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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
HB 3742 brings long-needed discovery reforms to Oklahoma courts (Capitol Update): Although Oklahoma ranks 4th in the nation for incarceration per 100,000 people, reforms aimed at making the criminal legal system fairer and less reliant on incarceration remain difficult to achieve. If incarcerating people at a higher rate than 46 other states made us safer, Oklahoma should rank near the bottom in crime. Instead, the state ranks near the top at 14th in violent crime and 12th in property crime, according to 2024 FBI data. Despite this irony, one of those difficult criminal-law changes passed this session in the form of House Bill 3742 by Rep. Erick Harris and Sen. Julie Daniels. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Early voting starts Thursday for Oklahoma primary. Hours, election info: Oklahoma voters will soon be able to cast their ballots ahead of the June 16 primary election for federal, state and local races, as well as a measure to raise the minimum wage. Early voting traditionally happens in Oklahoma on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before an election day. Voting early does not require an excuse or an application, but voters can only cast ballots in the county in which they are registered, and should remember to bring their ID. Here’s what to know ahead of Election Day, what’s on the ballot, and how to vote early in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
- Tulsans can start heading to the polls Thursday. Here’s what you need to know about the June elections. [Tulsa Flyer]
- Early voting starts Thursday in Oklahoma primaries [KTEN]
- Oklahoma Primary Election: When you can vote and what to know before heading to the polls [KOCO]
- For early voting locations and sample ballots, visit the Oklahoma Voter Portal.
State Government News
Lawmakers appropriated $15M to host Olympic events in Oklahoma: The funding, included in the state’s $12.8 billion budget deal, was allocated to the state Department of Commerce. It will then be spent by Team OKC with guidance from the International Olympic Committee and LA28. Team OKC, a local group supporting Oklahoma’s Olympic events, enacts strategy and develops/implements the planning based on guidance, a spokesperson said. [Oklahoma Voice]
States face more budget pressures amid rising costs, slow growth: The most recent budgets proposed by governors across the country reflect ongoing financial pressures for states as they expect modest revenue growth, rising prices and federal policy changes. [Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
Projected Social Security benefits cliff creeps up to 2032: Congress must act to shore up Social Security during the next six years to avoid an automatic drop-off in benefits in 2032, according to a report released Tuesday. The annual update on the Old Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund shows that it will “become depleted” in the fourth quarter of that year, a few months earlier than projected in last year’s report. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump administration swiftly moves ahead on plans to restrict voting by mail in the states: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow states to access federal citizenship data by June 30 and plans to monitor the flow of mail ballots for signs of voter fraud, according to a court document. Amid a series of lawsuits, President Donald Trump’s administration is now moving to carry out a March 31 executive order restricting voting by mail ahead of the November midterm elections. [Oklahoma Voice]
Voting and Election News
Opposition outspends supporters minimum wage state question battle: If passed by voters on June 16, State Question 832 would incrementally increase the state’s minimum wage over a three-year period until reaching $15 an hour in 2029. Future increases would be tied to a cost of living metric. The ballot measure has drawn significant financial backing from supporters and opponents, with groups opposing the wage increase holding a slight spending advantage in recent months. [The Oklahoman]
Millions have been raised in Oklahoma’s governor’s race. Where the money went: An endorsement from President Donald Trump did not amount to an immediate financial windfall for Republican gubernatorial contender Mike Mazzei, new campaign finance records show. Yet shadowy interest groups are still spending millions on attack ads in hopes of slowing him down. [The Oklahoman]
Election Roundup
- Jackson Lahmeyer rises from fringe challenger to Trump-backed frontrunner [The Frontier]
- Mark Tedford thinks experience can outdo a Trump endorsement [The Frontier]
- Two Republicans and a Libertarian aim to be Oklahoma’s next state treasurer [KOSU]
- As Oklahoma’s top utility regulator, Kim David is seeking a seat in Congress [Tulsa Flyer]
- GOP insurance commissioner candidates vow to fight for lower rates, differ on market [NonDoc]
- Cheat sheet: Sen. Jack Stewart draws challengers in Yukon-area SD 18 GOP primary [NonDoc]
- HD 40: Kinsley Jordan, Torry Turnbow face off for open Enid seat [NonDoc]
- As past drama percolates, former DA challenges acting DA in Pittsburg, Haskell counties [NonDoc]
Education News
Oklahoma committee reviews complaints of free speech violations at OSU, OU: A committee focused on free speech on Tuesday reviewed two complaints of Charlie Kirk-related free speech violations at Oklahoma’s two largest public universities. The two complaints made to the Free Speech Committee were about Oklahoma State University and University of Oklahoma. While the legislatively-created committee approved a set of recommendations to remediate the complaint for OSU, it issued no recommendations to OU. [Oklahoma Voice]
Miscalculation leaves rural Oklahoma school district scrambling to close budget gap: A rural Northeast Oklahoma school district is scrambling to address a nearly half-million-dollar budget shortfall. After dozens of students left Caney Valley Public Schools in 2024 and 2025, the district’s share of state and federal funding decreased, but administrators failed to account for the change in the district’s budget, spending thousands on teachers they couldn’t afford. [OPMX via KGOU]
