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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
Statement: Gov.’s veto of SB 128 rejects bipartisan solution that would have helped landlords and kept Oklahomans in their homes: Right now, large corporate landlords and bad actors can exploit Oklahoma’s eviction laws to extract extra revenue from their tenants. Under the current system, landlords are able to bounce tenants on the street in under two weeks. This is almost no time to pay back rent, no time to ask off work and find child care, and no time to find a lawyer or prepare for court. And, as housing costs rise faster than wages, more families are falling behind. SB 128 wouldn’t have stopped evictions — it just would have slowed the clock. That’s not radical. That’s meeting the needs of everyday Oklahomans. [Sabine Brown / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma’s per-pupil spending now dead last in region as teacher compensation slips: New state-by-state comparisons reveal that Oklahoma’s per-pupil spending is dead last among surrounding states and that the average teacher compensation in public schools has slipped to 38th in the nation, lagging the regional average by nearly $2,300. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt vetoes bill to bolster OSBI office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples: As people gathered around the Oklahoma Capitol to support victims and their families, Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill tweaking a law he signed to help solve the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis. [KOSU]
- Oklahoma governor vetoes MMIP bill, saying investigators shouldn’t prioritize cases ‘based on race’ [The Oklahoman]
- Stitt vetoes measure amending Ida’s Law on missing or murdered Indigenous people [Tulsa World]
- Bill to allow state funding for Office of Liaison for Missing Murdered Indigenous People vetoed on MMIP Awareness Day [Fox 23]
- Tribes upset over a bill vetoed by Gov. Stitt [KFOR]
Reports: 92% of private school tax credit recipients already had children in private schools: A report from the Oklahoma Tax Commission shows that the state’s private school tax credit is largely benefiting families already enrolled in private schools, sparking debate among supporters and opponents. [KOCO]
- From the Oklahoma Tax Commission: Parental Choice Tax Credit Report for 2025-2026 school year
- From OK Policy: Private school tax credits will give everyone’s taxes to people who don’t need our help
State Government News
Oklahoma mental health providers say they’re owed nearly $150M in reimbursements: Behavioral health providers contracted with Oklahoma’s mental health department are no longer being reimbursed for some services provided and can’t sustain the cost, an industry advocate said. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Long Story Short: Mental health agency warns of payroll issues amid cash crunch [KGOU]
- Executive director back on hot seat as Mental Health Department’s finances remain murky [Tulsa World]
- Lawmakers “frustrated” with lack of financial answers from Mental Health Department [KFOR]
Citing local control worries, municipalities oppose bill aimed to limit ‘NIMBYism’: As Oklahoma communities seek solutions to the ongoing national housing crisis — exemplified locally by the fact only one apartment complex has been completed since 2012 in the city of Edmond, where the average home price has ballooned above $430,000 — some municipalities are opposing legislation aimed at combating “NIMBYism” to support housing needs. [NonDoc]
More Norman property owners may lose homes as OTA revives frontage road plan: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is adding back frontage roads into plans for a new east-west toll road hotly opposed by area residents and not supported by the Norman City Council. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt vetoes eviction timeline extension bill: Senate Bill 128 proposed increasing the required amount of time between an eviction trial notice and the court date from a minimum of five days to ten days and a maximum of ten days to 15 days. [KOSU]
Rep. state senator files resolution to overturn ruling making gay marriage legal: There is growing reaction Tuesday night as a Republican state lawmaker calls on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its ruling, making gay marriage legal. LGBTQ+ advocates say they are annoyed that, in this day and age, legislators are still trying to define what love is for everyone. [KFOR]
Legislative Roundup
- Despite OCC pushback, utility bill that would boost natural gas plants in Oklahoma heads to governor [KGOU]
- Senate advances gun bill that could expand gun rights for Oklahoma municipal employees [Oklahoma Voice]
- Bill banning DEI on Oklahoma university campuses heads to governor’s desk [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma lawmakers pass bill to ban funding DEI at state universities [The Journal Record]
