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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
Housing is getting attention at the Capitol this year — some good, some bad: Oklahoma’s housing crisis continues to be a statewide issue as seen through rising evictions, increasing rates of homelessness, and a severe lack of affordable housing options. These growing indicators should signal that our state legislators should be seeking solutions to Oklahoma’s housing crisis. Some lawmakers are doing just that, while some are creating even more barriers between Oklahomans and safe, affordable housing. [Sabine Brown / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Fires ravage Oklahoma leading to disaster declaration in 12 counties, hundreds of homes lost: Dozens of fires raged across Oklahoma Friday afternoon, fueled by high winds and dry conditions. By Saturday morning, things were calmer but Oklahomans were left picking up the pieces across 170,000 acres of scorched earth. Gov. Kevin Stitt said one person was killed in a car crash after driving into smoke while disaster officials said an estimated 293 structures were destroyed. [KOSU]
- Oklahoma wildfires destroy more than 200 homes; one dead; Gov. Stitt declares emergency [The Oklahoman]
- At least 4 confirmed dead, 142 injured in wildfires; fire danger returns on Monday [Tulsa World]
- Dozens of wildfires spread across Oklahoma during high wind event [KGOU]
- People in the path of destruction of Stillwater wildfires survey the damage [KOSU]
- Mannford looks to pick up pieces after devastating fire [Public Radio Tulsa]
- After the wildfires: Mannford residents describe evacuations, returning to burned homes [Tulsa World]
- Some shelters stay open ahead of wildfire risks [The Oklahoman]
- Official damage assessments begin across Oklahoma after wildfires and high winds [Fox 25]
- U.S. Rep. Brecheen labels FEMA ‘Uber service for illegal immigrants’ as Trump set to sign disaster order [Public Radio Tulsa]
Opponents vow to pursue fight over controversial Oklahoma immigration law after feds drop challenge: A Tulsa group vowed Friday to continue the fight to block implementation of a controversial anti-immigration law despite the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision under the Trump administration to stop challenging its enforcement. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Trump Justice Department ends challenge to Oklahoma law on illegal immigration [Tulsa World]
Republican political consultant hopes $4M verdict has ‘chilling effect’ on nasty Oklahoma campaigns: A Tulsa County judge has ordered a former state Senate candidate to pay a Republican political consultant $4 million in damages for running advertisements that damaged his reputation. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Prominent Republican consultant wins $4.1 million defamation judgment [Tulsa World]
State Government News
Gov. Kevin Stitt boasts about DOGE OK savings, lawmakers worry about staff cuts and redundancy: Gov. Kevin Stitt says action to reduce wasteful government spending is officially underway. Total savings are just shy of $1.2 million, per the new DOGE-OK website. [KOSU]
Legislators renew attempt to improve child care access: Largely exacerbated by the pandemic, national reports show the country is experiencing a shortage of available child care spots, causing prices to soar and parents to miss work to stay home and care for their kids. The problem is particularly acute in Oklahoma, which ranks 46th in overall child wellbeing, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma AG hires ‘disciple’ of U.S. Supreme Court chief justice to argue St. Isidore case: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has hired a high-powered Washington, D.C., attorney to argue his side in a case over an explicitly religious charter school when it goes before the U.S. Supreme Court next month. [Tulsa World]
Bill would let GRDA borrow to build new natural gas-fired electric generation plants: A bill to raise the bonding capacity of the Grand River Dam Authority by $1.6 billion passed through the House this week and earned a nod of support from Gov. Kevin Stitt. However, Stitt’s positive review came with a caveat. [Tulsa World]
Political notebook: Legislature plans short week during spring break: As has been the case for some time, the House and Senate plan a short week during spring break. Lawmakers will meet Monday and Tuesday but be out Wednesday-Friday. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: What to know about Sunshine Week and why open records are so important: March 16 kicked off the annual Sunshine Week, which is dedicated to informing you about the importance of keeping government meetings and records open to the public. We as taxpayers have a right to know what our government is doing, not only this week but year-round. CIVICUS, a nonprofit advocate for democracy, has added the U.S. to a watchlist of countries with “increasing undue restrictions on civic freedoms.” [Joe Hight / The Oklahoman]
