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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
SB 1381 aims to curb unnecessary pretrial detention (Capitol Update): Oklahoma’s pretrial system faces a significant challenge with jail overcrowding. Oklahomans are jailed at a rate nearly 30% higher than the US average. Critically, 75% have not yet been convicted of a crime, giving us the 11th highest pretrial incarceration rate nationally. Senator Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, has pre-filed Senate Bill 1381 (SB 1381), to be known as the Pretrial Modernization Act of 2026. The bill, if passed, could help curb unnecessary detention in both county jail and Department of Corrections facilities. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Kendrick Simpson is the first Oklahoman scheduled to be executed in 2026: Kendrick Antonio Simpson, 45, is the first man scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma in 2026. Simpson’s case will be considered a final time by the state’s Pardon and Parole Board on Jan. 14. Twenty-six men and one woman remain on Oklahoma’s death row, according to the Department of Corrections. [KOSU]
- State senator and coalition plead for mercy for death row inmate Kendrick Simpson [Fox 25]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Federal Government News
California is banning masks for federal agents. Here’s why it could lose in court.: This month, the state of California and its largest county will ban law enforcement officers from covering their faces, with a few exceptions, putting local and state police at odds with masked immigration agents. The Trump administration has sued to block the bill, and more than a century of federal court precedent is on its side. [CalMatters via Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma family stuck in Caribbean after Venezuela’s president is captured: The U.S. military action that led to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture also closed the airspace and left thousands of people stranded in the Caribbean. The airspace is back open; however, there are still some Americans stuck because the demand for flights is so high. [KFOR]
Tribal Nations News
Cherokee Nation announces proposed nursing partnership with OU: Officials with the Cherokee Nation announced a proposed multi-million dollar legislative package Monday to expand access to nursing programs, including a potential partnership with the University of Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
- Hoskin, Warner propose $30M University of Oklahoma Nursing School partnership [Cherokee Phoenix]
How a living classroom teaches 4-year-olds how to combat climate change, preserve Chickasaw culture: Approximately 20 children from the Chickasaw Nation Head Start are helping combat climate change while preserving the tribe’s culture in the process. In a fall tree-planting ceremony in southern Oklahoma, they helped create a living classroom, where their knowledge will grow alongside native trees. [KOSU]
Harvey Pratt’s legacy of art, justice lives on after his death: Harvey Pratt, a Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal citizen known for his cultural and forensic art, died late last year at age 84. He is remembered for his cultural knowledge as well as the justice he has helped provide to those seeking answers about their missing or murdered relatives. [KOSU]
- Acclaimed forensic artist, Bigfoot expert honored as ‘warrior artist’ [The Oklahoman]
Voting and Election News
New Oklahoma law aims to spur voter turnout, save money by limiting number of yearly election dates: A dozen new Oklahoma laws are in effect as of January first. One aims at simplifying election participation in the state. Written by Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Patxon, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, Senate Bill 652 limits the number of Oklahoma yearly election dates to five. [KOSU]
Group seeks Oklahoma political party status: A new political party hopes to gather enough signatures to appear on this year’s ballot. The Sooner State Party must gather 35,000 signatures by Feb. 20 to become a recognized political party, said co-founder C.J. Webber-Neal. Webber-Neal said supporters have gathered 22,000 signatures. [Oklahoma Voice]
USPS says mail-in ballots might not get postmark on same day they’re dropped off: A USPS rule that took effect on Dec. 24 says mail might not receive a postmark on the same day the agency takes possession of it. The postal service says it isn’t changing its existing postmark practices and is merely clarifying its policy, but some election officials have looked to postmarks as a guarantee that mail ballots were cast before polls closed. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: Key architect of the Constitution would favor open primaries: Would James Madison vote for State Question 836? I think the historical evidence would emphatically answer, “Yes.” Madison, our fourth president and a key architect of the U.S. Constitution, thought the existence of factions hindered the ability of government officials to compromise and bring important government decisions to some point of balance that represented the views of all citizens. [Micheal Salem / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Lawmakers hope to bring ‘Mississippi Miracle’ to Oklahoma classrooms through proposed legislation: After Mississippi students climbed from 49th to ninth nationally in literacy, some Oklahoma lawmakers want to replicate Mississippi’s strategy. Rep. Rob Hall (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Michael Bergstrom (R-Adair) announced Friday the filing of House Bill 2944 and mirror legislation, Senate Bill 1271, titled the Oklahoma READS (Reading Excellence through Accountability, Development and Standards) Act. [Tulsa Flyer]
- State lawmakers file legislation in an effort to improve literacy outcomes [News Channel 8]
American Association of University Professors demands answers, safeguards from University of Oklahoma after Bible-based essay debacle: The American Association of University Professors delivered a petition to OU administrators Friday demanding answers regarding its handling of an academic freedom case that has garnered national attention. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
- Okla. Instructor Dismissed From Teaching, Appeals Decision [Inside Higher Ed]
Average pay for teachers, other certified staff increased 3.2% from 2024 to 2025: Oklahoma public school teachers and other certified staff saw a collective 3.2% increase in average pay, including fringe benefits, between fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Average pay with fringe benefits among all certified staff rose from $65,884 to $67,988, the analysis shows. [Tulsa World]
Health News
