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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
Policy Matters: Successful states invest in what they want to become: Too often, our state’s leadership has approached major challenges by asking, “What’s the smallest amount we can spend?” instead of the question successful organizations ask every day: “What will it take to succeed?” The consequences of that mindset are impossible to ignore. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma AG sues State Farm, alleging insurance carrier fraudulently denied claims: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Wednesday sued State Farm, alleging the insurance company fraudulently failed to properly pay homeowners for roof damage. The lawsuit accuses State Farm of misrepresentations and deceptive practices in selling and renewing insurance policies. It alleges the company fraudulently denied or underpaid claims and engaged in racketeering since 2020. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Supreme Court Signals the Way Forward on State Farm While Denying Drummond’s Intervention [Oklahoma Watch]
- Drummond files separate State Farm lawsuit after state Supreme Court ruling [Tulsa World]
- Drummond files new State Farm lawsuit after Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling [The Journal Record]
The power disconnect: Why do Oklahomans experience so many electricity shutoffs?: In 2024, power was shut off hundreds of thousands of times after Oklahoma residents fell behind on electricity payments. The most recent information available shows the state led the nation in utility shut-offs relative to its size. Consumer advocates say the high rate likely stems from a lack of ratepayer protections and lower-than-average income. [KOSU]
State Government News
Oklahoma education, public safety departments consolidate school security efforts: Officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that the two agencies will pool their resources to bolster the Oklahoma School Safety Institute or OSSI, a DPS division that directs school violence prevention, response and recovery efforts. [KOSU]
- Oklahoma schools hope to boost safety with expanded state plan [The Oklahoman]
Long Story Short: Outside Political Money & Oklahoma’s Frozen AI Legislation (podcast): Reporters talk about a historic flood of outside political spending and targeted ad campaigns shaking up the June 16 primary elections. Plus, as states push forward with artificial intelligence laws despite federal warnings, nearly all AI legislation in the Oklahoma Legislature has hit a dead end. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahoma was built by the oil and gas industry: Long before Oklahoma became known for aerospace, technology, advanced manufacturing or many of the other industries that contribute to our economy today, oil and natural gas helped build the Oklahoma we know today. [Former Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Trump spikes housing bill at last minute, refusing to sign until SAVE America Act passes: President Donald Trump derailed a housing overhaul that he was set to sign into law Wednesday, canceling a signing ceremony for the broadly popular bipartisan bill until Congress passes an election security measure. [Oklahoma Voice]
- 5 things to know about the SAVE America Act, holding up other federal legislation [Tulsa World]
CMS launches nationwide framework for Medicaid work requirements: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its rules requiring certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees to meet conditions of eligibility starting January 1, 2027. [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: “Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma
Growth at Tinker to continue, base commander says: Recent research seems to indicate that global military expenditures, already high, are likely to increase still further in the years ahead. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Trump delivers on tax cut and regulation reduction in return for oil and gas industry support: The oil and gas industry already enjoys at least $35 billion in annual tax breaks, some of which have been part of the United States tax code for more than a century. Despite these long-standing tax benefits and with no sense of irony, industry leaders, such as those within the American Petroleum Institute (API), have argued for years that energy policies should be “technology neutral” and have criticized renewable subsidies as wasteful spending. [Mike Altshuler / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
As data centers eye Oklahoma, Tribes weigh the costs: Tribal nations across Oklahoma and the country are working out how to navigate an influx of corporate interest in Indian Country, thanks to a rise in data centers. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Education News
16 Oklahoma colleges seek to raise tuition, fees: Sixteen Oklahoma universities, including the two largest in the state, are seeking to raise their tuition and fees by an average of 2.96%, should a state board give approval. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will decide Thursday whether to approve the requested increases. [Oklahoma Voice]
Health News
4 years after Dobbs, advocates clash over how far to take fight for later abortion access: In the four years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, access to all abortion in more than a dozen states has dramatically decreased. During that same time, some clinics have expanded later abortion offerings, and advocates are pushing for many of the 21 states that have bans after 18 weeks to drop them. [Oklahoma Voice]
Justice System News
Diversion Hub opens in central OKC as part of MAPS 4: A group of city leaders gathered in central Oklahoma City’s Ward 6 on Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting at the new MAPS 4 Diversion Hub. The MAPS 4 Diversion Hub is part of an organization dedicated to people facing the criminal justice system in Oklahoma, both inside jail walls and outside in the community. [News 9]
- New OKC Diversion Hub offers tools to navigate criminal justice system [The Oklahoman]
- See Diversion Hub’s ribbon cutting, tour of their new building in OKC [The Oklahoman]
- See inside new Diversion Hub, learn about how it works (video) [The Oklahoman]
Another Oklahoma County Jail sales tax proposal flops: Oklahoma County commissioners who have proposed a sales tax to help fund the county’s beleaguered jail project haven’t gotten the ball out of the infield this year after a proposal by District 3 interim Commissioner Paul Foster died for lack of a second during the board’s meeting Wednesday, but something similar may still make its way to voters in 2026. [NonDoc]
- Latest county jail sales tax proposal fails on lack of commissioners’ support [The Oklahoman]
Oklahomans face charges in massive health care fraud sweep: Seven Oklahomans have been targeted as part of a federal crackdown on health care fraud throughout the United States. [The Oklahoman]
- Tulsa included in national health care fraud enforcement effort [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Safe Move Tulsa rehouses more than 360 people, 213 in past two months: City officials and homeless advocates announced Wednesday Safe Move Tulsa has surpassed its goal of housing 300 people since launching in November. Just since the start of May, 213 people have been rehoused as part of the program’s rapid exit strategy, putting the total at 360. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa city councilors push back on mayor’s effort to change top job classifications [Tulsa World]
- Program bridging gap between Tulsa Police and youth renamed after longtime officer’s death [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Half of Oklahoma is Indian Country. So inevitably, if they want to expand in Oklahoma, they’re probably going to be on one of our tribal reservations. What I think is important for these developers is that they actually consult with tribes.”
-Rep. Amanda Clinton of Tulsa, speaking about how proposed data center projects should be done in consultation with Tribes. A Cherokee Nation citizen, Clinton proposed a series of data center-related laws during the 2026 legislative session. [KOSU]
Number of the Day
1.1 billion
Number of gallons of water used by Google’s data center in Pryor, Oklahoma, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The company discharged about 253 million gallons of wastewater back into the Neosho River during that same time period. The rest of the water is lost through evaporation during and after it cools servers. [The Frontier]
Policy Note
AI Data Centers and Tribes: Emerging Federal and State Policy Trends and Tribal Governance Options: Throughout 2025 and into 2026, sovereigns across the United States (U.S.) are increasingly prioritizing policy considerations involving the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. While data centers are not new, recent advancements in AI have created a demand for building data centers equipped to handle AI’s computing power. Constructing and operating data centers requires a range of mineral and raw material resources, including energy, land, and environmental and natural resources, such as water and air. [Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research / The University of Oklahoma]
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