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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
Far fewer people buy marketplace health coverage as insurance premiums spike: Nationwide, the number of people buying health plans on health insurance marketplaces is down by about 833,000 compared with a year ago, according to federal data released this week. Many states are reporting fewer new enrollees, more people dropping their coverage, and more people choosing cheaper and less generous health insurance plans with higher deductibles. [Oklahoma Voice]
Little can be done to stop ICE detention center in OKC, attorneys say: Oklahoma’s senior senator James Lankford is among those who have yet to hear any information from the Department of Homeland Security about plans to convert an Oklahoma City warehouse into an ICE processing and detention center for up to 1,500 people. [The Oklahoman]
- Federal authorities prepare to turn warehouse into immigration processing center in southwest OKC [KOSU]
- Lawmakers and Oklahoma City officials address possible actions against ICE facility plans [KFOR]
- ‘It’s scary’: Debate grows as Homeland Security eyes OKC warehouse for ICE facility [KOCO]
- Oklahoma City says it lacks authority to stop proposed ICE facility [News 9]
State Government News
Long Story Short: Lawmakers Seek Balance in Oklahoma’s Landlord-Tenant Act (podcast): Jake Ramsey detailed several proposed bills in the upcoming legislative session that could provide balance to Oklahoma’s Landlord-Tenant Act. Keaton Ross reported on a dip in parole grant rates when the five-member Pardon and Parole Board is operating at reduced capacity. After reporter J.C. Hallman’s latest story focuses on an Edmond family and offers details on State Farm practices across the country. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma Legislative Leaders Keep Power Brokers in Place as They Run for Statewide Office: With seven Republican members of the Oklahoma Legislature campaigning for statewide office, GOP leaders have kept those lawmakers in their leadership positions or as committee chairpersons, a reversal of policies instituted by previous House speakers or Senate pro tempores. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma space authority requests $7.5 million for spaceplane hangar: Looking at the 2027 fiscal year, the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority has asked the legislature for a one-time $7.5 million appropriation to construct a hangar to house the state’s first spaceplane at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port in Burns Flat. [The Journal Record]
Federal Government News
Trump says people will ‘find out’ how far he’s willing to go to acquire Greenland: President Donald Trump showed no signs Tuesday of backing off his goal to acquire Greenland, after saying over the weekend he would place a 10% tariff on eight European countries that object to his plans and posting several times on social media. [Oklahoma Voice]
DHS policy to block unannounced lawmaker visits upheld, for now, on technical grounds: A Department of Homeland Security policy that barred unannounced visits for lawmakers seeking to conduct oversight at facilities that hold immigrants will remain in place, as ordered by a federal judge Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
US Education Department delays plan to garnish wages of student borrowers in default: Less than a month after the agency said it would begin garnishing wages by sending notices to roughly 1,000 borrowers in default the first full week of January, the department said that the temporary delay would allow it to implement “major student loan repayment reforms” under Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2025. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Rep. Robyn Whitecloud charged with 4 counts of preventing official acts: Muscogee Nation prosecutor Matthew Hall filed a four-count criminal complaint against Muscogee National Council Rep. Robyn Whitecloud on Jan. 16, alleging she “did remove correspondence” belonging to four other Muscogee representatives and “did thereby prevent said representative from performing their sworn duties by depriving them of their official correspondence.” [NonDoc]
Cherokee chief signs bills targeting nursing shortage: Joined by University of Oklahoma President Joe Harroz, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin signed a trio of measures Tuesday afternoon to expand access to nursing programs, including renovating an existing facility to become a college campus. [Tulsa World]
Choctaw Nation awarded million dollar USDOT SMART grant: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma announced on Tuesday a nearly $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) award in healthcare logistics and transportation. [KFOR]
Voting and Election News
How will the legislative session impact Oklahomans at the ballot box?: Oklahoma’s legislative session begins on Feb. 2, and lawmakers’ decisions during the coming months could impact residents’ relationship with local governments. Several bills filed this year address topics like early voting, meetings of public bodies and what makes someone qualified to run for office. [KOSU]
Education News
Oklahoma lawmaker pushing to make school cellphone ban permanent: An Oklahoma lawmaker is advocating to make a temporary ban on cellphones in schools permanent, following a trial run last year aimed at assessing its impact on education. [KOCO]
Criminal Justice News
OKCPD officers denied qualified immunity for death of Dawawn McCoy at Biltmore Hotel: A civil rights lawsuit against three Oklahoma City Police Department officers will continue after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirmed the trial court’s rejection of officers’ qualified immunity defense for their alleged use of excessive force. The case stems from an incident at the Biltmore Hotel in 2020 where Dawawn McCoy Sr. died after an altercation as officers tried to remove him from the property. [NonDoc]
Greater OKC Chamber opposes sales tax plan for new OK County jail: Could County Commissioner Jason Lowe’s proposal of a controversial county sales tax to finish and operate the new Oklahoma County jail be dead on arrival? The answer is yes. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Why they marched: MLK Day inspires Tulsans to walk, talk and act: A frigid MLK Day in Tulsa did little to stop the Terence Crutcher Foundation from turning it into a day of action. After marching in Monday’s downtown parade, Tiffany Crutcher led a “Civics 101” presentation to teach about 70 adults and children how state and city government works. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Tulsa is home to 1K Iranian immigrants. Many can’t reach family due to government crackdown: Nationwide demonstrations broke out in Tehran in late December over the country’s economic instability and political establishment. Iran’s supreme leader has acknowledged that thousands were killed during the ensuing unrest, with human rights advocates describing scenes of government forces opening fire on protesters in the street. [Tulsa Flyer]
Local Headlines
- Coweta planning commission denies data center proposal. Now it heads to a council vote. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- PSO asks judge to let it expand power generation in Oologah after board rejection [Tulsa World]
- Norman City Council seeks community input on shelter proposal [KGOU]
- Oral argument heard in Osage County wind farm appeal [Tulsa World]
- Sand Springs holds public meeting on planned data center [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“If people are going to the doctor and they don’t have insurance, these costs are then just shifted. They’re shifted to hospitals, ultimately to the community and the taxpayer.”
Number of the Day
-43,488
- View the 2025 ACA Marketplace enrollment numbers here
Policy Note
Understanding the Extraordinary Increase in ACA Premiums in 2026: ACA Marketplace premiums jumped sharply in 2026 after years of relatively slow growth, driven largely by policy changes rather than failures of the ACA itself. The expiration of enhanced premium tax credits reduced enrollment and left a sicker, higher-cost risk pool, while broader federal policy shifts and regulatory uncertainty pushed insurers to price in additional risk. Reduced competition in many states — especially rural areas — further contributed to higher premiums. Despite the spike, prior years show the ACA effectively restrained premium growth when stable subsidies, strong enrollment, and competitive markets were in place. [Urban Institute]
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