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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
Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down law authorizing TSET board changes: An 8-1 majority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down HB 2783 as unconstitutional Tuesday, ruling that the Legislature’s attempt last year to make members of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust’s board “serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority” violated the state constitutional provisions that created TSET. [NonDoc]
- Controversial Oklahoma TSET law unconstitutional, high court rules [Oklahoma Voice]
- Lawmakers’ attempt to shuffle Tobacco Settlement board fails in court [The Oklahoman]
City of Durant, Choctaw Nation take action against rumored ICE facility: Leaders from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the City of Durant have taken action to deter a potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility rumored to be planned for an industrial property on the south side of the city near the tribe’s headquarters. [NonDoc]
- Choctaw Nation leaders reject possibility of ICE detention facility in Durant [KOSU]
- Choctaw Nation rejects proposal for Durant ICE facility [KTEN]
State Government News
Oklahoma Capitol vandalized overnight with ‘violent and vulgar rhetoric’: Crews began cleaning up the walls of the Oklahoma State Capitol on Tuesday after someone wrote derogatory comments about the governor and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the building and the surrounding area. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma statehouse tagged with graffiti overnight, authorities investigating [KOSU]
- Vandalism hits Oklahoma Capitol as crews worked to clean graffiti [KFOR]
ClassWallet lawsuit dismissed again amid political feud: The lawsuit at the center of a long-running feud between Oklahoma Republican political rivals Gov. Kevin Stitt and Attorney General Gentner Drummond has been dismissed. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Gov. Stitt’s lawsuit against ClassWallet for allegedly mismanaging COVID funds dismissed [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Is Oklahoma liable for misconduct by ICE officers in the state? Lawmaker asks AG: A state lawmaker has asked the attorney general whether the state would be liable if a situation similar to that in Minneapolis, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed a 37-year-old mother, occurred in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma emergency management faces federal funding shortfall: Like a few other state agencies, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is expecting to lose federal funding for the 2027 fiscal year, and the department is asking the legislature to cover the sum or risk core services. [The Journal Record]
- From OK Policy: The myth of Oklahoma’s fiscal self-reliance (Policy Matters)
Federal Government News
Minnesota, Twin Cities sue Trump administration to halt federal immigration surge: Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the Trump administration to stop its latest immigration enforcement surge, alleging that the increased federal actions are unconstitutional and a violation of federal law. [Oklahoma Voice]
Voting and Election News
Dillon Travis wins HD 35 Republican runoff, to face Luke Kruse in general election: With all precincts reporting Tuesday night, Dillon Travis won the HD 35 Republican runoff election and will advance to a Feb. 10 general election against Democrat Luke Kruse. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma elections 2026: Voter registration deadline approaching for Feb. mayor election: Oklahoma City is less than one month away from the 2026 mayoral elections. Incumbent mayor David Holt, 46, is running for his third term and will face challenger Matthew Pallares. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Governor Stitt aims to remove state spending cap on private school tax credit: Governor Kevin Stitt is pushing to expand the Parental Choice Tax Credit by removing the $250 million state spending cap, but some lawmakers are reluctant to give his idea the green light. [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: Vouchers: Another Wrong Turn for Oklahoma Schools
Jewish charter school could land Oklahoma in another legal battle, state official says: After unsuccessfully backing a Catholic charter school, an Oklahoma board will “more than likely” have to deny a proposal to found another publicly funded religious charter school in the state. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Tulsa Jewish leaders surprised by Jewish charter school application [Public Radio Tulsa]
Health News
Program that brought mental health professionals to rural Oklahoma schools looking for new funding: An OU-based, federally funded program to get more mental health professionals in rural Oklahoma schools has seen its funding end prematurely — and it’s searching for new funding sources to keep the mission going. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Criminal Justice News
As detentions climb in Oklahoma, migrants with pending immigration cases struggle to get legal help: As immigration detentions continue to climb in Oklahoma and across the country, federal immigration court data shows people detained in Oklahoma are among the least likely to find legal representation for their pending cases. Local immigration attorneys — and their clients — are feeling the strain. [KOSU]
Oklahoma Parole Rates Drop When a Board Member is Absent: State prisoners appearing before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in 2025 faced steeper odds of release when the full five-member board was not present. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma’s only woman on death row loses appeal over sex-shaming claim: A federal appeals court has rejected for a second time a claim by Oklahoma’s only female death row inmate that her 2004 murder trial was unfair because prosecutors sex-shamed her. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma death row inmate Kendrick Simpson to go before Pardon and Parole Board for clemency hearing: An Oklahoma death row inmate on death row for a double murder that happened nearly 20 years ago will make his case before the Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday. [KOCO]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
‘I’ll trade places with him:’ Ex-death row inmate pleads for brother’s freedom: The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board unanimously voted to reduce Tony Mann’s life-without-parole sentence after his younger brother — now free — told members Mann didn’t participate in the murder that sent them both to prison. [The Frontier]
Details of 2 OK County sales tax plans for the new jail, public safety: Nothing has been proposed officially, but Oklahoma County voters could see a county sales tax election to finish paying for a new county jail, and to operate it, as soon as April 7. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Senator Julia Kirt files three bills addressing insurance cost: An Oklahoma lawmaker is looking to tackle the high cost of insurance. Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt has filed three bills for the 2026 session. [KSWO]
Community News
Opinion: We need a more just immigration system, not empty rhetoric: The United States, long a beacon of liberty and opportunity for immigrants, is today embroiled in fierce debates about how and whether our nation should address this global migration crisis. [John-Mark Hart and Joel Kersey / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- ‘Dangerous grounds’: Edmond City Council denies Gardenia Apartments, hearing set in Walmart case [NonDoc]
- OKC Council approves settlement with woman whose car was hit by speeding officer [The Oklahoman]
- ‘It’s hate coming from fear’: Muslim residents disappointed as Broken Arrow rejects plan for new mosque [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Tulsa Public Schools enrollment is open for 2026-27 school year. Here’s what you need to know. [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“At the core, immigration is not merely a policy debate — it is a moral one.”
– John-Mark Hart and Joel Kersey, arguing that immigration policy cannot be separated from moral accountability. They urged lawmakers to move beyond fear-based rhetoric and pursue reforms that uphold both compassion and the rule of law. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
5,000
The estimated number of unauthorized immigrant children enrolled in Oklahoma public schools in 2019. That’s about 0.71% of the state’s 703,650 students that year. [Migration Policy Institute]
Policy Note
What harsh immigration policies mean for students, families, and schools: Harsh immigration policies are undermining access to public education by creating fear and uncertainty among immigrant families — leading some to withdraw children from school and compromising students’ sense of safety and belonging. Policies restricting enrollment, cutting funding for English learners, or requiring disclosure of immigration status have eroded schools’ roles as inclusive community hubs and forced districts into crisis response instead of learning environments. [Brookings Institute]
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