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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
Proposed legislation could help modernize state’s justice system (Capitol Update): First Lady Sarah Stitt, who is serving as Senior Policy Advisor on the Women’s Justice Commission, joined other state leaders for the Commission’s conference in Tulsa last week. It is encouraging to see Mrs. Stitt, who as she put it had a tumultuous childhood because of her mother’s mental health and addiction issues, take a leading role in working for solutions for women who become entangled in the criminal legal system. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
State Government News
No shortage of controversial bills in Oklahoma as 2025 session draws near: The Oklahoma Legislature has more than 3,000 bills to consider in the upcoming session, with some, including measures targeting homelessness, expected to spark concern. [The Journal Record]
Stitt’s return-to-office order could cost the health department $400K, commissioner says: The Oklahoma State Department of Health anticipates the cost of returning its remote employees to an office setting to be about $400k, according to the state health commissioner. [The Oklahoman]
Meet the new leader of the Oklahoma Senate. He’s 100% in favor of an income tax cut: Gone is Greg Treat, 47, the chamber’s Republican leader for the much of the last decade. The Senate’s new leader, or president pro tempore, is a bluff 56-year-old insurance man, farmer and volunteer firefighter from Tuttle, Lonnie Paxton. [The Oklahoman]
Long Story Short: Oklahoma State Guard Plan Unveiled (audio): Paul Monies covered a plan by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to revive the Oklahoma State Guard. Jennifer Palmer talks about her top education bills to watch this session. Paul Monies has another story from his investigation into Berry-Rock Homes, the company that a state investment plan put $8 million into back in 2022. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
U.S. Senate Republicans, including Lankford and Mullin, have little to say about Trump pardons of 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants: Barring a few exceptions, Senate Republicans on Tuesday largely deflected or altogether avoided questions about President Donald Trump’s broad clemency for over 1,500 defendants who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — including many who beat police officers, smashed windows and trashed offices as lawmakers hid in designated safe areas. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Trump Jan. 6 pardons, dismissal order impacts 13 Oklahomans [The Oklahoman]
OSDH asked to prepare for potential return of lost federal family planning money under Trump: Sen. Rosino (R-Oklahoma City) said the Trump administration “probably would be helpful” in Oklahoma’s fight to win back Title X funding it lost in 2023 when it refused to meet one of the grant’s requirements to provide counseling to pregnant people on all options, including abortion if a patient requests it. [KGOU]
Groups representing Oklahoma nursing homes say staffing mandate faces uncertain future under Trump: As President Donald Trump comes into office, a federal staffing mandate for nursing homes faces an uncertain fate, with some speculating he might stall or completely shelve its provisions. Groups representing Oklahoma’s nursing homes provided updates on where it stands and what they think could come this year. [KGOU]
What executive orders did Trump sign? Which will affect Oklahoma? What to know: Here’s what you need to know about how many executive orders Trump signed on Inauguration Day, as well as how they could impact Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
Trump energy agenda stirs optimism from Oklahoma oil and gas industry leader: It remains to be seen how the new Trump administration’s energy agenda will affect Oklahoma consumers, companies and state revenues, but Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma President Brook Simmons thinks the energy industry — and by extension the nation as a whole — has transitioned from four years of stiff headwinds to a new era of tailwinds. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Agency rules United Keetoowah Band has ownership interest in Cherokee reservation: The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians do have “exclusive Tribal jurisdiction over its trust lands,” according to an opinion written by the U.S. Department of Interior’s solicitor general and issued last week, again igniting a long-simmering dispute between the tribe and the Cherokee Nation. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma lawmakers look to strengthen Tribal Nation relations with new liaison: Rep. Scott Fetgatter will step into a new role for the Oklahoma House of Representatives this legislative session, establishing the state’s first Tribal External Affairs Leader. He will also serve as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations. [KOSU]
Choctaw Nation Chief reflects on 50th anniversary of Indian Self-Determination Act: The Indian Self-Determination Education and Assistance Act, a massive step toward tribes’ freedom, became law in January 1975. Since then, tribes nationwide, including the Choctaw Nation, have made enormous strides in running their judicial systems. [CBS News]
Voting and Election News
Voting and Election Bills to Follow in 2025: Bills ending no-excuse absentee voting and making it more difficult for state questions to reach the ballot are among the dozens of election and voting proposals eligible to be considered in 2025. [Oklahoma Watch]
Education News
Change to Oklahoma high school athletic transfer rules has been detrimental, some say: The rule change grants a one-time exception to the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s residency requirement. The rule no longer requires that a student live within district boundaries. It allows students to continue to live in their hometown while attending districts outside the traditional boundary lines. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma education department unveils new website to boost transparency and engagement: State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a new website for the Oklahoma State Department of Education on Tuesday. OSDE’s new website will serve as a direct source of information for Oklahoma residents. [Fox 25]
