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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
Competing education proposals set the stage for legislative debate (Capitol Update): The contours of the debate on how much the Oklahoma Legislature can accomplish this year for education are beginning to take shape in the House and Senate. The Senate took the initiative early when Education Chair Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Vice-Chair Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, announced a $254 million education improvement package. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Oil regulators found hundreds of wells violating Oklahoma rules. Then they ignored their findings.: Oklahoma took on an ambitious project to catalog all of the state’s injection wells, which shoot toxic waste generated by oil drilling back into the ground. Despite records showing risk of drinking water pollution, the state chose not to act. [The Frontier]
State Government News
Application for Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Program opens as lawmakers look to expand: The window to submit applications for Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit Program is now open. Though the program was billed as a way to help lower income families afford private school, data from the Oklahoma Tax Commission show more than $56 million was awarded to families with incomes of over $225,000. The program is currently capped at $250 million, but efforts from lawmakers may change that. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
- From OK Policy: What’s That? Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits
Oklahoma Center for the Advancement in Science and Technology Director Resigns Suddenly After Meeting With Stitt Officials: The executive director of a state agency that supports science and technology startups resigned suddenly at the end of February, one day after being summoned to a meeting with the state commerce secretary and the state’s chief operating officer. [Oklahoma Watch]
OTA responds to audit, calling one part ‘not accurate’: Roughly a week and a half after State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released a special investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, which found no instances of “egregious wrongdoing,” the agency issued a response to clarify some of Byrd’s findings. [The Journal Record]
Oklahoma bill to create Early Childhood Task Force fails on House floor: A bill to create an Early Childhood Task Force failed in the Oklahoma House on Monday afternoon. House Bill 1979 would have created a task force to look at the services and programs for ages zero to five. [Fox 25]
Federal Government News
Enid high school student’s ICE detention sparks protest: On Monday, March 16, fellow Enid classmates, family and other Oklahomans gathered at the Oklahoma State Department of Education building in Oklahoma City before marching to the state Capitol to bring attention to Juan Diego Lopez Macias’ case and call upon state legislators to intervene in deportation proceedings. [The Oklahoman]
- Brother speaks out after Enid student Juan Macias detained by ICE [The Oklahoman]
- Enid High School senior detained by ICE as marchers advocate for his release [KOCO]
- Protestors rally for Juan Diego Lopez Macias, Enid student detained by ICE (photos) [The Oklahoman]
Fast Food, Farming and Market Gambles: How Oklahoma’s Congressional Delegation Got Rich: A NOTUS analysis of the Oklahoma delegation’s most recent annual financial disclosures reveals key details about how the state’s seven lawmakers manage their personal finances while serving the public. [NOTUS]
What to know about Oklahoma’s first public Rural Health Transformation Program grant application: Oklahoma has released its first public grant application under the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The five-year, $50 billion federal investment became law last year, alongside an estimated $911 billion in reductions to federal Medicaid spending over a decade. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Tribal Nations News
Tenth Circuit ruling confirms Citizen Potawatomi Nation reservation is disestablished: The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an argument last week that challenged whether the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s reservation is still intact. While the main argument is about the CPN reservation, the tribal nation had no involvement in the case. [KOSU]
Citizen Potawatomi Nation surpasses $60M in scholarships: The Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) recently surpassed a major milestone: distributing $60 million in educational scholarships to Tribal members. [The Journal Record]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma officials announce candidacy for Congressional seats in wake of Mullin DHS nomination: President Donald Trump announced U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin as his replacement for Kristi Noem as the next head of the Department of Homeland Security. Once Mullin resigns, Gov. Kevin Stitt has 30 days to select a replacement for the remainder of Mullin’s term. State law requires the replacement to sign an affidavit saying they will not run for the post in the next election, but it’s unclear whether this is enforceable. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Hern enters Senate race following Mullin’s Cabinet nomination [Gaylord News via The Black Wall Street Times]
- Opinion: Oklahoma’s political game of musical chairs. Who is in and out? [Former Oklahoma Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Proposal would add seven classroom days to Oklahoma’s minimum school year requirement: Oklahoma lawmakers are advancing a proposal that would require students to spend more days in the classroom each year. While supporters believe this could help improve education outcomes, it also raises questions about costs, school calendars and teacher shortages. [News Channel 8]
