In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

Oklahoma House Republicans pick leaders for next session: Dozens of newly elected state legislators are helping to pick their new leaders for the upcoming session that begins in February. In the House, the new Republican caucus on Wednesday picked Speaker of the House Charles McCall to serve another term as its top leader. McCall will be the speaker-elect until he’s formally elected in January. [AP News]

House Democrats to select new leader: Two central Oklahoma representatives are vying to become the next leader of the House Democrats, both pledging a mix of progressive and pragmatic approaches for a caucus that saw its numbers shrink during last week’s election. Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, and Rep. Jason Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City, told The Oklahoman they are seeking the position of minority leader, which will be decided by a caucus vote Thursday. [NewsOK]

Property crime decreased in Oklahoma as SQ 780 reduced punishments: Before 2016, stealing a smartphone in Oklahoma could be charged as a felony with the possibility of prison time. The passage of SQ 780 raised the felony theft threshold in Oklahoma from $500 to $1000, meaning a person has to steal something worth more than $1000 to be charged with felony larceny. These changes went into effect in July 2017, and the early returns are very encouraging: statewide reports of theft fell in Oklahoma between 2016 and 2017. [OK Policy]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

Stitt announces transition team: Marc Nuttle, a Norman attorney with decades of experience in national Republican politics, will lead the transition team of Gov.-elect Kevin Stitt, who enters office in two months. Nuttle, 69, formerly served as executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee and was national campaign manager for televangelist Pat Robertson’s presidential bid in 1988. Stitt’s campaign announced Nuttle as the transition team chairman on Tuesday, along with eight other individuals who will help the governor-elect hire senior staff and fill seven issue-centered advisory committees. [NewsOK]

Medical Monday: A focus on the newly formed Coalition for the Future of Oklahoma Families: On this edition of our program, we’re discussing a recent DHS-related proposal put forth by the Trump Administration as well as local efforts to challenge this proposal. The proposal in question would change the accepted federal definition of Public Charge, which is a term used by immigration officials to refer to certain legal immigrants who are able to receive government benefits like food assistance, housing assistance, and health care. [Public Radio Tulsa] Advocacy Alert: Families shouldn’t be punished for accepting help when they need it. [OK Policy]

Tulsa faith leaders join caravan to ‘bear witness’ to teenage migrants detained at Mexican border: A group of Tulsa faith leaders are joining a caravan headed to the nation’s southern border to rally at a shelter used to house teenagers who are seeking asylum in the U.S.Stephanie Marshall, director of education at Tulsa’s Temple Israel, said they are traveling with faith leaders and congregants from around the United States to the Texas border town of Tornillo, “bearing witness” to the living conditions of teenage migrants detained there. [Tulsa World]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

Groups push for Oklahoma to do more to protect home-schooled children: A horrific child-abuse case this past summer sparked debate about Oklahoma’s homeschooling laws. A 15-year-old boy was found starving and sleeping in a barn in rural Lincoln County. His family had pulled him out of school a few years before the abuse was reported. The Oklahoma Department of Education has zero oversight over homeschooling in our state. Neither does DHS. [FOX25]

Legislators consider creating their own budget office: The Oklahoma Senate’s top Republican said the legislature wants to be more proactive — and that will start with the budget. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said lawmakers have long relied upon agency reports and figures they can’t easily verify when crafting the state’s spending plan. “In order to better represent the people of Oklahoma, have more transparency, we’ve thought about creating a legislative budget office between the House and the Senate that can dig into those numbers, dig into those programs,” Treat said. [Public Radio Tulsa]

Business ties may complicate transition for new governor: For the first time in a generation, Oklahoma’s incoming governor won’t be coming into office directly from another elected office, meaning Gov.-elect Kevin Stitt could have to separate himself from business and financial arrangements before taking office. [Oklahoma Watch]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

With big turnover in Legislature, many legislators predict productive session: It’s been a year of change for Oklahoma state government. An apparent shift in the Republican Party. Rare enthusiasm among Democrats. Tax increases achieving the previously thought unattainable three-fourths majorities in both the House and the Senate. A new governor elected. And a whole bunch of new legislators. [Tulsa World]

A checklist of campaign promises: Can Stitt fulfill them? Gov.-elect Kevin Stitt ran on a platform of bringing an outsider’s perspective to Oklahoma government and said he will draw on his business background to push the state into top 10 rankings for education, job growth and other areas. But Stitt will need allies in the Legislature and at key state agencies to make good on those promises. [Oklahoma Watch]

