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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
Oklahoma Policy Institute condemns U.S. House passage of federal budget bill that harms vulnerable Oklahomans: The Oklahoma Policy Institute expresses deep concern over the U.S. House of Representatives’ narrow passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which immediately threatens the well-being of countless Oklahomans by slashing essential health care and food programs while creating tax shelters for the wealthiest Americans. Simply put, this bill is a transfer of wealth from America’s poor and middle class into the pockets of the nation’s richest 1 percent. [OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
US Senate passes bill to make Black Wall Street a national monument: Senate advances long-stalled national monument bill honoring Tulsa’s Black Wall Street—just days before 1921 Massacre anniversary and Legacy Fest. [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Bill to create Black Wall Street National Monument clears U.S. Senate [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma lawmakers, others work to curb Ryan Walters’ political influence: Republican state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters seems to have embraced his status as a GOP iconoclast. But others in his party and outside the Capitol are quietly making moves to try to place guardrails on his power to control what happens in Oklahoma schools. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma schools were 17th in the nation when my son started out. What happened?: This year’s high school grads started pre-K in 2011, the year Mary Fallin became governor. At the time, Oklahoma’s public schools were ranked 17th in the nation. (It’s OK if you need to read that again.) Today, our schools are ranked at the bottom — 48th, 49th or 50th depending on the study you reference. That’s a dismally fast fall from grace. [Erin Brewer / The Oklahoman]
State Government News
$340 million income tax cut bill now on the governor’s desk to sign. Not everyone voted yes: A bill to cut income taxes paid by Oklahomans has been passed and sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his signature. House Bill 2764, which earlier had passed through the House on a 74-19 vote, passed the Senate 34-11, but not before senators raised questions and debated the measure into Thursday evening. [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma lawmakers approve budget with aluminum plant, prison purchase, and tax cut [News 9]
- From OK Policy: Triggered tax cuts are bad for Oklahoma
Oklahoma governor signs bill changing petition procedures: Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1027 into law, altering Oklahoma’s initiative petition procedures and drawing criticism from local advocates and Democrats. [KOCO]
- Stitt signs bill limiting Oklahomans’ access to support ballot initiative petitions [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: SB 1027 would exclude millions of registered voters from signing initiative petitions
Oklahoma lawmakers send bill expanding access to subsidized child care to governor: A bill creating a program to expand access to Oklahoma’s child care subsidy program for employees of child care facilities was sent to the governor Thursday. [KGOU]
Senator says law will protect female prisoners. Critics say it targets transgender people: Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill its backers say protects the privacy rights of incarcerated women but its critics believe is targeted at transgender people in Oklahoma prisons. [The Oklahoman]
Governor Stitt vetoes around 50 bills, lawmakers talk potential for veto overrides: Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed about 50 bills this legislative session so far. He has also let many go into law without his signature. [Fox 25]
- Veto overrides could be on the way during final week of legislative session [KFOR]
- 3 things to know about this year’s vetoes from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt [News 9]
Mental health agency’s use of NDAs ‘suspicious’, Oklahoma AG says: The state’s chief legal and law enforcement officer called the use of nondisclosure agreements by officials at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services suspicious, two days after a state report uncovered the practice. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma mental health commissioner accuses AG of ‘bullying’ after he discloses her tax liens [Oklahoma Voice]
- Bill aims to increase state control of Oklahoma mental health agency finances [KOSU]
Gov. Kevin Stitt signs bill increasing compensation to those wrongfully convicted: Among the nine newly signed bills was House Bill 2235, which increases the amount paid to those proven to be wrongly convicted. The law will multiply their payment based on the number of years served. [KOCO]
Monday Minute: The Final Countdown: The Oklahoma Legislature did not finish its work before Memorial Day weekend, as lawmakers once aspired to do each year. Gov. Stitt promised not to veto the budget if all components of the grand deal were upheld and sent to him by the Legislature. Except for SB 1128’s line item directing $1 million of State Department of Education funding to Teach For America, lawmakers are positioned to uphold their end of the bargain, meaning we should be avoiding special session — barring some unforeseen disaster. [NonDoc Monday Minute]