Opinion, Oklahoma AG: Transparency is the heart of democracy: At a time when public trust in government is eroding, transparency is not simply a matter of good governance. It is the heart of democracy. Sunshine Week, which begins March 16 and runs through March 22, is an appropriate time to redouble our efforts to strengthen open government and transparency. This is where all Oklahomans can play a part. [Gentner Drummond / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma State’s obfuscating governing board showcases why we observe Sunshine Week: This week, as Americans across the country are celebrating Sunshine Week, a nonpartisan event that highlights the need for open records and government, it feels a bit like OSU officials have been playing Simon and Garfunkel’s popular refrain “Hello darkness, my old friend” on repeat. Why? Because there has been a ton of obfuscation surrounding its president’s departure that started the moment a public board unilaterally decided to wait two days to announce that the university no longer had someone at its helm. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
Student loans, civil rights, IEP: How federal cuts could affect Oklahoma education: The Trump administration has made it clear it wants to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees federal contributions to schools, monitors education outcomes, administers financial aide and ensures a “free appropriate public education” for all students in the United States. [The Oklahoman]
Trump treasury secretary says ‘there are no guarantees’ about recession hitting the US: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that “there are no guarantees” when it comes to a potential recession hitting the United States. His comments come as other members of President Donald Trump’s administration, including the president himself, have similarly hesitated to make promises about what’s to come for the nation’s finances. Meanwhile, consumer confidence has plunged, and 54% of voters in a recent NBC News poll say they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. J.P. Morgan’s chief economist said last week that there’s a 40% chance of a U.S. recession in 2025. [USA Today]
‘That’s a lie’: Judges around US calling out Trump admin for underwhelming defense: Judges tasked with the initial review of the more than 100 legal challenges to those efforts are not just considering the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s actions. Some are also calling out the administration when they think government lawyers have been playing fast and loose with the facts. [USA Today]
- A hearing is set for this morning after a Brown University doctor was deported to Lebanon despite a US judge’s order [CNN via MSN]
- He voted for Trump. Now his wife sits in an ICE detention center. [USA Today]
The Trump administration is trying to fire the ‘backbone’ of wildland firefighting: Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency claimed that firefighters were exempt from its purge of at least 2,000 employees from the U.S. Forest Service along with 800 others from the Bureau of Land Management in February. But public-land management employees say this is not the whole story, because it leaves out collateral-duty firefighter positions. [High Country News via ICT News]
Trump loves the Gilded Age and its tariffs. It was a great time for the rich but not for the many: In President Donald Trump’s idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s, when top hats and shirtwaists were fashionable and typhoid fever often killed more soldiers than combat. It was the Gilded Age, a time of rapid population growth and transformation from an agricultural economy toward a sprawling industrial system, when poverty was widespread while barons of phenomenal wealth, like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, held tremendous sway over politicians who often helped boost their financial empires. [Associated Press]
Opinion: The Hidden Motive Behind Trump’s Attack on Trans People: A country that has pushed one group out of its political community will eventually push out others. The Trump administration’s barrage of attacks on trans people can seem haphazard, but as elements of a denationalization project, they fall into place. [M. Gessen / New York Times]
Tribal Nations News
Three tribal nations now have tag compacts with the state; Chickasaw Nation latest to sign: Despite a previously difficult relationship with the state, three of Oklahoma’s most economically powerful tribal nations have negotiated new agreements with the state on car tags. [The Oklahoman]
Trump Administration Rolls Back Executive Order on Tribal Sovereignty and Self-Governance: The White House on Friday revoked 18 executive actions from the Biden administration, including an order designed to strengthen tribal sovereignty and expand self-determination for the nation’s 574 federally recognized tribes. [Native News Online]
- Opinion: Trump’s Territorial Fantasies Echo America’s Colonial Past [Levi Rickert / Native News Online]
Learn Why the Choctaw Nation and Ireland Maintain Kindred Spirits: St Patrick’s Day is a day to remember the death of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. It is also a day to remember the close relationship the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has with the people of Ireland. [Native News Online]
Opinion: Cherokee Nation Principal Chief: Our Housing Challenge is a Public Health Challenge: As I visit Cherokee communities where housing needs are obvious and I listen to stories of citizens who struggle to pay rent or find a path to home ownership, I realize we need to go even further than the historic effort we have already mounted. We need to treat our housing challenges as a public health challenge. In doing so, we can tap into even more resources — and think even more deeply — about Cherokee Nation’s role in building community. [Chuck Hoskin Jr. / Native News Online]
