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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
H.R. 1’s hidden costs: What the federal megabill really means for Oklahoma: H.R. 1, also called the One Big Beautiful Bill, is a federal reconciliation law passed in 2025 that delivers large tax cuts to corporations and high-income households while reducing long-term federal revenues. Research and analysis from OK Policy and our partners examine what these changes mean for Oklahoma’s future and highlight the need for policies that strengthen, rather than strain, the foundation our communities depend on. [OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Winter storm exits Oklahoma, dangerous cold temperatures remain: The multi-day winter storm has moved east through Oklahoma, with another round of snow blanketing the state, making travel treacherous. [KOSU]
- Winter Storm Fern brings record snowfall and lingering cold to Oklahoma [The Oklahoman]
- New city of Tulsa shelter gets first test with winter storm [Tulsa World]
- Hundreds seek help at Homeless Alliance during cold snap [KFOR]
- Frigid weather stresses US electric grid [Reuters]
State Government News
Gov. Kevin Stitt on his last year, his legacy and disagreeing with Trump: Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has big plans for his final year as Oklahoma’s top elected official. Stitt confirmed in an interview with The Oklahoman that this would be his last year in public office, as he plans to return to the private sector in 2027. Throughout his seven years as governor, Stitt has championed lowering taxes and making the state “open for business.” [The Oklahoman]
Property taxes likely to be hot topic at Capitol: Property taxes should be addressed “in some form” this year at the Capitol, but there may not be a great appetite among lawmakers for major reform, a leader in the Senate said. And radical change probably shouldn’t be on lawmakers’ plates, according to the leader of the State Chamber of Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma lawmakers file slate of anti-immigration bills ahead of legislative session: Oklahoma lawmakers have filed dozens of bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration in the state ahead of the 2026 legislative session. Here is a breakdown of what to expect – mostly from the Republican supermajority. [KOSU]
Oklahoma bills would ban Sharia law, declare CAIR as terror organization: Muslim leaders in Oklahoma say some state lawmakers are trading fear for votes after introducing bills that would prohibit state courts from adopting Islamic law and declare the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group as a terror organization. [The Oklahoman]
Medicaid, maternal care and medical freedom: Here are some Oklahoma health bills to watch this year: This legislative session, Oklahoma lawmakers will consider hundreds of health bills on various topics, including Medicaid, maternal health and medical freedom. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Data centers, utility bills and water among subjects of Oklahoma lawmakers this year: Ahead of the 2026 legislative session, elected officials filed dozens of environmental bills that range from reckoning with data centers to banning dams on a southeastern Oklahoma river. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Oklahoma lawmaker proposes bill to prohibit AI from reaching personhood status: A House lawmaker filed legislation to prevent artificial intelligence from having the same rights as humans in Oklahoma. Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, proposed multiple bills aiming to regulate AI, including House Bill 3546 which would prohibit the technology from having personhood status. [Oklahoma Voice]
Bill seeks to reduce guardrails on Oklahoma alligator ownership, breeding: Alligators could be raised as pets and for food under an Oklahoma bill pending before lawmakers. Senate Bill 2087 would allow the raising of alligators hatched from eggs in captivity without a permit. [Oklahoma Voice]
5 things to know about DUI, marijuana as legislator proposes patient protection: Since legal marijuana patients began buying Oklahoma cannabis in late 2018, law enforcement officials have issued guidance for those getting behind the wheel. It has been recommended that patients wait three hours before driving because the more recent the THC consumption, the greater the likelihood of impairment. [Tulsa World]
Capitol Insider: Agencies submit budget requests as legislative session nears: Budget hearings are continuing at the State Capitol. What are agencies requesting as we near the start of the legislative session? [KGOU]
- Political notebook: Legislature continues budget hearings as session approaches [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Chronicle: Democrats outline education priorities; Immigration policies impact Oklahoma: On the latest edition of Oklahoma Chronicle with Evan Onstot, Hicks outlines these legislative priorities. The episode also breaks down how President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are impacting Oklahoma. [KOCO]
Opinion: It’s time for Oklahoma lawmakers to trust our health care providers, embrace modern science: If I was in need of an emergency transfusion, the last thing I would be thinking about is whether the person who donated their life-saving blood had received the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, I’d just be thankful that someone had stepped up to donate healthy blood. But I guess that’s one big difference between me and Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey, who for whatever reason fears receiving blood from donors who got their COVID shot will do him grievous bodily harm. