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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.
Oklahoma News
In Oklahoma, a growing trend of anti-homeless legislation: A bill that would have restricted the locations of homeless shelters is dormant for now. But it’s just one of a spate of recent measures penalizing service providers or people experiencing homelessness. [The Frontier]
State Government News
Controversial Tulsa County contracts pulled, House forms ODMHSAS investigative committee: As confusion over a nebulous budget hole continues to muddle the 2025 legislative session, the House of Representatives announced an investigative committee today that — with subpoena power — will compel public testimony about issues within the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma House forms select committee to review mental health agency finances [KOSU]
- House speaker sets Thursday hearing on Mental Health Department [Tulsa World]
- New Oklahoma House committee to investigate mental health department finances [News 9]
Panel passes bill putting restrictions on Oklahoma voters ability to get measures on the ballot: A House panel on Tuesday passed a controversial bill that would make it more difficult for residents to get issues on the ballot. Senate Bill 1027 would limit the number of signatures that can be collected in each county to 11.5% of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election for a statutory change. For a constitutional change, the number of signatures collected could not exceed 20.8% per county. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Senate bill could seriously alter the petition process in Oklahoma [Gaylord News via The Black Wall Street Times]
- Bill changing Oklahoma petitioning process moves to full House of Representatives vote [News 9]
- From OK Policy’s Shiloh Kantz: These change from SB 1027 don’t improve the system. They’re intended to silence Oklahomans who want to see change when our lawmakers drag their heels on important constituent issues.
- OK Policy Advocacy Alert: Tell your Representative to oppose attacks on our right to put state questions on the ballot (SB 1027)
Long-standing Republican priorities advance in Legislature: Two long-standing Republican priorities — moving school election dates and making initiative petitions harder to get on the ballot — continued to roll through the GOP-controlled Legislature on Tuesday. Senate Bill 6 (school elections) and SB 1027 (initiative petitions) encountered some opposition but easily passed the House Government Oversight Committee to set up floor votes in the coming weeks. [Tulsa World]
Senate Education Committee narrowly passes bill allowing adjunct teachers in early childhood classes: After an intense debate, a divided Senate Education Committee advanced a bill that would allow public schools to hire candidates with no college degree or training to teach early childhood classes. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: Prayers and spreadsheets won’t balance this budget: In good times or bad, it can be tricky cobbling together the state budget, given all the competing demands. It’s even more challenging this year when fiscal experts deploying cutting-edge computer modeling are scrambling to make sense of moment-to-moment economic volatility. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]
Federal Government News
Five things to know about federal funding for Oklahoma Black farmers: The Trump Administration is cutting U.S. Department of Agriculture programs aimed at helping minority farmers and other programs they’ve labeled DEI. Details about some programs have already been scrubbed from the internet and some Oklahoman recipients said they’ve had funding frozen. [The Frontier]
Lawsuit filed after Trump’s budget office shuts down public information about spending: A nonprofit organization filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday, alleging its decision to stop posting budget documents in late March violates federal law. [Oklahoma Voice]
U.S. human rights law likely violated in $6M payment for El Salvador prison, experts say: The U.S. State Department is paying El Salvador $6 million to house hundreds of immigrants deported from the United States in an immense and brutal prison there, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma urges federal tax credit for caregivers: State lawmakers urge the state’s congressional delegation to pass a federal version of Oklahoma’s first-of-its-kind tax credit for working family caregivers. [The Journal Record]
‘He’s not a conservative’: Some Oklahoma seniors are worried about Donald Trump’s policies: Older voters turned out for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. But not everyone in their golden years is happy with the administration. The worries come as President Donald Trump’s administration is chaotically reforming Social Security. New rules have been rolled out and then rolled back as Trump’s team vows to fight fraud. It’s left people who depend on the popular benefit scrambling to figure out what’s happening. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Tribal Nations News
Turnpike tolls stall Osage Nation’s tobacco compact talks with state: Speaking to reporters after the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s second annual State of the Tribes luncheon Tuesday afternoon, Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said negotiations around his tribe’s tobacco compact with the Governor’s Office have stalled due to questions regarding outstanding turnpike tolls amassed by drivers with vehicles registered with the Pawhuska-based tribe. [Tulsa World]
