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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
Your voice matters beyond Election Day (Commentary): For many Oklahomans, the results of State Question 832 were disappointing. Others were relieved. But regardless of where you stood on the issue, one thing is true: the election is over, but the work of building a better Oklahoma continues. [Austin Webb / OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
The Nuclear Campus Pitch Came With a Catch: Oklahoma Could Store Spent Fuel From Around the Nation: Recent news that Oklahoma was one of five finalists to become the home of a federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus was met with excitement over energy production and the potential for thousands of new jobs. But there’s a tradeoff that didn’t get much attention. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma public schools improve to 49th worst in latest education quality ranking: Oklahoma’s education quality has improved slightly in the last year, according to the latest WalletHub survey. Once rated 50th in the nation, Oklahoma has now risen to 49th for school systems. [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
Capitol Insider: OTA receives conditional approval for turnpike bonds: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority requested to issue $1.9 billion of bonds to fund Access Oklahoma turnpike projects in central Oklahoma and other parts of the state, plus an additional $1 billion to potentially refinance earlier issues. And the Council approved both of those requests conditionally. That means there are certain additional requirements, such as complying with any federal court orders related to a lawsuit challenging the authority’s approval of the Access Oklahoma plan before they can actually issue the bonds. [KGOU]
Oklahoma launches portal program to bring internet to rural communities: Oklahoma broadband officials opened the first portals in a program to help rural residents access the high-speed internet this past week. They are special little rooms in public libraries designed for people to virtually meet healthcare providers, get workforce training, take job interviews and access other remote services. [KOSU]
Drummond asks DOJ to drop investigation of proposed Broken Arrow mosque: Oklahoma’s attorney general sent a letter to the president asking the Department of Justice to halt its investigation into the city of Broken Arrow after a mosque proposal. [The Oklahoman]
- Islamic Society of Tulsa to file suit against Broken Arrow over denied mosque [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Opinion: What’s an Oklahoma water board to do about a lake running dry? Let’s start with their job: No resource is more critical to our state’s future than water. Our agricultural industry relies on it. So does our oil and gas industry. And all Oklahomans need it for drinking, cooking and bathing. Yet the state agency entrusted with ensuring that our water resources are being managed appropriately is dispatching a clear SOS that they’re in over their heads. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
US Senate panel advances bill to reject Education Department transfers: A bipartisan effort to rein in President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education has cleared its first major legislative hurdle in a bipartisan U.S. Senate committee vote. [Oklahoma Voice]
Flap over noncitizens on state voter rolls seen as unlikely to boost SAVE America Act: Suddenly there’s evidence that noncitizens were on voting rolls in New Jersey, and there are new questions about the credibility of Alaska’s voter data. Republicans say that’s a big deal and an important boost for their so-far stuck election integrity drive. But look more closely. Congressional lawmakers and independent experts said this week none of those disclosures are enough to give a meaningful boost to the Trump administration’s relentless quest to purge noncitizens from voter rolls. [Oklahoma Voice]
Mullin calls for FEMA overhaul at national governors meeting in OKC: U.S. Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin delivered critical comments in Oklahoma City regarding states’ reliance on federal disaster aid and stressed a need for aggressive immigration enforcement. [The Oklahoman]
Key legal resource for immigrant kids to expire with federal contract, advocates say: For more than six months, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has not reimbursed $65 million to the Acacia Center for Justice, which distributes the federal funding to roughly 100 organizations across the country who provide legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration cases. The Acacia Center for Justice has said those funds are being withheld because attorneys refused to hand over to the Trump administration sensitive case data from the unaccompanied children, such as medical records and the types of legal relief the minors are seeking. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump’s latest immigration policy change alarms asylum seekers, Tulsa advocates: The Trump administration issued another major change in immigration policy last week, and that means Robin Sherman is receiving more frantic phone calls, this time from worried asylum seekers. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Osage Nation charges former Treasurer Clark Batson for peyote possession despite exception in law: Acting Osage Nation Attorney General RhyLee Wynn filed criminal charges against recently fired Osage Nation Treasurer Clark Batson for peyote possession, according to Osage News. The criminal complaint dated July 15 charges Batson in Osage Nation Tribal Court with one count of possessing a controlled substance and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia for a controlled substance. [NonDoc]
Chickasaw Nation to open one of the largest First American hospitals in the country: Chickasaw Nation broke ground Friday on what will become one of the largest First American hospitals in the U.S., spanning a 2.5 million-square-foot campus with more than 23 medical specialties and 140 inpatient beds. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Stitt pushes for AI rules in political campaigns at National Governors conference: Gov. Kevin Stitt kicked off his last conference as chairman of the National Governors Association, ending his term by harking back to his continued message of bipartisanship amid an increasingly hostile political landscape rife with the use of artificial intelligence in elections. [The Oklahoman]