Voting and Election News
‘We are actually friends’: TPS D3 runoff candidates agree either would be good for district: While Tulsa runoffs can get a bit fiery, Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education candidates for District 3 Kyra Carby and Dorie Simmons both say they agree that either candidate would be a great fit for the district. [NonDoc]
Education News
Confusion abounds as Department of Education announces investigation into non-existent TU school: The United States Department of Education announced Friday it was investigating a medical school under the University of Tulsa. But DOE revised its news release after an Associated Press reporter was able to reach the department, according to TU officials. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Tulsa-based OU School of Community Medicine being investigated under Trump DEI scrutiny [Tulsa World]
- US education department investigates OU-Tulsa medical school for ‘race-based scholarships’ [The Oklahoman]
- Feds investigating OU-Tulsa Medical school for alleged “impermissible” race-based scholarships [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Over 50 universities are under investigation as part of Trump’s anti-DEI crackdown [KOSU]
Due to lack of federal funds, TPS scaling back summer programming and eligibility: With federal COVID-19 relief dollars no longer available, Tulsa Public Schools is scaling back its summer programming. In an email sent to parents Thursday, TPS Deputy Superintendent Kathy Dodd wrote that the district’s summer programming will only be offered to select students in grades 3-8 rather than be open to all interested students as was the case in recent years. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Proposes Teaching 2020 Election ‘Discrepancies’ in U.S. History: High school students in Oklahoma would be asked to identify “discrepancies” in the 2020 election as part of U.S. history classes, according to new social studies standards recently approved by the Oklahoma Board of Education. They now head to the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature, which could take up the issue before its term ends in late May, or punt the issue to the governor’s desk. [New York Times]
Ruth Ray Jackson, the 17th president of Langston University, holds investiture ceremony: Calling the event “a reflection of our collective journey and shared purpose,” Langston University President Ruth Ray Jackson said her investiture held Friday afternoon was “a powerful affirmation of legacy, resilience and our shared commitment” to the school’s future. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
State notifies public of potential measles exposure in 6 Green Country locations: The Oklahoma State Department of Health says it was notified Friday of two more “probable” measles cases. That brings total suspected cases in the Sooner State to four. OSDH says the two new illnesses aren’t linked to the first cases announced March 11, though the department hasn’t revealed the location of those cases. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Two more probable measles cases prompt alert for Claremore, Owasso [Tulsa World]
Keeping With Kennedy’s Advice, Measles Patients Turn to Unproven Treatments: The nation’s health secretary has offered a muted recommendation of vaccines for people in West Texas while also promoting unproven treatments like cod liver oil, which has vitamin A, and touting “almost miraculous and instantaneous” recoveries with steroids or antibiotics. There is no such cure for measles, only medications to help manage the symptoms. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the infection. [New York Times]
Criminal Justice News
OK Supreme Court: Jail, prison health contractors entitled to sovereign immunity: A unanimous Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed a published opinion of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals this week and held that Turn Key Health Clinics, a private company that contracts to provide medical services in jails, is entitled to sovereign immunity under the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act. [NonDoc]
OK County jail trustee: No deal yet on late bills but OKC will pay for inmate medical care: The Oklahoma City Police Department, after two years, is still behind on payments to the Oklahoma County jail trust for jailing city prisoners, but a trust member says that as negotiations continue, one big expense is off the table: Detainee medical care administered outside of the jail, which runs to hundreds of thousand dollars or more annually. [The Oklahoman]
Disagreements about child abuse classification, prosecution prevent Oklahoma law change: In the early 2000s, a new set of laws began to emerge in multiple states across the U.S. aimed at furthering protection for children at risk of domestic abuse. Under a law created at the time, guardians or parents who allow abuse to happen or “fail to protect” children from the abuse can be prosecuted as harshly, or more harshly, than the abusers themselves. One of the lawmakers behind the statue said she had hoped it would prompt caregivers to report abuse because they could also be charged with a crime. [KOSU]
