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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
Opinion: Property tax cuts aren’t the real driver of housing costs: Oklahomans are frustrated by rising housing costs, but this session, lawmakers are targeting the wrong culprit. While property taxes are drawing most of the attention at the Capitol this year, the real cost surge — homeowners’ insurance — remains largely overlooked. Lawmakers should take a closer look before rushing to cut property taxes that fund schools and services. [Anahita Irani Ervin / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Fact Sheet: Property taxes are vital to the health of local government in Oklahoma (2026)
The evolving limits of government liability under Oklahoma’s Governmental Tort Claims Act (Capitol Update): Sovereign immunity was a common law doctrine brought to the United States from England that stood for the axiom, “the King can do no wrong,” meaning generally that a state and its political subdivisions cannot be held liable for the negligent conduct of their employees without the state’s permission. However, the Supreme Court ceded power to the legislature to enact laws determining the extent to which the state would be held liable. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
US Senate confirms Oklahoma’s Mullin as next Homeland Security boss: The U.S. Senate voted Monday evening to confirm Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Mullin resigns from US Senate [Oklahoma Voice]
- Markwayne Mullin Confirmed by the US Senate to Lead Homeland Security [Native News Online]
- Markwayne Mullin confirmed as the next DHS Secretary [ICT]
- Markwayne Mullin confirmed to lead Department of Homeland Security [USA Today via The Oklahoman]
- Senate Confirms Markwayne Mullin to Lead Homeland Security as TSA Standoff Deepens [AP via Oklahoma Watch]
- Mullin’s Smooth Confirmation Was a Throwback in the Senate [The New York Times]
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt taps Alan Armstrong as new U.S. senator: Tulsa oil and gas executive Alan Armstrong is in line to become Oklahoma’s next U.S. senator, ending weeks of speculation about who might replace outgoing Sen. Markwayne Mullin. [The Oklahoman]
- In Oklahoma, Alan Armstrong Will Fill Markwayne Mullin’s Senate Seat [The New York Times]
- Oklahoma Gov. Stitt appoints Alan Armstrong to fill open U.S. Senate seat [News 9]
State Government News
Legislative Roundup
- Oklahoma House approves firearm safety training in K-12 schools [Oklahoma Voice]
- Bill axes some legislatively approved Oklahoma Turnpike Authority projects [Oklahoma Voice]
- Education bills advance through House, Senate Monday as bill deadline approaches [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
- Oklahoma bill would limit climate-related lawsuits against oil and gas companies [News Channel 8]
Gov. Stitt orders flags at half-staff to honor Goldsby firefighters: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered that all American and Oklahoma flags on state property be flown at half-staff to honor two Goldsby firefighters who died on the job this month. [The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma regulator tapped for federal pipeline policy position: Oklahoma Corporation Commission Chair Kim David has been appointed to serve on two influential federal advisory committees that shape the nation’s pipeline safety regulation. [The Oklahoman]
Airport chaos: TSA agents skip work, security lines expand, Trump sends in ICE to assist: Airport security workers missed work Monday at the highest rate since a partial government shutdown began in mid-February, the Department of Homeland Security said, and the Trump administration sent immigration officials to some airports in an attempt to keep lines moving. [Oklahoma Voice]
- No ICE presence at Tulsa International Airport, official says [Tulsa World]
- No ICE deployment planned for OKC and Tulsa airports as rollout targets larger hubs [Fox 25]
Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions.: In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open. Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. [Oklahoma Voice]
Data sovereignty under question as new tech opens up to government use: Oklahomans working within the bounds of data, AI and government could face a new reality in terms of data sovereignty as IBM integrates a light-speed data system already used by over 40% of Fortune 500 companies. [The Journal Record]
Tribal Nations News
Farm Bill could close the door on return of Fort Reno to Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes: A congressional farm bill would permanently bar the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma from owning federal land designated on their reservation more than a century ago. [KOSU]
Native American Rights Fund on the SAVE America Act: The SAVE Act (H.R. 22 / S. 128) and SAVE America Act (S. 1383) would force Native voters living in rural or remote areas to travel great distances to register to vote. They would require applicants who register to vote by mail to also provide documents in person before the voter registration deadline, eliminating the accessibility and purpose of a mail voter registration system, as well as voter registration drives using paper forms. [Native News Online]
Voting and Election News
Voting in Oklahoma’s primary election? Don’t miss this key deadline: Oklahoma law limits party switching before a primary election. In 2026, the deadline for current voters to re-register with another party is March 31. If you’re an independent-registered voter in Oklahoma, you won’t be able to pick any candidates in the June 16 partisan primary for Congress, governor and other state offices. [The Oklahoman]
- Want to switch parties for the Oklahoma primary elections? Better do it fast. [Tulsa Flyer]
- You can update your registration by logging into the OK Voter Portal or by submitting a paper registration by mail or in person to your County Election Board or the Oklahoma State Election Board.
