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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
“This family is all of us”: Federal lawmaker criticizes Oklahoma ICE raid, Homeland Security responds: A federal lawmaker criticized a recent ICE raid on an innocent family’s home in Oklahoma City during a U.S. House Judiciary Committee meeting following News 4’s coverage of the incident. [KFOR]
- Homeland Security admits Oklahoma raid targeted wrong people [KFOR]
- ICE Agents Raid Home, Force Family Out in Their Underwear: ‘Traumatized’ [Newsweek]
- U.S.-citizen family ‘traumatized’ after ICE raided their Oklahoma home in search of someone else [NBC News]
State Government News
‘Personal grudge’: Sen. Lisa Standridge blocking Michael Tinney appointment to State Board of Education: Frustrated with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s February removal of her friend, Kendra Wesson, from the State Board of Education, Sen. Lisa Standridge says she has decided not to support the nomination of Wesson’s successor, Michael Tinney, which means his tenure on the board could end later this month despite already having attended two board meetings. [NonDoc]
- As Gov. Stitt overhauls Oklahoma education board, lawmakers won’t consider this nominee [The Oklahoman]
Ethics Commission approves second Ryan Walters settlement, dismisses Hiett cases and other complaints: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission today voted to settle a case alleging “serious campaign finance rule violations” by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who is set to pay $18,300 in fines and legal fees after paying to the state a 2022 contribution of $2,100 from a local school board election committee called “Cross for Jenks.” [NonDoc]
- Walters will pay $18,300 to settle with Oklahoma Ethics Commission [KOSU]
- Ryan Walters to pay $18,300 settlement to resolve fundraising accusations [The Oklahoman]
Public obscenity bill that could impact drag shows heads to Oklahoma governor: The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday sent Gov. Kevin Stitt a bill that would bar obscene performances on public property or areas where minors are present despite concerns that it is unconstitutional and aimed at impacting drag shows. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma’s governor and schools chief at odds on collecting student immigration data: State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he would share immigration status data with federal authorities. But one of Walters’ loudest and most surprising critics is conservative Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who first met Walters at a tennis match and helped launch his political career. [CBS News]
Meet a state official who is passionate about education and has many ideas for change: At a recent Oklahoma City Chamber event, Sen. Adam Pugh of Edmond rattled off half a dozen ideas for making the state’s educational system more flexible, more innovative, more individual and more responsive to the needs of both students and the employers who need a steady stream of smart, well-prepared job-seekers. Such concrete, constructive and high-level improvement suggestions do not ordinarily come from state legislators — even those who head legislative committees. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Social studies standards, March wildfires report, state budget countdown and more (audio): The panel talks discuss controversial social studies standards surviving a deadline at the State Capitol, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointing a new person to the State Board of Education, and the governor’s task force on March wildfires releasing its first report. The trio also discusses the final month of the 2025 state legislature as lawmakers work to craft a budget for the fiscal year starting on July 1 and the Oklahoma Arts Council cancels its biennial conference amid uncertainty in state and federal funding. [KOSU]
Opinion: Oklahoma policies are supposed to help us thrive, not make us feel unwelcome: A bill that removes medical decisions from the doctor and patient ― giving power to insurance companies, administrators and even office staff ― is morally wrong. It’s also bad for business. [Alexandra Towler-Bliss / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Three-quarters of Americans oppose Medicaid cuts, poll shows: A majority of Americans, including most Republicans, oppose major cuts in federal funding for Medicaid, according to a poll released Thursday by the nonpartisan health research organization KFF. [Oklahoma Voice]
U.S. House GOP advances Trump mass deportations plan with huge funding boosts: U.S. House Judiciary Republicans Wednesday worked in committee on a portion of a major legislative package that would help fund President Donald Trump’s plans to conduct mass deportations of people living in the United States without permanent legal status. [Oklahoma Voice]
- What is ICE? What to know in wake of Oklahoma house raid, Trump deportation goals [The Oklahoman]
Did an Oklahoma member of Congress have over a million dollars in business loans forgiven while serving as a representative?: Yes. Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s various plumbing businesses received $1.45 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans in April 2020 that have been forgiven. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Conservative ‘Project 2025’ plan focused on greed and power for White men: I’ve just finished up with a study group of Project 2025. There are several common themes throughout: getting rid of regulations, eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion in all corners of the country, and privatizing many of the functions of the federal government. The agenda is obvious: greed, or as one of our group members liked to remind us, “follow the money.” [Maureen Harvey / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Education Watch: Senate Proposal to Reject Controversial Standards Fails: A proposal by the Senate education chairman to reject the academic standards for social studies and science did not survive this week. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Senate Pro Tem details why caucus did not take action on social studies standards [Fox 25]