How cold does it have to be to cancel school? Oklahoma school officials weigh in: There isn’t always a specific temperature or weather benchmark that school systems use to decide when to close the doors. Instead, combining factors often leads to the decision, which may come just two hours before the first bell rings. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: We asked readers to grade Ryan Walters’ job performance in 2024. Here’s what you said: More than 4,000 readers took part in the online poll conducted Jan. 6-10. Today’s Grading Oklahoma includes results from that poll and chronicles some of the legal battles that have entangled Walters and his administration of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma Health Care Authority asks for $102.6 million budget increase: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which administers Medicaid in Oklahoma, has asked for a $102.6 million increase in its budget to cover the impact of lower federal reimbursements, Medicaid expansion, anticipated decreases in funding from the tobacco tax and an increase in funding for nursing homes. [Tulsa World]
Here are 8 mental health bills to watch during Oklahoma’s legislative session: Oklahoma lawmakers will consider several bills during the 2025 legislative session that could change state mental health and addiction policies. The bills cover a diverse range of topics, including behavioral health training, school policies and education requirements and the intersection of technology and mental health. [KOSU]
Oklahoma lawmakers consider medical marijuana purchase limit, who can own facilities: Oklahoma lawmakers are looking at an array of medical marijuana bills this upcoming session impacting those in the industry and consumers. [KOSU]
Health Department rolls out ‘harm reduction’ kits to help curb overdoses, spread hope: The Tulsa Health Department has rolled out a new program to distribute ‘harm reduction’ kits in the hopes of curbing drug overdose deaths in the county. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Tulsa aims to lead state in dispatching solo mental health workers to service calls: Community Outreach Psychiatric Emergency Services (COPES) is working to develop a call system that would allow mental health specialists to be sent to calls without a police request. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma’s only woman on death row says prosecutors sex shamed her; US Supreme Court orders review: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of convicted murderer Brenda Andrew, the only woman on Oklahoma’s death row, ordering a lower court to review whether she got a fair trial for murdering her husband after prosecutors used salacious details of her sexual history to convict her. [The Oklahoman]
U.S. Marshals capture fugitive wanted for trafficking in Oklahoma: An Oklahoma fugitive is in custody only a week after being added to Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s 10 Most Wanted list. Sau Tau “James” Liu was wanted on a Lincoln County warrant stemming from a November 2023 Multi-County Grand Jury indictment for trafficking more than 25 pounds of marijuana. [The Journal Record]
Criminal Justice Bills to Watch in This Year’s Legislature: Oklahoma lawmakers filed dozens of criminal justice bills ahead of the Jan. 16 deadline, including ambitious proposals to establish a full-time Pardon and Parole Board and institute a death penalty moratorium. [Oklahoma Watch]
It’s legal in Oklahoma for pregnant women to use medical marijuana. A bill aims to change that: A growing number of women have faced criminal charges in Oklahoma after using drugs during their pregnancies in recent years. But an appeals court ruled expectant mothers who used medical marijuana can’t be prosecuted. [The Frontier]
Oklahoma Department of Corrections asks for bigger budget: How will the money be spent?: The Oklahoma Department of Corrections asked for $553 million for its 2026 fiscal year budget. The request includes more than $1 million for body-worn cameras for correctional officers, agency officials told state lawmakers on Tuesday. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Housing Insecurity Forcing Oklahoma Seniors To Move: Oklahoma has many privately owned housing options for seniors, along with public housing and project-based housing complexes. But the over-60 demographic is growing faster than houses are being built in the state. [Oklahoma Watch]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma legislators need to do more to expand access to housing
Economy & Business News
Why Oklahoma is a top spot for startups: A new WalletHub study compared the 50 states across 25 key indicators of startup success to determine the most fertile grounds to launch and grow an enterprise. Oklahoma ranks sixth overall and first for the average annual insurance premium per enrolled employee ($6,713). It also made the Top 10 in several key indicators. [The Journal Record]
After two years of operating in Oklahoma, EV manufacturer Canoo files for bankruptcy: Electric vehicle manufacturer Canoo announced it was filing for bankruptcy Friday. The Oklahoma government was not just a customer but also a de facto investor in Canoo, offering more than $100 million in incentives to bring facilities to the state. [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- What you need to know about the Edmond mayoral debate [News 9]
- Choctaw animal rescue owner risks life to save several dogs from large fire [KOCO]
- Citizens board recommending sales tax to help pay for new OK County jail [The Oklahoman]
- Northeast OKC Montessori school makes 3rd attempt to open [Oklahoma Voice]
- 17 unique and sometimes quirky things in Tulsa that are gone forever [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“We are hearing that there are high numbers of seniors reaching out for legal assistance to help them deal with evictions. I think people have just been suffering along, you know, paying for rent and food, really doing what they can.”
– Stacy Hanson, executive director of the Oklahoma Alliance on Aging, on the worsening housing landscape for Oklahoma seniors. Her organization has seen growing calls for food and housing assistance as Oklahoma’s senior population struggles with rising rents and stagnating Social Security payments. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
8th
Oklahoma had the nation’s eighth highest increase of the number of childhood vaccine exemptions during the 2023-24 school year, rising by one percentage point to 5.7% when compared to the previous year. Oklahoma had the nation’s 9th highest rate for childhood vaccination exemptions. [Centers for Disease Control]
Policy Note
Childhood Vaccination Rates, a Rare Health Bright Spot in Struggling States, Are Slipping: During the 2023-24 school year, the percentage of kindergartners exempted from one or more vaccinations rose to 3.3%, the highest ever reported, with increases in 40 states and Washington, D.C., according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Tennessee and Mississippi were among those with increases. Nearly all exemptions nationally were for nonmedical reasons. [KFF]
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