Oklahoma Ranks Third for Caregiver Burden as Families Struggle with Eldercare: The national analysis by Seniorly found that unpaid family caregiving has reached unprecedented levels, with caregivers spending an average of nearly four hours per day providing care. Plagued by hidden costs and physical burdens, Oklahomans are among the nation’s most exhausted unpaid caregivers. And it’s likely to get even worse. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma to receive $223 million for rural health care: Oklahoma’s application for a five-year, $50 billion rural health fund secured the state over $223 million for 2026. The Rural Health Transformation Program was signed into law in President Donald Trump’s megabill alongside an estimated $911 billion in reductions to federal Medicaid spending over a decade. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Flu cases in Tulsa are rising and show little signs of slowing down: Cases of the flu are on the rise in Tulsa, and with more people going back to work and school after the holidays, the trend is expected to continue. The situation in Tulsa mirrors the country. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Criminal Justice News
Why Oklahoma’s Survivors’ Act is failing the women it was meant to help: Enacted in late 2024, the law allows domestic violence survivors to seek reduced sentences if abuse was a “substantial contributing factor” in the crime they committed. Supporters hoped for more survivors to qualify. Instead, every applicant except one has been denied. [Public Radio Tulsa]
With 2 new rape counts filed, 7th continuance granted in sex offender’s cases: Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna filed two counts of first-degree rape by instrumentation Monday against Melvin Platt as he appeared in court for her long-pending motion to revoke his suspended sentence from a prior sex crime. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports more than 129 arrested for DUI in December crackdown: According to a post made on social media, OHP made the December arrests during 21 events, operated by the agency’s Impaired Driving Liaisons. The agency cites the events as having a direct impact on making communities safer for residents by reducing the number of intoxicated drivers on the roads. [The Oklahoman]
Feds drop kratom forfeiture proceedings in civil case after seized product ‘expired’: Federal prosecutors have dropped a civil forfeiture action aimed at some $3 million in kratom seized from a Tulsa business after advising the court that the products had “expired.” [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Advocates: Oklahoma bill proposing restrictions on homeless shelter operations statewide misguided: A legislative measure that seeks to slap restrictions on where homeless shelters can operate across most of Oklahoma is a misguided effort that will cause more harm to an already marginalized community, some advocates say. [Oklahoma Voice]
- From OK Policy: Fact Check: Floor debate on SB 484 that would limit homelessness services in Oklahoma communities (2025)
Rental markets remain competitive in Oklahoma City and Tulsa: Finding a place to call home was no easy task for renters in 2025, even with more than half a million new apartments added nationwide. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are among the nation’s most competitive rental markets, according to the 2025 year-end report from RentCafe. [The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma rancher accuses American Hereford Association of monopoly in lawsuit: P&R Herefords, led by Leedey rancher Paul Laubach, filed the lawsuit in Oklahoma City federal court in December. In the filing, Laubach argued that the American Hereford Association is the only entity in the United States authorized to register the Hereford breed of cattle. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
How religious is Oklahoma? Here’s a look at the numbers from Pew study: Oklahoma is among most religious states in the nation, according to a Pew Research Center study. Oklahoma ties for 10th among religious Americans. Here’s a closer look at the data. [The Oklahoman]
Many Latin families will celebrate Three Kings Day Jan. 6. Here’s what it means.: Many Catholic Latinos will celebrate el Día de Reyes Tuesday to commemorate the three kings arriving to find baby Jesus after his birth. Día de Reyes, also referred to as Día de Rosca, has connections to the Christian faith. It is known in English as Three Kings Day and Epiphany. [Tulsa Flyer]
Oklahoma dethrones Florida as new U.S. lightning capital: There is a new lightning capital in the U.S., with Oklahoma unseating Florida in lightning strike density, according to a new AEM report. The report revealed that Oklahoma saw around 73 lightning strikes per square mile in 2025, a statistic that is usually dominated by the Sunshine State. [KFOR]
Local Headlines
- New program aims to help Canadian Jews move to Tulsa [Tulsa World]
- Construction is bringing traffic delays to Highway 75 in Tulsa. Here’s how to avoid it. [Tulsa Flyer]
- As need grows, Tulsa Animal Services pins hopes on new clinic set to open in 2026 [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- Six family-friendly public projects to be finished in Edmond in 2026 [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma City homicide rate declines in 2025 [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“By almost every metric, our state is facing a literacy crisis, and it is our kids and our grandkids who are going to suffer. On top of that, this could severely hamper our state’s ability to compete and prosper.”
— State Senator Michael Bergstrom (Adair) said of Oklahoma’s growing literacy crisis. Bergstrom and Rep. Rob Hall (Tulsa) announced Friday the filing of HB 2944 and mirror legislation, SB 1271, titled the Oklahoma READS (Reading Excellence through Accountability, Development and Standards) Act. [Tulsa Flyer]
Number of the Day
$110
The amount an Oklahoma parent qualifying for the state child tax credit would receive starting in 2026 — just 5% of the $2,200 federal credit. Expanding the credit’s size and reach would give families more meaningful support and strengthen efforts to reduce child poverty. [National Conference of State Legislatures]
Policy Note
State Child Tax Credits Boosted Financial Security for Families and Children in 2025: State child tax credits (CTCs) are proving to be powerful tools for boosting financial security among low- and middle-income families, and fifteen states have now enacted or expanded these credits. Key design features — such as making credits refundable, extending benefits to immigrant families, increasing benefits for younger children, eliminating phase-in requirements, and indexing amounts to inflation — significantly increase their effectiveness. Though recent federal reforms increased the CTC, some limits (like on refundability and access for immigrant households) still leave many children without full benefit. For states considering policy change, crafting credits with equity, broad eligibility, and sustainable funding can help reduce child poverty and make the tax code fairer. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
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