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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
Silence in the face of injustice puts each of us at risk (Commentary): Being an immigrant does not give the government carte blanche to violate people’s constitutional rights, human rights, and basic decency. We cannot use immigration status to justify authoritarian repression, violation of due process, and punishment of our immigrant friends and neighbors for what is ultimately Congress’s decades of failure to create pathways to citizenship and fix our long-broken immigration system. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma wants to teach kids Trump’s false version of the 2020 election where he was cheated out of victory: The Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, announced a new education policy for the state on Thursday, which includes the allegation that there were “discrepancies” in the 2020 election, which President Donald Trump baselessly claims was stolen from him. [The Independent]
- Over 14K Sign Christian Petition Issuing Warning on Supreme Court Case [Newsweek]
Housing access would increase if Oklahoma’s minimum wage grew to $15 an hour, report finds: Tens of thousands of more Oklahomans would be able to afford housing if the state’s minimum wage were raised to $15 an hour, according to a new report. [Oklahoma Voice]
State Government News
‘Insufficient funds’: ODMHSAS faces payroll default to start Mental Health Awareness Month: The confusing crisis within Oklahoma’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has left the agency unable to make payroll in the first week of Mental Health Awareness Month, Speaker Kyle Hilbert told House members Thursday evening. [NonDoc]
- ODMHSAS Commissioner set to meet with lawmakers on Monday amid payroll issues [Fox 25]
- Oklahoma AG calls for commissioner’s firing amid mental health agency’s ‘financial meltdown’ [Oklahoma Voice]
- Mental Health Agency Warns of Payroll Issues Amid Cash Crunch [Oklahoma Watch]
- Oklahoma’s mental health agency says it will pay employees after first claiming it couldn’t [KOSU]
- Oklahoma mental health department unable to make payroll amid financial crisis [The Oklahoman]
- Mental Health Department’s financial mess frustrates state budget makers [Tulsa World]
- Shocking email sent to legislators about payroll problems with ODMHSAS [KFOR]
- State workers face payroll uncertainty amid mismanagement at mental health department [KOCO]
‘State of emergency’: DOC asking Legislature to buy private Lawton prison: After last year’s contentious contract negotiations narrowly avoided a public safety problem, Oklahoma appears poised to allocate $312 million of cash reserves to purchase a Lawton prison owned by the GEO Group, which currently receives a per diem rate to house about 2,300 state inmates. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma Democrats disappointed GOP won’t hold Ryan Walters accountable: Oklahoma lawmakers are allowing a set of newly proposed social studies education standards to take effect without any action. Opposed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the rules are criticized for focusing on 2020 election denialism and could have been rejected with a resolution. Democrats call the inaction a failure. [KOSU]
- Why didn’t lawmakers take controversial academic standards to a vote? [Tulsa World]
Republicans cry foul over ‘bonus vote’ as controversial SB 224 passes in Oklahoma House: Some Republicans are upset about a vote on SB 224 that occurred on Thursday. The bill would consolidate student data collection into the Oklahoma Education and Workforce Efficiency Data System. It passed the House floor Thursday afternoon, but not without controversy. Rep. Tom Gann of Inola said the vote on the bill did not align with House rules. [Fox 25]
Oklahoma Governor’s Proposal to Use Emergency Funds for Tax Cuts Sparks Controversy: Amid discussions at the Oklahoma Capitol, there’s notable discord about the governor’s recent proposal to tap into the state’s emergency savings for tax cuts. Critics argue that these cuts would primarily benefit wealthy individuals, leaving the majority with minimal relief. Source reports indicate that the plan would redirect funds usually reserved for protecting state services during financial downturns to implement these cuts. [Hoodline]
- From OK Policy: Only smash the piggy bank in emergencies
AG’s Office opposes court-ordered removal of Osage County wind farm: The state of Oklahoma has joined backers of an Osage County wind farm development in opposing its court-ordered removal. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Ethics Commission clears Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett: Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett is thanking the Ethics Commission for clearing him after an investigation into accusations he violated a conflict of interest rule. [The Oklahoman]