Education News
Oklahoma school district hoped for training, almost agreed to a partnership with ICE instead: During a training on how to approach sexual assault investigations earlier this month, the district Police Chief Michael Coates mistakenly signed an agreement deputizing them with federal immigration enforcement authority through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the district superintendent Steven Cantrell. [KOSU]
Tulsa Public Schools releases list of positions targeted for cuts: Tulsa Public Schools has released the list of positions targeted for proposed elimination as part of its efforts to address an anticipated multi-million-dollar budget shortfall. Released Monday afternoon, the proposed list includes laying off 50 current employees. [Tulsa World]
- TPS board accepts independent audit [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa charter schools cast their bids to purchase 6 Tulsa Public School buildings [News on 6]
Oklahoma Has Led the Way on Teacher Pension Funding. Can It Keep It Up?: After years of dutifully funneling millions of extra dollars into state’s beleaguered teacher pension plan, policymakers are considering scaling back. [The 74]
Health News
New synthetic opioid linked to death of Oklahoma teen; state agency issues alert: Anew synthetic opioid up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl has been confirmed in Oklahoma after the overdose death of an 18-year-old from Yukon. [Tulsa World]
Some mental health funding has been restored in Oklahoma, but providers say damage from cuts remains: Some funding for mental health services has been restored since state officials announced millions in spending cuts last year. But providers say they have still had to reduce services and seek funding elsewhere to fill budget gaps. [The Frontier via Tulsa Flyer]
Tulsa mom emerges from trauma and addiction with a degree — and ideas to help parents like her: A few years ago, Amanda Billings stopped to consider her life. She knew she talked too much, shared too much. She knew her choices led to substance abuse addiction and the loss of her oldest children to foster care. She never felt like she fit into the world. [Tulsa Flyer]
Criminal Justice News
Duncan Bicycle Stops Pit City Ordinances Against State Law: In 2021, the state Legislature passed a law that made Oklahoma the third state to adopt the Idaho stop law, allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. Bicycle stops based on superseded ordinances raise broader questions about whether police departments and individual officers are willfully ignorant of changes to state law to preserve niggling violations that can be used as a pretext to discover more serious crimes. [Oklahoma Watch]
Leadership shake-up in Oklahoma County commissioners clouds certainty of future jail decisions: Commissioner Myles Davidson’s sudden resignation has left Oklahoma County’s leadership uncertain, raising questions about future plans for the county jail and funding mechanisms. [KOCO]
OKCity Crisis Nursery nonprofit director accused of misspending donations: OKCity Crisis Nursery Director Jennifer Roberts is accused of using money donated to her nonprofit for personal use like nail salon visits and sushi meals, according to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma Housing Finance Association low-income housing program on the line: The OHFA Board of Trustees voted to suspend future awards through the low-income housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday. The suspension is dependent upon the outcome of an Oklahoma House bill that the board and agency staff believe would jeopardize the program and introduce unmanageable liabilities. [The Journal Record]
Opinion: OKC must treat youth homelessness as public health issue: Every night in Oklahoma City, young people without a stable home survive by sleeping in cars, shelters, friends’ couches and out on the streets. They’re expected to show up to school, work or both while exhausted and living in survival mode. That kind of chronic stress and trauma takes a toll on the developing brain and body, with consequences that affect not just the health of those young people but the community around them. [Rachel Bradley / The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
CDL issuers and non-domiciled licensing under federal fire in Oklahoma: A sweeping federal enforcement campaign that includes heightened regulations on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses and the targeting of non-compliant CDL training schools is reshaping the industry landscape in Oklahoma and throughout the U.S. [The Oklahoman]
Every ChatGPT prompt has an energy price. Oklahoma is already helping pay it.: Each time someone types a question into ChatGPT, it costs roughly 18.9 watt-hours of electricity to process — more than 60 times the energy required for a standard Google search. Multiply that by an estimated 3.2 billion queries a day, according to researchers at BestBrokers.com, and the numbers become staggering. [The Journal Record]
Local Headlines
- Arrest made in 2020 murder of McAlester taxi driver Dustin Parker [NonDoc]
- OKCPS to begin discussions on possibility of renaming César Chávez Elementary School [KOCO]
- OKC Thunder’s new arena to be named Continental Coliseum [The Oklahoman]
- 5 things to know: Speed limit reduced near construction zone on US-169 in Owasso [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Homelessness is not a moral failure, but instead, it’s often a complicated mix of circumstances beyond a person’s control. When we do more to make housing resources accessible for youths, we’re helping the next generation move away from survival mode toward long-term stability and potential.”
– Rachel Bradley, executive director of Sisu Youth Services, emphasizing that youth homelessness is closely tied to public health outcomes and long-term stability, and arguing that expanding access to housing and support services can help break cycles of trauma, poor health, and economic insecurity. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
3.0%
The share of Oklahoma public school students who lacked a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence during the 2021–22 school year. Oklahoma ranks 40th on this measure, reflecting the scale of student homelessness and housing instability across the state. [America’s Health Rankings]
Policy Note
The Current State of Youth Homelessness Approaches: Insights and Observations: Youth homelessness is often driven by family conflict, poverty, and systems like foster care and juvenile justice that fail to provide stable support during transitions to adulthood. Many young people experiencing homelessness face barriers to education, employment, and health care, which can make it difficult to exit homelessness once they enter it. The report highlights gaps in coordination between systems and limited access to prevention and early intervention services. Addressing youth homelessness requires more stable housing options, stronger support systems, and earlier intervention before young people reach a crisis point. [Community Solutions]
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