- Higher education bill gets a D-minus — barely passing — from the Oklahoma House [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma Senate Unanimously Approves ‘Neil’s Law’ to Shield Elders and Vulnerable Adults from Abuse [Hoodline]
- Oklahoma House Democrats choose Tulsa legislator to lead caucus starting in 2027 [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma legislation would help victims of scammers: Cryptocurrency ATMs, unlike other regulated financial institutions, lack state-level fraud protections and oversight. SB 1083 adds targeted safeguards, mandating that new customers who fall victim to cryptocurrency ATM fraud may receive a refund if they report the incident within 14 days to law enforcement and the ATM operator. [Jeff Miller / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Federal REAL ID law enforcement begins as Oklahomans continue to hesitate: Two decades after Congress passed new security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses, the federal government has finally begun requiring it for access to commercial airlines and federal buildings. Most Oklahomans don’t yet have those cards, however. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma’s weather scientists are ready for tornado season despite threat of DOGE cuts: With the world’s weather data at their fingertips, Norman’s meteorologists also track storms that spawn elsewhere as they hone their skills at detecting the telltale signs of dangerous weather. The National Severe Storms Laboratory is under threat, however. [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Cherokee, Muscogee nations return with summer food benefits: The Cherokee and Muscogee nations are once again promoting summer food benefits. The tribes are offering $120 per qualifying child for groceries. Eligible children receive or are qualified for free or reduced lunches. Families on other certain public benefits also qualify. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Voting and Election News
HD 71 Republican runoff: Atteberry, Garza talk poultry, education, infrastructure: Republicans Tania Garza and Beverly Atteberry are looking to flip House District 71 in an upcoming special election to replace former Democratic Rep. Amanda Swope, who resigned for employment with the City of Tulsa. But before either candidate can face the Democratic nominee Amanda Clinton, they have to win majority support from HD 71 GOP voters on May 13. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma GOP adds new policy priorities to platform: The Oklahoma Republican Party has added several new priorities to its party platform, including opposing funding increases for public schools, banning 5G technology and eliminating mail-in and early voting. The platform now includes calls to abolish the state income tax, abolish the minimum wage, abolish the Federal Reserve, and oppose “any increased state funding” for “government schools.” [KFOR]
Education News
First round of Oklahoma Senate ed confirmation hearings go smoothly, after week of tumult: The chair of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education earned unanimous approval to continue leading the executive agency board as the Senate Education Committee held its first day of confirmation hearings in the 2025 legislative session. [The Oklahoman]
- Governor appoints retired Edmond teacher to Oklahoma State Board of Education [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma governor signs mandatory one-year school cellphone ban into law: Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a yearlong ban on student cellphone use in all Oklahoma public schools. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Cellphones will be banned in Oklahoma schools for 2025-26 school year: What to know [The Oklahoman]
- Stitt signs bill to ban cellphones in schools [Tulsa World]
- Opinion: Without input from teachers, our Legislature has given us a bad cellphone law [Aaron Baker / The Oklahoman]
Tulsa school board OK’s policy extension allowing people without bachelor’s degrees to teach: After almost an hour of discussion, Tulsa Public Schools’ Board of Education voted 6-1 Monday night to reauthorize a program that allows for people without a bachelor’s degree to teach full-time in the district. [Tulsa World]
John Rex Charter School moves to renew contract with Oklahoma City Public Schools: The leader of a charter school located in downtown Oklahoma City has presented the case for the renewal of the charter to the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education. [The Oklahoman]
Brad Carson announces end of his University of Tulsa presidency: Effective May 31, former Congressman Brad Carson announced in a tweet he is stepping down as president of the University of Tulsa to lead Americans for Responsible Innovation, an artificial intelligence-related nonprofit based in Washington D.C. [NonDoc]