House Sends Bill Banning Corporal Punishment of Disabled Students to Gov. Stitt’s Desk: A yearslong legislative effort to ban Oklahoma teachers and support staff from using physical force to discipline students with severe disabilities has prevailed. Senate Bill 364 now heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk for consideration. [Oklahoma Watch]
Food is Medicine Act headed to Gov. Stitt’s desk: A bill that would allow programs supplying nutrition-rich fresh food to be covered by Medicaid is now headed to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s desk. [Fox 23]
Why Oklahoma officials want to crack down on hemp’s unregulated THC loophole: There also seems to be little interest from the Legislature to address what the executive branch sees as a problem. While lawmakers filed bills in 2025 to add restrictions on the medical marijuana industry, there was no push to clarify hemp laws. [The Oklahoman]
Political notebook: Legislature faces busy week: Look for a few late nights in the Capitol this week as lawmakers are up against another deadline as they head into the final three weeks (or less) of the session. [Tulsa World]
Monday Minute: A Mental Health Crisis: How does one describe covering regular sessions of the Oklahoma Legislature to a newcomer on the scene? Well, imagine knowing you will end up in a bus wreck every May. Sure, you don’t know when it’s coming or which way the vehicle will fly off the road. You don’t know if it will flip or slide, who will get the worst of things or who will end up on TV. But you know the wreck is coming, and you’re begrudgingly along for the ride. [NonDoc]
Opinion, Capitol Insider: Governor signs bills entering last month of the legislative session: We are now in the final month of the regular legislative session and the legislature has been sending bills to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his consideration. The governor has signed some bills and allowed others to become law without his signature of approval. [KGOU]
Opinion: Walters wins Oklahoma’s fight over social studies standards, at the expense of public transparency: Last week, State Superintendent Ryan Walters getting exactly what he wanted: a set of controversial social studies standards, quietly altered at the last minute, limping their way across the finish line. They took effect by default with no public legislative vote. If it sounds like a lame ending to the reality TV program “Survivor,” you’d be spot on. Walters walked away with the $1 million prize while his constituents, who wanted to exercise their right to engage in the government process, were effectively eliminated after the first round. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Editorial: How is the mental health ‘business’ going in Oklahoma? Not so great: No successful business would be run this way. The buck, or in this case millions of bucks or tens of millions of bucks, stops with the governor. [Tulsa World Editorial Board]
Federal Government News
An Oklahoma father had an immigration court date. Then an email told him to ‘depart immediately’: A 38-year-old father of two who lives in Oklahoma City, is one of thousands of migrants who are being forced to make life-altering decisions as President Donald Trump’s push to end illegal immigration spreads to people who have permission to live in the U.S. Sanchez had temporary protected status through a Biden-era program ended by Trump. Now, instead of trying to have his case for asylum heard in an immigration court, the email gave him two options: Leave the U.S. voluntarily or risk being deported by immigration enforcement. [The Oklahoman]
- ‘Catch and revoke’: New policy means zero tolerance for visa holders [USA Today]
Homeland Security pushes back against criticism of immigration raid at Oklahoma home: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday fought back against criticism over its handling of a raid of an Oklahoma City home as part of a migrant smuggling investigation, saying the people living there haven’t been ruled out as suspects. [Associated Press]
Border agents posted at Tucson maternity ward to quickly deport migrant mom: A Guatemalan woman who gave birth in Tucson on Wednesday — days after entering Arizona through the desert and getting arrested by border agents — is facing rapid deportation proceedings under Trump’s “expedited removal” policy, which could put her and her baby’s health and safety at risk, according to an immigration attorney. [Arizona Daily Star via Tulsa World]