Capitol Insider: Lawmakers send budget and tax cut agreement to Governor Stitt: The end of the 2025 legislative session is near, and the fiscal year 2026 budget and tax cut plan have passed both houses and are in the hands of the governor. What will this agreement mean for state government and Oklahomans in the year ahead? [KGOU]
Roundup: Corp Comm hears PSO proposal, judge pauses immigration law, former officer charged: One of the state’s major investor-owned utilities has a natural gas plant purchase proposal pending before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. A bill in the Legislature about wind farm setback requirements has stalled out — for now. And, a federal judge has temporarily blocked a bill from last year’s session from taking effect while a legal challenge continues. [NonDoc]
Political Notebook: Last week of legislative session could see some drama — or not: Constitutionally, the session must gavel out by 5 p.m. Friday, but it is likely to be effectively if not officially finished before then. With all but a few budget bills on their way to the governor, this week’s likely to be some cleanup and possibly attempts to override some of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s nearly 50 vetoes. [Tulsa World]
Representative, rancher, publisher: Oklahoman Larry Ferguson to lie in state Tuesday: Long-time Republican state representative, rancher and newspaper publisher Larry Ferguson is remembered, among many things, as someone who believed that the person, rather than the party, should guide voters to their choices at the polls. [The Oklahoman]
- Larry Ferguson, former state House minority leader and newspaper publisher, dies at 87 [Tulsa World]
Opinion, Oklahoma Labor Commissioner: State budget deal means we are satisfied with being last: “If you build it, they will come.” We all know the movie and what that line means. If we all know it, then why does the state of Oklahoma consistently race at breakneck speed to do the opposite? With the passage of the appropriations bill this year we once again have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are satisfied with being 45th to 50th in every measurable outcome that humans and businesses quantify. [Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn/ Tulsa World]
Opinion: Don’t give away the farm just to be called ‘business friendly’: One person’s “business friendly” view is another person’s “corporate welfare” label. Using public incentives to lure private business to town can be good if the public interest remains a priority, and that includes more than just money. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Stitt’s veto of cosmetology board bill threatens public health, entrepreneurship: Licensed beauty practitioners in Oklahoma may not take the Hippocratic Oath, but we live by its spirit: do no harm. Stitt’s veto sends a message that proper training, safety standards don’t matter. [Nina Chukwu / The Oklahoman]
Editorial: It’s the wrong time for a $340 million tax cut. Oklahoma has too many needs: Ideas to consider before you cut the budget: Broaden the tax base and charge the lowest rate to properly fund what the state is asked to do: Serve us. Serve our children in school. Serve those struggling with mental health and substance abuse. Fund a department properly so we actually become the top 10 in something. Anything. Maybe start with our children who are struggling in every meaningful statistic. [Tulsa World Editorial Board]
Federal Government News
GOP bill raises fears of major reduction in home care for seniors, disabled: Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” proposes cutting billions from social benefit programs, including $800 billion from Medicaid and $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). [The Hill]
- D.C. Digest: The One Bill is Big, but is it Beautiful? [Tulsa World]
- Who voted for the ‘big beautiful bill’? What Oklahoma representatives are saying [The Oklahoman]
- When does the ‘big beautiful bill’ take effect? OK senators ready for bill [The Oklahoman]
- These are the changes Senate Republicans are eyeing for the GOP’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ [The Hill]
- Oklahoma hospital association president paints dire picture if Medicaid cuts pass (video) [KFOR]
- How the GOP’s proposed Medicaid cuts could affect millions of family caregivers [PBS]
- Unpacking claims GOP’s ‘big beautiful bill’ lowers age of dependents from 18 to 7 years old [Snopes]
- Opinion: The most ‘beautiful’ part of Trump’s bill is it helps him defy federal courts [Chris Brennan / USA Today]
More than 3 million people would lose SNAP benefits under GOP bill, nonpartisan report says: The massive tax and spending bill passed by U.S. House Republicans would likely result in 3.2 million people losing food assistance benefits, and saddle states with around $14 billion a year in costs, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. [Oklahoma Voice]
