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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
Oklahoma’s booms, busts, and tax cut déjà vu (Capitol Update): I’m wondering if the tax cutting is going to continue. I hope our state leaders are paying attention to Oklahoma history. The tax cuts and revenue surpluses in recent years remind me of the leadup to the Oil Bust of the 1980s. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
State Government News
Oklahoma AG launches open records compliance complaint portal: The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office on Monday launched an online portal to accept complaints of denied open records requests. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma Ethics Commission opinion says officeholders can use campaign funds for some security costs: Campaign funds can be used for officeholder security expenses in certain cases, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission recommended in a draft advisory opinion. [Oklahoma Voice]
Show Me the Money: Some Oklahoma Candidates Carry Huge Campaign Debts: An Oklahoma state representative who knocked off a powerful incumbent in last year’s GOP primary is still carrying a large debt to his campaign and continues to lend himself money. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma governor celebrates select measures with ceremonial bill signing: Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday held a ceremonial bill signing for seven pieces of legislation he said will protect Oklahomans’ way of life. [The Journal Record]
Board members who flagged nudity on Supt. Ryan Walters’ TV speak after origin is identified: Oklahoma State Board of Education members answered exactly what they saw on a TV inside State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office last month. On Monday, board members spoke about the issue for the first time since House Speaker Kyle Hilbert released his findings. [KOCO]
Federal Government News
Trump mobilizes D.C. National Guard, pledges similar crackdown in Democratic cities: President Donald Trump asserted control Monday of the District of Columbia police force and mobilized 800 National Guard troops in the nation’s capital under what he declared a “crime emergency.” [Oklahoma Voice]
- Trump says he’s placing Washington police under federal control and activating the National Guard [AP]
- D.C. Mayor Pushes Back After Trump Orders Federal Control [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Trump to Place DC Police Under Federal Control [The Black Wall Street Times]
Republican megalaw helps earners with high and middle incomes, hurts poorest, CBO says: About 10 million people, mostly Medicaid recipients, will lose access to health insurance and 2.4 million fewer people per month will participate in a federal food aid program under Republicans’ massive tax cut and spending law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Read the full report from CBO: Distributional Effects of Public Law 119-21
Immigration attorney questions fairness as Oklahoma faces lawsuit over tuition rates: The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Oklahoma due to immigrant students receiving in-state tuition for public universities. [KTUL]
As Supreme Court rulings shape Oklahoma’s legal landscape, National Conference of State Legislatures summit highlights key cases: Amy Howe, legal analyst and co-founder of the Washington-based Supreme Court tracker SCOTUSblog, said in a special session hosted last week by the National Conference of State Legislatures that a deluge of decisions from a hyper-involved federal government on issues from gender-affirming care to school parents’ religious rights will drive changes across the country to which state governments, including Oklahoma, must rapidly adjust. [NonDoc]
Aid Cuts Threaten Afghan Refugees Starting Over in Oklahoma: Last month, President Donald Trump signed his “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law, codifying sweeping domestic policy changes. The bill restricts Medicaid, SNAP, and tax credits that help low-income individuals buy private health insurance, excluding refugees and other immigrants with legal status. [The Black Wall Street Times]
NAACP to hold town halls across US ahead of midterm elections: In an effort to mobilize Black voters and counter what it calls “attacks on democracy,” the NAACP has launched a series of town halls across the country more than a year ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. [The Black Wall Street Times]
After DOGE cuts hit Oklahoma’s weather service, reports say NOAA will hire hundreds nationwide: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been exempted from a federal hiring freeze to fill in forecasting gaps left by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year, according to reports. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
President Bill Clinton to speak at former Oklahoma governor’s memorial: Former President Bill Clinton will speak Thursday at the memorial for former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh, according to a spokesperson. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Bill Clinton, Leona Mitchell to have roles during memorial service for George Nigh [The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Tribal roundup: Seminole Nation leaders ousted, Tulsa opposes Keith Stitt, Delaware Nation sues Hinton: As the summer heat tries to bake you out of your boots, the 2025 tribal election cycle has rolled onward, with elections concluding in the Choctaw, Seminole, Cherokee, Quapaw and Caddo nations of late. [NonDoc]