Trump asks Congress to cut $163B in non-defense spending, ax dozens of programs: President Donald Trump released a budget request Friday that would dramatically slash some federal spending, the initial step in a monthslong process that will include heated debate on Capitol Hill as both political parties work toward a final government funding agreement. [Oklahoma Voice]
- D.C. Digest: Cole among appropriators irked by White House budget maneuvers [Tulsa World]
- Trump budget would slash rental aid by 40% — and let states fill the gap if they want [NPR]
At This Humble Used Car Lot, Tariffs Are Beginning to Sting: A Lawton used car dealer is trying to hold his car business together as President Trump’s tariffs drive up costs — and drive his customers deeper into crisis. [New York Times]
Opinion: Oklahoma should tell Maryland: Let them eat crab cake: Hi Oklahoma! I’m from Maryland, one of the bluest and most progressive states in the country. Our taxes are way too high. Our spending is out of control. Our state’s finances are a total mess. But it could get worse. If Congress can’t get its act together, Oklahoma taxpayers and residents of other red states across the country might help bail out Maryland with an enormous tax cut for our wealthiest residents. [Brandon Arnold / National Taxpayers Union]
- From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: High-Income People Who Received Large Net Tax Cuts in 2017 Law Don’t Need a New SALT Tax Cut
Opinion: What The Oklahoman readers are saying about the president’s first 100 days: We asked readers what grade they would you give President Donald Trump for his first 100 days during his second term in office. Most of those who responded, including some Republicans, were not pleased with his performance, but others said Trump is doing exactly what he was elected to do. [Your Views / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
On MMIP Awareness Day, Proposed Cuts to Tribal Law Enforcement Threaten Justice: On May 5, thousands of Native Americans will hold rallies and march to recognize the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). President Trump’s budget proposal, announced Friday, calls for a $107 million reduction — a 20% cut —to tribal law enforcement funding. The proposed reduction is going in the wrong direction. If anything, there should be a significant increase to law enforcement in Indian Country. [Native News Online]
Creek Freedmen case moves to oral arguments at Tribal Supreme Court: Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court will hear arguments in June that could restore treaty-promised citizenship to Black Creek descendants expelled in 1979. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Seminole Nation breaks ground on transit project after transferring 308 acres into trust: After receiving two grants worth over $31 million and having 308 acres of fee land go into trust status, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma can break ground on an ambitious multi-purpose facility in the City of Seminole. [KOSU]
Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum to repatriate remains, artifacts to various Oklahoma tribes: Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa is repatriating thousands of Native items, including human remains, back to Oklahoma tribes.
This latest deaccession is part of the museum’s years-long effort to return tribal artifacts under the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. [KOSU]
Opinion: Trump’s FY26 Budget Proposal Threatens Treaty and Trust Responsibilities to Indian Country: On Friday, May 2, the President released his Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, which outlines severe funding cuts to Indian Country. These proposed reductions threaten to undermine the federal government’s treaty and trust obligations to Tribal Nations. [Aaron Payment / Native News Online]
Voting and Election News
Election Board sending out address confirmation notices to voters: Oklahomans who want to vote in upcoming elections should be aware that state officials are now mailing out address confirmation notices, the State Election Board’s first step toward purging inactive voter registrations. [Tulsa World]
- From Oklahoma Election Board: Address Confirmation Notices Mailed to Oklahoma Voters
Education News
Student Absences Have Surged Since COVID. Some Lawmakers Say Parents Should be Jailed: As educators nationwide grapple with stubbornly high levels of student absences since the pandemic drove schools into disarray five years ago, Oklahoma prosecutor Erik Johnson says he has the solution. Throw parents in jail. [The 74]
- From Oklahoma Appleseed: Courts should be last resort when addressing student truancy, absenteeism
