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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
Zoning and Affordable Housing Presentation – Oklahoma House Interim Study (video): OK Policy’s Research Director Anthony Flores and Senior Policy Analyst Sabine Brown shared how zoning reform is a key step to increasing housing in Oklahoma, especially as the need for more affordable housing continues to grow. Their comments were presented during an Oct. 2, 2024, interim study in the Oklahoma House of Representatives about zoning issues in Oklahoma. [OK Policy on YouTube] | [Transcript and Slides]
Courts should be last resort when addressing student truancy, absenteeism (Guest Article): A new report from the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice finds that the best way to address chronic absenteeism is for schools to work together with parents, students, and community partners, rather than rely on punitive measures. [David Blatt / Oklahoma Appleseed]
Oklahoma News
A push to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage must wait at least two more years: Thousands of low-wage earners in Oklahoma could be in line for their own pay raises if voters approve State Question 832, which would more than double the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029. But it will be years before the vote happens. Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order in September setting the vote for June 2026. If approved, a pay hike would not take effect until 2027, nearly four years after the ballot initiative was filed. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Information and resources on SQ 832
State Government News
Records conceal Oklahoma governor’s aircraft travel information in apparent flaunting of state law: Gov. Kevin Stitt and his wife have used a state plane to crisscross the country, but records conceal the purpose and passengers of many flights, raising questions about why they’re not following state law on transparency. While officials blame each other for omissions on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s plan’s flight logs, some legal experts say state law requires users to cite the reason for all flights and to clearly state who is aboard. But the state law that requires such disclosures contains no consequences, such as fines, for noncompliance. [Oklahoma Voice]
COVID-era federal funding for childcare has ended. How will it impact Oklahoma?: For the past three years, Oklahoma has been able to use federal funding to cover a sizeable chunk of the copayment amount for families receiving a child care subsidy. That federal funding has come to an end. [The Oklahoman]
Lawmakers learn about artificial intelligence applications in interim study: Oklahoma lawmakers are examining ways to regulate artificial intelligence, which is already being leveraged to read X-rays, write police reports and take on other tasks across business and government and is expected to be even more central to life in the future. [Tulsa World]
Capitol Insider: Interim legislative studies get underway at Oklahoma Capitol: The last week has seen more than 20 legislative interim studies conducted at the Capitol on a variety of topics. Interim studies may result in legislation or not, but they tell us something about what is on some lawmakers minds. [KGOU]
Federal Government News
Porn sites. Ghost guns. Transgender rights. The Supreme Court gets back to work: The Supreme Court returns Monday to tackle a slew of politically charged issues: gun regulation, gender-affirming care for minors and whether adults can be required to provide IDs to access pornographic websites. But the justices may also be pulled more directly into politics through election-related challenges both before and after the Nov. 5 election. [USA Today via The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Chickasaw Nation Governor Anoatubby Says State of the Chickasaw Nation is Strong and Getting Stronger: Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby honored the legacy of Chickasaws who set the foundation for a path to progress during his Oct. 5 State of the Nation Address. Governor Anoatubby reported that “the state of the Chickasaw Nation is strong” during his address at the Aiitafama’ Ishto (Large Gathering Place) on the historic Chickasaw Nation Capitol grounds. [Native News Online]
Native Americans continue to fight barriers to voting: The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 recognizes Native Americans as U.S. citizens and, on paper, extending the privileges of citizenship to them. Yet for decades, states continued to block Indigenous people from voting. [News 21 via NonDoc]
Voting and Election News
As election ads ramp up, what should voters know about dark money?: All ads must name the person or organization paying for them. If it isn’t a candidate, chances are good that dark money is involved. As much as $2.8 billion in dark money has been tracked since 2010. [Tulsa World]
Democrat-appointed Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Targeted In Election Ads: A political nonprofit connected to a conservative think tank is embarking on an advertising blitz to convince Oklahoma voters not to retain three of the four justices on the Oklahoma Supreme Court appointed by Democratic governors. [Oklahoma Watch]
Activist slams land deals, donations, in second complaint against OK county commissioner: Activist Sara Bana is running for an Oklahoma County commissioner seat partly by continuing to denounce sitting Commissioner Myles Davidson — not her opponent in the race — for his 2022 campaign finance record-keeping and for what she calls “suspicious” donations from developers with ties to the county’s site for a new jail. [The Oklahoman]
Opening the mail at Tulsa County Election Board now means putting on ‘hazmat gear’: It’s come to this: Every morning, before opening the mail, Tulsa County Election Board employees put on N95 masks, face shields, medical smocks and surgical gloves. Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman has called it “hazmat gear.” [Tulsa World]
Education News
Yale school resource officer accused of pointing taser at students, OSBI investigating: School officials, residents and law enforcement remain tight lipped after a recent incident happened at Yale High School, where some parents allege a school resource officer pointed a taser at students in a classroom. [Fox 25]
Tulsa Community College hosts first manufacturing day: Tulsa Community College recently welcomed students from Tulsa Public Schools for the first Manufacturing Day. The event offers hands-on experiences in engineering and manufacturing, including soldering circuit boards and building engines for solar-powered cars. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Ryan Walters’ plan to buy 55,000 ‘Trump Bibles’ could face legal issues, experts say: State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ plan to purchase thousands of copies of a very specific Bible for Oklahoma schools is likely to run afoul of state law and the Oklahoma Constitution, lawmakers and legal experts said Friday. The plan also sparked the fourth request this year for Attorney General Gentner Drummond to weigh in on whether Walters’ actions are legal. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Schools Need 55,000 Bibles. Trump-Endorsed Book Fits the Bill. [New York Times]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s education system always hurts for money. So why is Ryan Walters spending $3M on Bibles?: It must be nice to have $3 million stuffed in the couch cushions of your office. Because that’s essentially what Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters told us last month when he dropped a bombshell that he’d allocated $3 million to purchase Bibles. And now he wants another $3 million from lawmakers to buy even more. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: Judge was right to halt Ryan Walters’ exclusion of TV station from meetings: The lesson for Ryan Walters and us all is clear: The First Amendment isn’t optional. It’s the bedrock of our democracy. [David Keating / The Oklahoman]
