver, Oklahoma's PBS station, per capita, is the most watched in the nation. It is available in every county in Oklahoma, so this would be really devastating. What is PBS saying in response?"

Darcy replied, "Yeah, Jake, this is part of a larger trend really playing out in Republican politics these days where these GOP politicians take aim at children's programming — inclusive children's programming — and basically effectively frame it as 'grooming kids with radical gender ideology.'"

The reporter noted, "You've seen it play out in Florida, with Ron DeSantis taking aim at Disney, and now it's spreading, of course, to Oklahoma, where the governor there is taking aim at PBS."

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He added, "It's baffling, but, again, you're seeing this across GOP politics."

Darcy then read PBS' statement regarding Stitt's veto, saying, "The threat to funding puts Oklahoma families at risk of losing access to the local free content they trust to help kids reach their full potential. The fundamental goal of PBS KIDS remains supporting children as they learn and grow through programming they have come to know and love. Now is not the time to take that away from any child."

Watch the video below or at this link.

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