OKPOLICY.ORG
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
Policy Matters: Our kids aren’t failing. We’re failing our kids: When a new report ranks Oklahoma near the bottom for child well-being, it’s easy to focus on the number: 44th in the nation. That ranking should concern us all. But it should not lead anyone to believe that our children are somehow less capable than children anywhere else. The problem is not our kids. The problem is that our state’s leadership has not consistently provided them with the tools and support they need to succeed. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma SNAP enrollment sees 14% decline since last year: Fewer Oklahomans are getting federal assistance to help pay for groceries. Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show a continued decline in participation. [KOSU]
Economist says $15 minimum wage could reduce Oklahoma worker turnover: Oklahoma voters will begin deciding on Thursday whether the state’s minimum wage should rise to $15 — a change that economists say could stabilize a labor market where workers are leaving jobs faster than employers can fill them. [The Journal Record]
- Oklahomans ready to vote on SQ832, increasing minimum wage [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase | Information and Resources
State Government News
Long Story Short: A Cannabis Crash, The Inola Smelter and A Treasurer’s Commute (podcast): Oklahoma Watch staff give a breakdown of how oversupply and regulation are crashing Oklahoma’s cannabis boom, and investigate how two gubernatorial candidates view a massive proposed aluminum smelter in Inola. Plus, they detail an investigation into the state treasurer’s frequent use of a state vehicle to commute to a rural satellite office. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
Billions for the next 3 years of Trump’s mass deportation campaign signed into law: President Donald Trump significantly bolstered funding for immigration enforcement Wednesday when he signed into law a nearly $70 billion package that will keep key federal agencies operating without any new restrictions. [Oklahoma Voice]
Homeland Security retreats on plan to get data on mail-in voters: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is walking back, for now, a plan to sweep up data on millions of Americans who vote by mail under President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail ballots. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Native American Boarding School Oral History Project wraps up in Tulsa, welcomes more participants: An oral history project dedicated to gathering stories from Indigenous boarding school survivors from across the country is coming to a close. The project is ending in Oklahoma, where it began — the state with the highest number of boarding schools. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma governor candidates funnel $22 million in personal money to campaigns: Candidate self-funding has soared past $22 million in the Republican primary race for Oklahoma governor, with a Trump-endorsed candidate alone pouring almost $10.9 million into his campaign. [Oklahoma Voice]
Election Roundup
- Democrats running for governor of Oklahoma hope education frustration, tribal relations can turn tide [NonDoc]
- Incumbent Russ, Inspector Byrd butt heads in GOP treasurer race [NonDoc]
- Meet the candidates for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma country musician running for U.S. Senate [KOSU]
- Cheat Sheet: 3 Democrats run to succeed Cyndi Munson in HD 85 [NonDoc]
- ‘Crucial’ SD 4 primary between Kenny Smith, Tom Woods a battle to define conservative values [NonDoc]
- Tulsa candidate filing: 4 reelected unopposed, 3 seek to succeed Carol Bush [NonDoc]
- Tulsa County DA’s race presents voters with a choice: experience or change [Tulsa Flyer]
- Tulsa City Council candidates list finalized as filing period ends [Tulsa World]
Editorial: Fake AI ads are sullying Oklahoma primary. Don’t let them: We encourage Oklahoma legislators and agencies to thoroughly explore steps that can legally be taken to halt fraudulent election campaigning whether AI-generated our not — or, at a minimum, make sure all content produced with AI assistance is labeled as such so that audiences can be warned to give it extra scrutiny. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
Education News
Education Watch: How much has been spent in the race for state superintendent?: Candidates for state superintendent spent just over $335,000 through June 8, Ethics Commission records show — far less than the millions spent on the governor’s race, but still significant. [Oklahoma Watch]
As AI use in schools grows, lawmakers and districts scramble to set up guardrails: With many students and educators already using widely available artificial intelligence tools, state lawmakers and school districts are playing catch-up on AI policies. [Oklahoma Voice]
OU plans 90-hour degree programs amid push to fill Oklahoma’s high-need industries: A college degree in just three years? That’s the idea proposed by the University of Oklahoma, which has signaled its intent to let some students finish school after just 90 hours’ worth of coursework. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
US measles cases could overtake 2025 numbers. What about Oklahoma?: A number of new outbreaks across the U.S. this year have triggered alarm that the number of measles cases in 2026 will eclipse what the nation saw last year. [The Oklahoman]
Justice System News
Oklahoma man charged with threatening to kill President Trump: A Midwest City man is accused of threatening President Donald Trump, court records show. Howard Gimmey, 46, was charged in Oklahoma City federal court with making a threat against the president, authorities announced Tuesday, June 9. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Inflation spiked to 4.2%, a three-year high, in May: Consumer price inflation reached 4.2% in May, the highest mark in three years, boosted largely by higher energy prices that have spiked because of the Iran war, according to federal numbers released on Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma utilities receive $50 million to extend lives of coal-fired power plants: As the Trump administration pushes investment in coal power, two Oklahoma utilities will receive grant funding to extend the life of existing coal-fired plants. [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- Deepfakes prompt Sand Springs Public Schools to disable student email access [Tulsa World]
- Mayor defends utility rate increases at north Tulsa Community Conversation [Tulsa World]
- A disabled Tulsan’s home was almost put on the auction block. Residents rallied to save it [Tulsa Flyer]
- Company no longer pursuing data center proposal for Broken Arrow, officials announce [Tulsa World]
- Luther residents challenge data center development as opposition grows across Oklahoma [KOSU]
- Homelessness proposal sparks Norman City Council’s unified opposition [The Oklahoman]
- Norman City Council declines to move forward with residential camping ordinance [KGOU]
- Edmond council to take second look at more housing at Legacy at Covell [The Oklahoman]
- Proposed aluminum plant in Inola won’t raise electricity rates for residents [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“If (employers) pay a bit higher, they’re going to have lower turnover, they’re going to have higher retention, lower costs of retraining and so forth.”
– Arindrajit Dube, a labor economist who spoke during an Oklahoma City event this week about how a higher minimum wage could stabilize the state’s labor market with little impact on overall prices. [The Journal Record]
Number of the Day
2x
Since 1979, worker productivity has increased more than twice as fast as worker compensation. Workers are producing more, but their pay hasn’t kept pace with those gains. [Economic Policy Institute]
Policy Note
Adjusting minimum wages for inflation is a necessary yet modest step toward protecting affordability for low-wage workers: Indexation is often an afterthought in debates over wage standards. But it can turn out to be the most important part of any policy that sets a wage standard. The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 and is worth less today in inflation-adjusted dollars than it was when it was last raised. While higher minimum wages are often criticized for causing job losses or inflation, decades of research generally find that they increase workers’ earnings without significantly affecting employment. Adjusting wages for inflation is a relatively modest approach because it simply helps workers maintain their purchasing power over time. Without automatic adjustments, wage standards become less effective every year they remain unchanged. [Economic Policy Institute]
You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.
