OKPOLICY.ORG
In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. Subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.
New from OK Policy
Childcare a growing issue in Oklahoma (Capitol Update): An issue that will likely be on the legislative agenda next year is childcare. As the economics and the makeup of families have changed, the need for out-of-home childcare has exploded. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
DOJ launches inquiry into 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a “review and evaluation” of the 1921 Race Massacre. [KGOU]
- Justice Department to Analyze the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre [New York Times]
- DOJ opens first ever federal probe into Tulsa Race Massacre [The Black Wall Street Times]
State Government News
Judge advances terms of mental health lawsuit settlement, but Stitt administration still opposed: Although a federal judge has advanced an amended consent decree to settle a class-action lawsuit dealing with Oklahoma’s competency restoration system for those accused of crimes while afflicted with severe mental illness, Gov. Kevin Stitt and his appointed mental health commissioner still oppose it. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma swift water rescue team rescues four people trapped in Hurricane Helene flood waters: The team was headed to North Carolina on Thursday to help with Hurricane Helene response efforts when law enforcement and bystanders near Erwin, Tennessee, flagged them down to let them know an elderly man was clinging to a porch as flood waters surged around him, said John Chenoweth, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma City Fire Department on Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Tribal leaders express why Natives in Oklahoma must vote next month: Tribal leaders emphasized the importance of voting during a tribal sovereignty summit Monday in Tulsa as part of the Warrior Up to Vote tour. The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma is stopping in more than 20 different towns across the state to show tribal citizens what a pro-sovereignty agenda looks like. The tour concludes in Tishomingo at the Chickasaw Festival on Oct. 5. [Tulsa World]
The Native vote dilemma: Every election cycle, Native communities and individuals grapple with a web of dilemmas: Are polling stations accessible? Are any of the candidates not directly hostile to Indigenous interests? Is voting in American elections compatible with Native cultural value systems? And, ultimately, is it even worth doing? [High Country News]
Freedman descendants association continues to push for equal rights among tribes: After seeing the need to bring attention to and fight for the rights of Freedman descendants of the Five Tribes, Cherokee Nation citizen Marilyn Vann and a handful of other people created the non-profit organization Descendants of Freedman of the Five Civilized Tribes Association in 2002. [Cherokee Phoenix]
Voting and Election News
Who’s left in the race? Here are the Oklahoma legislative districts still up for grabs: In addition to electing the nation’s president and congressional members, Oklahoma voters in three dozen state legislative districts will choose their next representatives in the statehouse. [KGOU]
With few policy disagreements, Tulsa mayoral candidates compare resumes during debate: Tulsa mayoral finalists Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith did not disagree substantially on much Monday night except which of them is better suited for office. [Tulsa World]
Education News
Ryan Walters responds in court to Moore Public School student’s pronouns lawsuit: State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a court filing in a lawsuit filed by a Moore Public Schools student who wants to change their pronouns in school records that the student’s assertions “rest upon an unattested statement by a minor child and another unattested statement by the child’s mother.” [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma lawmaker says momentum for limiting cellphones in schools is growing: After two bills that would have placed limits on cellphone usage in schools fizzled out in the Oklahoma Legislature earlier this year, an influential member of the state House of Representatives said Monday he believes the issue has gained traction and that he’ll introduce updated legislation next year. [The Oklahoman]
- Interim study focuses on cell phones in schools: ‘There is a cry for us to do something’ [Tulsa World]
OU Law tops state with highest bar exam pass rates: The University of Oklahoma College of Law had the highest number of graduates pass the Oklahoma bar exam in July than any other institution in the state among total, first-time and repeat examinees. [The Journal Record]
Langston University Partners with ACHE for Therapy Degrees Pathway: Langston University signs agreement with Arkansas Colleges of Health Education to create new program providing pathways to degrees in occupational therapy, physical therapy. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: Compromises between students, parents, educators could address cellphone issues: Given the way that cellphones, predictably, increased violence and, predictably, undermined classroom instruction, I lobbied for our school to commit to regulating phones and engaging in cross-generational conversations about digital literacy and ethics. [John Thompson / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma represents nearly one-third of pregnancy-related prosecutions a year after Roe’s end: Oklahoma had the second-highest number of pregnancy-related prosecutions nationwide in the year after Roe. v. Wade was overturned, according to a new study by the advocacy organization Pregnancy Justice. [Oklahoma Voice]
