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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
What the State Equalization Board meeting tells us about Oklahoma’s budget (Capitol Update): Reports of the June 15 State Equalization Board meeting remind me of a few things about state financing that we don’t often think about. The board met to adjust the Fiscal Year 2027 revenue estimate, reflecting actions taken by the Legislature during this year’s session. This is usually due to a tax cut — large or small — or some other bill that will affect the amount of revenue available to the Legislature for appropriation. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Highest-income families’ share of private school tax credits increases: While the number of families applying for tax credits to pay for private school tuition has inched higher, data from the Oklahoma Tax Commission indicates that a greater share of those credits are going to families making more than three times the state’s median income. [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits: Comparing 2026-27 financial details to last year [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit sees fewer low-income families participating [KOCO]
- Gap between wealthy, low-income families in Oklahoma private school tax credit widens even more [KFOR]
Federal Government News
As Trump’s immigration dragnet grows, so do complaints of detention center conditions: As the Trump administration increases the scale of its immigrant detention program, now up to 68,000 immigrants in custody, reports have surfaced of inhumane conditions and inadequate medical care at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities like the one housing Scharbachenia. Congress recently boosted funding for immigration enforcement by $70 billion over three years, through the end of President Donald Trump’s term. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Immigration detention, court delays and judicial fate-making: A Tulsa couple’s experience [KOSU]
Trump ‘trampled’ voter privacy by feeding info into Homeland Security system, judge says: The Trump administration illegally overhauled a U.S. Department of Homeland Security computer program in its hunt for noncitizen voters, a judge ruled Monday in a stinging decision that laid into federal officials for violating the privacy of millions of Americans. [Oklahoma Voice]
US Education Department offers two-year trim on student loan interest rates: The U.S. Department of Education will temporarily reduce interest rates for federal student loan borrowers enrolled in auto pay starting July 1, the agency announced Thursday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Congress presses University of Oklahoma to repatriate Indigenous remains: The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is pressing 15 universities and museums to repatriate Indigenous remains and items. The University of Oklahoma is one of them. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma primary voter turnout low, but typical (video): Only around 26% of eligible voters participated in Oklahoma’s June 16 primary. It’s a low turnout, but unfortunately typical for the state. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
3 agencies are expanding adult education options in Tulsa area as Union closes its center: Three new adult education options are set to expand this summer, filling the gap left by the closure of Union’s Adult Learning Center. Union will close its adult education program June 30 after providing free classes to around 1,200 adult students annually, citing budget woes. But families learning English as a second language or pursuing their high school equivalency won’t be left without alternatives, according to Oklahoma’s career education agency. [Tulsa Flyer]
Justice System News
Oklahoma Bail Bond Scammers Are Calling Families Within Minutes of an Arrest. Nobody Can Stop Them: Bail bond scams are not new, but they’ve become faster and more accurate with the aid of technology and scammers’ unprecedented knowledge of victims’ personal information. Faux bondsmen lingering outside jails, hoping to trap overwhelmed families or the occasional odd call claiming unpaid charges or warrants, are no longer the biggest threat. Today, the calls come immediately after an arrest, accurately address family members by name, and, with artificial intelligence, callers can fake legitimate phone numbers and impersonate real people, such as law enforcement and even the jailed person themselves. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma senator named next Cleveland County Sheriff: An Oklahoma state senator has been tapped to become the next Cleveland County sheriff, officials announced Monday. Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, will take over Cleveland County’s top law enforcement post effective July 6. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Darrell Weaver appointed Cleveland County sheriff after Amason resignation [The Journal Record]
- Cleveland County commissioners name Sen. Darrell Weaver new sheriff [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Uncommon Ground leaders pitch tax increment financing as park progresses toward 2027 opening: Recently, proponents of the project — philanthropist and land owner Hal French, as well as Melissa Pepper, the park nonprofit’s executive director — approached city leaders with a request to establish a tax increment financing agreement to spur development of the restaurants long-proposed as a means to generate sales tax revenue for an endowment pledged to pay for long-term operations. [NonDoc]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa mayor defends public safety role shift, pushes back on council criticism [Tulsa Flyer]
- Leaders celebrate plan for housing and mixed-use development in east Tulsa [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma City removes discriminatory language from plat paperwork [KOSU]
Quote of the Day
“We have a lack of significant funding in public schools. Our state is ranked nationally at the bottom in public school funding and the rich get richer. Oklahoma deserves far better.”
– Oklahoma state Sen. Regina Goodwin, discussing the Parental Choice Tax Credit. A recent report found that most tax credits were claimed by higher-income families, prompting debate about the program’s impact on public school funding and who ultimately benefits from the tax credits. [Tulsa World]
Number of the Day
$62 million
The amount in Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits approved for families with household incomes above $225,000 for the 2026-27 school year. These families accounted for 31% of all approved tax credit applications, an 8.4% increase from the previous year. [Oklahoma Tax Commission]
- From OK Policy: What’s That? Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits
Policy Note
School Privatization Policy Brief: State policymakers have increasingly adopted school privatization programs — such as vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and education savings accounts — that direct public funds toward private education. However, research has generally found little to no difference in academic outcomes between students who use vouchers to attend private schools and those who remain in public schools. Despite limited evidence that these programs improve student achievement, lawmakers at both the state and federal levels continue to expand school privatization efforts, often raising concerns about their impact on traditional public schools. [Southern Education Fund]
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