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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
A bad time for a tax cut (Commentary): I’ve seen 12 Oklahoma legislative sessions, and I am at this point pretty well accustomed to the mounting drama at 23rd and Lincoln as sine die draws near. However, this spring has been even wilder than usual. Topped off by Wednesday’s surprise announcement that the governor and legislative leaders had, behind closed doors, struck a deal with both an immediate tax cut and a triggered tax cut. [Carly Putnam / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Lawmakers to ‘stop the bleeding’ with one-time appropriation to struggling mental health agency: The state Legislature is inching closer to determining how much money is needed to keep the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services afloat amid the agency’s financial turmoil. The agency needs an emergency one-time appropriation to sustain itself through June 30 and is in line to get $403 million more to cover its next fiscal year starting July 1, an increase of about 5.3% from the previous year. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Our racial history is shadowed. Will Oklahoma repeat its past mistakes or learn from them?: Our state has a shadowed history when it comes to racial issues that includes the forced removal of Native Americans on Trail of Tears, the slaughter of Black residents during Tulsa Race Massacre and a 2007 law touted to be the nation’s harshest anti-immigrant state law. I’ve long watched as Oklahoma’s elected officials have failed to learn from and rectify that dark history. Instead, they’ve oft chosen to embark on campaigns that seem to further highlight those past inequities. [John Thompson / Oklahoma Voice]
State Government News
After intense hearing and controversial emails, Senate committee recommends confirming OSBE nominee: The Senate Education Committee has voted to confirm one of Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s newest nominees to the Oklahoma State Board of Education after an intense hearing where senators decried an email campaign aimed at derailing the nomination. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma Hispanic Day at the Capitol realigns with its celebratory mission amidst immigration enforcement rollout: The Oklahoma Latino Legislative Caucus celebrated its ninth Hispanic Heritage Day at the Capitol Wednesday. Lawmakers and their constituents focused on Latinos’ positive contributions to the state during a time when the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda is in full effect. [KOSU]
House lawmakers send Stitt bill raising Oklahoma age of consent to 18: Oklahoma House lawmakers on Thursday sent a bill to the governor’s desk that would raise the age of sexual consent from 16 to 18. House Bill 1003 also contains a so-called “Romeo and Juliet” provision, that protects 20 year olds from prosecution if they are within four years of age of a sexual partner. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s leaders chase another bad tax dream: They just can’t help themselves. Despite a sputtering economy, slowing tax revenues and unprecedented uncertainty about federal funding, Oklahoma’s legislative leaders are hellbent on cutting the state income tax. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]
Federal Government News
Dozens of members of Congress from both parties plead with Trump to unfreeze FEMA grants: Members of Congress from both political parties are calling on the Trump administration to unfreeze funding for a grant program that helps local communities better prepare for natural disasters. The letter from more than 80 lawmakers urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin spending money already approved by Congress for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma farmers largely voted for Trump. He’s dismantling an agency keeping their communities alive: But former agency officials worry fewer projects like the hospital could be built in rural America as the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE have targeted Rural Development for large staffing cuts. With fewer employees in rural communities assisting local leaders with their funding needs, there is concern Trump’s chainsawing of the federal workforce could leave rural America without a robust safety net. [The Oklahoman]
Supreme Court debates Trump’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship: The Supreme Court on May 15 wrestled with whether to let President Donald Trump broadly enforce his changes to birthright citizenship as courts consider whether those changes are constitutional. [USA Today via The Oklahoman]
- U.S. Supreme Court divided over Trump birthright citizenship ban, lower courts’ powers [Oklahoma Voice]
Legislative Roundup
- States on the hook for billions under U.S. House GOP bill making them help pay for SNAP [Oklahoma Voice]
- U.S. House panel passes GOP plan that cuts Medicaid by $625B, adds work requirement [Oklahoma Voice]
- Sweeping private school voucher program tucked inside U.S. House GOP tax bill [Oklahoma Voice]
- House panel advances tax portion of Trump agenda bill after marathon meeting [The Hill via KFOR]
Education News
Gov. Stitt signs ban on DEI funding at Oklahoma colleges, universities into law: Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill banning the use of state funds for “diversity, equity and inclusion” jobs, activities or programs at Oklahoma college and university campuses. Senate Bill 796 also prohibits schools from requiring DEI statements on applications, disclosure of pronouns, and DEI-related training or education. [The Oklahoman]
New state budget boosts funding for public schools, teacher incentives: A budget deal state leaders struck on Wednesday will boost funding for Oklahoma public schools and raise the ceiling on teacher pay in the 2026 fiscal year. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma budget deal: Free college for teachers’ kids, $25 million into school funding formula [KOGU]
Education Watch: Lawmakers Want to Adjust Tax Credit Program: Lawmakers are considering a few tweaks to the state’s private school tuition tax credit program, which was created in 2023 to give families up to $7,500 per child for private school expenses. Senate Bill 684 would strengthen the accreditation requirement. Currently, schools need only report the name of their accreditor — any accreditor — and there’s no verification beyond that, Oklahoma Watch reported in August. That opened the door to fly-by-night accreditors, some warned. [Oklahoma Watch]
