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New from OK Policy
OK Policy comments on revenue numbers estimated during February’s Board of Equalization meeting: The Board of Equalization on Friday certified an $8.273 billion estimate in General Revenue collections for the Legislature to appropriate in Fiscal Year 2026. This is a decrease of $311 million, or about 3.6 percent, from last year’s February estimate, which sets the maximum amount the Legislature can appropriate for the upcoming fiscal year. [Aanahita Ervin / OK Policy]
State Government News
Tax cut talk continues as Board of Equalization certifies slightly higher FY 2026 projections: Money can’t buy you love, but can it buy the state of Oklahoma an income tax cut? State leaders are poised to mull that question for the next two months after the state Board of Equalization certified a Fiscal Year 2026 appropriation authority today that is roughly $72 million higher than December’s prior estimate but still significantly below last year’s figure, which allowed the Oklahoma Legislature to eliminate the state portion of the sales tax on groceries and make a bevy of one-time investments with about $1 billion of carryover cash. [NonDoc]
- With slim revenue growth, Oklahoma lawmakers, AG worry about Gov. Stitt’s push for tax cuts [The Oklahoman]
- Stitt uses new Oklahoma budget figures to bolster his case for tax cut [Oklahoma Voice]
- Governor Stitt believes income tax cut is possible despite expected revenue shortfall [KFOR]
- Oklahoma Board of Equalization says legislature will have $120 million less for upcoming budget [KOSU]
- From OK Policy: How would the governor’s proposal to cut, eliminate personal income tax affect Oklahoma?
- From Center on Budget & Policy Priorities: States that have prioritized tax cuts over public investment are now facing serious budget constraints, making it harder to fund new initiatives or expand baseline services, including public education, health care, transportation, and more.
As expansion of Parental Choice Tax Credit proposed, some bills seek reforms: Concerns about the Parental Choice Tax Credit program have prompted some lawmakers to propose reforms as other legislation has been filed to expand the program by removing the state’s spending limit. [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa World: State looking to claw back millions in private school tax credit paid to families who didn’t qualify [KFOR]
- ‘Leveraging lessons’: OTC clawing back about $5 million in school choice tax credits [Fox 25]
- From ProPublica: School Vouchers Were Supposed to Save Taxpayer Money. Instead They Blew a Massive Hole in Arizona’s Budget.
- From OK Policy: Private school tax credits will give everyone’s taxes to people who don’t need our help
Generating controversy: GRDA seeks $1.6 billion bond capacity hike: In an effort to build two new natural gas units, refurbish a third facility and ultimately add hundreds of megawatts of electricity generation into its portfolio, the Grand River Dam Authority is asking the Oklahoma Legislature to approve a $1.6 billion increase to its bonding capacity. [NonDoc]
Lawmakers press appeals of Corporation Commission votes on rate increases: A state lawmaker has called again for a recent utility rate increase approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to be overturned. [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma lawmaker challenges PSO rate hike, citing allegations against Corporation Commissioner [KOSU]
As Oklahoma faces less water and more demand, lawmakers revive talk of stricter monitoring: State lawmakers are trying for a second year to require commercial users to more accurately track water usage. Farmers have opposed previous efforts to create stricter water monitoring. [The Frontier]
Stitt taps new Oklahoma DOGE leader, data shows flat state employment during his administration: Gov. Kevin Stitt tapped businessman and economist Marc Nuttle to be the senior adviser of the Oklahoma Department of Government Efficiency. A review of state employment numbers shows the overall figure of employees has been relatively flat during his time in office. [KOSU]
- Stitt hires ‘unpaid, special volunteer’ to lead Oklahoma’s new government efficiency division [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt picks Norman lawyer, business leader to lead DOGE-OK. ‘Time is of the essence’ [The Oklahoman]
Gov. Stitt to finalize immigration deal for state troopers to assist ICE arrests: On Saturday, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a soon-to-be-finalized immigration agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This agreement would allow state troopers to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE0 to arrest illegal aliens in Oklahoma. [Fox 25]
Stitt celebrates mental health agency resignations over ‘pronoun ban’: In an interview with Newsmax, Gov. Kevin Stitt said the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has banned its employees from using pronouns in their email signatures, a measure he said made five employees “leave in protest.” [KGOU]
Lawmakers expected to endorse settlement between state, mental health clients: After more than a year of wrangling, a legislative resolution that lays out a settlement between the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and a group of plaintiffs who sued the state, will go to both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature, where it’s expected to be approved. [The Oklahoman]
Bills would eliminate Oklahoma’s law mandating prices be marked up at least 6%: A state law that requires retailers to mark up prices on products by at least 6% could be erased from the books under legislation being considered at the Capitol. [Tulsa World]
