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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
George Nigh’s legacy wasn’t just in policy, but in people (Capitol Update): After a long life of service, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh died last week. He served as governor for six of the years that I was a member of the Legislature. I could share many of the experiences I had with him during that time – but one stands out as the best example of the type of man he was. It happened early in my freshman term in the House. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
USDA approved Oklahoma’s SNAP restriction waiver request: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Oklahoma’s waiver request to exclude certain junk foods from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called SNAP. As part of the Make Oklahoma Healthy Again Campaign, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the state is requesting a federal waiver to exclude certain junk foods from SNAP purchases. Almost 700,000 Oklahomans participate in the program, according to the USDA. [OMPX via KGOU]
- Oklahoma’s SNAP waiver to limit unhealthy foods gets federal approval [Fox 25]
- Trump administration approves Oklahoma request to remove some foods from SNAP [News 9]
State Government News
Bipartisan show of mourning, respect, at Capitol as former Gov. George Nigh lay in state: It was a bipartisan show of unity that former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh would have appreciated. George Nigh, a Democrat, always knew the power of working with others, no matter the political party, said former Gov. Frank Keating, a Republican. [The Oklahoman]
- Former Gov. George Nigh lies in state at the Oklahoma Capitol: Photos [The Oklahoman]
- Former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh leaves legacy of kindness and leadership [The Journal Record]
Emails show Walters initially allowed to choose which of his own devices were investigated: Newly uncovered emails show the state agency, initially tasked with investigating reports of nude images on State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office TV, asked Walters himself to decide which of his own devices should be examined—before passing the investigation off to law enforcement. [KFOR]
State employees not happy after first day back in office: The conditions inside a state agency are coming to light after some workers have said it is too cramped and downright dangerous. News 4 told you last Thursday, July 31, that employees at the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services had to return to full-time on Monday. We heard from both an employee and department leaders on how the first day back went. [KFOR]
Opinion, Oklahoma Minority Whip: Ryan Walters has one job. And he’s failing at it: Oklahoma parents are sending their kids back to school this month with a gut‑punch reality: Our state just ranked 50th in the nation for public education. (Only New Mexico ranked worse.) And steering this sinking ship is the ultra-conservative MAGA star state superintendent, Ryan Walters, who’s been promoting himself and getting mired in scandals as 700,000 public school students in Oklahoma pay the price for his failures. [Rep. Mickey Dollens / MSNBC]
Opinion: Baseless smears against Ryan Walters are aimed at undermining his integrity: In an era during which moral relativism and cultural erosion threaten the very foundations of our nation, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters stands as a beacon of courage and conviction. [Wade Burleson / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Markwayne Mullin Violated the STOCK Act by Failing to Disclose Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Trades: Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin violated a federal financial conflicts of interest and disclosure law by failing to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock and bond trades, a review of new congressional documents found. [Oklahoma Watch]
‘A gun to a knife fight’: Democrats’ chief pledges a more pugnacious party in more states: Democrats must be more aggressive organizers and campaigners to win back the working-class coalition they have increasingly lost to President Donald Trump, according to Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin. [Oklahoma Voice]
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran: D.C. aviation crash inquiry exposes FAA’s failure to mitigate risks: U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran castigated the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to respond to warning signs and improve safety of airspace in the Washington, D.C., area before American Airlines flight 5342 and an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided in January. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma delegation stays busy during August recess: While Congress is out of session for August, lawmakers aren’t necessarily taking a break. Many lawmakers use this time for constituent outreach, official travel, and preparation for September. [News 9]
Opinion: America is finally waking up to Trump’s cruelty toward immigrants: Americans are still firmly behind President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, but it appears that at least some of them are getting cold feet as his brutal tactics come into view. [Elvia Díaz / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Northeastern State University celebrates new optometry facility supporting rural, tribal communities: The shared idea between NSU and Cherokee Nation leaders to provide high-quality eye care to tribal citizens came to fruition in 1979 with the opening of the Oklahoma College of Optometry. Now, 46 years later, the college boasts that it is one of 25 optometric colleges in the nation and the only one with a specific focus on supporting rural and tribal communities. [KOSU]
Education News
State lawmakers urge public to speak out on proposed A-F school grading system changes: Two state lawmakers are encouraging Oklahomans to speak out against proposed Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) changes to how public schools are graded for Oklahoma’s A-F report cards. [Fox 23]
What to know about supposed ‘anti-woke’ tests for teachers moving to Oklahoma from ‘blue states’: On July 24, 2025, Oklahoma state Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that teachers moving to the state from “blue states” would be required to take a test in order to ensure they could teach to the state’s standards. The initiative aligns with efforts U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has taken to exert greater control over the education system. [Snopes]
Tulsa school board takes first look at student electronics policy: Without discussion or debate, Tulsa Public Schools’ Board of Education took its first look Monday night at proposed revisions to the district’s cellphone policy for the upcoming school year. [Tulsa World]
Health News
Michigan tried work requirements for Medicaid. It didn’t go well (audio): Republicans say new work requirements in the states that expanded Medicaid will get able-bodied Americans off the couch. Michigan tried them a few years ago, and Robert Gordon was in charge of setting them up. He hates them and says other states are about to learn some very hard lessons about what’s really involved. [WBUR via KGOU]
