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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
Statement from the Oklahoma Policy Institute on passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill”: Passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA) is a shameful moment in our nation’s history — one where far too many national leaders chose billionaire donors over working families, campaign checks over community needs, and political power over moral responsibility. Let’s be clear: this bill takes food off the tables of children, strips life-saving care from low-income families, and guts the public investments that help people get back on their feet. All while handing out enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations who needed no help. [OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Red States Follow DOGE’s Lead, Slashing Services to Fund Giveaways to the Rich: At least 26 states, including Oklahoma, have launched “government efficiency” initiatives of their own in recent months, typically through executive order, legislation, or the creation of a legislative committee, according to an April analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. EPI outlined how these state-level initiatives “use disingenuous calls to ‘root out inefficiency’ and ‘cut wasteful spending’ as a smokescreen,” with the ultimate goal of funding tax cuts for the wealthy. [Truthout]
- From Economic Policy Institute: At least 26 states have launched their own version of DOGE
State Government News
Oklahoma Senate’s 2026 priorities revealed in list of interim studies: Lawmakers in the Oklahoma Senate soon will hold hearings on property rights, health care and the role of government, among other issues. Interim studies held in the summer and fall give lawmakers a chance to discuss problems that might need a legislative fix. Legislators also use the studies to make the case for bills they plan to file the next year or keep discussion alive on bills that didn’t have enough support to become law. [The Oklahoman]
Lawmakers call for probe of Oklahoma incubator program amid data collection concerns: Amid struggles with data collection and participation, two Republican lawmakers want to probe the long-term effectiveness of a state program designed to nurture new small businesses. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma state park restaurants still struggling, falling behind on payments to the state: Oklahoma’s state park restaurants continue to struggle financially, despite a change in management and $17 million in renovations, documents from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department suggest. [Tulsa World]
State law lets OK County sheriff sign back on with internet auctions of foreclosed property: Online sheriff’s sales — auctions of foreclosed homes and other properties — will return to Oklahoma County in September since state lawmakers OK’d them during the recent legislative session. [The Oklahoman]
Drug makers sue to block new Oklahoma law that targets drug costs: A pharmaceutical company is leading a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn a new Oklahoma law the company says requires drug manufacturers to sell their products to some commercial pharmacies at discounted prices. [The Oklahoman]
Capitol Insider: Oklahoma film industry continues to grow: The deadCenter Film Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary, and Oklahoma connections figured prominently in many of the films. What is the state of the film industry here now? [KGOU]
Federal Government News
Trump signs megabill that slashes taxes, Medicaid while boosting national debt: President Donald Trump capped the whirlwind opening stretch of his second term with a Fourth of July signing ceremony for his signature legislation, reveling in pushing the megabill through a fractious Congress and delivering on multiple campaign promises. [USA Today]
- Oklahoma congressmembers vote to pass ‘big beautiful bill’ as critics warn of sweeping cuts to social services, healthcare [KFOR]
- Social Security Administration sends misleading email lauding Trump’s new tax cuts law [NBC News]
- How the megabill allows Trump to expand mass deportations, curb immigrant benefits [Oklahoma Voice]
- John Croisant Slams Kevin Hern for Backing Trump’s Mega Bill [The Black Wall Street Times]
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma concerned over potential SNAP cuts from Big, Beautiful Bill: The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is expressing concern over the Big, Beautiful Bill that could lead to significant reductions in SNAP benefits, potentially increasing the number of people relying on their services. [KOCO]
- Oklahomans urged to unite as SNAP reductions challenge food security statewide [KTUL]
As Trump’s FEMA Review Council begins work, Oklahoma delegation wants input, details: A sweeping restructuring of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be on tap when Congress returns from its July 4 recess, a possibility for Oklahoma that could redefine what disaster recovery looks like in a state long dependent on federal assistance. [NonDoc]
- FEMA restructuring could leave out Tornado Alley [The Black Wall Street Times]
How Trump’s megabill will impact health care: The massive tax cut legislation passed by the House and Senate this week will dramatically upend health care in America. The legislation, signed Friday afternoon by President Trump, was never framed as a health bill, but it will mark the biggest changes to U.S. health policy since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010. [The Hill]
- Rural Oklahoma doctor says 80% of his patients are on SoonerCare [KFOR]
- Doctor fears ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will worsen Oklahoma’s health outcomes [KFOR via YouTube]
