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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
Oklahoma lawmakers aim to end the legislative session two weeks early: Oklahoma lawmakers are gearing up to end the legislative session early. A bill to gavel out two weeks before the constitutional deadline has passed both chambers, but not everyone is happy about it. [KOSU]
- Oklahoma state Legislature could finish session early. What’s left? [The Oklahoman]
- State lawmakers set final day of 2026 legislative session [News 9]
- Oklahoma lawmakers decide on date to end legislative session early [Fox 25]
What to Know About State Question 832 and Gradually Raising Oklahoma’s Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour: A long-overdue raise for low-income workers struggling to make ends meet? Or a burdensome mandate on small businesses that will lead to reduced hours for workers and higher consumer prices? [Oklahoma Watch]
- Opinion: I’m a small business owner. I support higher minimum wage [Rex Dorse / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources — Hard work should pay enough to live (Policy Matters)
State Government News
Internal Oklahoma agency memos, bulletins will soon be available for public review: In an effort to increase transparency, Oklahoma’s governor has signed into law a measure that would require state agencies to make public documents that explain how agencies interpret policies. [Oklahoma Voice]
Construction on 3 major projects at Oklahoma Capitol nearing completion: The new projects include an Oklahoma National Guard Memorial Arch, the official completion of the Jim Thorpe Memorial Office Building, and a sidewalk to improve access to the buildings. [The Oklahoman]
Legislative Roundup:
- ‘Baffled’: Bill to end child sexual abuse statute of limitations, NDAs stuck in Oklahoma Senate [NonDoc]
- Parental Choice Tax Credit cap increase signed into Oklahoma law [Fox 25]
- Permanent school cellphone ban signed into law by Oklahoma governor [Oklahoma Voice]
- Lawmakers discuss bill increasing minimum school days [KSWO]
Federal Government News
Federal agencies haven’t started on Trump order restricting voting by mail, DOJ says: Federal agencies say they have yet to take steps to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting voting by mail, as the Department of Justice fights a Democrat-led lawsuit against it. [Oklahoma Voice]
Vice President JD Vance visits Oklahoma City for RNC fundraiser: U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a brief stop in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, May 5, for a private fundraiser benefiting the Republican National Committee. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Oklahoma officials discuss new initiatives to combat Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis: A few hundred people gathered at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Tuesday, remembering their loved ones and advocating for solutions in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis. [KOSU]
- From OK Policy: Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Awareness Day: Oklahoma has improved its framework, but are Native women actually safer?
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma Democrats warn districts at risk after Voting Rights Act ruling: Oklahoma districts created to adhere to the Voting Rights Act could come under siege in the years leading up to the 2030 census, state Senate Democrats warned on Tuesday. [The Journal Record]
Education News
Opinion: Epic Charter was too good to be true. We should have known: There was a time not too long ago when Epic Charter Schools was being talked about as the future of education in Oklahoma. Folks thought it was about the best thing since sliced bread. And to be fair, a lot of folks believed in it. But something didn’t add up. [Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: If you value kids’ education, faith, speak up against HB 3240: Oklahoma families care deeply about faith. For many parents, raising children with strong religious values is not just important — it’s a core responsibility. That’s exactly why House Bill 3240, which would introduce daily opportunities for prayer and religious reading in public schools, deserves careful scrutiny before it moves any further. [Ella Christensen / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Is the life expectancy for Americans 5-10 years less than that of similarly developed countries, as Rep. Breechen claimed? No: As of 2023, life expectancy in America is 78.4 years, 2.7 years less than the average in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, and ranks No. 30 of 38. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s new abortion bill is unnecessary and dangerous: HB 1168 creates a new felony for the “trafficking” of medications, including misoprostol and mifepristone, that are often but not exclusively used for abortions. The bill’s proponents present it as a tough new tool to stop the mailing of abortion pills into Oklahoma. On closer look, HB 1168 will make makes obstetric care in Oklahoma more dangerous and scarce without meaningfully changing existing Oklahoma law. [Janet Koven Levit / The Oklahoman]
Justice System News
Mass shooting at Arcadia Lake prompts calls for violence intervention: Community advocates from the northeast Oklahoma City metro are calling for more investment in violence intervention programs after a mass shooting brought national attention to gun violence in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
- After Arcadia Lake shooting, Oklahoma City community leaders call for intervention [KOSU]
After public outcry, drunk drivers who cause severe injury barred from GPS program: Because of a public outcry, drunk drivers who cause serious injury accidents in Oklahoma have been banned from getting out of prison early on an ankle monitor. [The Oklahoman]
Surprise $14 million likely means Oklahoma County jail will be fully funded: Oklahoma County is looking at smooth financing for 2026-2027, the second fiscal year in a row — with even the jail getting full funding — thanks to $14 million the county clerk’s office “found” last month. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Opinion: HB 1979 continues Oklahoma’s momentum. Stitt should sign it: Oklahoma’s economy is on the move. Its unemployment rate is among the lowest in the nation. Median income is rising. And for the third straight year, Oklahoma ranks among the top 10 states for people choosing to live, work and build their futures here. Right now, Gov. Kevin Stitt has an opportunity to build on that progress. [Wendy Doyle / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Okfuskee County sheriff announces resignation in wake of high-profile jail escape [Tulsa World]
- Few show up for Tulsa mayor’s Community Conversation [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa Women’s Commission event raises more than $212K for YWCA Tulsa [Tulsa Flyer]
- $27M in basketball courts, renovations and pavilions coming to north Tulsa parks [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Quote of the Day
“If someone in our state works full-time, they shouldn’t be in poverty. That’s not a strong economy. That’s a broken one.”
– Shiloh Kantz, executive director of OK Policy, speaking at a forum on SQ 832. The state question would gradually raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by the end of the decade, followed by automatic cost-of-living adjustments. Oklahoma voters will decide SQ 832 on the June 16 ballot. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
$3,569
The monthly budget required for a single adult with no children to meet basic needs in Custer County, which works out to just over $22 per hour. Even in a rural county where costs are often assumed to be lower, basic necessities still far outpace the minimum wage. Adding additional adults or children to the household significantly increases those costs, highlighting the growing gap between wages and the actual cost of living — and the importance of raising the minimum wage. [Economic Policy Institute]
Policy Note
Minimum wage: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis: Minimum wage protections in the United States have weakened over time as the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged since 2009, steadily eroding its purchasing power and leaving many workers unable to afford basic living expenses. In response, states should take the lead in protecting workers by raising minimum wages, eliminating subminimum wages for tipped and disabled workers, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and expanding coverage to workers historically excluded from federal protections. At the same time, weakened federal enforcement and proposed rollbacks to labor standards threaten to increase wage theft and leave more workers without meaningful safeguards. Ultimately, the minimum wage debate reflects a broader worker rights crisis in which labor standards have failed to keep pace with rising living costs and the realities of low-wage work. [Economic Policy Institute]
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