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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 new hurdles to state question process could be legislative overreach (Capitol Update): Several bills have been proposed in recent years to limit the people’s power to legislate, which would amplify the legislature’s powers. Senate Bill 1027 by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, makes big changes in the initiative petition process. It cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last week and is a bill that’s worth keeping an eye on. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma Supreme Court pauses Ryan Walters’ attempt to buy Bibles, Bible-infused curriculum: The Oklahoma Supreme Court has stayed so-called “request for proposals” for Bibles and Bible curriculum for Oklahoma classrooms, but has left open the question about the constitutionality of state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ Bible-teaching mandate for state schools. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court stays classroom Bible purchases pending litigation [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court issues stay in Walters’ Bible suit [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court grants pause on Ryan Walters’ plans for classroom Bibles, Biblical curriculum [KGOU]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court halts Superintendent Walters’ effort to purchase Bibles for classrooms [KOCO]
State Government News
Bill seeking to chemically castrate child sex offenders advances to Oklahoma Senate: Registered child sex offenders in Oklahoma would have to be “chemically castrated” in order to be released on parole under a bill that easily cleared the House floor Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
House lawmakers aim to protect federal drug-pricing program: Oklahoma House lawmakers will soon consider a bill protecting a federal drug discount program on the chamber’s floor amid what they describe as a misinformation campaign by pharmaceutical companies. [The Journal Record]
AG Drummond praises halt of controversial hydroelectric plant in southeast Oklahoma: A electric power plant, originally set to be located in southeast Oklahoma near Talihina and straddling the Kiamichi River has been stalled, once again by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. [The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma dodges some federal cuts; National Weather Center saved: The National Weather Center in Norman was on the chopping block, but Congressman Tom Cole, R-OK, issued a statement Monday saying he had worked with DOGE over the weekend to stress how vital it is. [The Journal Record]
- Tom Cole promises National Weather Center to remain operational [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Opinion: DOGE cuts show a leadership vacuum. Oklahoma will suffer the consequences. [Phil Busey / The Oklahoman]
What is DOGE? Will Oklahomans get a $5,000 stimulus check? Here’s what you need to know: President Donald Trump said he’s considering a plan to pay out $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a ‘DOGE dividend’ during a speech in February. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
For Indian Country, federal cuts decimate core tribal programs: President Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce and government spending have reverberated across Indian Country, leaving tribes with deep uncertainty about their health clinics, schools, police agencies and wildfire crews. [Oklahoma Voice]
- List of Indian Country Leases Marked for Termination by DOGE [Native News Online]
Governor’s brother loses traffic appeal brought on tribal sovereignty argument: Keith Stitt, brother of Gov. Kevin Stitt, lost his appeal of a traffic ticket issued in Tulsa. Stitt unsuccessfully argued the city lacked criminal jurisdiction over him because he’s Cherokee and was driving in eastern Oklahoma. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Oklahoma tribes prepare to repatriate 19 relatives who walked on at Carlisle Indian Boarding School: 19 Seminole, Cheyenne and Arapaho children who were subjected to assimilation at Carlisle Indian Boarding School will finally return to the earth on their homelands in the fall. [KOSU]
How the Gadugi Corps supports Cherokee Nation citizens: Similar to the Peace Corps, and with hundreds of volunteers, the Gadugi Corps is supporting a stronger, more connected Cherokee Nation. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Voting and Election News
Opinion: Bad bill alert — Senate proposal would undermine direct voice for the people: the bill’s effect, if passed into law, would make the initiative process harder. Why? Because the Legislature, now dominated by conservative Republicans, wants state laws to reflect their opinions ― not necessarily those of the people. [William C. Wertz / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Participation in the process yields results: Coming off an election year, it has been hard to miss news stories lamenting low voter turnout and disenchantment with the political process. Americans – including Oklahomans – report numerous explanations deterring a visit to the ballot box, from busy schedules, to a feeling every vote doesn’t make a difference, to other obstacles. [Marnie Taylor / The Journal Record]
Education News