CN donates $7.6 million to Oklahoma schools: An annual tradition, the Cherokee Nation handed out checks to school districts across the reservation using funds from tribal car tag sales. The money, totaling $7.6 million, was distributed to 107 schools at an appreciation-themed event March 25 at the Cherokee Nation’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Funding is used at each school’s discretion. [Cherokee Phoenix]
Will ‘patriotic’ indoctrination be the next attack on Native American schoolchildren?: While much about the implementation of Trump’s order on “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” remains unclear, some officials fear what its mandate to provide a “patriotic education” might mean for Native American students. [Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
Rep. Cyndi Munson becomes Oklahoma’s first 2026 Democratic candidate for governor: With four Republican candidates already announced for Oklahoma’s 2026 gubernatorial election, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson became the field’s first Democrat today, declaring her candidacy in front of the State Capitol and calling for investment in education, working class tax cuts and a referendum on the state’s abortion ban. [NonDoc]
- House Democrat leader announces run for Oklahoma governor [Oklahoma Voice]
- Rep. Cyndi Munson jumps in the race for Oklahoma Governor [KOSU]
- Democrat Cyndi Munson announces bid for Oklahoma governor against growing field of Republicans [The Oklahoman]
- Who is running for governor in Oklahoma? Cyndi Munson joins race, see candidates so far [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma’s 2026 Governor’s Race: Who’s running, who’s speculated to run? [News 9]
Education News
Special education teachers offered $20k signing bonus in Oklahoma: On April 14, the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced they’re offering special education teachers a signing bonus up to $20,000. [KJRH]
Liberty University dean Don Raleigh named as new president at Rogers State in Claremore: Rogers State University in Claremore has named a Liberty University dean with ties to Oklahoma as its third president since becoming a four-year institution a quarter-century ago. [The Oklahoman]
Edmond Public Schools chooses new superintendent: The Edmond Board of Education voted unanimously Monday morning to hire Josh Delich as the next chief executive to lead the district of 25,700 students. On July 1, he will succeed Angela Mills Grunewald, who is soon retiring after four years as superintendent. [The Journal Record]
Health News
States push Medicaid work rules, but few programs help enrollees find jobs: Republicans in Congress and several states, including Ohio, Iowa and Montana, are pushing to implement work requirements for nondisabled adults, arguing that a mandate would encourage enrollees to find jobs. [KOSU]
- Among adults under age 65 with Medicaid who do not receive benefits from the Social Security disability programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and who are not also covered by Medicare, 92% were: working full or part-time (64%), or not working due to caregiving responsibilities (12%), illness or disability (10%), or school attendance (7%). [KFF]
Doulas, midwives and lawmakers challenge erasure of Black women in maternal health care: Increased access to community-based doulas and midwives is one of several potentially effective strategies identified by medical groups and health advocates in recent years to improve Black maternal outcomes and potentially stem a persistently high and rising national Black maternal mortality rate. [Oklahoma Voice]
- From OK Policy: Black Health: Dying in Oklahoma (Commentary)
Measles vaccinations are on the rise in Oklahoma, health officials say: More Oklahomans have been getting vaccinated against measles since cases started to be reported in Oklahoma and neighboring states. [Oklahoma Voice]
- US exceeds 700 measles cases amid national outbreaks How many cases are in Oklahoma? [The Oklahoman]
Trump Administration Restores Family Planning Grants Under Court Review: The Trump Administration has partially restored federal family planning grants for Oklahoma, effectively ending a legal dispute pending before the U.S. Supreme Court that questioned if the federal government could require abortion referrals for pregnant women seeking options about their reproductive health. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahoma abortion didn’t go away; it just went to Kansas: Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, prompting Oklahoma to enact among the nation’s strictest bans. The following year, 3,347 Oklahomans got abortions in Kansas. The procedure didn’t end among Oklahomans; it just crossed state lines. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Protesters march to OK Criminal Justice Authority but find no trustees to hear complaints: Protesters marched from the Oklahoma County jail to the County Courthouse Annex with plans to confront the jail trust at this week’s meeting but found no one to officially hear their complaints. [The Oklahoman]
Federal suit filed against OKC, AG in use-of-force case that left 71-year-old seriously injured: A federal lawsuit has been filed against Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma Attorney General alleging excessive force and civil rights violations during a police officer’s controversial use-of-force incident with an elderly man last year. [The Oklahoman]