EEOC Sues Oklahoma Medical Practice Over Worker’s Pregnancy Bias: The EEOC sued an Oklahoma urology practice for allegedly denying reasonable accommodation to a pregnant medical assistant and ultimately firing her in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws. Urologic Specialists of Oklahoma Inc. also forced Juliann Walling to take unpaid leave and refused to provide her lactation breaks following the birth of her child, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in its lawsuit filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. [Bloomberg Law]
Lawmakers consider Medicaid coverage of Omnipod diabetes management system: Medicaid recipients in Oklahoma who have diabetes may benefit from a proposed change in the way the state covers costs of automated insulin management systems. [Tulsa World]
OSDE, OHCA outline plan to expand school-based Medicaid services in interim study: Two Oklahoma Republican lawmakers hosted an interim study Monday discussing expanding Medicaid-billable services in schools. State agencies are laying the groundwork to help schools better address students’ health. [KGOU]
SoonerStart funding, eligibility discussed by Oklahoma Disability Caucus: The Oklahoma Disability Caucus on Monday heard about the history of a program for families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays, and discussed its cost and future funding. [Journal Record]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s opioid epidemic requires urgent coordinated action: The opioid epidemic, particularly the surge of fentanyl, has hit Oklahoma hard, leaving no community untouched. From 2019 to 2022, the number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Oklahoma increased 12-fold, from 50 deaths in 2019 to 609 in 2022. This alarming trend underscores a significant public health crisis that demands urgent, coordinated action. [Wayland Cubit / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
A probe into Cleveland County jail deaths will include a look at medical provider Turn Key Health: Cleveland County officials have hired a consultant to investigate detainee deaths at the county jail that will also examine the policies of health care provider Turn Key Health. [The Frontier]
An inmate’s murder in an Oklahoma jail results in 30 years in federal prison: After beating his cellmate to death at the Stephens County jail in 2021, Walter Lee Kassanavoid shuffled a deck of playing cards, took a shower, put his clothes back on and got on his bunk. It would be almost two hours before a jailer found the body.[The Oklahoman]
First Watch: Stuff You Should Know [Oklahoma Watch]: Five executions were carried out in six days, one of them in Oklahoma. Anti-death-penalty advocates point to a massive shift in the judiciary. Former President Donald Trump appointed more than 200 federal judges and three highly conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. That, death penalty opponents say, removed the guardrails. [Oklahoma Watch]
Community News
Public Enemy rapper Chuck D on the unifying power of hip-hop in OKC: ‘Be that energy’: Rapper and activist Chuck D praised Oklahoma City’s Jabee as the epitome of activist musicians. The hip-hop icon, visiting OKC for a recent conference on violence intervention, also offered his veteran perspective on music’s ability to transcend cultures, unite people against gun violence and ignite social change. [The Oklahoman]
How a Fourth Generation Mayor Reshaped His Hometown: G.T. Bynum has attracted the largest employers ever to land in Tulsa while dramatically expanding its parks. He’s also helped the city confront its racist past. [Governing]
Local Headlines
- ‘Let the citizens of Norman decide’: Residents petition for public vote on entertainment district [OU Daily / KGOU]
- Man dies when E-bike struck by vehicle in downtown Tulsa [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“That the Department of Justice has decided to take this on and just look into it, it says that we are not forgotten. Our ancestors are not forgotten. The generations to come, they’re worth fighting for.”
-Oklahoma state Sen-elect Regina Goodwin, a descendant of survivors, said during Monday’s press conference regarding the DOJ’s inquiry into the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Number of the Day
10
Number of days, from Tuesday, remaining for Oklahoma voters to register for the November general election. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 11, and all Oklahoma voters are encouraged to check the status of their voter registration at the OK Voter Portal.
Policy Note
Rooted in Racism and Economic Exploitation: Voter suppression makes the racist and anti-worker Southern model possible: From the abolition of slavery until now, Southern white elites have used a slew of tactics to suppress Black political power and secure their economic interests—including violence, voter suppression, gerrymandering, felony disenfranchisement, and local preemption laws. Black voter disenfranchisement remains a key feature of the racist and anti-worker Southern economic development model today. While significant advances have been made over the last century, a resurgent backlash underscores the need to strengthen civil rights protections and ensure all Southern workers and their families can enjoy political and economic equality. [Economic Policy Institute]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