Double DOGE: How universities in red states are handling “efficiency” demands from all sides: Oklahoma is one of about a dozen states that have considered an approach similar to the federal DOGE, which has commanded deep cuts to federal spending and the federal workforce, with limited justification. As academia becomes a piñata for the president and his supporters, Republican state lawmakers and governors are assembling in line: They want to get their whacks in too. [Slate]
Financial literacy? CPR? Explaining Oklahoma’s non-academic graduation requirements: Along with earning 23 academic credits, state law stipulates that Oklahoma seniors must also complete several non-academic requirements in order to graduate from an Oklahoma high school. [Tulsa World]
As reading scores fall, states turn to phonics — but not without a fight: As states rush to address falling literacy scores, a new kind of education debate in state legislatures is taking hold: not whether reading instruction needs fixing, but how to fix it. [Oklahoma Voice]
Former Norman teacher asks judge to order state education board to give her license back: A former Norman Public Schools teacher whose license was revoked by the Oklahoma State Board of Education is asking an Oklahoma County judge to reverse the board’s order. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
New HHS report “opens door to conversion therapy,” says Freedom Oklahoma: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report this week that advocates and health professionals say could put transgender youth at risk nationwide. The report, that advocates argue is cloaked in medical jargon and political spin, could undermine decades of established clinical care. Critics say it greenlights conversion therapy practices long denounced by every major health organization in the country. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: YMCA and Oklahoma Complete Health creating healthier communities: In communities across Oklahoma, families are discovering new ways to prioritize their health and well-being. These efforts are not just about individual health; they are about building stronger, more connected communities where Oklahomans have the chance to thrive. [Jeff Heeley / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Nearing 3-year mark, Epic criminal case still stalled as Judge Susan Stallings rejects latest recusal request: Refuting claims she had an “attorney-client relationship” with Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office owing to a prior recusal motion filed by Epic Youth Services co-founder Ben Harris, Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Stallings denied another motion requesting her recusal Friday from David Chaney, Harris’ longtime business partner and co-defendant in the embezzlement and racketeering case that features a preliminary hearing on hold for more than a year. [NonDoc]
Sheriff and district attorney deny claims made in grand jury petition by Wagoner citizens: Agrassroots group of Wagoner County citizens is seeking signatures to impanel a grand jury to legally remove Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott and long-time District Attorney Jack Thorp from office. Wagoner County Citizens Against Corruption LLC is behind the grand jury petition. [Wagoner County American Tribune Reporter]
OKC’s Palomar Family Justice Center the latest agency hit by federal grant cuts: Federal grant cuts have hit Oklahoma City’s Palomar Family Justice Center, an important resource for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and children who have been abused. [The Okahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Myths and misconceptions about homelessness persist in OKC. What do experts have to say?: Are all homeless people mentally-ill drug addicts? Are swaths of homeless people being bused into the city from other states? Are homeless people choosing to be homeless? To all of these frequently asked questions, data for Oklahoma City says no. A panel of experts attempted to dispel these persistent myths about homelessness to an audience of 200 people during a recent Key to Home event in Oklahoma City’s northeast side. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
Why guesthouses might benefit multi-generational families, providing more housing options: Under a proposed ordinance, guesthouses could become an easier achievement for homeowners and provide another solution to affordable housing. The Oklahoma City Council is expected to hold a final hearing on May 6 and if passed, homeowners would be able to build guesthouses “by right,” which means the rules and regulations are embedded in the zoning code set by the Oklahoma City Planning Commission. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Zoning reform is a key step to increasing housing in Oklahoma, especially as the need for more affordable housing continues to grow.