Transition to governor for Kevin Stitt began immediately after election ended: Immediately after the election was called Tuesday night, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol began providing security for Governor-elect Kevin Stitt and his family.Stitt and his family will have a security detail for as long as he is in the governor’s office, as did the governors who served before him.It was the first noticeable indication of Stitt’s new reality. [Tulsa World]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

March of Dimes gives Oklahoma a “D” for preterm birth rates: March of Dimes recently gave Oklahoma a grade of “D” on its annual Premature Birth Report Card. Oklahoma’s preterm birth rate in 2017 rose from 10.6 to 11.1 percent and the state remained at a “D” grade, according to the Nov. 1 report. “For the third year in a row, more U.S. babies were born too soon with serious risks to their health,” according to the March of Dimes press release. [Enid News & Eagle]

Oklahoma’s Legislature Will Have More Women in 2019: There won’t be any major partisan shifts in the makeup of the Oklahoma legislature following the 2018 election. But, the gender balance has changed–more women were elected to the Oklahoma House and Senate on Tuesday. Women will make up roughly 21 percent of the state legislature in 2019, an increase from about 14 percent. [KGOU]

‘Educator Caucus’ falls short of election goals, but vows to keep pushing for more school funding: It’s about 9 p.m. in Coweta, a rural town south east of Tulsa. The election results are still trickling in as Cyndi Ralston, a second-grade teacher -turned Democratic political candidate, steps on to the stage in the small event space where she’s having her watch party. [StateImpact Oklahoma] Dozens of teachers were elected to state office. Many more fell short. [Education Week]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

Board recommends clemency for 22 drug possession offenders: Nearly two dozen offenders were recommended for clemency Wednesday, the first wave of hopefuls for early release from lengthy felony prison sentences for simple drug possession two years after voters approved turning that crime into a misdemeanor. State Question 780 isn’t retroactive, so Project Commutation sought deserving prisoners who were considered ideal candidates to have their sentences drastically shortened in line with the sentencing reform measure. [Tulsa World] On the most recent OKPolicyCast, we spoke with Colleen McCarty about the efforts of Project Commutation.

How Oklahoma voted: Precinct-level interactive maps: Republicans continued their dominance of Oklahoma government Tuesday by winning all nine statewide offices on the ballot and four of the five congressional seats. These interactive maps show county- and precinct-level results in four top statewide offices, all five congressional races and the five state questions. [Oklahoma Watch] In Tulsa County, about 65 percent of registered voters cast a ballot. [News On 6]

16 Oklahoma educators elected to office on Tuesday: Oklahoma teachers, fired up over last spring’s state budget battle and massive teacher walkout, put dozens of candidates on the ballot for Tuesday’s midterm election. The Oklahoma Education Association said that 16 members of its education caucus — current or former educators, administrators and support staff — were elected to the state House and Senate. [CNN] Midterms test the durability of the teacher uprising. [Washington Post] More teachers in state legislature than ever before, OEA says. [New On 6]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

In The News

Kevin Stitt picks up record number of votes to win Oklahoma governor’s race: Tulsa businessman Kevin Stitt, a virtual unknown in state politics just a year ago, rode his campaign as a political outsider to a record-setting victory Tuesday in the Oklahoma governor’s race. [Tulsa World] Stitt beat Democrat Drew Edmondson by nearly 12 percentage points, a wide margin of victory following a race that many polls labeled a close contest. [NewsOK] Stitt show: Oklahoma picks Republican to succeed Fallin [NonDoc]

Hello, congresswoman: Kendra Horn beats Steve Russell: On a night when Democrats across the country are hoping for a blue wave to switch the balance of power in Congress, Democrat Kendra Horn appears to have defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Russell in Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District. [NonDoc] Republican businessman Kevin Hern wins U.S. House seat vacated by Bridenstine. [Public Radio Tulsa] While Hern and three Republican incumbents in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation won by comfortable margins, the 5th District’s Steve Russell lost to Democrat Kendra Horn. [Tulsa World]

‘Victim rights’ initiative wins in landslide, but voters reject other state questions: While rejecting four other state questions, more than 3 out of 4 Oklahoma voters approved an effort to give alleged crime victims more influence on court proceedings.Also known as Marsy’s Law, SQ 794 will give alleged victims more opportunities to be heard in court while also giving them the right to limit contacts with defense attorneys. [Tulsa World]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

Today is Election Day: All polling places are from 7 am to 7 pm. Visit our #OKvotes page to find more election information, important dates, and other resources.