Tulsa school board splits on Parents Bill of Rights policy proposal: As presented Monday night, the three-page policy largely mirrors language already in state statute and current administrative rules, including affirmation that parents have the right to review learning materials used in their children’s classes and the right to opt their children out of sex education. [Tulsa World]
Montessori charter school approved for northeast Oklahoma City: After multiple denials, a public early childhood Montessori school has approval to open in northeast Oklahoma City in 2026. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma State University to shutter Innovation Foundation at center of state audit: After one month in office, Oklahoma State University Interim President Jim Hess announced a series of “organizational changes” following a state audit that found $41 million in misappropriated funds at OSU’s Innovation Foundation. [KOSU]
OU receives $6M gift for first-generation business scholarships: The University of Oklahoma is proud to announce a transformational $6 million gift from Oklahoma entrepreneurs and philanthropists Leo Mingee and Lauren Von Mingee who have generously established a scholarship for first-generation students at the Price College of Business. [The Journal Record]
Health News
Are 1 in 4 Oklahomans enrolled in Medicaid?: Yes. Data from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority shows that 1,043,474 people – 25% of Oklahoma’s population – are enrolled in Oklahoma SoonerCare, or Medicaid, as of June 2024. [Oklahoma Watch]
Is hantavirus in Oklahoma? What to know about infection that killed Gene Hackman’s wife: Oklahoma doesn’t have much of a history of hantavirus, as reported by the CDC—only one case in the last three years—but the rare disease is still something that could claim lives. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: I nearly died giving birth. A new Oklahoma bill could’ve prevented my care: HB 1224 would allow any health care provider, institution or insurance company to refuse care based on “conscience.” The bill doesn’t define what that means, nor does it list specific procedures or treatments that could be denied. [Nicole Sukenis / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Judges raised concerns about potential civil rights violations at the Cleveland County Detention Center: One judge told Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office officials that there were “serious constitutional concerns” about conditions at the jail including lack of access to attorneys, health care and clean clothing. [The Frontier]
- Cleveland County Sheriff responds to reports of poor conditions at the jail [The Frontier]
Community News
Langston Jail, Harrah Rock House added to National Register of Historic Places: The tiny, one-room jail in Langston is one of the few of its kind still in existence. The other new addition to the register is the Rock House in Harrah. [KOSU]
Loula Williams: The woman who built Dreamland Theatre: Loula Williams defied expectations to build a business empire in Greenwood, leaving behind a legacy of economic empowerment and resilience. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Local Headlines
- Duncan apartment residents troubled by mass eviction notice [KSWO]
- City Lights withdraws as operator of Tulsa residential care center for homeless [Tulsa World]
- Work on Tulsa County Courthouse begins [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa Zoo breaks ground on 7-acre African Wilds exhibit [Tulsa World]
- MAPS 4 advisers recommend preliminary plans for new Mental Health Crisis Center in NE OKC [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“Paxon and Bullard said SB 1027 is intended to improve Oklahoma’s initiative petition process by ‘giving it more transparency.’ In fact, the bill’s effect, if passed into law, would make the initiative process harder. Why? Because the Legislature, now dominated by conservative Republicans, wants state laws to reflect their opinions ― not necessarily those of the people.”
– William C. Wertz, writing in an op-ed about legislation advancing in the Oklahoma Senate that would make it much harder for Oklahomans to get initiative petitions (also known as state questions) on statewide ballots. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
$150 million
Oklahoma’s estimated annual cost if the federal government mandated that states cover 10% of costs for SNAP food benefits, the nation’s largest food assistance program. At present, SNAP food benefits are fully funded by the federal government. The Trump administration is pushing for sweeping cuts to government services for low-income Americans in order to fund its tax cuts that primarily favor the wealthy. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
Policy Note
Imposing SNAP Food Benefit Costs on States Would Worsen Hunger, Hurt States’ Ability to Meet Residents’ Needs: The Trump Administration and congressional Republicans seem poised to pursue substantial cuts to the nation’s primary food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — potentially putting millions of people in the U.S. at risk of not having enough to eat. Among the harmful proposals from Republican lawmakers so far is an emerging push to require states to pay a portion of SNAP food benefit costs for the first time to help pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest business owners and households. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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