- Oklahoma hospitals faced closure before the ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Medicaid cuts amplify those fears [KOCO via YouTube]
- Some states rebrand Medicaid to reduce stigma. That’s confusing recipients [NPR]
- NOTE: In Oklahoma, the state’s Medicaid program is called SoonerCare
Opinion: Rural Oklahomans will pay the price of the not-so-beautiful spending bill: Washington might call this bill ‘beautiful.’ But from where we’re standing — in communities with shuttered hospitals, crumbling safety nets, and no place to turn when you’re sick ― it’s anything but. [Esther Houser / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: The cruelty of ending work at USAID erases a lifetime of humanitarianism: What broke me wasn’t losing a job. Many people lose jobs. It wasn’t even the idea that Americans might have other priorities than foreign assistance. Elections have consequences. It was watching the work I had devoted my life to be dismantled with such cruelty. And worse, seeing how many took pleasure in that cruelty. [Kama Garrison / The Oklahoman]
Editorial: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act debate makes us think of this scene in ‘Jaws’: Is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” the shark for Americans? Are we the hot lunch? Sure feels that way. With this act, we come away feeling that you might not feel the bite today. It might not happen tomorrow. But it’s coming for you. Medicaid cuts and food assistance reductions in this legislation mean hospitals will close in Oklahoma and more children will go hungry. [Tulsa World Editorial Board]
Tribal Nations News
‘It’s just a new day’: Caddo Nation gets self-governance designation: The Caddo Nation of Oklahoma was accepted into the federal government’s Tribal Self-Governance Program last week, joining around 20 tribes across the state. [KOSU]
- From OK Policy: Tribal-State Policy 101: What is Tribal sovereignty?
A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Is Pushing to Make Healthier Food More Accessible to Tribes: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to give low-income households on Native American reservations easier access to healthier food by making a food program established during the first Trump administration permanent. [Oklahoma Watch]
Kickapoo tribal library celebrates opening amid federal funding turbulence: Since its inception, the Kickapoo Tribal Library in McLoud has had to jump over multiple hurdles: bad weather slowed facility preparations, and now a storm created by the Trump Administration looms over the Institute of Museum and Library Services and, consequently, tribal and rural libraries. [KOSU]
Cheat sheet: Seminole Nation Assistant Chief Brian Thomas Palmer faces 4 challengers: In the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, four candidates are challenging incumbent Assistant Chief Brian Thomas Palmer in this year’s July 12 election. [NonDoc]
Opinion: $10 million helps part of Cherokee Nation ‘the rest of world forgot about’: Before the Cherokee Nation opened a $10 million Wellness and Community Center here last year, Marble City’s biggest attractions were a historic 1911 concrete jail, a restored bank-turned-historical society and a couple of churches. [Ginnie Graham / Tulsa World]
Voting and Election News
Protest Period for Recreational Marijuana Question Ends Today: Backers of an initiative petition to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma could clear a key hurdle this week. Today, Monday, July 7, is the final day of a 90-day protest period for State Question 837. [Oklahoma Watch]
Musk announces forming of ‘America Party’ in further break from Trump: The dispute between Republican President Donald Trump and his main campaign financier Elon Musk took another fractious turn on Saturday when the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill would bankrupt America. [Reuters]
Education News
After-school programs, districts feeling impact of federal funding freeze: ‘It’s a mess’: In a notice issued last Monday afternoon by the U.S. Department of Education, the Trump administration announced that it was withholding $6.8 billion in federal education grants for the fiscal year that started on Tuesday for Oklahoma school districts, including $1.4 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, which serve an estimated 1.4 million children nationwide. [Tulsa World]
Controversial new social studies academic standards are in place in Oklahoma. Now what?: Pushed by Republican state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, the new standards are infused with multiple mentions of the influence of Christianity in the United States, as well as 2020 election-denial language pushing a theory that’s widely been discredited. [The Oklahoman]
- OSDE partners with Today Foundation to bring America First history perspective to students [Fox 25]
One small southeastern Oklahoma school district is annexed into another — voluntarily: The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved Albion’s annexation into the Clayton district in June. State schools officials had worked with leaders of the two districts for months to facilitate an end result that leaders of both southeastern Oklahoma districts believe is for the best. [The Oklahoman]
Cell, no! After Two Years of Debate, Schools Get Months to Ban Phones: After two years of legislative discussion and debate on the distractions of cell phones in class, Oklahoma schools have months to implement a bell-to-bell ban on devices for students during the upcoming school year. [Oklahoma Watch]
New laws in effect with impact on education in Oklahoma: Laws newly in effect that are intended to impact education in Oklahoma will, among other things, provide new opportunities for children of veteran teachers and help for people affected by dyslexia. [Tulsa World]