Health News
New CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma left politics for ‘absolute dream job’: Reluctant to leave what she’d started as a two-term Oklahoma County commissioner, Carrie Blumert ultimately decided she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lead Tulsa-based MHA Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Stop, listen, reconnect with your child. It can help prevent them from suicide: As a board-certified pediatrician with over a decade in practice, I’ve seen firsthand the significant growth in mental health concerns, especially in our youths. Despite increased awareness — songs, documentaries and educational campaigns — many parents and caregivers still struggle to accept that suicide could affect someone close to them. We often think, “This won’t happen to us,” until it tragically does. [Dr. Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma death row inmate’s case to be heard at U.S. Supreme Court this week: Following the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision last year to uphold death row inmate Richard Glossip’s conviction, his case will be heard before the United States Supreme Court on Wednesday. [KGOU]
- Oklahoma AG sees ‘travesty’ if Supreme Court allows Glossip execution [Reuters]
Lawmakers explore flaws in Oklahoma’s criminal justice system: Lawmakers who held a public hearing last week on criminal justice in Oklahoma heard evidence of a deeply flawed system that expert witnesses said has allowed undeserving people to be sentenced to death. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma lawmakers hear update on housing affordability, programs: The Senate Finance Committee received an update on a housing program funded by $215 million from the legislature in 2023. An aging population in the U.S. means fewer large units will be needed for families and additional smaller units are necessary for single and non-family households. A gap analysis indicates that Oklahoma’s rental housing markets are being squeezed from both ends, and there is a large gap in rental housing for extremely low and very low income households. [Journal Record]
Survey shows baby boomers believe younger generations could afford homes — if they try harder: The majority of baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — believe younger generations simply aren’t doing everything they can to afford a home. However, the factors dividing these generations span more than work ethic alone. Are boomers’ beliefs rooted in reality, or do they not understand the struggles younger generations face? [Wealth of Geeks via Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Tulsa coworking space announces name change and $40 million move downtown: A popular coworking space in Tulsa will soon be moving locations following an expensive construction project. 36 Degrees North announced late September a name change and the rehabilitation of a downtown building for its coworking and entrepreneurship services. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Community News
What sets the most common Bible translations apart? Take a look the differences: Oklahoma state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has thrust one translation of Christianity’s holy book into the spotlight with his controversial plans to distribute it to public school students across the state. Here is a brief explanation of several different translations of the Bible and what sets them apart from one another. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: On same-sex marriage anniversary, let’s remember to love everyone: Ten years ago, on Oct. 6, 2014, the Supreme Court denied certiorari, allowing the 10th Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals decision recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage to stand. Oklahoma became the same-sex marriage mecca of the Bible Belt until the summer of 2015, when the Supreme Court finally legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States and couples could marry no matter where they live in America. [Rev. Lori Walke / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Democrats, Republicans worked across the aisle. We must return to norms of democracy: When I was growing up, Democrats and Republicans could work across the aisle. To be sure, they had different visions of what this country should be like, but despite this, they worked for the common good of the nation. To see how far we’ve fallen, try to imagine Dwight D. Eisenhower claiming that immigrants were cooking and eating pets. [Nancy Snow / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- New banners unveiled in OKC’s East End Historical District symbolize revitalization plan [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County detention officer fired after allegedly stealing thousands from detainees [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“At $7.25 an hour, you can’t even begin to think about accessing things that would give you more than that. You can’t think about going back to school. You can’t think about getting a better job. You can’t think about getting a car or getting your driver’s license back or providing a better life for your kids because you’re stuck in this survival instinct, and you can’t move past it.”
-Mattie LeMay, a mother of three in Oklahoma City, speaking about her experiences working at or near minimum wage while trying to raise a family. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
0.0001%
A study of the 2016 general election found 30 incidents of suspected noncitizen voting for further investigation or prosecution out of the 23.5 million votes cast in the study’s geographical areas. In other words, even suspected — not proven — noncitizen votes accounted for just 0.0001 percent of the votes cast. [Brennan Center for Justice]
Policy Note
Eight states to vote on amendments to ban noncitizen voting: Nationwide, state law already prevents noncitizens from voting in state and local elections. But that isn’t stopping several states from putting bans on the ballot anyway this November. Voters in eight states—Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin—will vote on constitutional amendments that, if successful, will add language to their state constitutions explicitly banning noncitizens from voting. Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. [Route Fifty]
- From OK Policy: Fact Sheet, SQ 834: Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment
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