- Senate and House republicans are asked why they didn’t act on school standards [KFOR]
Health News
Lawmakers OK stop to Oklahoma mental health hospital construction, pivot to new OKC location: State lawmakers moved one step closer to abandoning plans to construct a state-of-the-art inpatient mental health hospital in Oklahoma City amid massive cost overruns and construction delays. [Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma’s new ‘Jail Standards Act’ signed into law: A bill mandating yearly inspections and establishing minimum standards for Oklahoma’s county detention centers was signed into state law by Gov. Kevin Stitt Monday. [KOSU]
Oklahoma Legislature votes to lengthen some prison sentences: State House Republicans sent Senate Bill 631, by Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, to Gov. Kevin Stitt on a party-line vote, 71-17. SB 631, which has attracted little attention this session, would add shooting into a building to the growing list of crimes for which 85% of a sentence must be served before a person can become eligible for parole or release. [Tulsa World]
Incarcerated Women Find Their Voices Through Journalism: A number of obstacles needed to be cleared to launch inmate-run newspapers at Oklahoma’s two women’s prisons, Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud and Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft. [Oklahoma Watch]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Homelessness continues to rise in Oklahoma City, new numbers show: Homelessness is rising both nationally and locally. This year’s count found 1,882 people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, up 2.4% from 2024, according to numbers released Tuesday. That’s an improvement from the 28% increase in homelessness the city saw last year. But homelessness has still increased almost 20% since 2020. [The Frontier]
- The 2025 OKC Point In Time Count is out. What trends do the survey reveal? [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa Mayor says budget cuts won’t derail his goal of eliminating homelessness: Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said the city will continue to push forward on housing and homelessness initiatives despite a budget shortfall he says he inherited from the previous administration. [The Frontier]
- 5 takeaways from mayor’s budget presentation to city officials [Public Radio Tulsa]
Economy & Business News
Small businesses find challenge, opportunity in uncertain climate: Although small business profit margins are holding up, there are signs of slowing spending on discretionary business items like advertising. The decline may be, in part, due to increased spending on inventory financing. [The Journal Record]
New State of Downtown Tulsa report says visitors, workforce are down but changes on the way: A new report released Thursday by Downtown Tulsa Partnership says that while visitors and the number of traditional, physical employees have decreased, downtown has potential growth with major expansions of health care facilities, an exploding tech sector and a planned convention center hotel. [Tulsa World]
Community News
Protestors fearful for immigrants, veterans demonstrate against Trump on May Day: About 200 people protested Donald Trump’s administration Thursday in Tulsa. At the downtown Federal Building on Boulder Avenue, the crowd waved signs, blasted music, and chanted. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Oklahoma nonprofits among the casualties of federal cuts: Nonprofits across the state are among the casualties of federal cuts due to President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. The agency plans to save more than $500 million by dismantling AmeriCorps, a move that leaves the local non-profit and others looking for help. [KOCO]
Local Headlines
- Price Tower bid a winner for Tulsa firm that revitalized historic Mayo Hotel [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma National Stockyards has new ownership [KOSU]
- Week of heavy rain, severe storms leaves 2 dead, caps off wettest April in Oklahoma City [The Oklahoman]
- Former Norman mayor urges city to create stormwater utility after severe flooding [Fox 25]
Quote of the Day
“What happened to that family, once again, of American citizens in Oklahoma City should scare the hell out of all of us.”
-U.S. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont speaking during the U.S. House Judiciary Committee about the April 24 raid where federal immigration agents mistakenly broke down the door of a U.S. citizen’s home in northwest Oklahoma City, ordered a mother and her three daughters to go outside at gunpoint, and seized all of their electronics as well as their life savings in cash. [KFOR]
Number of the Day
3x
Black youth in Oklahoma were nearly three times as likely to be referred to youth justice system involvement as white youth and almost seven times as likely to be placed under Oklahoma Juvenile Affairs custody in 2023. [OK Policy analysis of Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs]
- From OK Policy: Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma: A Landscape Report of the Youth Justice System and Recommendations for Reform
Policy Note
Racial disparities in youth incarceration are the widest they’ve been in decades: Studies show children of color are treated more harshly in the justice system than their white peers, and federal data released last month suggests that disparity is widening — especially for Black and American Indian children. [NPR]
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