U.S. House Republicans aim to ban state-level AI laws for 10 years: A footnote in a budget bill U.S. House Republicans are trying to pass before Memorial Day is the first major signal for how Congress may address artificial intelligence legislation, as they seek to create a moratorium on any AI laws at the state level for 10 years. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: There is a place for public funding of arts and humanities. Push back against cuts: Current calls from the executive branch for the elimination of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as recent reductions in force at the National Parks Service and Institute of Museum and Library Services, are already having direct negative impacts on organizations and programs across Oklahoma. [Ken Busby / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Stop the cuts to AmeriCorps. It empowers young people to serve their cities: At a time when our country faces immense challenges, why would we dismantle a program that empowers young people to serve their communities, especially when it costs so little and gives back so much? [Kate Neary / Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Oklahoma lawmakers approve $100,000 for local District Attorneys to fight DOJ in state-tribal lawsuit: Lawmakers in the Joint State-Tribal Relations Committee approved a $100,000 injection into the state District Attorneys Council last week. It’s to help two local state prosecutors fight an ongoing legal battle against the Department of Justice and two Indigenous nations. [KOSU]
Osage Agency in Pawhuska to stay open: Twenty-five Bureau of Indian Affairs buildings were slated to be closed as part of a Department of Government Efficiency plan to reduce government spending. This included the Osage and Pawnee agencies. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma election dates will drop by half some years, after Gov. Stitt signs bill: Senate Bill 652, authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, will reduce the number of election days allowed by state law. Odd-numbered years now have 12 days, while even-numbered years have seven. Under the proposal, those numbers will drop to five or six. The new law will take effect on Nov. 1. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
‘I don’t want my kids hearing that’: Oklahoma parents look to opt out of new social studies content: Frustrated with religious content and polarizing language added to Oklahoma academic standards, some parents say they plan to opt their children out of “ideologically charged” social studies lessons in public schools. [Oklahoma Watch]
Republicans Say the Fight for St. Isidore Isn’t Over: A deadlocked Supreme Court blocked the creation of the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, but some lawmakers said this isn’t where the fight ends. [Oklahoma Watch]
OSU lobbying invoices part of larger Innovation Foundation financial problems: Through an open records request, News 9 learned the rush to pay lobbyists for Oklahoma State University led to a misstep that landed on a page in a March internal audit. The audit revealed the university had, in some cases, violated state law. [News 9]
Health News
OSU Center for Health Sciences ranked again at the top for commitment to underserved areas: For the second time in three years, the Tulsa-based school, home to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, has been ranked No. 1 in percentage of graduates practicing medicine in Health Professional Shortage Areas in U.S. News & World Report’s annual medical school rankings. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Oklahoma women die of breast cancer at high rates, yet Gov. Kevin Stitt rebuffed access to screening: The bill, had Gov. Stitt signed it, would have required insurance companies to foot the bill for two additional tests. In short, it would have eliminated copays and deductibles. The proposal passed overwhelmingly through both legislative chambers and seemed like an easy win for Stitt and his fellow Republicans trying to signal that they actually care about women’s health outcomes. Instead, Gov. Stitt vetoed it. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
OKC street racing crackdown sparks tensions between police and Black, Hispanic communities: Days after more than 150 arrests in Oklahoma City were made in an alleged street racing bust, some business owners and community leaders find themselves at odds with the local police. [The Oklahoman]
- Community leaders call for OKC police reform after mass arrest [The Oklahoman]
Letters from Oklahoma County jail: Chief public defender money plea quotes scared inmates: A terrified voice from inside the Oklahoma County jail: “No one should ever see a person you spoke to just the day before hanging from her bunk by a towel around her neck.” [The Oklahoman]
- Courthouse tension: Why are OK County commissioners accused of not wanting a new jail? [The Oklahoman]