Nonprofit hospitals spend millions on stadium naming rights, raising eyebrows: Nonprofit hospital systems across the country are spending millions to plaster their names on sports stadiums and arenas, even as federal Medicaid cuts and economic uncertainty cloud their financial futures. [Oklahoma Voice]
Report offers insight into municipal water quality across Oklahoma: According to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, about 85% of public water systems across the state’s 77 counties met all state and federal drinking water standards in 2024. [Tulsa World]
Report: Saint Francis Hospital seizing elderly people for financial gain (audio): Reports from news outlet Oklahoma Watch detail how Tulsa’s Saint Francis Hospital is “disappearing” elderly patients for financial gain. KWGS’ Elizabeth Caldwell sat down with reporter JC Hallman of Oklahoma Watch to learn more. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Criminal Justice News
Broken Arrow proposes ordinance to ticket or arrest people camping in public spaces: Broken Arrow City Councilors discuss a new ordinance that would allow police officers to arrest or ticket someone who is camping out in a public place or on public property. Councilors say there have been problems with people camping on the property of people who live out of town. [News on 6]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
‘Something has to change’: Explaining Oklahoma’s competency restoration process: Spots at the state’s only facility equipped to provide competency restoration services are limited. The Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita has 200 inpatient beds and planned to add 80 more in July, however the state’s department of mental health did not confirm construction was finished. Those beds are also divided into different types of treatment, further limiting capacity for people needing restoration services. [KOSU]
Judge finds Channen Smith likely innocent, but Oklahoma won’t let go: Months after a federal judge ordered a review of Channen Smith’s case on grounds of “actual innocence,” the Tulsa-born 35-year-old said he’s already planning for his release from an Oklahoma prison, despite efforts by the state’s attorney general to keep him imprisoned. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Commissioners approve revised contract to house OKC detainees in Cleveland County jail: Cleveland County commissioners approved a revised six-month contract with Oklahoma City to house some of the city’s detainees in the Norman jail — as long as they reside within Cleveland County. [The Oklahoman]
- Cleveland County explains new 6-month contract to house OKC detainees (video) [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Tulsa eyes new strategy for millions in funds allocated to help the homeless: City councilors will discuss on Wednesday whether to redirect more than $4 million in funding allocated for a planned residential care center for the homeless to rapid rehousing services. [Tulsa World]
Bethany Chidren’s Health Center unveils first accessible home in new program: ‘It’s my independence’: The 21-year-old from Altus is the pilot resident for the Mattie Homes Project, specifically the “Dewayne Model.” This project aims to provide accessible, affordable and safe housing. The center serves as the landlord, and a resident pays rent and utilities for the home at a significantly reduced rate compared to what a fully accessible home would typically cost. [The Oklahoman]
- See inside this new wheelchair-accessible home built by Oklahoma initiative [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Film program draws broad interest from Oklahoma communities hoping to attract productions: Created in 2021 by the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, the free program helps cities and tribes across the state prepare for and attract film productions by providing certification to signify a community’s readiness to host productions. It also provides Oklahoma communities with resources that educate and assist them in preparing for incoming film and television productions, which supporters say can result in economic growth. [Oklahoma Voice]
‘The Ballad of Rick and Larry’: Duo accused of $60 million RICO scam with American Heartland project: Gene Bicknell, the financial backer of the American Heartland Theme Park, has accused his former business partners of orchestrating a “predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation” to convince him that “God himself was commanding him” to pay for the project. [NonDoc]
Community News
Oklahoma’s number of structurally deficient bridges plummets: Oklahoma has made drastic improvements in reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges and now ranks fourth in the nation for favorable conditions, the head of the state’s transportation agency said Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
‘Children led the movement.’ Events commemorating OKC sit-in movement planned in August: The hope and tenacity of young people who made up the core of the Oklahoma City sit-ins are reflected in the theme of this year’s commemoration of the local desegregation movement. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Free Palestine Tulsa protest highlights public opinion shift on Israeli military action in Gaza [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Road improvements are critical to Edmond economic development, mayor says [The Journal Record]
- Front Porch Forum hopes to bring civic-minded conversations to Oklahoma City [KOSU]
- Guthrie cat cafe is for coffee, boba tea and addressing stray animal overpopulation [KOSU]
Quote of the Day
“I think it’s kind of incredibly cruel that you would want to take people in desperate situations who don’t have any other options and charge them fines or put them in jail.”
– Anna Puhl, a Broken Arrow resident, speaking on the city’s proposed ordinance that would allow police to arrest or ticket people camping in public spaces — a policy that would disproportionately impact unhoused Oklahomans with no safe alternatives. [News on 6]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
Number of the Day
3.3 million
The number of people who could lose rental assistance — and be pushed toward eviction or homelessness — under a proposed two-year time limit on housing aid. The policy would disproportionately impact low-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities who rely on stable housing support to avoid displacement. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
Policy Note
Rental Assistance Time Limits Would Place More Than 3 Million People — Half of Them Children — at Risk of Eviction and Homelessness: Proposed federal time limits on housing assistance would jeopardize the stability of millions of low-income renters — especially children, seniors, and people with disabilities. By arbitrarily cutting off aid after a fixed period, these proposals ignore the persistent structural barriers that make stable housing unaffordable, from wage stagnation to rising rents and discriminatory practices. Evidence shows that time-limited benefits increase hardship and housing insecurity without improving employment outcomes. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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