Opinion: Oklahoma’s eviction crisis is costing everyone: Recent legislative proposals have attempted to address homelessness by expanding criminalization of sheltering in public spaces and prohibiting homeless services. These approaches attempt to address the outcome of homelessness while ignoring the cause. To develop effective solutions, legislators must address systematic failures — most notably, eviction. Nothing drives homelessness quite like eviction. [Grant Musick / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s consistent hunger rate hides rising need: Look more closely at Oklahoma’s steady rate of hunger to find a story about a heavy lift happening to keep our neighbors from starving. The state consistently ranks high in the nation when it comes to food insecurity. It’s hovered at about 15% of households for at least a decade, and children are affected more: 1 in 4 Oklahoma children go without food at some points in the year, compared to 1 in 6 adults and seniors. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Opinion: Resilience will decide who wins the AI race: The winner of the AI race will not be the country that merely invents the most powerful models—it will be the one that successfully integrates AI across society: in government, defense, industry, and everyday life. The decisive metric will be resilience—a nation’s ability to absorb the disruptive impacts of AI, adapt its institutions, and deploy AI systems with scale, trust, and strategic coherence. [Tyrance Billingsley II / The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: Amid tariffs, leverage Foreign Trade Zones in Oklahoma: In the wake of President Donald Trump’s significant tariff increases, Oklahoma can leverage Foreign Trade Zones for economic resilience and growth — if these tariffs persist. While the eventual removal of these tariffs would be more beneficial for businesses overall, FTZs offer strategic advantages in the current environment. [Eric Olson and Jason M. Walter / Tulsa World]
Community News
How Flora Bodega is redefining food equity in Oklahoma City: A Black-owned grocery co-op in the Paseo Arts District is cultivating community through hyperlocal food, cooperative ownership, and cultural preservation. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Hundreds protest against immigration policies, demand workforce reform in Oklahoma City: Hundreds of protestors gathered in downtown Oklahoma City’s Scissortail Park on May 4, demanding immigration and workforce reform through an event called “Marcha hasta que nos escuchen”, Spanish for “March until they hear us.” [The Oklahoman]
Tulsans organize ‘die-in’ to underscore attacks on democracy: Protesters gathered Saturday at Woodward Park to decry the policies of President Trump. The event comes on the heels of a series of demonstrations across the country at the start of May. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Why Black Americans Are Watching Ibrahim Traoré: As Western media and white-led newsrooms bypass Africa’s political tectonics, a quiet shift is capturing the attention of culturally aware and politically engaged Black Americans. Ibrahim Traoré, the 37-year-old leader of Burkina Faso, is unapologetically rejecting Western imperialism and white supremacy has cemented his status as a modern icon of resistance. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: How do we find compromise without being compromised?: Coming off a recent election, we are inundated with discussions of deep political divides and the harmful effects of increasing polarization. We hear calls for unity and for finding common ground. But the question I find myself asking — one that is deeply personal yet universal — is this: How do we find compromise without being compromised? Where is the common ground when there is an ocean of differences between us? [Shane Aaron / Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Oklahoma County, Crooked Oak land swap deadline extended by 2 weeks, but opposition remains [The Oklahoman]
- New Oklahoma County commissioner sticks with his choice for chief deputy despite criticism [The Oklahoman]
- Latest downtown Tulsa annual report reveals some numbers that defy trends [Tulsa World]
- Third Community Conversation with mayor set for Monday [Tulsa World]
- Construction of Google data center disrupts Stillwater pond [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“There are humans behind those numbers, and their experience is not a statistic for them. We always have to remember that even one person experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City is one too many. The people experiencing homelessness are our family and friends and neighbors, and we owe a duty to our fellow humans to do all we can to help them avoid that experience or make it as brief as possible.”
-Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, speaking at a panel event about homelessness in Oklahoma City. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
79%
Four-in-five (79 percent) SNAP households included either a child, an elderly individual, or a nonelderly individual with a disability. SNAP is the nation’s largest food assistance program. [U.S. Department of Agriculture]
Policy Note
Worsening SNAP’s Harsh Work Requirement Would Take Food Assistance Away From Millions of Low-Income People: As Republican lawmakers draft legislation to enact the deep cuts called for in their budget resolution, it appears increasingly likely that proposals to make SNAP’s existing harsh work requirement broader and more punitive will be included. This could take food away from millions of people in low-income households who are struggling to find steady work or who face substantial barriers to employment, including families with children — despite some lawmakers falsely claiming this policy would not cut food assistance benefits. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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