In The News

Large turnout expected at polls Tuesday: This year’s early voting and mail-in ballots have already more than doubled those cast during midterm elections in 2014, State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said Monday.He said he expects a greater turnout for Tuesday’s election but doesn’t expect it to top the 2016 presidential race.So far, Oklahomans have cast 165,598 mail and in-person early voting ballots, compared to 69,892 in 2014, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. [Tulsa World] With TPS closed on Election Day, several teachers will drive people to the polls. [Tulsa World]

Oklahoma’s gubernatorial race is a statistical dead heat: The race for the governor’s office is now a statistical dead heat in Oklahoma. The Sooner Poll reports that Republican Kevin Stitt now leads Democrat Drew Edmondson 47 percent to 44.1 percent with 6 percent undecided; however, those numbers come with a 5.33 percent margin of error. Bill Shapard of Sooner Poll said education is the number one issue driving the election numbers. [KTUL]

GOP likely to keep control of Legislature, but Dems could flip seats: Several legislative seats are up for grabs Tuesday, including some in the Oklahoma City area, in an election year that has already seen a dozen incumbents defeated. Politicos from both sides of the aisle have expressed concern that more lawmakers could lose their seats, especially in a year of extraordinary turnover in the Oklahoma House and Senate. [NewsOK]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

Election Day is tomorrow: All polling places will be open tomorrow from 7 am to 7 pm. Visit our #OKvotes page to find more election information, important dates, and other resources.

In The News

Early voting totals in Oklahoma more than double 2014 numbers: Officials at the Carter County election board office said they have been extremely busy over the three days of early voting in Oklahoma, which ended at 2 p.m. on Saturday. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board Twitter account, more than 100,000 Oklahomans voted early in the three day window, compared to only 43,000 early votes in the 2014 midterm elections. [KXII]

Incumbents raise most money in legislative races: Early on, Oklahoma’s political observers made two predictions: Senate races in northwest Oklahoma City would be the ones to watch and education would be the top issue this cycle. Two candidates in those Senate races garnered a higher number of contributions than any lawmakers up for election this year, and one of the other top recipients is a teacher running against one of the walkout’s most vocal opponents. [Journal Record]

Questions that could shape a pivotal election: After months of campaigning and millions of dollars spent, Election Day is almost upon us. The stakes are high: Oklahoma voters will select the state’s first new governor in eight years, decide who occupies what could be a pivotal U.S. House seat and determine how next year’s Legislature will look. [Oklahoma Watch] In One Minute: Tips for voting on Election Day [Oklahoma Watch]

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.

Early voting continues today from 8 am to 6 pm: Today is the second day of early voting in Oklahoma. Voters can cast their votes at their local county election board from 8 am to 6 pm. Tomorrow, Saturday, November 3rd is the last day of early voting. Visit our #OKvotes page to find more election information, important dates, and other resources.

In The News

As early voting kicks off, turnout numbers much higher than expected, officials say: Pete Messler walked up to the large glass windows at the front of the Tulsa County Election Board on Thursday morning and peered inside.“There’s more people here than there are at the University of Tulsa football games,” he joked, as the rain poured down.No joke was the turnout on the first day of early voting for Tuesday’s statewide election.  [Tulsa World]

Oklahoma’s rural hospitals see a lifeline in Medicaid expansion: As more GOP-led states with vast rural areas consider Medicaid expansion, supporters in Oklahoma are watching. They say it’s the best solution to make sure rural hospitals survive. “Because other states have found ways to accept these federal funds, they are moving forward, their hospitals are in better shape because of it,” said Patti Davis, director of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. [StateImpact Oklahoma] We previously examined how rejecting federal funds is devastating Oklahoma’s rural hospitals here.

Health insurance marketplace sign-ups begin: Oklahomans who want to buy individual health insurance through the exchange have until Dec. 15, but the navigators who help with enrollment recommend an early start. Open enrollment on the exchange starts Thursday. It is open to people who don’t have insurance through a job, Medicare, SoonerCare or another government program. Andrea Chica-Rodriguez, one of two navigators with the Latino Community Development Agency, urged people who want to compare their options not to wait. [NewsOK]