OKPOLICY.ORG
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
Fact Check: Floor debate on HB 1539 that would implement state income tax cuts if a certain revenue amount is raised: On Thursday, April 10, the Oklahoma State Senate rushed to pass House Bill 1539. HB 1539, authored by Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, is now back in the House. HB 1539 would trigger an income tax cut of 0.25 percent in any fiscal year that had a revenue growth of $300 million cumulatively compared to a base year. OK Policy fact checked some statements made during the debate. [Aanahita Ervin / OK Policy]
State Government News
State Department of Education News Roundup
- Bill impacting state Board of Education agendas on brink of failure [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stalled bill would have reformed how Ryan Walters sets Oklahoma ed board meeting agendas [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma schools could lose federal funds over DEI Federal Mandate [7 News]
- State Education Department to withhold funds to schools not agreeing to stop DEI practices [The Oklahoman]
- OSDE to withhold funds from school districts failing to sign Title VI assurance [Fox 23]
- New records reveal even more unexplained five-figure payouts to Ryan Walters’ chief of staff [KFOR]
- Walters’ New Hires Steeped in Politics, Not Education [Oklahoma Watch]
- Long Story Short: OSDE Personnel Payments Raise Questions (Audio) [Oklahoma Watch]
- Opinion: The new social studies standards are deeply flawed. Will Oklahoma lawmakers take a stand? [Stephanie Pyle / Oklahoma Voice]
Bill seeks to stop Oklahoma agencies’ rules from taking effect without legislative OK: Rather than punting the responsibility to the governor, a bill moving through the legislative process would require the Legislature to proactively approve changes to state agencies’ rules. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma state representative advocates for due process as national crisis debate rages: A state representative says lawmakers need to care more about due process for vulnerable people. The topic came up at the Capitol building Monday because of Senate Bill 672. The legislation, which harkens back to the 2020 pandemic, says businesses defined as nonessential should be allowed to testify before the governor. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Oklahoma Senate Bill 870 advances to House, aims to improve juvenile abuse reporting: Senate Bill 870 aims to enhance accountability and reporting mechanisms for incidents of sexual abuse or exploitation of juveniles in state-run facilities, and now heads to the Oklahoma House after passing through committee. [News Channel 8]
OK State Treasurer Todd Russ says AG is bullying, crossing constitutional lanes: Two of Oklahoma’s top leaders are facing off over constitutional boundaries and responsibilities in state government. Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ asserts that Attorney General Gentner Drummond is bullying and crossing constitutional lines within the government. [KFOR]
Federal Government News
U.S. Education Department to restart defaulted student loan collections: The U.S. Department of Education said Monday that it will resume collections May 5 for defaulted federal student loans. After pausing during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has not collected on defaulted loans in over five years. More than 5 million borrowers sit in default on their federal student loans, and just 38% of borrowers are current on their payments, the department said. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Education Department to restart student loan collections, target wages of borrowers in default [The Black Wall Street Times]
‘He will not be released’: Hern says wrongfully deported man will ‘never see the light of day’: Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District has returned from his trip to a notorious mega-prison in Central America. Hern told Newsmax on Friday he toured the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in El Salvador and he supports President Donald Trump’s push to send people there. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Federal appeals court clarification limits refugees allowed to settle in U.S.: Only refugees who were closest to arriving in the United States are covered by an order the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued last month partially blocking the Trump administration from suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the court clarified in a filing Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Army Corps of Engineers closes Fort Gibson Dam bridge due to safety concerns: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed the bridge spanning Fort Gibson Dam after a recent inspection revealed “increased degradation” of already-deteriorating conditions. [Tulsa World]
- ODOT: Bridge over Fort Gibson Dam closed until further notice [Fox 23]
Opinion: Is Donald Trump going ‘too far?’ Answer could affect Oklahoma politics: When The Oklahoman asked its readers recently whether they thought the Oklahoma Standard was still alive and well, 75% replied “No. Sadly, I think division and hostility have overcome the Oklahoma Standard. I don’t see it working.” Some pointed to President Donald Trump as a major contributor to acrimonious division throughout the nation. [William C. Wertz / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Nation Supreme Court strikes down special judge law: The Muscogee Nation Supreme Court issued an opinion Tuesday simultaneously lifting a stay in litigation over the citizenship eligibility of freedmen descendants and ruling a measure to allow the executive branch to appoint special justices to hear specific cases is “unconstitutional and unenforceable.” [Tulsa World]
‘Opening people’s eyes’: Experts partner with law enforcement to find a killer in MMIW case: Twenty-three-year-old Emily Morgan of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma joined the heartbreakingly long list of unsolved murders of Native American women in the U.S. on Aug. 26, 2016. Tragically, like many such cases, police were unable to positively identify a perpetrator or perpetrators and the investigation had slowed in recent years. But in a remarkable turn of events, the case has recently taken center stage in police circles. [ICT]
Education News
Bills aim to tackle teacher shortage, added options for maternity leave for teachers: Lawmakers at the Capitol are having conversations about how to address a growing problem across the state. Bills heard in Tuesday’s Senate Education Committee addressed the teacher workforce shortage. [KFOR]