OSU gets $250 million for College of Veterinary Medicine: In recent years, the American Veterinary Medical Association has put the college on probationary accreditation twice. In an effort to prevent future accreditation issues, the university asked state lawmakers for a $295 million appropriation to modernize facilities and recruit faculty and students to maintain long-term accreditation. The state budget framework announced Wednesday includes $250 million to go toward the facility. [KOSU]
- Opinion: Veterinary medicine is important to Oklahoma’s health. We can’t fall behind. [Dr. Lee Denney / The Oklahoman]
Hispanic festivities combine cultural celebration with immigration anxiety at Oklahoma Capitol: Latino lawmakers’ biggest ask, Sen. Michael Brooks said, was for the governor to follow through with his opposition to the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s proposal to have public schools collect students’ immigration status. Gov. Kevin Stitt previously pledged to block the proposed rule, saying “putting kids on a list is not something we should do.” [Oklahoma Voice]
- Why does Gov. Kevin Stitt oppose Ryan Walters’ immigration rule? See his explanation (audio) [The Oklahoman]
Health News
For the first time, a doctor is a member of the Oklahoma City-County Board of Health: The Oklahoma City-County Board of Health has its first-ever member who is a physician: Dr. Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, a board-certified integrative pediatrician and founder of Peace of Mind Pediatrics in Del City. [The Oklahoman]
Mental health crisis response launches within OKC Fire Dept: A long-in-development crisis response unit focused on mental health and drug abuse calls has officially launched within the Oklahoma City Fire Department, finally realizing a longstanding goal of the City’s Public Safety Partnership. The Mobile Integrated Healthcare unit inside OCFD is staffed entirely by trained mental health and substance abuse professionals and can be dispatched to mental health crisis calls through the same 911 operations that dispatch police and fire response. [Oklahoma City Free Press]
Did any Oklahoma hospitals make the list of best US hospitals? What about patient safety?: When it comes to choosing a hospital to care for you or your loved one, safety and reputation are top of mind. Thanks to Healthgrades, we can see which Oklahoma hospitals are the best, and how they fare in different categories like specialty care and patient safety. Here’s what we know about four Oklahoma hospitals that ranked in the top 10% for patient safety in the U.S. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma County approves budget with no immediate increase for troubled jail: The loss of responsibility for most social services and an accounting change has Oklahoma County adopting a painless initial budget for the next fiscal year, with each department getting what it wanted for the first time in years, although flat spending on the county jail also helped. [The Oklahoman]
Channen Smith moves closer to exoneration for wrongful conviction: In a face-to-face interview with the Black Wall Street Times inside the prison, Smith expressed determination as an ODOC official supervised the interview. Just weeks ago, a federal district judge ruled his case should be re-examined. [The Black Wall Street Times]
An inmate with a flip-flop caused nearly $300K in damage at the Oklahoma County jail: Flip-flops, or slides, the cheap sandals usually worn to chill out by a pool or as shower shoes, cost about $5 a pair if bought in bulk, but you could outfit about everyone in Midwest City with them for what it will cost to correct a “design flaw” revealed in the Oklahoma County jail when an inmate whacked a sprinkler head with one. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Stitt Vetoes Bill That Would Have Slowed Eviction Process: A measure that would have slowed Oklahoma’s eviction process and given struggling tenants five additional days to avoid being pushed out of their homes cleared both Houses of the Oklahoma Legislature. Then Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed it. [Oklahoma Watch]
- From OK Policy: Statement: Gov.’s veto of SB 128 rejects bipartisan solution that would have helped landlords and kept Oklahomans in their homes
Economy & Business News
$4 billion aluminum production plant announced for Port of Inola: A United Arab Emirates company will invest $4 billion for an aluminum production plant at the Tulsa Port of Inola, officials announced Thursday evening. It would be one of the largest planned investments in state history and was cited by the White House among $200 billion in new U.S.-UAE deals announced during President Donald Trump’s trip to the Middle East. [Tulsa World]
Ammunition company expected to generate $33.5 million in taxes annually, officials say: Brazil-based CBC Global Ammunition, one of the largest ammunition manufacturers in the world, is expanding its operations to the industrial park between Pryor and Chouteau in Mayes County, about 45 miles east of downtown Tulsa. The company plans to invest $300 million and bring 350 new jobs to MidAmerica. [Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Piece of Tulsa Promenade mall placed on county treasurer’s auction list [Tulsa World]
- Greater OKC Chamber: City primed for business growth [The Journal Record]
- Syntax in the city: celebrated grammar maven to visit Tulsa [Public Radio Tulsa]
Quote of the Day
“It’s clear that there’s dysfunction going on in that agency that needs to be addressed. But at the end of the day, those services are vital to people in our state. We’ve got to solve the problem and not just kick the can down the road.”
– House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, criticizing Oklahoma lawmakers for using a one-time appropriation instead of addressing long-term funding needs for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
24.8%
Share of women in Oklahoma of childbearing age who had Medicaid (SoonerCare) coverage. Oklahoma had the 16th highest rate in the nation and was above the national share, which was 23.3%. [Georgetown Center for Children and Families]
Policy Note
Medicaid Plays A Key Role for Maternal and Infant Health in Rural Communities: Medicaid is a vital source of health coverage for women of childbearing age across the U.S. but is even more important to those living in small towns and rural communities than metro areas. Rural communities have been suffering hospital closures, and multiple studies have shown declines in the provision of obstetrical services at rural hospitals that remain open. [Georgetown Center for Children and Families]
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