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion, Sen. Julia Kirt and Rep. Ellyn Hefner: Big questions loom for Oklahoma workers with disabilities: Jan. 29 will mark the first meeting for Oklahoma’s newly created task force to look at pay waivers for people with disabilities. Task force members will step into a debate that has been quietly building for years, sitting at the intersection of disability rights, workforce policy and wages. In the 1930s, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act was created to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Under the law, employers can apply to the U.S. Department of Labor for a certification allowing them to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage if their productivity is determined to be lower than that of workers without disabilities. [Sen. Julia Kirt and Rep. Ellyn Hefner / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Republican Governor Kevin Stitt: Trump is getting ‘bad advice’ on immigration crackdown (video): Oklahoma Republican Governor Kevin Stitt tells Dana Bash, “Americans don’t like what they’re seeing” after a second person was shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota. “What’s the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-U.S. citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want.” [CNN] | [Transcript]
- Stitt, other governors call for ‘reset’ of immigration policy after second Minnesota death [The Oklahoman]
- ‘What is the endgame?’: Gov. Stitt raises concerns over federal tactics in Minneapolis [KOCO]
- Republican governor expresses concern over Minneapolis shooting: ‘Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now’ [The Hill]
- Some Conservatives Veer Off Party Line After DHS Agents Kill Another US Citizen [Mother Jones]
Federal agents shoot and kill man in Minneapolis, rousing more demonstrations: Federal agents fatally shot a man in Minneapolis on Saturday amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, escalating tensions after another killing earlier in the month. It was the third shooting by immigration officers in the city in three weeks – and the second to end in death. [Oklahoma Voice]
- ‘Don’t look away.’ OKC clergy visit Minneapolis, act as witnesses [The Oklahoman]
- Downtown Tulsa protest in support of Minnesota [Tulsa World]
- Opinion: My church helps resettle refugees. They’re terrified of ICE [Paul Calvin / The Oklahoman]
ICE is using Medicaid data to find out where immigrants live: In a win for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, a recent court ruling has cleared the way for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume using states’ Medicaid data to find people who are in the country illegally. The case is ongoing. But for now, immigrants — including those who are in the country legally — will have to weigh the benefits of gaining health coverage against the risk that enrolling in Medicaid could make them or their family members easier for ICE to find. [Oklahoma Voice]
Philadelphia Sues After National Park Service Removes Memorial Honoring The Enslaved, Local Advocacy Group Plans ‘Powerful Action’ In Response: City officials and advocates say the dismantling of the “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” exhibit reflects a broader effort to rewrite and ‘whitewash’ U.S. history. [The Black Wall Street Times]
D.C. Digest: Cole receives kudos for appropriations bills: Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole took bows last week after the House passed all 12 appropriations bills, albeit a little late and in package form. Still, it was considered a fine achievement for Cole, the appropriations chairman. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: I’m a former federal DA. Recent ICE actions are unprecedented: It doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on. The recent actions in Minneapolis are unprecedented in our nation’s history. Name the last time there were two fatal shootings of civilians by federal agents in the same city in the course of two-ish weeks. And this isn’t even considering the two people who were non-fatally shot in Oregon in the intervening time. This is not the sort of transparency and accountability we deserve from our government. America cannot be a place where we break the law to uphold the law. [Nick Coffey / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Quick defense of ICE shootings in Minneapolis is premature: In my stint as a federal prosecutor, I saw agent-involved shootings taken very seriously, with a default position of “investigate first, comment later.” Unfortunately, the administration’s immediate spin insists we ignore what we can plainly see and has robbed the federal government of its all-important credibility regarding forthcoming investigative findings, if any are issued on either killing. We have already seen the resignation of several career prosecutors from the Justice Department over the way the first fatal shooting was handled. [Dan Webber / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Federal judge declines to dismiss cases against Northeast Oklahoma prosecutors challenging tribal jurisdiction: A federal judge is refusing to dismiss two cases that impact who can prosecute Native Americans accused of crimes in Indian Country in Oklahoma. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Top-Two Primary Supporters to Submit Signatures: Proponents of a top-two ballot initiative will have their outreach efforts tested in the coming weeks. The Vote Yes 836 campaign is set to deliver boxes of signatures to the Secretary of State’s office by 5 p.m. today, Monday, Jan. 26. They need 172,993 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot as a constitutional amendment, the highest threshold among voter-led initiatives. [Oklahoma Watch]
Education News
Oklahoma Governor highlights top 10 ranking in education freedom, state still lags overall: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt took to social media Thursday to highlight where Oklahoma ranks among the 50 states in education freedom. However, despite this high ranking in education freedom, the Sooner State still ranks 50th for quality of education, according to a WalletHub study. [KSWO]