- TU President Brad Carson stepping down [Tulsa World]
- TU President Brad Carson to step down [Public Radio Tulsa]
Health News
Nonpartisan poll finds ‘remarkably low’ trust in federal health agencies: Less than half of Americans have confidence in federal public health agencies’ ability to regulate prescriptions, approve vaccines and respond to outbreaks, according to a poll released Tuesday by the nonpartisan health research organization KFF. [Oklahoma Voice]
Two more measles infections confirmed; 17 total cases reported in Oklahoma: Two more measles infections have been confirmed across the state in the past week, with 17 total cases reported by Oklahoma health officials. No new public exposure notices have been posted since alerts last month in Sallisaw and within the Cherokee Nation. [Tulsa World]
- Can measles “reset” the immune system’s previously built immunities? [Oklahoma Watch]
Criminal Justice News
‘Lauria and Ashley’s Law’ will change this Oklahoma criminal sentencing law: A criminal sentencing reform bill named in honor of two teenagers killed in far northeastern Oklahoma will become law. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1001, better known as “Lauria and Ashley’s Law,” on May 5. [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa police union seeks to keep officer disciplinary records secret: A police union has sued to prevent the release of officer disciplinary records after The Frontier asked Tulsa for the documents. The Tulsa Police Department has already released over 100 pages of records that show disciplinary actions for officers who were found to have violated agency rules. [The Frontier]
- FOP lawsuit shines light on practice of purging, expunging police records [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
OKC Council postpones decision on ADU zoning changes: An ordinance that would allow accessory dwelling units by right on single-family lots in designated areas of the city’s urban core was deferred for two weeks Tuesday. [The Journal Record]
- From OK Policy: Zoning reform is a key step to increasing housing in Oklahoma
Listen to KGOU’s Oklahoma Future Forum: OKC Homelessness event (audio): On May 1, KGOU, in partnership with KFOR, hosted the discussion with panelists Meghan Mueller, Erin Goodin, and Erika Warren. The event took place just days after the results of the latest Point In Time count of the estimated number of homeless people in Oklahoma City were released. [KGOU]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
Community News
Oklahoma agency supporting, feeding seniors is facing federal funding uncertainty: An organization that provides Oklahoma seniors with resources like meals and transportation is facing uncertainty about the future of its federal funding. The Areawide Aging Agency in Oklahoma City covers Canadian, Cleveland, Logan and Oklahoma counties, working to advance the dignity and independence of adults ages 60 and older. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- OKC district reeling after shooting injures 9 outside The Collective: ‘It has to stop’ [The Oklahoman]
- OKC sees falling revenue, but outlook still bright [The Journal Record]
- Overholser overhaul expected to begin next year, Oklahoma City Utilities officials say [KOSU]
- New management brings big changes to Tulsa’s public golf courses [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Edmond swears in new mayor and council members [The Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“HB 1137, a bipartisan amendment to Ida’s Law was a housekeeping measure designed to strip an unnecessary federal funding requirement. Gov. Stitt’s veto message, issued on a day we raise awareness across the country on MMIP issues, exposes that he lacks the foggiest idea that Ida’s Law is on the books, what it does on a low budget cost high impact basis, or what the simple amendment was designed to do.”
-Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., speaking about Gov. Stitt’s veto this week [KOSU]
- From OK Policy archive: No more delayed justice, HB 1077 is good tribal-state policy (2023)
Number of the Day
14,846
Number of Oklahoma children enrolled in The Head Start program that provides early education and comprehensive services to children and families in greatest need to prepare them for success in school and later in life. Oklahoma had the nation’s 18th highest head start enrollment. [U.S. Office of Head Start]
Policy Note
Dismantling the Head Start Program Will Hurt Rural Families: The White House plans to defund a federal program supporting over 3,000 childcare centers serving many rural families across the country. Over one million kids and their working parents could face hardship finding replacement care. [The Daily Yonder]
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