Could the OKC Thunder get involved in sports betting in Oklahoma? One lawmaker hopes so: Lawmakers are taking another run at legalizing sports betting in Oklahoma after three bills passed Senate committee votes Thursday. [The Oklahoman]
Efforts to write new marijuana laws have relaxed in 2025, but include some restrictions: The era of industry-rattling marijuana laws seems to be at a lull this year with only a handful of high-impact bills proposed in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma bill could prohibit minors under 16 from owning social media accounts: Kids in Oklahoma under 16 years old may soon be barred from becoming social media account holders after a bill seeking to limit access for minors passed committee recently. [The Oklahoman]
Before the breakup: See the timeline of Gov. Stitt and Ryan Walters political relationship: Ryan Walters owes much of his early political success to Gov. Kevin Stitt, and the pair seemed to have been walking in lock-step on education issues since the governor tapped him to serve in his cabinet six years ago. That’s why their very public breakup this month has shocked many Oklahomans, especially political observers trying to nail down exactly when Stitt’s mood soured on the state superintendent. [The Oklahoman]
- Power struggle: How the Stitt-Walters feud started, and how it can impact OK politics [The Oklahoman]
- ‘Do the job you’re elected to do’: Gov. Stitt addresses Ryan Walters in press conference (video) [The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: Stitt vs. Walters: A GOP bromance hits the skids. Maybe Oklahoma school children will win in the end [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion, Your Vote Counts: Oklahoma leaders debate federal funding pause, education drama, and sports betting: Political analyst Scott Mitchell spoke with former lawmakers Jon Echols and Jason Dunnington about the funding pause and its implications for Oklahoma. [News 9]
Federal Government News
HUD Funding Delays Fuel Oklahoma Housing Concerns: Oklahoma’s largest housing authority was among 400 public housing agencies whose 2024 Section 8 Housing Choice voucher programs were underfunded by a total of $400 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Congressional Republicans worry about Trump’s cuts at home, but barely speak up: President Trump is busy shrinking government with massive cuts that also impact Republican states. The GOP is starting to notice – but will they speak up? [Chris Brennan / USA Today via The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
RFK Jr. rescinds Indian Health Service layoffs: Newly installed Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. verbally rescinded the layoffs of 950 Indian Health Service employees Friday evening, just hours after the workers were told by phone that they were losing their jobs, sources familiar with the notification told ICT. [ICT News]
Voting and Election News
4 candidates, 4 generations, 1 Oklahoma House Seat: The Democratic primary to see who will fill Amanda Swope’s vacant 71st Oklahoma House seat is crowded. Swope left the House to become Tulsa’s first director of tribal policy and partnerships. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Education News
NIH funding change proposal puts hundreds of OU, OSU, TU employees at risk: On Feb. 7, the NIH shocked research universities — including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Tulsa — with a new policy requiring all current and future grants to reduce their indirect costs to 15 percent. The announcement has left 2,500 universities scrambling to reevaluate the fiscal costs of their research. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma universities stand to lose millions if NIH funding cuts go through [Oklahoma Voice]
‘Sending me home was not working’: How this Oklahoma school district is reshaping suspension: Instead of being sent home, Moore’s new Suspension Transition and Education Program, or STEP, brings suspended students together in a structured environment with strict rules, academic support and therapy. [KOSU]
Local nonprofit creates one-stop shop for Oklahoma City schools statistics, deadlines: The priority application deadline for Oklahoma City public charter and applications schools is approaching soon, and one local nonprofit organization created a one-stop shop for families to research their options. [The Oklahoman]
Anti-abortion ‘Baby Olivia’ video could become required viewing for some schoolkids: Grade school students in several Republican-led states may soon be required to watch a fetal development video produced by a prominent anti-abortion group as part of their curricula. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tecumseh Schools reevaluates its ‘Savages’ mascot following outcry: On Monday night, a crowd spoke in opposition to the Tecumseh Schools’ mascot, with many calling the term offensive. [KGOU]
