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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
Policy Matters: SQ 640 – Roadblock or solution?: For decades, Oklahoma lawmakers have passed untargeted tax cuts rather than investing in core services, leaving agencies with budget cuts and forcing them to do more with less — often past the breaking point. State Question 640 — which imposes strict limits on how our state can raise revenue — has constrained Oklahoma’s ability to adapt and grow for decades. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
State Government News
Stitt says he has no interest in running for Senate, touting accomplishments as governor: As he prepares to cap his two-term tenure, Gov. Kevin Stitt visited the Rotary Club of Tulsa Wednesday during his 77-county tour to discuss the state of business, education and legislative hopes. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- Stitt says Oklahoma making progress, but education, efficiency still needs work [KJRH]
Oklahoma Attorney General faces backlash for releasing private voter data: Criticism follows State Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s decision to reach a settlement with the federal government, allowing Oklahoma’s private voter data to be released. [KFOR]
Lawmakers Eye Grand Bargain on Tobacco Taxes As Deadline Looms: Oklahoma lawmakers have been chasing smoke when it comes to taxes on alternative nicotine-delivery products coming to market, with legislative leaders unable to strike deals to harmonize excise taxes across cigarettes, vapes and new products such as heated cigarettes. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma advocates push for legislation to protect domestic violence survivors: On Wednesday, End Violence Oklahoma, a coalition of domestic violence agencies across the state, gathered at the Oklahoma State Capitol, backing several bills they say could strengthen protections for victims. [KFOR]
Legislative Roundup
- Digital driver license option advances through Oklahoma House [Oklahoma Voice]
- Bill increases age for Oklahoma marriages [Oklahoma Voice]
- Senate passes measure aimed at unsolved violent crimes [KFOR]
- Oklahoma House, Senate pass literacy bills to retain struggling readers, boost instruction [Oklahoma Voice]
- Lawmakers advance bill to create notification process when governor leaves Oklahoma [Oklahoma Voice]
Long Story Short: OCAST Leadership Shifts and the Guardianship System (podcast): A sudden leadership shakeup at the state’s tech-startup agency and a new policy allowing e-cigarette sales in Oklahoma prisons. Also, a return to the complex world of state guardianship with three interconnected stories on the system’s impact. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
With Armstrong in the Senate, Stitt hopes to score energy sector win: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s highest-profile political appointment yet is showcasing the governor’s habit of selecting people from the business world, particularly the energy sector. This time, he’s hoping for a national impact. [The Oklahoman]
Supreme Court majority seems to back Trump policy turning away asylum-seekers at US border: U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed split Tuesday on whether the Trump administration should be allowed to turn away asylum-seekers who present themselves at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. [Oklahoma Voice]
Lawmakers spar over Homeland Security funding deal as shutdown strains airport security: U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February. [Oklahoma Voice]
- TSA officers working without pay demand progress from Congress on funding talks [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump EPA to ease restrictions on summer ethanol-blend sales as gas prices soar: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The blend, known as E15, is usually barred in many Midwest states over the summer to reduce smog, though the federal government has routinely in recent years issued waivers to allow summer sales. [Oklahoma Voice]
Editorial: What we expect from Markwayne Mullin in his new role: Markwayne Mullin, another Oklahoman with a combative reputation, has resigned his Senate seat to help the Trump administration by heading a huge government agency also charged with protecting the community. In his real-life role, will Mullin run the Department of Homeland Security in a fair and principled way? [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Supreme Court orders second status report on Freedmen citizenship: The Muscogee Nation Supreme Court has ordered the Citizenship Board of the Muscogee Nation and Principal Chief David Hill to submit a second status report to the court outlining their efforts to comply with the court’s order to admit the descendants of Muscogee Freedmen as citizens by April 22. [NonDoc]
OK Supreme Court washes hands of tribal hunting rights dispute: Despite Gov. Kevin Stitt‘s best efforts, the matter of resolving tribal hunting and fishing rights on reservation land without state licenses carries on in federal district court. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a petition challenging Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s opinion favoring tribes, deferring instead to the federal court to decide the issue. [The Journal Record]
Education News