CareerTech announces adult education plans for Tulsa County: With Union Public Schools closing its adult education programming effective June 30 due to budget constraints, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education announced that Tulsa County residents in search of adult education and financial literacy classes will be served by three other organizations. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Oklahoma can’t afford to not invest in after-school programs: Oklahoma House Bill 4148, the “Oklahoma Kids After-School Grant Program” (OKAGP), proposed a statewide strategy to expand access to high-quality after-school programs and literacy support for students. Although the legislation did not ultimately become a law, it highlights an important conversation about how Oklahoma can better support students and working families through expanded after-school learning programs. [Tanisha Robles Castaneda / The Oklahoman]
Health News
126,000 Oklahomans could lose SoonerCare under new federal work requirements: A new federal law will require many adults enrolled in SoonerCare to prove they are working, attending school, or performing community service in order to keep their health insurance coverage — and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority estimates up to 126,000 Oklahomans could be affected. [News on 6]
- From OK Policy: “Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma
Opinion: Oklahoma initiative targets chronic disease before it starts: Oklahoma does not just have a health care access problem. We have a chronic disease problem. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis: These are the conditions that drive our very poor national health rankings year after year. And while expanding access to care is critical, we will never outrun these diseases with treatment alone. We must understand what causes them at a biological level — and intervene before they take hold. [Dr. Judith James / The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma committee weighs building code changes to address housing shortage, construction costs: Oklahoma’s building code committee is considering changes to housing regulations, including reducing stairway requirements, to help address the state’s housing shortage and lower construction costs. [KOCO]
Opinion: Oklahoma needs to align housing actions to help ease shortage: Drive across the state, from Oklahoma City’s urban neighborhoods to fast-growing suburbs such as Broken Arrow, regional centers like Ardmore or small eastern Oklahoma communities like Poteau. Despite their differences, a familiar pattern emerges: Detached single-family homes still make up much of the residential landscape. This reality is not simply the result of consumer preference or market demand. In many places, local zoning codes and regulatory frameworks continue to favor a narrow range of housing types and densities across large portions of residential land. [Francesco Cianfarani / The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
The Quiet Supporters of Inola’s Aluminum Smelter Are Running the School District and Career Tech Center: Supporters of a proposal to build a $4 billion aluminum plant at the Port of Inola aren’t packing town hall meetings. They aren’t cheering on the attorney general’s lawsuit to try to block the development. They aren’t booing Gov. Kevin Stitt’s calls to reduce America’s reliance on foreign metal. They’re quietly running the local school district and nearby Career Tech center. [Oklahoma Watch]
‘I worry about these things’: Edmond approves data center moratorium as dialogue grows: At its meeting Monday, the Edmond City Council enacted a moratorium through the end of the year that temporarily prohibits data center development within city limits pending the formation of formal policy. [NonDoc]
- Edmond City Council blocks all consideration of data centers, for now [The Oklahoman]
- Edmond halts new data center applications to rewrite zoning code [The Journal Record]
More than 70% of Oklahomans are cutting back on dining due to rising costs, survey says: A survey conducted by the Oklahoma State Chamber found that over 70% of Oklahomans have reduced their spending on dining out or ordering takeout due to higher prices, with 32% saying they have cut back significantly. [KOCO]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa makes neighborhood index program permanent, hopes to avoid gentrification [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Tulsa’s gas is more expensive than OKC. We’re digging into why [Tulsa Flyer]
- More new faces file to run for City Council in Tulsa [Tulsa World]
- Bixby official placed on leave; city leaders launch an ‘internal inquiry’ [Tulsa World]
- Luther residents furious after town abruptly postpones data center meeting [KFOR]
- Norman City Council to discuss controversial front yard tent permits [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“[Yes on SQ 832 is a] people-powered movement built on a simple belief: when the cost of living goes up, wages should too.”
– Amber England, spokesperson for the Raise the Wage campaign, discussing how the campaign has remained rooted in our state from the start, driven by working Oklahomans fighting for wages that keep up with the cost of living. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
$1.59
The amount a worker would need to earn in 2026 to have the same purchasing power as $1.00 in 2009. In other words, prices have increased by about 59% since 2009, meaning a dollar today buys significantly less than it did when Oklahoma’s minimum wage was last raised. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Policy Note
Equity Implications of the Unchanged Federal Minimum Wage Since 2009: This year marks 17 years since the federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009. It is the longest period in U.S. history without an increase. Even though more than 20 states increased their minimum wage rates in 2026, there are still 20 states that adhere to the federal minimum wage of $7.25. While the federal minimum wage — and the minimum wage in many states — has remained stagnant, the cost of basic necessities has continued to rise. As the cost of living continues to rise, calls to increase the minimum wage remain focused on improving living standards, reducing financial hardship, and helping workers keep up with the cost of everyday necessities. [Research Institute For Social Equity]
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