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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: The smartest tax cut Oklahoma can make: What if I told you there was a way to put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking Oklahomans—families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities—without jeopardizing the state’s budget? Good news: There is. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Opinion: Small moment of courage can lead to big shifts: Chaos and uncertainty are swirling around our federal government. A growing number of state and federal elected officials seem more focused on gaining attention through outrage than on seeking solutions that address our shared problems, further harming communities that have been historically and purposefully marginalized. [Shiloh Kantz / Tulsa World]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma governor rejects immigration checks in schools, says Walters should be ‘held accountable’: While giving a searing indictment of Oklahoma’s education chief on Wednesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected the idea of having schools collect children’s immigration status. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Political feud between Kevin Stitt, Ryan Walters escalates over immigration rule, test scores [The Oklahoman]
- Stitt denounces new education rule to count unauthorized immigrants enrolling in Oklahoma schools [KOSU]
- Gov. Kevin Stitt says relationship with Superintendent Ryan Walters ‘not very good at all’ [Tulsa World]
- Gov. Stitt Addresses Ryan Walters, Education board shakeup, Immigration in Schools [News9]
- Fractured relationship: The growing divide between Gov. Stitt and Superintendent Walters [News on 6]
State Government News
Oklahoma Tax Commission trying to ‘recapture’ $5 million in private school tax credits: The Oklahoma Tax Commission says it is trying to recapture $5 million in funds from 1,855 Oklahoma taxpayers for students who did not attend participating private schools for the entire period for which the tax credit was approved. [Tulsa World]
- Related: Opinion: Lawmakers should not give Oklahoma’s private school subsidy program a blank check [John Thompson / Oklahoma Voice]
- From OK Policy: Vouchers: Another Wrong Turn for Oklahoma Schools
Oklahoma bill barring drag performances harmful to minors advances out of committee: Senate Bill 550, which passed a Senate committee Tuesday by a 6-2 vote, seeks to incarcerate those who perform in drag if it is harmful to minors for up to five years and issue them fines up to $20,000. Organizers of the events could face fines up to $1,000 and as long as a year in jail. [Oklahoma Voice]
No sales taxes on safety: Tulsa Dem’s gun bill pushes through Senate: A Tulsa state senator is advancing a bill she tells 2 News will make proponents of gun safety happy while also giving a discount to gun buyers in general. [2 News Oklahoma]
Is Oklahoma considering a bill that could make it harder for some couples to get divorced?: Oklahoma Senate Bill 228, introduced on February 3, 2025, would create specific requirements for entering and exiting a covenant marriage. [Oklahoma Watch]
Glenn Coffee, former Senate pro tempore, hired as advisor for state senate GOP caucus: Glenn Coffee, the state Senator who served as co-pro tempore more than a decade ago when the Oklahoma Senate had an even number of Democrats and Republicans and who later, became the Senate’s sole Republican leader, has returned to the state Capitol. [The Oklahoman]
New York isn’t alone when it comes to granting driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status: At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. They’re often called “Green Light” or “Drive Only License” laws and some have been in effect for decades. [KFOR]
Legal roundup: Airsoft guns banned for felons, cockfighting arrests made, banker pleads to fraud: On Jan. 31, a divided Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a 50-year-old precedent concerning airsoft guns, issuing a ruling in Oklahoma v. Diaz that airguns can be considered firearms. [NonDoc]
A conversation about the governor’s proposed tax cut plan and more (video): OK Policy’s Dave Hamby joins Perspectives with Sam Jones in a conversation about the governor’s tax cut proposals, targeted tax credits, and the need for bipartisanship. [RSU Public Television via YouTube]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford releases ‘Playbook for DOGE’: Oklahoma’s senior U.S. Senator James Lankford has released what he calls a “Playbook for DOGE,” the Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk. It’s the latest in a series of annual “Federal Fumbles” reports Lankford has released since 2015. [KOSU]
Sen. Lankford highlights Trump administrations approach to immigration, federal funding: After the Trump administration’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship was blocked by federal courts, leaders in Washington D.C. are working to clarify the order’s language. The News 9 team spoke with U.S. Sen. James Lankford about the order, as well as several topics being addressed by the Trump administration. [News on 6]
Tribal Nations News
Tecumseh Schools reevaluates its ‘Savages’ mascot following outcry: Research has shown the negative impacts Native-themed mascots can have on Indigenous youth, specifically their self-esteem. In 2005, the American Psychological Association requested that all Native-themed symbols, imagery and names be removed because of detrimental outcomes. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