Education Watch: Lawsuit Tees Up Next Legal Battle over Religious Public Schools: A Florida-based Jewish organization filed a lawsuit against the state’s attorney general and charter school board on Wednesday. Earlier this month, the statewide board denied their proposal to open Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School, and the applicants claim the rejection amounts to religious discrimination. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Jewish charter school sues Oklahoma board over denial of public funding [KFOR]
Health News
Minutes matter in stroke cases. In rural Oklahoma, a telemedicine program is saving critical time: Nearly 2,000 Oklahomans die from stroke-related complications annually. That burden is felt more in rural communities, where access to specialized care is limited. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Opinion: Oklahomans voted to expand Medicaid. Don’t try to undo that: In medicine, there is a simple principle taught to every physician and caregiver: First, do no harm. It is a standard rooted in common sense. When a treatment is working, when patients are improving and systems are stabilizing, responsible leaders do not abruptly pull the plug. Yet that is exactly what some policymakers are proposing when they talk about weakening or repealing Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma. [Rich Rasmussen / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: SQ 802: Medicaid Expansion – Information and resources
Criminal Justice News
Lawsuit settled in Oklahoma Highway Patrol car chase that killed innocent mother, daughter: The father of a young child, who survived an Oklahoma Highway Patrol high-speed car chase for a “possible stolen vehicle” that ended up killing the boy’s aunt and cousin, finalized a $100,000 lawsuit settlement on Wednesday. [Tulsa World]
OK County wants money for oil in soil at new jail construction site: Oklahoma County wants payback for the unexpected expense of removing contaminated soil from the site of the hybrid county jail facility and Behavioral Care Center under construction atop an old oilfield. The cost, around a half-million dollars, is a tiny fraction of the $835 million estimate for finishing the new jail at 1901 E Grand Blvd. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Opinion: Zoning changes can drive housing expansion: Oklahoma City‘s growth is no longer a projection, it is our reality. New businesses and residents are choosing this region every day. But there is a growing challenge that threatens to slow that momentum: we simply do not have enough housing. [Shannon Entz / The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Rising ICE enforcement prompts some Tulsa businesses to offer resources, support resistance: Immigration Customs and Enforcement raids in Chicago and Minneapolis have been televised, controversial and highly visible. In Tulsa, it’s been different. ICE has taken a lower-profile approach here, with reports of agents waiting outside businesses to apprehend people and often staying outside of the public eye. But local merchants have noticed — and some are starting to take action. [Tulsa Flyer]
Community News
Oklahoma wildlife refuge takes down display title under executive order for ‘disparaging’ U.S. history: An executive order from President Donald Trump has led to some signage changes at a wildlife refuge in Southwest Oklahoma. [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- Lawsuit over Sand Springs data center alleges violation of conservation agreement [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa will pause new data center construction for 9 months after council vote [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- Tulsa Public Schools cuts 89 positions in first round of layoffs [Tulsa Flyer]
- Jenks schools to close planetarium in cost-cutting move [Tulsa World]
- Norman City Council approves utility, roadway contracts with OTA [KGOU]
- Oklahoma City set for groundbreaking ceremony for new downtown arena [KOCO]
Quote of the Day
“Good medicine teaches us to do no harm. Public policy should follow the same principle.”
– Rich Rasmussen, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, arguing that proposals to roll back Medicaid expansion would disrupt a system that is currently improving access to care, stabilizing hospitals, and bringing significant federal funding into Oklahoma’s health care system. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
222,211
The number of Oklahoma adults enrolled in SoonerCare through Medicaid expansion as of January 2026. Coverage has been a lifeline not only for individuals accessing care, but also for hospitals and providers across the state who rely on stable reimbursement to keep their doors open. [Oklahoma Health Care Authority]
Policy Note
Medicaid Expansion Helps Newly Eligible Adults and Groups Traditionally Eligible for Medicaid: Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has increased coverage and access to care not only for newly eligible low-income adults but also for groups who were already eligible, such as children and people with disabilities. When adults gain coverage, more children enroll as well and families are better able to access preventive care and maintain financial stability. Expansion has also improved access to care, treatment, and employment opportunities for people with disabilities who may not qualify under stricter traditional eligibility pathways. Overall, expanding Medicaid strengthens coverage, health outcomes, and stability across multiple populations — not just those newly eligible. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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