OKC Public Schools Chronic Absenteeism Nears 39%: According to the Oklahoma Mental Health Association, between 2022 and 2023, nearly 39% of students in the Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) district were chronically absent. In response, state lawmakers are working on legislative fixes related to evictions that they hope will help address the high absenteeism rates. [Oklahoma City Today]
- OKCPS chronic absenteeism nears 39%, lawmakers push eviction-related fixes [Fox 25]
Health News
Free program aims to bridge prenatal care gaps for Oklahoma mothers: Early prenatal care across the country is declining, according to a new report by the CDC. A local program is aimed at bridging that gap for Oklahoma mothers. That’s where Sunbeam Family Services hopes to step in with its free Motherhood Matters program, where expecting moms and families with children up to age three are connected with support. [KFOR]
‘Not just a job’: Oklahoma bill seeks to expand opportunities for mental health workers with lived experience: House Bill 4275 would allow certified behavioral health case managers and peer recovery support specialists to keep their professional certifications while working for municipalities, counties and approved organizations, expanding where they can serve people in crisis. [KOSU]
Criminal Justice News
Five takeaways from our investigation into the Tulsa Municipal Jail: At least seven people have died over the past three years in the Tulsa Municipal Jail, an investigation by The Frontier has revealed. The small lockup beneath downtown Tulsa holds people charged only with low-level misdemeanors. The deaths occurred after repeated warnings from employees about inmate care and supervision. [The Frontier]
OSCN offers court date text reminders 48 hours ahead to help prevent bench warrants: In Oklahoma County, you can now sign up to receive reminders about court dates via text updates. The texts will be sent 48 hours before your scheduled court date. The reminders aim to help people avoid receiving bench warrants for missing court. [Fox 25]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Immigration enforcement threatens housing security, rippling through local economies: As federal immigration officers made more “at-large” arrests in communities across the country in the first year of the current Trump administration — including at homes, places of worship and workplaces — more than 1,100 Nebraska families developed family safety plans in the event a parent or breadwinner faced detention or deportation. [Oklahoma Voice]
Economy & Business News
Pain of soaring gas prices compounded by electricity rate increases across states: Electricity rates “increased significantly” in nearly every U.S. state in 2025, with residents in a dozen states seeing at least a 10% jump, according to a congressional report released by Democrats Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Utility profits rise as household bills soar, new analysis finds: Last year, state-regulated, investor-owned electric utilities kept about 15 cents of every dollar they collected as profit, the report concluded. (For a customer paying a $200 monthly electric bill, that means about $30 went to corporate profits.) The 2025 figure is up from around 13 cents on average between 2021 and 2024. [Oklahoma Voice]
Councilor Bush not planning to recuse herself from data center policy decisions: A Tulsa city councilor whose full-time employer makes HVAC systems used by data centers and other industries said she is not planning to recuse herself from discussions and votes on proposed city policies related to the booming high-tech facilities. [Tulsa World]
Study finds rural long-term care facilities have over $1.8 billion economic impact in Oklahoma: Rural long-term care facilities are generating more than $1.8 billion in economic activity across Oklahoma, according to a new study covering their impact. The report was prepared by economist Dr. Russell Evans for Care Providers Oklahoma, which represents a portion of the state’s nearly 300 nursing homes. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Local Headlines
- Looming retirements and a staffing shortage. Is Tulsa’s college requirement for police holding up recruitment? [Tulsa Flyer]
- Edmond City Council to weigh ‘bad options’ for incoming water rate increases [NonDoc]
- Developer bringing vision for overlooked land in OKC’s historic JFK to life [The Journal Record]
- City seeks public input on Downtown Oklahoma City Strategic Plan [Fox 25]
Quote of the Day
“[His] only crime was being undocumented. It used to only be the worst of the worst, but now it’s the people who don’t fight back.”
—Melissa Medrano Henry, immigration attorney for Juan Diego Lopez Macias, a senior at Enid High School who was detained by ICE after a routine traffic stop. His detention has sparked protests this week from classmates, family, and other Oklahomans who are hoping to bring attention to his case and call on state legislators to intervene. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
2,000
The estimated number of unauthorized immigrant students ages 14-18 enrolled in Oklahoma public schools. That’s about 63% of all unauthorized immigrants in that age group, indicating that most are actively enrolled and working toward a high school education. [Migration Policy Institute]
Policy Note
Graduating into Uncertainty: Unauthorized Immigrant Students in U.S. High Schools: The U.S. public has for decades expressed sympathy for the situation of unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. Yet today, unauthorized immigrant students approaching the end of high school face even greater uncertainty. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is not an option for most current high schoolers, immigration enforcement has intensified in communities across the country, and some states are retreating from policies that would allow these students to pay in-state college tuition. [Migration Policy Institute]
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