CareerTech overhauls state funding formula to help with growing enrollments: Oklahoma’s CareerTech system is reshuffling the distribution of its state appropriation to bolster districts with growing enrollments and limited local funding, following action last month by the state CareerTech board. Unlike the state’s common education system, CareerTech gets more than 80% of its funding from local sources — a dedicated property tax levied by votes of the people of Oklahoma’s 29 CareerTech districts. [Tulsa World]
An Oklahoma teacher took a leap of faith. She ended up winning state Teacher of the Year: Melissa Evon’s work in family and consumer sciences won her the 2025 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year award on Friday. Yes, her students practice cooking and sewing, but they also learn how to open a bank account, file taxes, apply for scholarships, register to vote and change a tire — lessons she said “get kids ready to be adults.” [Oklahoma Voice]
Whatever happened to the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year who left for Texas?: Whatever happened to that Oklahoma Teacher of the Year who penned the state a Dear John letter and left for a higher-paying job in Texas? He’s still gone and wishes it wasn’t still necessary. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Free speech at stake in Superintendent Ryan Walters’ suit against us: For the first time in our nearly 50-year history, our nonprofit group, dedicated to the constitutional principle of separation between religion and government, has been taken to court by a public official — a move that challenges the very essence of our work. This lawsuit threatens our First Amendment rights to criticize and petition the government. [Annie Laurie Gaylor / Tulsa World]
Health News
More miscarriages criminally investigated three years into post-Dobbs abortion bans: In the three years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision struck down the federal right to abortion granted by Roe v. Wade, women around the country have faced criminal charges after their pregnancies ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. The Oklahoma Republican Party censured four state lawmakers who voted against a bill in committee that would have criminalized the act of abortion as homicide and provided equal protection to all preborn children from fertilization. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Report: In the first year after the Dodds decision, Oklahoma reported the nation’s second highest number of criminal cases against pregnant people who were charged with crimes related to pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or birth. [Pregnancy Justice]
The Frontier fact-checked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims as part of the ‘Make Oklahoma Healthy Again’ campaign: The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary made half-true or false statements about fluoride in public drinking water, Alzheimer’s disease, autism and puberty during his visit to Oklahoma. [The Frontier]
Opinion: When you consider an Oklahoma without fluoridated water, picture our one-toothed, 1st president: Every time I doubt the benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water, I find myself thinking about the iconic presidential portrait of George Washington in which he appears pursing his lips, and hiding his missing teeth. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: When we invest in public health, we invest in the strength of our future: Public health has faced many challenges throughout history, from political shifts to pandemics, but its resilience lies in the dedication of scientists, public health practitioners, health care professionals and engaged communities. Strengthening local health initiatives, supporting independent research and encouraging public dialogue can help safeguard essential health services and ensure that these services are deployed properly and promptly. [Bruce Dart / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Citizens successfully petition to impanel Kingfisher County grand jury on 2020 shooting: A Kingfisher County District Court judge ruled July 2 that a group of petitioners had gathered enough signatures to impanel a grand jury to investigate a 2020 shooting that left one person dead. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma County jail reports eighth inmate death of 2025: An Oklahoma County jail inmate accused of pistol-whipping a woman for her car outside a casino has died. Everett D. Edwards, 58, was pronounced deceased at a hospital at 4:48 p.m. Thursday, July 3. [The Oklahoman]
Mannford police falsely claim Bristow mom drove at them in deadly car chase: wo Mannford police officers misled colleagues by falsely alleging a driver had tried to run over them when she fled a traffic stop for a paper tag issue, a Tulsa World investigation shows. [Tulsa World]
Can defendants in OK County pretrial-release programs be bounced for legal marijuana use?: Oklahoma County’s new contract with nonprofit TEEM for pretrial-release services — designed to keep low-level criminal defendants out of jail — seems to threaten medical marijuana cardholders with incarceration if they fail a drug test. [The Oklahoman]