Man sues city of Tulsa, police over ‘destroyed’ evidence after being ruled innocent: Aman who spent 24 years in prison before his release and subsequent “actual innocence” determination has filed a civil rights federal lawsuit claiming that city of Tulsa workers conspired to hide evidence that, once found, eventually helped clear him. [Tulsa World]
Grand jury charges Jimcy McGirt with failing to register as a sex offender: A federal grand jury has named Jimcy McGirt in a four-count indictment alleging that he failed to register his address with the sex offender registry following his release from prison in 2024. [Tulsa World]
What is an Ashanti Alert? What to know about the missing person notification: The Ashanti Alert alert has been in place since 2018 and is used nationwide to find missing people. Similar to other notification systems like AMBER, Silver and Kacey alerts, Ashanti Alerts are sent out to those in the area to help locate an individual. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
HUD staffers unreachable as ‘mass eviction’ threat looms in Tulsa: The Tulsa Housing Authority’s president has warned the possibility of a “mass eviction event” looms if the federal government doesn’t give the organization voucher money to keep up with rent increases. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Economy & Business News
Southeast Oklahoma hydropower project halted for failure to meet federal regulations: A controversial hydropower project planned for southeast Oklahoma has been halted for now. Federal regulators said the company repeatedly failed to comply with requirements for the federal licensing process. [KOSU]
University of Michigan survey marks rapidly declining consumer sentiment: Consumer sentiment fell more than 10% in the last month, and according to the University of Michigan’s latest national consumer survey, it’s the fourth straight month of decline. [Oklahoma Voice]
Community News
An ancient tradition in the Jewish faith community looks different in 2025. Here’s why: The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery as told in the Book of Exodus. It began at sundown on April 12 and ends at sundown on April 20. [The Oklahoman]
30 Years Later, a New Look at the Oklahoma City Bombing: A new docu-series looks at the Oklahomans whose lives were shattered during the Oklahoma City bombing, many of whom give their accounts of the shock and its aftermath. This includes emergency medical workers, victims, family members, law enforcement officers and even McVeigh’s court-appointed attorney, who admits to fearing for his life when he learned the identity of his new client. [New York Times]
- Tulsa World reporters tell the OKC bombing stories they can’t forget [Tulsa World]
- Why Timothy McVeigh picked April 19: The Waco-Oklahoma City bombing connection [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma judge who presided over Nichols trial speaks ahead of Murrah bombing anniversary [KFOR]
Clinton: OKC bombing paused harsh politics for a while, but it is as divisive as ever today: Then-President Bill Clinton said Oklahoma’s reaction to the bombing and the state’s ability to embrace those who were grieving and those who were helping, demonstrated a level of compassion that became an example for the entire country; today it’s known as the Oklahoma Standard. [The Oklahoman]
- For Bill Clinton, the Oklahoma City bombing isn’t just history — it’s personal [The Oklahoman]
- Legislators remember Oklahoma City bombing during joint session: ‘We continue to rise’ [The Oklahoman]
The Oklahoma City bombing was 30 years ago. Some survivors worry America didn’t learn the lesson: While the bombing awakened the nation to the dangers of extremist ideologies, many who suffered directly in the attack still fear anti-government rhetoric in modern-day politics could also lead to violence. [Associated Press]
- Planting a seed: How educators teach next generations about Oklahoma City bombing 30 years later [OU Daily]
Quote of the Day
“It’d be really great if we could just get homelessness out of politics and all of us go back to that moral call — whatever your religion is — that moral call that says take care of people who are struggling.”
– April Doshier, executive director of the nonprofit Food and Shelter, speaking about a growing trend of Oklahoma legislation that criminalizes homelessness. [The Frontier]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
Number of the Day
314
The federal DOGE team has access to 314 separate fields of data about people who live in the U.S. This personal information is pulled from 23 data systems across eight agencies. They are working towards “consolidation” of these segregated records, raising the prospect of creating a kind of data trove about Americans that the government has never had before. [New York Times]
Policy Note
The Dangers of Congress’s Latest Election Bill: After a busy 2024 election cycle, the Trump administration cut critical resources and funding for election security, leaving the nation’s voting infrastructure vulnerable. In the wake of that damaging pullback, election officials are now bracing for Congress to vote on the SAVE Act — an anti-voter bill that threatens the thousands of administrators running our elections. [Brennan Center for Justice]
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