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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.
Oklahoma News
SNAP changes coming to Oklahoma: What you need to know: Oklahoma SNAP recipients will no longer be able to buy soda or candy with EBT cards starting Feb. 15. Here’s what’s changing and why. [News on 6]
State Government News
Agency to pay nearly $500,000 to repair 6 Oklahoma bridges damaged by oversized load: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday approved spending nearly $500,000 to repair six bridges that were struck by a truck carrying an oversized load. The agency’s governing board approved paying $491,700 to Built-Right Construction following an emergency declaration that allowed immediate repairs to be made to the six bridges over the Will Rogers Turnpike. [Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
One Big Beautiful Bill Act complicates state health care affordability efforts: As Congress debates whether to extend the temporary federal subsidies that have helped millions of Americans buy health coverage, a crucial underlying reality is sometimes overlooked: Those subsidies are merely a band-aid covering the often unaffordable cost of health care. [KFF Health News via Oklahoma Voice]
White House floats military action to take Greenland: President Donald Trump is considering options to acquire Greenland, including possible military operations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, renewing a push for the Danish territory that follows the stunning U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional approval over the weekend. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Tribe files federal lawsuit amid Stitt’s crackdown on tribal hunters: Gov. Kevin Stitt’s social media posts about tribal hunting and fishing laws are a “slap in the face,” a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen wrote to the federal court in Oklahoma City. The letter from Depew resident Jordan Pettigrew was included in a lawsuit filed by the tribe, which is the latest move in the fight over whether Oklahoma’s state government can regulate who can hunt and fish on tribal reservations. [The Oklahoman]
- Muscogee Nation sues state of Oklahoma over hunting, fishing license dispute [Tulsa World]
Cherokee leaders propose opening nursing campus with OU in northeast Oklahoma: Cherokee Nation leaders are proposing tribal legislation that would create a $30 million nursing school campus in Tahlequah, created in partnership with the University of Oklahoma. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Dillon Travis, Mike Waters tout rural bonafides in HD 35 Republican runoff: In their Jan. 13 special runoff election, Dillon Travis and Mike Waters present House District 35 Republican voters with a classic choice between a familiar face or a new generation, as both candidates have made protecting rural interests the main point of their campaigns. [NonDoc]
Education News
Opinion: Oklahoma’s strategy on test scores misses the mark: In 2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Education hit the reset button on how the public should interpret state test results. The department called that year “a total reset” that would establish “a new baseline year.” That wasn’t just a technical adjustment; it was a deliberate attempt to redefine what “proficient” meant in Oklahoma. [Shannon Grimes / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma Senators call for clemency for death row inmate: In a press conference on Tuesday, Democratic State Senators Nikki Nice and Mary Boren joined the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in asking the State Pardon and Parole Board to recommend clemency for death row inmate Kendrick Simpson at his clemency hearing on January 14th. [KGOU]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma legislation introduced to slow eviction timeline: In Oklahoma, eviction hearings can be set as soon as five days after filing, regardless of what day it is. A new bill being introduced for the upcoming legislative session would remove weekends and holidays from the timeline, aiming to ease the burden on tenants, landlords and the court system. [News 9]
Final USDA report shows Oklahoma ranks 6th in food insecurity: Oklahoma’s rate of food insecurity has slightly increased, according to the latest federal Household Food Security in the United States report. The U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say it will end the hunger survey after this year’s publication. [KOSU]
Oklahoma electric co-op customers question soaring electric bills: Several members of East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative say their monthly power bills have climbed to unexpectedly high levels, making it harder to budget and cover basic expenses. [News on 6]
Economy & Business News
As demand grows, Oklahoma considers its energy path forward: The effort to find the right balance between the oil and gas industry — which has propped up Oklahoma’s economy for more than a century — and renewable energy — a relative newcomer — is in the midst of a decisive moment with the potential for shifting tax policy and further regulations on certain sources at the state Capitol. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Oklahomans can now apply for help with heating bills this winter: Oklahomans who meet certain income requirements can now apply for assistance paying their utility bills. It’s part of a program that aims to keep the heat on during the winter’s coldest months. [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- These three sites east of downtown Tulsa could soon turn into affordable housing [Tulsa Flyer]
- Controversial data center proposal in Coweta draws opposition ahead of council vote [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“Teachers, more than anyone, have long known that learning begins at home, and too many of our students come to us with needs the school is not equipped to meet. For real improvement, Oklahoma and the rest of the country need to invest in strengthening families.”
– Shannon Grimes, a veteran educator with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal and superintendent, reflecting on his years working directly with students whose basic needs often go unmet before they ever enter a classroom. He said shifting standards to make more students appear “proficient” may look like progress on paper, but won’t improve outcomes without deeper investments in the conditions that shape learning. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
$740
The additional per-pupil funding increase received by school districts with lower shares of Black students compared to districts with higher shares nationwide, following economically progressive school finance reforms passed through 2017. While these reforms improved funding equity by income, they failed to reduce — and in some cases widened — racial funding gaps, highlighting how race-neutral policies can still reinforce racial inequality. [Brookings Institute]
Policy Note
School finance reforms made funding more equal by income, but not by race: Nationally, state school finance reforms over the past few decades have succeeded in narrowing funding gaps between high- and low-income districts by directing more state resources to poorer communities. However, those same reforms have not reduced disparities in funding between districts with high and low shares of Black or Hispanic students, and in many cases the racial funding gap has grown wider. Because race-neutral, income-based formulas can’t fully counteract entrenched segregation and geography-based disparities, achieving racial equity in school funding will likely require more targeted strategies that explicitly address racial and ethnic gaps. [Brookings Institute]
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