Why fixing Oklahoma County jail after flip-flop freeze fiasco won’t cost as much as feared: A flip-flop of fate will keep Oklahoma County from having to come up with $280,000 to correct a “design flaw” revealed in the county jail HVAC system when an inmate hit a sprinkler head with a jail-issued … flip-flop. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Police officers don’t need ‘Qualified Immunity’ to do their jobs: Qualified Immunity says that if a government official, including a police officer, violates your legal rights, the official cannot be sued civilly (for money) unless there has already been a successful identical precedent in your jurisdiction. It’s a catch-22! How could you ever get a first case to set the precedent? [David Brinker / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma is ready to leave the death penalty in the past: Oklahoma may hold the distinction for having highest number of executions per capita in the U.S. and ranks second to Texas for the number of executions since 1976. But these statistics paint an incomplete picture of the state’s capital punishment system today. The reality is Oklahoma’s death penalty is losing legitimacy in the public’s mind and — in the not too distant future — it may end. The state’s four executions last year involved death sentences handed down decades earlier. [Demetrius Minor / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Editorial: We’re proud of the Thunder, but should be ashamed of our county jail: Oklahomans enjoyed a burst of pride watching the Thunder fight its way to the NBA championship. We took pride in the positive comments that poured in from across the nation as we observed the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and renewed our dedication to the “Oklahoma Standard” of support for those in need. But, as usual, little thought was given to those in need right under our noses. By all accounts, our county jail is one of the worst in the nation. It has been so for years, a facility the U.S. Department of Justice has called “a largely unsupervised tower of chaos and violence.” [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Cost and closures drive deepening child care crisis in Oklahoma: Oklahoma has 4,354 fewer licensed child care slots today than one year ago, and Carrie Williams expects to see additional losses when the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness releases its annual program report this month. [The Journal Record]
Juneteenth brings lessons for creating, preserving generational wealth: A real estate broker and investor told a Tulsa audience how his father, with only a 10th grade education, used veterans’ benefits to buy the family’s first home in 1961. That was the start of his family’s legacy, passing property on to generations to kickstart their investments and increase their wealth. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Community News
Opinion: Why Some Black Americans Skip July 4th for Juneteenth: In the Black community, language can be resistance, and lately, a new greeting has gained power and popularity: “Happy 15 Days After Juneteenth.” And we say it deliberately on July 4th. On the surface, it may read like a meme or punchline. But behind the smile is a deeper truth, one that forces this nation to confront its selective memory and its uncomfortable contradictions. [Nehemiah Frank / The Black Wall Street Times]
Opinion: I’m a new citizen of the USA with a hope to share with other Americans: On Nov. 14 of last year, I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States of America. As a white person from an English-speaking country who moved here young enough to lose any discerning accent or social cues that would give me away to strangers, I have spent my immigrant life with significantly less fear than most. Not no fear, but much less. [Hannah Jackson / Tulsa World]
Opinion: What America needs at this time in history: Our country will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026. As we move toward that milestone, we might pause to contemplate who we are, what we have and what we need. We are a divided nation, seemingly locked in an internecine battle over the soul of America. We have a country short on civility, lacking in trust and, more troubling, seemingly unappreciative of our shared humanity. We need to find common ground. [Hannibal B. Johnson / Tulsa World]
Editorial: We want security in an insecure world in light of fatal shootings. Know your role: Like many Tulsans, we have questions in the aftermath of another deadly shooting in our city. But are we asking this question: Is everyone willing to do something to make security a reality? So far, too many are trying to place blame rather than play a role. This problem isn’t easy to solve. [Tulsa World Editorial Board]
- Tulsa mayor says city must move past curfews to address gun violence [Public Radio Tulsa]
Local Headlines
- ‘No Kings’ demonstrators return to Tulsa’s 41st and Yale [Tulsa World]
- ‘About half’ of Indianola school district in Pittsburg County resigns [KJRH]
- Lawsuit filed against Wagoner County Board of Commissioners in solar farm denial [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“When confronted with a mirror to our America, we too often retreat to a comforting, reassuring and arrogant refrain: ‘That’s not who we are.’ Yes, it is. That’s precisely who we are in this moment. It is not who we should (and can) be, though. The question for us — for all of us — is: What are we going to do about it?”
-Author Hannibal B. Johnson, writing in an op-ed about the need for our nation to move beyond the left/right, progressive/conservative, Democrat/Republican binaries. [Tulsa World]
Number of the Day
37
The number of tribal colleges and universities in the U.S. that could be devastated by the FY 2026 budget proposal, which slashes their federal funding — threatening education access, cultural preservation, and community infrastructure across Indian Country. [ProPublica]
Policy Note
Trump Seeks 90% Cut for Already Underfunded Tribal Colleges: The Trump administration’s FY 2026 budget proposal seeks to cut federal funding for tribal colleges and universities by nearly 90%, slashing appropriations from roughly $122 million this year to just $22 million. Tribal leaders warn that, without these funds, schools will be forced to close, jeopardizing critical education, cultural preservation, workforce training — and basic infrastructure — across Native American communities. [Common Dreams]
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