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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.
State Government News
Election Year Politics Killed Oklahoma’s Eviction Reform Bills, Advocates Say: Oklahoma’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act has barely changed since the state adopted parts of the Uniform Law Commission’s model legislation in 1978. Oklahoma was one of 20 states that adopted a substantial part of the legislation, but when crafting state law, the tenant remedies section was left on the cutting room floor. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma greenlights changes to gas tax law in anticipation of congressional action: Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a measure that could result in savings at the pump despite concerns that it could harm the state’s long-term ability to pay for roads and bridges. The Republican signed House Bill 1370 on Monday, tossing out an existing state law that would have prevented motorists from attaining relief at the pump if Congress ultimately votes to suspend the federal gas tax. [Oklahoma Voice]
- To suspend or not to suspend: OK views on the federal gas tax [News on 6]
Federal Government News
‘Very aware of that’: Mexican ambassador addresses deportations, detainee concerns in Oklahoma: The ambassador of Mexico responded to some recent immigration concerns and changes in Oklahoma during an exclusive interview with KOCO. [KOCO]
Tribal Nations News
Historical documents showcased in new book unlock history of Iowa Tribe in Oklahoma: The homelands of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma once spanned a large part of the Midwest. A book with more than 30 years of research documents explores some of that history. [KOSU]
The Cherokee Nation hosts inaugural Expungement Expo: The Cherokee Nation hosted a two-day Expungement Expo in Tahlequah on Tuesday, helping eligible tribal citizens pursue record expungement and connect with support services. The event continues on Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. [Fox 23]
Voting and Election News
Jeff Starling, Jon Echols exchange barbs in GOP attorney general debate: The two Republican candidates for attorney general clashed Monday night, with Secretary of Energy and Environment Jeff Starling and former Rep. Jon Echols trading insults about each other’s records while espousing similar political positions. [NonDoc]
Congressional candidate’s search for removed campaign signs leads to city councilor: Phil Lakin Jr., a lifelong Republican and the longest serving member of the current Tulsa City Council class, doesn’t care if you have a D or an I or an R next to your name, he’s going to rip your campaign sign out of the ground and gleefully toss it into his pickup truck. [Tulsa World]
Election Roundup
- Get rid of buses, use textbooks as shields: William Crozier returns as superintendent candidate [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma will be electing new insurance commissioner [KOSU]
- Greater OKC Chamber endorses convicted, pardoned felon for assessor [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Voters deserve facts, honesty; not a pile of campaign mailers: Somewhere along the way, campaigns stopped being mostly about who could do the best job and started becoming contests about who could destroy the other person first. One candidate goes negative, then the other candidate responds, and before long the airwaves, mailboxes and social media are full of attack ads, half-truths and outright nonsense. [Former State Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Oklahoma law to increase school days could end four-day school weeks for some: An Oklahoma law signed this month will require public schools to provide at least 173 days of instruction each school year beginning in 2027, a change that will likely eliminate four-day school weeks in some districts and force schools to revise their academic calendars. [News 9]
Opinion: Why does it take so long to get Oklahoma school test results?: Last year, the state agencies responsible for producing and releasing the scores spent the summer pointing fingers at one another over reporting delays, and the former state superintendent resigned before full public release of state test scores. School- and district-level outcomes weren’t released until October, more than four months after the last student completed the spring tests. Unfortunately, 2024 and 2025 are not extreme outliers. [Adam Tyner / The Oklahoman]
Health News
NM, Oklahoma among a handful of states using AI to implement new federal Medicaid work requirements: Only New Mexico and five other states — Missouri, Maryland, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma — have started using AI to implement new federal requirements, though 21 states are still deciding whether to use the technology, according to the survey. [Oklahoma Voice]
Justice System News
Oklahoma sheriffs back Johnson in inmate transport fight: The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association is siding with Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III in his legal fight with Attorney General Gentner Drummond over who is responsible for getting county jail inmates to and from court proceedings. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma’s 211 hotlines secure state funding: Oklahoma’s resource hotlines will receive state funding this year for the first time in a decade after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a measure creating the 211 Hotline Revolving Fund, but future funding remains uncertain. [The Frontier]
‘Let’s just do it’: Edmond couple turns bus into dwelling, highlights housing affordability: The Woods are among thousands across the United States who have recently turned to nontraditional dwelling ideas as housing costs have risen. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that, in 2024, a little more than 200,000 people live in a boat, RV or van. That represents an increase of 60,000 people since 2019, with 5,555 of those recorded residing in Oklahoma. [NonDoc]
Community News
Broken Arrow manufacturer to pay $4.25M in COVID vaccine discrimination settlement: A Broken Arrow compressor packaging manufacturer will pay $4.25 million to more than 40 former employees after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found the company violated federal law by firing workers who sought religious and medical exemptions to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. [The Journal Record]
Local Headlines
- Construction on two-year, $14.7M May Avenue bridge project to start soon [The Oklahoman]
- OKC named among metros with least traffic congestion, study reveals [The Oklahoman]
- OKC City Council allows some data center projects to move forward despite moratorium [KOCO]
- ‘Pretty substantial’: Residents react to Edmond water increase effective July 1 [KFOR]
- Claremore City Council votes to approve data center tax incentive package [Tulsa World]
- Grady County district drops school resource deputy as sheriff raises safety concerns [KOCO]
Quote of the Day
“What is important to remember is that these bills are not targeting landlords; they are trying to hold bad landlords accountable.”
– Sabine Brown, Housing Senior Policy Analyst at OK Policy, speaking about the tenant remedy and eviction timeline bills that failed at the Capitol this year. She explained that the vast majority of landlords who are treating tenants fairly would not have been affected by the legislation. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
7.77
Out of every 100 renter households in Tulsa, nearly 8 face eviction each year, giving Tulsa the 11th-highest eviction rate among major U.S. cities. [Eviction Lab]
Policy Note
Eviction Prevention: Reducing Harm to Households and Society: Eviction prevention policies can reduce harm not only for tenants facing housing instability, but also for communities and public systems more broadly. Evictions are linked to increased homelessness, poorer physical and mental health, job loss, and long-term financial instability, especially for low-income families and children. Programs like emergency rental assistance, legal representation for tenants, mediation, and stronger tenant protections can help keep people housed while reducing costly downstream impacts on shelters, hospitals, and social services. Ultimately, preventing eviction is often less costly — and less harmful — than responding after a family has already lost housing. [University of Wisconsin-Madison Institute for Research on Poverty]
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