- Newest member of Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority is retired with time to serve [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma death row: Could Stacy Drake be state’s first death sentence in three years?: The death penalty is still being sought in Oklahoma but no one new has been sentenced to that punishment in the state in over three years. [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Grand jury petitions circulating in Wagoner, Kingfisher counties: A grand jury petition seeking to charge and remove Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp and Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott was approved for circulation by the presiding district court judge April 29. [NonDoc]
Inside the treatment program favored by a Tulsa judge but criticized by the district attorney: Designed for both violent and nonviolent male offenders, the Arise program is a 24-month outpatient treatment program for those with alcohol or drug dependency. The program works outside of the district attorney’s universe of alternative court programs, working directly with the client, his attorney and the judge overseeing the case. [Tulsa World]
Kidnapped Twice: Inconsistent Police Discretion Compromises Enforcement of Rapidly Changing Cannabis Laws: Elisabeth Johns spent more than a week in jail for an offense that would be thrown out of court. Her experience is a perfect symbol of the struggles of the Oklahoma justice system — or the reluctance — to comply with the state’s rapidly changing cannabis laws. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma’s incarceration rate remains high and paroles stay low: The Oklahoman takes a look at the state’s incarceration and parole. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Homebuying options remain slim for middle-income earners: High interest rates and high prices in a still-competitive housing market continue to make it tough for first-time buyers, even those with good but moderate incomes. On a national level, households making $75,000 to $100,000 — typical of teachers, nurses and skilled trades workers in many states — face a daunting lack of homes they can afford. [Oklahoma Voice]
Economy & Business News
Port of Inola would add barge infrastructure if $4 billion aluminum plant clears hurdles: The Tulsa Port of Inola plans to create facilities for barges to dock there if incentives for an announced $4 billion aluminum manufacturing plant are approved by the Oklahoma Legislature. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma counties with more marijuana grows saw property values surge, study finds: Okemah residents told researchers about marijuana growers showing up with wads of cash to buy property at inflated prices. Real estate values increased more in areas with high numbers of marijuana farms, the study found. [The Frontier]
Your OG&E bill is about to go up: See the reasons behind the rising costs for customers: Customers of OG&E will soon see an increase in their monthly electric bill, thanks to rising fuel costs. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Polite and friendly in his OKC job, in other gig as church leader he says gay people should be lined up and executed: Co-workers of Dillon Awes say the City Hall information technology employee is polite and friendly at his job. In his second job as a church leader, however, he says people who are LGBTQ+ should be tried for abomination and executed. [The Oklahoman]
Nation’s oldest Black rodeo returns to Boley, Oklahoma: As Black cowboys reclaim their place in American history, Boley’s 122-year-old rodeo rides on—reviving culture, art, and economic revitalization in rural Oklahoma. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Local Headlines
- Whose rules? Oklahoma County finally formalizes the way it conducts business [The Oklahoman]
- Partner Tulsa CEO Garry Clark resigns after 10 months on the job [Tulsa World]
- Robert H. Zoellner buying all of Cox Media Group’s Tulsa radio stations [Tulsa World]
- City of Tulsa issues request for analysis on 911 response, emergency medical services [Tulsa World]
- A Tulsa family rebuilt the famous Mayo Hotel. Next is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower in Bartlesville [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“This time too many of those who we voted to the Legislature compromised to give the rich a tax cut that’s a rounding error in their world. Was it worth it?”
-Tulsa World Editorial Board, writing about the quarter-percent tax cut and future tax cut triggers that were passed by the Oklahoma Legislature last week, despite the state having among the nation’s lowest quality of life statistics along with a growing list of unmet community needs. [Tulsa World]
Number of the Day
1%
The poorest 20% of Americans would receive 1 percent of the net tax cuts in 2026 from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” while the richest 5 percent would receive 43 percent of the net tax cuts that year. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
Policy Note
House Republican Tax Bill Is Skewed to Wealthy, Costs More Than Extending 2017 Tax Law, and Fails to Deliver for Families: The tax provisions of the House Republican reconciliation bill double down on the failures of the 2017 tax law, which was skewed in favor of the richest people in the country, further eroded the nation’s revenue base, and didn’t produce the promised economic gains for working people. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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