The examples you listed are not necessarily related to either legislator: it is the difference between Oklahoma and Texas. Oklahoma liquor laws are much better than they used to be. But, they are not remotely the same as Texas. Same with the home schooling example. How they do schools in Oklahoma is very different than how they do it in Texas.
Don’t view what you mentioned as what either legislator has done to correct Oklahoma to make it more like Texas. Try to see how what they did fits in with Oklahoma needs and wants and culture.
We are not Texas.
Texas has a lot of talk, but their schools are very centralized. The taxes are a lot more onerous than they let on as well. However, at least in principal, there is a large voice against government interference of any kind.
Gun laws in Oklahoma are mostly better (with rifle laws being a huge exception).
I've noticed that here there seems to be a knee jerk reaction of “there oughta be a law” to every little crisis that hits the papers. My family who stayed here fall into both Democrat and Republican categories and they mostly fight over whether or not federal bureaucrats should tell me how to live or state ones should.
That said, I've noticed a few more “live free or die” minded folks than I did when I left a couple decades ago. The main difference between Okies and Texicans is that Texicans love to talk more than act. Okies, when they FINALLY get convinced of something, are crazy enough to do it.
So far, I'm not convinced either Shannon or Lankford are “live free or die” Americans, so I'll stay registered as neither Republican nor Democrat (another of Oklahoma's stupid rules) and not be allowed to vote in the primary.