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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
Policy Matters: Don’t make a bad idea worse: Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit was supposed to help families afford private school, with a $250 million cap to protect the state budget and public schools. Now, the governor and some lawmakers want to scrap that cap entirely. This would take a bad policy and make it much worse — draining funds from public schools, giving wealthy families more tax breaks, and leaving rural communities behind. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma parole board rejects clemency for death row inmate Kendrick Simpson: The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 against recommending clemency on Wednesday for death row inmate Kendrick Simpson. Simpson, 45, was sentenced to die by lethal injection for fatally shooting Glen Palmer, 20, and Anthony Jones, 19, after an argument at an Oklahoma City nightclub. [The Frontier]
- Death row inmate Kendrick Simpson denied clemency in 3-2 vote [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County killer denied clemency ahead of February execution date [Oklahoma Voice]
Long Story Short: Oklahoma Ranks Third for Caregiver Burden as Families Struggle with Eldercare (podcast): Ben Fenwick examined Oklahoma’s high burnout rate among family caregivers. Jennifer Palmer digs into the behind-the-scenes chaos of the financial crisis at Epic Charter School. J.C. Hallman looks at Molly Bullock’s years of reporting on the Arkansas River to examine if Oklahoma is at risk for a catastrophic flood similar to the one that killed 138 people in Texas in July 2025. [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
As calls grow, Oklahoma’s 211 hotlines could get long-sought state money: A bill filed ahead of the 2026 legislative session would provide Oklahoma’s 211 resource hotlines with state funding for the first time in a decade. Senate Bill 1290 by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, would allocate at least $3 million in state dollars to support 211 Eastern Oklahoma and HeartLine. [The Frontier]
OK treasurer fights deposition order in suit saying his office used Signal for state business: Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ has gone to the Oklahoma Supreme Court as he attempts to avoid being deposed in an open records lawsuit. In December, Russ was ordered by an Oklahoma County judge to spend up to two hours answering questions about his office’s use of the encrypted, self-deleting messaging app Signal to conduct state business. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma reaches settlement with poultry company: Oklahoma has reached a settlement with one of the poultry companies it successfully sued over pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Drummond reaches settlement with poultry company over pollution [The Oklahoman]
- Settlement announced with two companies in state’s poultry litigation [Tulsa World]
- State of Oklahoma reaches settlement with company in poultry pollution lawsuit [OPMX via KGOU]
Oklahoma Department of Human Services blames Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for SNAP call volume, not new Trump rules: Several viewers continue to have issues with trying to requalify for SNAP in Oklahoma. The agency argued that it’s not about the new Trump Administration rules; rather, it’s about the massive influx of calls surrounding LIHEAP. [KFOR]
Federal Government News
Judge weighs Trump administration limits on congressional visits to immigration facilities: U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb Wednesday probed whether the Trump administration has violated her court order, after Minnesota lawmakers said they were denied an oversight visit to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility following a deadly shooting by an immigration officer in Minneapolis. [Oklahoma Voice]
Progressives in Congress vow to oppose immigration enforcement funding: Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced Tuesday they will oppose any federal funding for immigration enforcement following the deadly shooting of a woman by an immigration officer in Minneapolis. [Oklahoma Voice]
Democrats in Congress seek to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem: U.S. House Democrats Wednesday introduced three articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after a deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Oglala Sioux Tribe accuses federal authorities of treaty violation after four members detained by ICE: The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, whose lands cover southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, has called on federal officials to honor treaties after four of its members were detained by authorities in Minnesota. [KFOR]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma reaches deal to keep old campaign finance site alive: After scrapping plans for a new campaign finance website, the state Ethics Commission has reached a three-year deal meant to keep its old site alive. The website, known as Guardian, allows Oklahomans to see how much organizations and private citizens donate to candidates’ campaigns. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Education Watch: What’s Behind Epic Charter Schools’ Busted Budget: One early warning sign of financial distress came in October 2024: the state’s largest online school, Epic Charter Schools, laid off 144 employees. Months later, the school borrowed millions from a bank to buy Chromebooks. Top administrators resigned. Another 350 teachers and staff lost their jobs in June. What went wrong? [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Deer Creek schools, like many in OK, need local support: In Oklahoma, we are in the midst of a growing discussion about economic expansion, population growth and improving the desirability of moving to our state. One issue that continues to resurface as a hindrance to these goals is our education system. [Megan Shelburne / The Oklahoman]
Health News
As AI becomes part of traditional Medicare reviews, some Oklahomans worry they’ll lose out on care: The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, or WISeR, is being tested in six states, including Oklahoma, starting this month. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
UnitedHealth to accelerate Medicare Advantage payments to some rural hospitals: UnitedHealth’s health insurance unit said on Wednesday it has launched a pilot program aimed at speeding up Medicare Advantage payments by 50% on average to support independent rural hospitals in some states. The six-month pilot in Oklahoma, Idaho, Minnesota and Missouri will focus on reducing collection times for rural hospitals from less than 30 days to less than 15 days, the insurer said. [Reuters]
TSET allocates money to increase doctor residencies, cancer treatment access in Oklahoma: The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust announced millions in grants Wednesday to expand patient access to trained doctors and cancer treatments. [Oklahoma Voice]
- TSET and Gov. Stitt announce $150 million in legacy grants [The Journal Record]
Criminal Justice News
Rural prosecutors need higher pay, district attorneys say: A state agency responsible for supporting district attorneys across Oklahoma is asking lawmakers to dip into the “revenue cookie jar” and provide an extra $15 million annually to recruit and retain prosecutors in rural districts. [The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma retailers struggle to manage tariff impact as costs rise and sales slow down: Sales are slowing down and operating costs are climbing “nearly three times faster” as global trade policies continue to impact small retail businesses, according to a study conducted by the Oklahoma-based Independent Shopkeepers Association (ISA). [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Local Headlines
- Major Oklahoma turnpike, OKC road construction is underway. Here’s 4 projects to watch. [The Oklahoman]
- Council denies Edmond apartment complex plan in close vote [The Journal Record]
- Tulsa City Council eyes August for vote on hotel/motel tax increase [Tulsa World]
- Ada conference focuses on Oklahoma education challenges [KTEN]
- Yukon residents raise concerns over proposed data center and water use [KOCO]
Quote of the Day
“A strong public school is a public good. When public schools thrive, we see home values rise, local businesses flourish, crime rates drop, and community relationships strengthen.”
– Megan Shelburne, a Deer Creek parent and former educator, arguing that public schools function as civic infrastructure that benefits entire communities, not just families with school-aged children. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
33
The number of private schools located in rural Oklahoma during the 2021–22 school year, representing just 17.4% of all private schools statewide. Because most private schools are concentrated outside rural communities, voucher-style policies offer little benefit to rural students and fail to address the need for direct investment in Oklahoma’s public schools. [Learning Policy Institute]
Policy Note
How the School Choice Agenda Harms Rural Students: School choice policies like charter expansions and voucher programs tend to disadvantage rural students by drawing resources and staff away from already under-resourced local schools. Rural communities face logistical challenges such as long travel distances, limited provider options, and smaller student populations that make choice options less accessible and effective. By weakening traditional public schools without offering realistic alternatives, these policies can reduce educational quality and stability for rural learners. Supporting rural education requires investments that strengthen local schools, address workforce shortages, and ensure equitable access to programs rather than shifting funds outward. [Center for American Progress]
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