Business of faith: OCU offers new nonprofit leadership for faith organizations program: Oklahoma City University’s religion school and nonprofit leadership program have partnered to offer a new certificate program aimed at helping people learn more about leading a nonprofit organization like a house of worship or a faith-based nonprofit in today’s world. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma kids traumatized with fear of going home and having nobody there: There is an abundance of research documenting the ways that chronic exposure to stress and trauma affect a child’s ability to learn and function. Homelessness, neglect, abuse, food insecurity and generational poverty are just a few of the traumas that our children unfortunately face all too often in Oklahoma. [Mary Melon-Tully / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Tulsa city commission recommends $24.9 million in housing-related Tulsa Race Massacre reparations: A commission established to identify ways the city can make tangible amends for the harm caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is asking that nearly $25 million be provided to fund a Housing Reparations Program. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Habitat for Humanity’s Cornerstone Creek welcomes more families and new homeowners: Since it broke ground last April, Habitat has finished building 10 residences and started construction on 37 homes out of the 91 planned during Cornerstone Creek’s first phase. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma’s economic growth tied to education a concern despite projected job growth: A recent economic outlook from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber shows projected job growth in Oklahoma City and the state as a whole. At the same time, recent comments from state legislators and even the governor have pointed to Oklahoma’s education as an issue for attracting businesses. [KFOR]
Community News
The Black women of Black Wall Street: Forgotten architects of Black history: The Black women of Black Wall Street are a testament to the strength of community, the power of resilience, and the unmatched spirit of Black womanhood. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: Dr. Janel Pasley on Tulsa’s Future: Journey up with synergy, freedom, joy and reverence: Inspired by author and Black liturgist Cole Arthur Riley’s words, I would say that my hope for the future of Black Tulsans is best described as a “journey up.” If I were to describe that journey, and my work to support it, it would comprise four things: synergy, freedom, joy and reverence. [Dr. Janel Pasley / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Philip Abode on Tulsa’s Future: Our community restored through the power of the gospel: I love north Tulsa. My wife, Rondalyn, and I have lived and worked in north Tulsa since we moved here in 2005. We did not move by accident but because we sensed God calling us to help start a church that would make a tangible difference in our community. [Philip Abode / Tulsa World]
Opinion: LaBrisa Williams-Hurling on Tulsa’s Future: Be free from cycles of violence and trauma: Returning home to north Tulsa isn’t just about coming back to where I grew up. It’s about making sure that the future we build here is one where every child and every family has the support and resources to thrive, free from the cycles of violence and trauma that have too often shaped our histories. [LaBrisa Williams-Hurling / Tulsa World]
Opinion: America’s divides on a failing path, but we have power to change: I’m young enough that I don’t really remember a time without America divided. I’ve lived in the national debt my whole life. I’ve grown up in a time when the dollar has fallen in value and purchasing power. A time where China’s gross domestic product, economy, health care, education and military are rapidly overtaking those of the U.S. [Cassius Clark / Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- A new Midtown OKC HQ for Palomar faces budget issues. Here’s how MAPS 4 will tackle it. [The Oklahoman]
- An ambitious MAPS 4 plan to improve OKC parks was approved. Which parks get what? [The Oklahoman]
- Longtime public health official leading new north Tulsa-based nonprofit [Tulsa World]
- OKC was spreading its city limits, but this 1960 ‘island’ was not on the outskirts of town [The Oklahoman]
- Tulsa’s BTW High School students stage second immigration walkout in two weeks [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“We as the taxpayers can’t know all the schools that it goes to. We don’t know which families are getting it. We’re only getting aggregated numbers. And so it has none of the accountability that goes along with public schools.”
-Sen. Julia Kirt of Oklahoma City, speaking about the lack of guardrails and accountability for Oklahoma’s private school tax credit/voucher program. The Oklahoma Tax Commission is now working to clawback $5 million for 1,800 taxpayers who participated in the program but did not have students enrolled in private schools for the entire period covered by the tax credit. [Fox 25]
Number of the Day
87,207
Estimated number of federal civilian employees in Oklahoma during 2023. The state’s highest share of federal employment was about 7.7% of all people employed in Congressional District 4, which covers south-central Oklahoma, including Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton/Ft. Sill, and Ardmore. [Congressional Research Service]
- Oklahoma has one of the nation’s highest rate of federal civilian employees as a share of all workers [Pew Research]
Policy Note
How DOGE cutbacks could create a major backlash: Cutting government budgets is broadly popular in theory, but if Trump and Musk overcome legal challenges and succeed in large-scale downsizing, they will find that cutting government can backfire on them. By using an axe instead of a scalpel, they run the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater and eliminating essential functions. In its haste, DOGE is likely to disrupt services the public supports, making the government less effective. History shows that major government failures are politically lethal, often more so than constitutional arguments. When both occur, they can create serious political problems for the president and the party in power. [Brookings]
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