TPS board member to run for Congress, warns against spreading Oklahoma’s education policies: John Croisant announced Wednesday he will run as a Democrat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern for the 1st Congressional District seat in the 2026 midterms. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Education News
Bill to raise pay for starting teachers clears first hurdles in Oklahoma Legislature: The starting salary for teachers in Oklahoma might soon be increased by over $10,000 after a Senate bill that seeks to raise the minimum salary unanimously passed committee. [The Oklahoman]
Rural administrators flock to East Central University’s new rural education doctoral program: More than half of Oklahoma’s schools are considered rural, serving about 30% of Oklahoma students. [KOSU]
OSU’s interim president addresses faculty in opening days on job: President Jim Hess says his initial priorities are building a new veterinary medicine teaching hospital and focusing on private fundraising for student scholarships. [KOSU]
Oklahoma City schools implements prevention system to address increasing dropout rates: During academic year 2022-23, the district saw an 8.4% dropout rate compared to about 6% in 2021-22 and 2020-21, and 3% in 2019-20, according to Jason Galloway, OKCPS senior executive director of support and accountability. [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa Public Schools requesting audit-related records: Tulsa Public Schools has formally requested records from the State Auditor and Inspector’s Office as it waits for the public release of a forensic audit on the school district that began more than two years ago. [Tulsa World]
Charges dismissed against Sperry football players; DA vows appeal: The Tulsa County district attorney said an appeal was planned after a judge on Wednesday dismissed first-degree rape by instrumentation charges filed against three Sperry High School football players. [Tulsa World]
- Rape charges against Sperry students dismissed as attorneys accuse state officials of exploitation [Public Radio Tulsa]
Opinion: Oklahoma regional universities on path to making college affordable: In January, the Regional University System of Oklahoma launched a groundbreaking initiative reinforcing our commitment to affordability, requiring each RUSO university to develop a three-year strategic plan for Affordability and Transparency. [Chris VanDenhende / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma City woman files for early release in 2020 killing under Survivors’ Act: Tyesha Long, originally sentenced to 27 years in prison, is the latest Oklahoman to file for resentencing under the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act. [KOSU]
Oklahoma House committee unanimously approves contested mental health settlement: The decree would establish a 21-day maximum wait time for the state to provide competency restoration services to a county jail detainee deemed incompetent by a court. [KOSU]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma lawmaker wants $16 minimum wage by end of 2025: A state lawmaker is fighting for a bill that would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma to $16 an hour by the end of 2025. [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
Economy & Business News
Nuclear power on Oklahoma Legislature’s agenda: Forty-three years after public resistance and rising costs killed the proposed Black Fox power plant near Inola, the Oklahoma Legislature is looking into the feasibility of reviving atomic power in the state. [Tulsa World]
Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart: See Oklahoma City-area grocery stores limiting egg purchases: Egg prices are nearing a high due to the nationwide shortage, and companies are trying to protect their inventories by setting new limits. [The Oklahoman]
Transmission line eminent domain fight leaves Supreme Court with no decision to make: The Oklahoma Supreme Court decided this week on another eminent domain case involving landowners and a major transmission line. [OK Energy Today]
Community News
Opinion: Having a Black mayor for Tulsa bigger than symbolism: Two months ago, Monroe Nichols took office as Tulsa’s first Black mayor, a moment that felt like a defining shift in our city’s story. His leadership is more than historic; it tells young Black boys in Tulsa that they belong, that they matter, and that they can lead. [BerThaddaeus Bailey / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Promote cultural intelligence and financial literacy: Inspired by the legacy of my predecessors, I acknowledge that the constant stream of disheartening news can be overwhelming. Therefore, I am committed to focusing on what I can control while preparing for the unexpected. The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. [Paul E. Johnson / Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Collecting 6-, 7-, 8-year-old kids’ addresses and immigration status in the state of Oklahoma, that’s not a public safety issue.”
-Governor Kevin Stitt said regarding State Supt. Ryan Walters’ recent proposal to require citizenship checks for public school enrollment. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
29.5%
The number of individuals in Oklahoma experiencing homelessness in 2024 increased 29.5% when compared to 2007. [U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development via OK Policy]
Policy Note
Study: Rural Homelessness Is Underestimated and Exacerbated by Opioid Epidemic: Rural people without housing may live in different situations — with relatives, or in tents, or in cars, Ballard said — instead of living in shelters or on the street. That makes finding and identifying them difficult at best. And there is a greater prevalence of homelessness because of the nature of rural community economics. [The Daily Yonder]
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