Tulsa DA complains again about probation sentences from Judge Sharon Holmes: Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler’s office is once again publicly complaining about decisions issued by District Judge Sharon Holmes. In the latest instances, Kunzweiler’s office is warning the public of possible dangers as a result of Holmes’ orders that resulted in two defendants being released from prison on probation over the objections of the district attorney and state Department of Corrections. [Tulsa World]
A Look Back: Scandal that reshaped the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office started small: Sometimes big stories start with a small piece of information. In 2015, a social media post launched what would become about 18 months of reporting on the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office scandal. “Deputy involved shooting in north Tulsa,” a post on Twitter from Fox 23 said. Robert Bates, a 73-year-old reserve deputy for the Sheriff’s Office had shot and killed an unarmed, restrained Black man named Eric Harris. He claimed it was an accident. [The Frontier]
OKCPD asking public to register cameras to help solve crime: Oklahoma City police are asking residents to register their home or business camera in their system to help them solve crime. The department said that just because your camera is registered to them, doesn’t mean they can take video without you knowing. There’s another option that directly allows camera owners to permit the department to see live feeds. [KFOR]
Economy & Business News
Diversity, equity and inclusion’s national narrative not accurate, local business leaders say: When President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, he signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” The order called for the termination of all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility — DEIA — mandates, policies and programs in the federal government. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order against DEI in state government in 2023. In business, under which the orders don’t apply, some companies are following the lead of elected officials while others are not. The Tulsa World contacted DEI leaders at local businesses to find out what they are doing and to help explain a concept that has taken on a national narrative that some say isn’t accurate. [Tulsa World]
Immigration buoyed population in large counties, agricultural Midwest: Immigration was the biggest factor in population growth for many booming Sun Belt counties as well as for the agricultural Midwest, according to a Stateline analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau county estimates. [Oklahoma Voice]
Two Oklahoma cities ranked on the 2025 Best Performing US Cities list: Here’s how we did: Oklahoma’s two largest cities made the biggest improvements in an annual ranking of the United States’ Best Performing Cities. The Milken Institute’s 2025 Best-Performing Cities evaluates 403 U.S. metro areas — 200 large and 203 small cities — on factors such as job growth and housing affordability. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Exiting CAIR-OK executive director will take post with nonprofits organization: One of the state’s most prominent Muslim leaders is leaving his post as longtime leader of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the organization’s board chairman said on Sunday. [The Oklahoman]
Performers, LGBTQ+ advocates fear potential impact of anti-drag bills on OKC’s Pride festivals: Bills attacking drag performers have proliferated in the Oklahoma Legislature over the past few sessions — including more than 50 last year — though none have successfully reached the governor’s desk to be signed into law. [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa Mayor designates June 1 city holiday to commemorate 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: Mayor Monroe Nichols signed an executive order Sunday designating June 1 as Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, the city announced. Nichols plans to share more about his efforts to unify Tulsans and heal the wounds caused by the Race Massacre on April 6. [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Our federal, state and local governments are unlike private businesses and must keep their records and meetings open to us. Doing otherwise would plunge us deeper into an authoritarian forms of government in which secrecy becomes the norm.”
-Joe Hight, a University of Central Oklahoma journalism professor, writing about the importance of keeping government records and meetings open to the public. This week is Sunshine Week, which is dedicated to the importance of transparency in government. [Joe Hight / The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
47%
Nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) say the way people behave in public these days is ruder than before the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes 20% who say behavior today is a lot ruder. [Pew Research]
Policy Note
Large Majorities Don’t Want Cuts to Medicaid Funding, Including Most Trump Voters and Rural Residents: Amid discussion of changes to the Medicaid program, most of the public say that Medicaid is important to their local communities. About two in ten favor cuts to Medicaid spending. Support for Medicaid cuts remains low even among typically conservative groups such as Republicans, Trump voters, and those living in rural communities. The poll also gauges the impact of arguments for and against Medicaid work requirements and reductions to federal spending on ACA expansion. [KFF]
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