Bill to limit which schools some Oklahoma students can transfer to advances: Oklahoma has about 100 school districts that don’t have their own high schools. As of now, students in those districts can choose where they continue their education in ninth grade and beyond. House Bill 1088, written by Hines and state Rep. Dick Lowe, would restrict their choices to adjoining district. [KOCO]
Tulsa Public Schools board votes to accept independent audit findings: Tulsa Public Schools’ board of education voted 7-0 Monday night to accept the findings of its annual independent audit conducted by RSM. The 2024 audit presented to the board Monday is separate from the one published earlier this year by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd. [Tulsa World]
Dove Charter Schools gets federal grant to help with planned expansion: A charter school with campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa is getting a federal grant to help expand its operations. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: How to address Oklahoma’s chronic school absenteeism problem: Every child in Oklahoma deserves an excellent education. Research shows that our students aren’t learning at the rate they need to. As a community we owe it to our kids to do better, and we have to start by looking at why 20% of Oklahoma students are chronically absent from school. [Sarah Park / The Oklahoman]
- From Oklahoma Appleseed: Courts should be last resort when addressing student truancy, absenteeism
Health News
Measles outbreak: Which Oklahoma counties are behind on vaccinations? Do I need a booster?: Since the late January start, Oklahoma’s southern neighbor, Texas, has accumulated 624 of the nation’s 800 confirmed cases. While most cases have stayed away from the Oklahoma border, there have still been confirmed ties between the two states’ cases. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Lawmakers advance cart theft, marijuana trafficking bills: A measure lowering the threshold for aggravated trafficking of marijuana and another that criminalizes removing shopping carts from retail establishments passed a Senate committee Tuesday. [The Journal Record]
- From OK Policy: The Legislature is Working Against Itself
OKC Council agrees to pay just over $2 million to house city detainees in county jail: The Oklahoma City Council took a step toward reducing tension with Oklahoma County officials Tuesday when it voted to pay just over $2 million for the housing of city detainees in the county jail. [The Oklahoman]
Man admits to stealing training missile from McAlester Army Ammunition plant: Aman admitted in federal court Tuesday to stealing a training missile and other items from the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in 2024. [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma lawmakers work across the aisle to address high eviction rates: Last month, Oklahoma State Senator Julia Kirt’s Senate Bill 128 was heard on the Senate Floor. Currently, Oklahoma law requires a minimum of five days between an eviction trial notice being given to a tenant and the court date. This bill would increase the minimum to 10 days — which is the current maximum — and increase the maximum to 15 days. [KGOU]
Community News
First Community Conversation allows residents to meet with Tulsa officials: Mayor Monroe Nichols began the conversation by providing an update on the six major initiatives he and his staff are working on at City Hall — ending homelessness by 2030; increasing the city’s housing stock; improving student outcomes and supporting children, youth and families; making Tulsa the safest big city in the country; ensuring equality of economic opportunity; and, co-governing with local tribal nations. [Tulsa World]
Terence Crutcher Foundation secures NBA Foundation grant to empower north Tulsa youth: The Terence Crutcher Foundation (TCF) is stepping into a new era of impact after being selected as a Round 14 grantee by the NBA Foundation. The partnership will fuel the Foundation’s signature program, Project LEAD, a youth fellowship designed to shape the next generation of north Tulsa leaders. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Fall of Saigon, 50 years later: Oklahomans share their stories, memories and feelings: For the last 50 years, the evacuees and their families have had a huge impact on Oklahoma City through food, businesses, faith and more. Several Oklahomans have shared their first-person stories, memories and feelings about then and now. [The Oklahoman]
- Falling into place: How Vietnamese refugees have helped shape OKC for 50 years [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Coweta entering agreement to enter lawsuit about ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water [Tulsa World]
- OKC Council grants zoning change for Red Ridge Nature Preserve and assures trail completion [The Oklahoman]
- OKC Council approves “Project Galaxy” film rebate, rezoning plan [The Journal Record]
- Norman City Council delays vote on Rock Creek District development plan [News 9]
- Shawnee schools names Jason James as superintendent after Aaron Espolt’s exit [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“What folks have found nationwide is if you give people a few more days to catch up, you are more likely to keep them in the property and they’re more likely to pay you the back rent. And that’s less time that landlord goes without having someone in that property.”
– Sen. Julia Kirt (Oklahoma City) speaking about her bill, SB 128, which would address Oklahoma’s shorter-than-average eviction timelines. The bill would extend the time between an eviction trial notice being given to a tenant and the court date, extending the minimum to 10 days — which is the current maximum — and increasing the maximum to 15 days. It passed in the Oklahoma Senate with bipartisan support. [KGOU]
Number of the Day
8.1%
The share of workers in Oklahoma’s labor force who are immigrants. Construction is the Oklahoma industry with the largest share of immigrant workers at nearly 1 in 5 workers (19.5%). [American Immigration Council]
Policy Note
Immigration FAQ: Immigration is among the most important economic and political issues and a main topic of discourse and debate among policymakers and the public. But misperceptions persist about many fundamental aspects of this crucial topic. This FAQ addresses essential background and facts, as well as frequently asked questions, with short answers that include relevant data and extensive citations to key sources. [Economic Policy Institute]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