New state superintendent, area lawmakers convene in Tulsa: Proposed legislation to mandate more instructional days, holding back any third-grader not reading on grade level and performance bonuses for only select teachers were top-of-mind for local students and educators who met with state policymakers on Friday morning in Tulsa. [Tulsa World]
Average pay for public school support staff slightly up since 2024: Average base pay for support staff at Oklahoma public schools increased by 2.2% from the end of 2023-24 to the end of 2024-25, according to a Tulsa World analysis of bulk state payroll data. [Tulsa World]
Briefs sealed in two-year-old Tulsa Public Schools lawsuit: A Tulsa County District Court judge issued multiple orders Wednesday in a two-year-old lawsuit challenging the process used by Tulsa Public Schools to hire Ebony Johnson as its superintendent. [Tulsa World]
Health News
As US Is Poised To Lose Measles-Free Status, RFK Jr.’s New CDC Deputy Downplays Its Significance: After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unbothered by the prospect at a briefing for journalists. [Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma County DA Behenna seeks first death penalty case: For the first time during her time as Oklahoma County District Attorney, Vicki Behenna is pursuing the death penalty in a case concerning the murder of an 18-year-old in 2024. [KGOU]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma’s Housing Stability Program lauded, but ‘tweaks’ eyed to build on success: While state lawmakers made a momentous $215 million investment in 2023 to incentivize housing development and homeownership, the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency and legislative leaders hope slight program changes can speed up processes, spur participation by additional developers and push $40 million of unclaimed down payment assistance into the market. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma City’s Point in Time count falls hours before severe winter storm: Oklahoma City’s annual Point in Time count is happening just hours before the metro is hit with snow, ice, and dangerously low temperatures. Jamie Caves, the Strategy Implementation Manager for Key to Home Services, says the timing of this year’s count is not only helping the city and its partners get an accurate count of unhoused Oklahomans, but it’s also helping get people to shelters. [KFOR]
- Yearly count of Tulsa area’s homeless conducted ahead of looming winter storm [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma breaks ground on Agile Space rocket engine test center: State officials and space industry leaders met in Tulsa on Friday to break ground on Agile Space Industries’ Space Test Center, a state-of-the-art rocket engine testing facility. [The Journal Record]
Buc-ee’s? IKEA? Competition with OKC turns Edmond to recruiting retail: A Buc-ee’s along north Interstate 35 would be a strange foothold for Edmond’s planned strategic advance against Oklahoma City in the contest for retail development and sales tax revenue, since the main battle lines are to the south and west at the city limits. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion, Tulsa Regional Chamber Chair: ‘It is time to be bold again as we enter 2026’: As a reminder, a year ago when I began as Tulsa Regional Chamber chair, we laid out our “Driving Forward” agenda, which concentrated on economic development, regional tourism and community development. I am very proud to share with you the progress we made together on these three very important areas and how Tulsans have responded in an astounding way. [Bill Knight / Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Here’s how Tulsa covered $41.25 million in recent lawsuit settlements [Tulsa World]
- Edmond City Council to review Kelly Corner mixed-use project amid oil lease dispute [The Journal Record]
- Data center doesn’t compute for Coweta planning commission [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“But now Americans are asking themselves what is the endgame? What is the solution? We believe in federalism and states’ rights and no one likes feds coming into their states. So what’s the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-US citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want. We have to stop politicizing this.”
-Gov. Kevin Stitt, speaking on a national news program Sunday about the escalation of federal actions in Minneapolis, under the guise of immigration enforcement, that has led to ICE officers killing two American citizens during growing anti-ICE demonstrations there. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
16.9%
More than 1 in 6 Oklahoma households, or 16.9%, experienced low or very low food security between 2022 and 2024. Oklahoma was one of six states (along with Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) with food insecurity rates identified as statistically significantly higher than the national rate of 13.3%. [US Department of Agriculture]
Policy Note
Food Insecurity Remained High in 2024, Administration Ends Data Collection Before SNAP Cuts Push It Higher: After several months of delay, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the last of its annual reports on food security on December 30, showing that 47.9 million people in 18.3 million households reported having difficulty acquiring food due to lack of resources at some point in 2024. Although the economy was generally strong in 2024, food insecurity could rise in the coming years. Millions of people are being cut off from the food assistance they need to afford groceries as a result of the historic cuts to SNAP included in the harmful Republican megabill enacted in July 2025, and food prices are continuing to rise, partly due to tariffs. But USDA is ending the annual survey on food security after 30 years, beginning with the cancellation of data collection for 2025. The absence of this data will make it harder for policymakers, researchers, and the public to measure the harm inflicted by the largest-ever cuts to food assistance and the rising cost of food. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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