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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 you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma: Raising the minimum wage is one of the policy solutions that can improve Oklahoma’s economy, strengthen our quality of life, and reduce poverty in our communities. [OK Policy]
SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase: To help voters become better informed about SQ 832 that would increase the state’s minimum wage, OK Policy has published an information and resource center. [OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
Dozens of Counties Don’t Apply for Mental Health and Diversion Grants: Millions of dollars are flowing across Oklahoma to bolster community-based diversion and treatment programs, but most counties have not applied for a share of the money. Lawmakers allocated $12.5 million to the fund in May 2023, nearly seven years after voters approved State Question 781. [Oklahoma Watch]
State Government News
Fiery debate breaks out at Oklahoma Corporation Commission meeting over 2021 winter storm handling: A heated exchange marked Tuesday’s Oklahoma Corporation Commission meeting, where the handling of the 2021 winter storm and the legality of past audits were hotly debated. The meeting’s agenda included a presentation that was never heard. It focused on the commission’s handling of past audits, including those for the 2021 winter storm. [KOCO]
Federal Government News
NTSB issues advisory after 2022 fatal Tishomingo crash linked to cannabis impairment: In the wake of a deadly collision in Tishomingo, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy urged parents to warn teenagers about the dangers of driving after using cannabis. [KOSU]
Tribal Nations News
New program offers free high-speed internet access to Osage seniors: A new program through Osage Broadband provides qualifying Osage adults 55 years of age and older with access to internet at 100 megabits per second (Mbps). [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
As Biden prepares to address nation, Tulsans react to end of reelection bid: President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the nation Wednesday evening on his decision to withdraw from the presidential race. KWGS hit the streets to hear what Tulsans think about Biden stepping away. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Opinion: Seeing Harris accept the Democratic nomination for president will be a dream come true: Despite moments of uncertainty over the past few days, I ultimately have tremendous hope for the future. Today, we are on the cusp of nominating the first woman of color for president at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. [Rep. Cyndi Munson / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Are Oklahoma laws an obstacle to teaching reproductive care? OU medical school dean weighs in: Talk about a juggling act. How would you like a job where you’re a neurosurgeon part of the time, but also the head of a major medical school, an institution in an intense spotlight because of the state’s strict limitations on care for pregnant women? [The Oklahoman]
Downturn in childhood vaccinations: ‘Oklahomans should absolutely be concerned’: Kindergartners in Oklahoma and across the country are less likely to be vaccinated against diseases such as measles than children were before the COVID-19 pandemic, state and national data show. [Tulsa World]
- Sand Springs Health Center offering immunizations for students returning to school [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist receives $2.4 million to study genetic mutations: Gaurav Varshney’s lab uses zebrafish to study the effects of genetic variants. Varshney aims to research mutations more efficiently and on a larger scale with the four-year grant. [KGOU]
Criminal Justice News
State Health Department issues order demanding inspector access to Oklahoma County jail: The Health Department filed an administrative compliance order July 15 against the jail and the trust that manages it, the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority. This follows two attempts at surprise inspections from the Health Department where inspectors were denied entry. [Oklahoma Voice]
Prison deaths in Oklahoma this year on a pace to exceed last year’s number, officials say: The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is on pace this year to exceed last year’s total of 126 inmate deaths, records for the first six months of 2024 show. In each of the past five years, 100 or more deaths have been recorded in Oklahoma prisons, with 2020 topping the list at 139. [The Oklahoman]
Former DA could testify Epic Charter Schools founders tried for restitution deal to avoid criminal charges: Court records indicate that Oklahoma County’s former top prosecutor could testify Thursday that Epic Charter Schools’ founders unsuccessfully sought a deal including restitution “of a significant sum” to avoid criminal charges. [Tulsa World]
Dennis Larsen sworn in as Tulsa police chief: Some leadership changes at the Tulsa Police Department were formalized Tuesday. Outgoing Chief Wendell Franklin said at a ceremony at the city’s training division that his four-year tenure was marked by some particularly tough situations, including a pandemic and a mass shooting at Saint Francis Hospital. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- New Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen sworn in at promotion ceremony [Tulsa World]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Long Story Short: Oklahoma AG opinion could help groups working with homeless (audio): Heather Warlick discusses Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s opinion on eviction prevention groups. Jennifer Palmer covers the upcoming court date for the embezzlement case involving Epic Charter Schools’ co-founders. Keaton Ross reports on the state’s effort to dismiss a lawsuit by seven prisoners alleging cruel and unusual punishment. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: ARPA funds making a measurable difference in Oklahoma City: The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has provided Oklahoma City with more than $122.5 million in funds to aid in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City has been instrumental in allocating a portion of these funds – $20 million – to create programs that effectively boost our small businesses, nonprofits and workforce. [Travis Gould / Journal Record]
Education News
Deer Creek, Yukon latest to refuse Ryan Walters’ order to add Bible to curriculum: Two more large Oklahoma school districts, Deer Creek and Yukon, have joined a growing number that have declined to change their curriculum despite state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive that the Bible be taught in every classroom. [The Oklahoman]
- Jenks joins list of districts refusing to follow Bible mandate [Tulsa World]
- ‘There’s enough for teachers to do without adding more:’ Local school district responds to OSDE Bible memo [News 9]
Former Kingfisher head football coach to face prosecution after all in child neglect case: The former head football coach at Kingfisher High School will face trial after all on a child neglect charge. Jeff Myers, 57, was charged in October in Kingfisher County District Court after a lengthy investigation that began when a former player filed a hazing lawsuit. He denies wrongdoing. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Oklahoma one of the worst states for road rage, rude gestures in the US, says Forbes study: A recent study from Forbes Advisor found that drivers in Oklahoma are more likely to experience rude or offensive gestures while driving than the rest of the country. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Oklahoma City Mayor Holt paints hopeful picture in 2024 State of the City address [KOSU]
- Tulsa set to establish rules on swimming, boating at Zink Lake [Tulsa World]
- Developer: Agreement close for Norman entertainment project [Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“The Department of Mental Health and the folks who care about 781 funding working, they’re going to have to do work now to undo the last seven years of bad faith that’s kind of been built up.”
– Damion Shade, executive director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, said that the seven-year delay in SQ 781 funding has caused confusion among county officials about the availability of the money. Only 36 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties submitted grant applications for funds from the County Community Safety Investment Fund, created by voter mandate in 2016. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
46%
The percentage increase of inflation since July 2009, the last time the federal minimum wage was adjusted to its current rate of $7.25 per hour. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Policy Note
A history of the federal minimum wage (2023): The minimum wage is a New Deal era policy established initially through the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). The original bill set a wage floor, instituted a 44-hour work week, and protected children from prematurely entering the workforce. Since its inception, the FLSA has been amended multiple times, with added exemptions and expansions specifying which groups of workers are covered under different aspects of the law. [Economic Policy Institute]
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