- Campaigns in Oklahoma are using AI. Regulators are trying to catch up [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma superintendent candidate James Taylor criticized for classroom campaign ads: A candidate for Oklahoma state superintendent is facing criticism after using a school classroom in his campaign ads. Little Axe Public Schools, based in Norman, issued a statement on social media Saturday evening, Aug. 1, saying that an employee “had made multiple campaign ads using school resources.” [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma runoffs are coming, and your vote matters: On Aug. 25, Oklahomans from both major political parties will have another opportunity to help shape the future of our state. Republicans and Democrats alike will head to the polls to decide a number of important runoff elections that will determine who advances to the general election or ultimately serves in public office. Yet, if history is any guide, far too many voters will stay home. [Caedmon Brooks / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Stakeholders seek ‘greater scrutiny’ for lagging virtual charter school performance: Student outcomes at virtual charter schools are lagging behind brick-and-mortar charter schools and traditional public schools. While stakeholders acknowledge the complex situations and difficult dynamics that can drive online school enrollment, the Statewide Charter School Board is taking notice. [NonDoc]
These new laws will affect Oklahoma students, teachers this school year: Students heading back to school in August will have a new experience, with a permanent statewide cell phone ban, at least 40 minutes of recess per day at elementary schools and more stringent requirements for reading scores. [The Oklahoman]
Thousands of Tulsa families received $70M in private school tax credits last year. Parents say it makes a huge difference: The program issues checks between $5,000 to $7,500 made payable to the taxpayer and mailed directly to eligible private schools for parent endorsement. The exact amount is based on the annual gross income of families paying tuition and fees. The program’s cap will rise to $275 million for the coming school year, effective Aug. 13. More than $70.1 million went to 11,221 approved applicants paying tuition at Tulsa’s private schools last year, according to tax commission records. That share is nearly $96 million when including schools in the Tulsa suburbs of Bixby, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs and Sapulpa. [Tulsa Flyer]
- From OK Policy: What’s That? Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credits
Health News
String of outbreaks tests US public health system amid funding cuts, vaccine resistance: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged during his confirmation hearing to do everything in his “power to put the health of America back on track.” Less than two years into his tenure at the helm of the department responsible for the health of millions of Americans, a string of outbreaks has repeatedly made headlines. Public health experts interviewed by States Newsroom said the upswing is the result of several factors, but that Kennedy’s decision to cut back the country’s safety net while spreading misinformation about vaccines has aggravated the problem. [Oklahoma Voice]
Justice System News
Court of Criminal Appeals overturns stalking conviction for YouTube rant: Divorcees across the state may want to review a new Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals decision before uploading angry rants about their exes online. Released Thursday, the precedential decision in Meeks v. State tossed the stalking after notice of a protective order conviction of Texan Lon Brandon Meeks, who posted a nearly 40-minute video about his ex-wife to YouTube. [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma appeals court tosses out stalking conviction related to man’s YouTube rant [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma court tosses conviction of YouTuber who went to prison for online rant [The Oklahoman]
Do more than two-thirds of Oklahoma county jails no longer allow families or friends to visit in-person?: Yes. An Oklahoma Watch report found that only 25 of all 77 county jails, or under one-third, allow in-person visitation. [Oklahoma Watch]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
This initiative could bring more housing to north Tulsa. Residents still have questions: Tulsa officials say expanding its Neighborhood Infill Overlay across Districts 1 and 3 — which cover the north and eastern parts of the city — will make it easier for developers to build homes on vacant lots and diversify the type of housing that can be built in existing neighborhoods. Still, some residents are concerned the policy might cause more harm than benefit. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Local Headlines
- Edmond leader questions city lease of offices sublet to county, state [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma City to vote on possible Flock camera renewal Tuesday [KOCO]
Quote of the Day
“On Aug. 25, let’s ensure that Oklahoma’s future is determined by the many — not just the few.”
– Caedmon Brooks, a political organizer and civic advocate based in Ralston, Oklahoma, writing about the importance of Oklahomans making their voices heard in the Aug. 25 election. In addition to runoff races and local contests, voters of every political affiliation will have the opportunity to weigh in on two significant statewide ballot measures. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
2,434,780
The number of registered voters in Oklahoma as of July 2026. But registration doesn’t equal participation. Turnout in Oklahoma — especially for state and local elections — is typically much lower, meaning only a fraction of registered voters are expected to cast a ballot on Aug. 25. [Oklahoma State Election Board]
Policy Note
The Power of One Vote: An Examination of Close Federal, State, and Local U.S. Elections and How Just a Few Votes Can Shape Policy: Elections help determine the course the country takes on the economy, domestic and foreign affairs, whether Americans have access to affordable health care, the role of law enforcement in communities across America, the quality of the air Americans breathe and the water they drink, how children are educated, and everything else in between. Whether an election is decided by hundreds of thousands of votes or just a handful, in every case, the decisions are made by those who vote. A vote is more than just one ballot cast; each vote helps determine the future. [Center for American Progress]
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