- Matriarchal leadership on horizon for Seminole Nation as incumbent leadership ousted [KOSU]
Choctaw Nation expands efforts after West Nile Virus found: West Nile Virus has been found in several southeast Oklahoma counties, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is taking steps to mitigate the risk of the mosquito-borne illness in area citizens. [The Journal Record]
Recent case study shows impact of Summer EBT administered by Oklahoma tribes: Oklahoma families who received help buying groceries through a federal program administered by tribal nations reported lower levels of food insecurity and more access to fruits and vegetables during the summer than those who were not part of the program. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Oklahoma school districts continue recruiting, hiring with days before start of classes: Tulsa Public Schools reports about 50 unfilled teaching positions the week before students are to start classes. The much smaller Union Public Schools has five open teaching positions, with plans to fill the jobs with long-term substitutes for the time being. [News on 6]
Removal of state testing rollout draws jeers from union president: Oklahoma is scrapping traditional end-of-year standardized testing for students in third through eighth grade starting this school year. Some educators took issue with that framing. [Public Radio Tulsa]
‘Opened up doors’: How UCO prepares new teachers working in Oklahoma schools: One Oklahoma university offers a unique program to place teachers in public school classrooms. The University of Central Oklahoma puts teacher assistants on the fast track to becoming certified educators. [News on 6]
From privacy to phones: OKCPS sets stage for new school year: School bells are about to ring for Oklahoma City Public Schools as students return to class on Wednesday. District officials are answering last-minute questions before the big day. [KFOR]
Health News
Rural Oklahoma faces mental health crisis as federal funding ends: Rural Oklahoma is bracing for a mental health crisis in schools as federal funding cuts threaten to end a vital support program. [KTUL]
Kratom faces increasing scrutiny from states and the feds: For years, state lawmakers have taken the lead on regulating kratom — the controversial herbal supplement used for pain relief, anxiety and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Some states have banned it entirely. Others have passed laws requiring age limits, labeling and lab testing. [Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
New report says voter-backed program to reduce crime and incarceration has paid off: A pair of voter-approved state questions from 2016 have made a significant impact in reducing both Oklahoma’s prison population and crime rate, according to a 32-page report released Friday by nonprofit Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- From OK Policy: Groundbreaking report reveals more than $200 million in savings from Oklahoma justice reform
Oklahoma woman sentenced to 27 years in prison seeks early release under Survivors Act: Another Oklahoma woman seeks early release from her 27-year prison sentence for the 2020 murder of her former partner under the Oklahoma Survivors Act in an Oklahoma City courtroom Monday. [KOCO]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
State program gives homeowners $10,000 to fortify their roofs. Do you qualify?: If you’re thinking about repairing or replacing your roof, Oklahoma’s Insurance Department has launched a grant program that can help pay for it. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Research reveals growing jobs from STEM careers to sales and more: Students preparing to enter the workforce and current workers seeking a career change will find a variety of occupations that are growing, from floor layer to biological scientist. [The Journal Record]
Community News
Oklahoma community gardens offer place to gather, grow food: Timberlake is the founder and executive director of Lillian Timber Farms, a six-year-old nonprofit that started food insecurity response work in Northeast Oklahoma City. While the Lottie Lot serves as the anchor garden, the nonprofit works with other organizations, like schools, to revitalize dormant gardens and help homeowners make their own spaces. [OPMX via KGOU]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa mayor calls for emergency management director to be fired [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners meet following executive director’s arrest [News on 6]
- Jenks school board president resigns [Tulsa World]
- Norman Ward 5 councilmember Michael Nash resigns after reelection [KGOU]
Quote of the Day
“Undocumented immigrants aren’t just the bad guys you see on TV. It’s your neighbors, the kids you see in sports, at your church.”
– Immigration attorney Lorena Rivas, speaking about the human impact of Oklahoma’s new restrictions on in-state tuition for immigrant students. She noted that many of these students have lived in Oklahoma for years, graduated from local high schools, and still face steep financial barriers to higher education. [KTUL]
Number of the Day
50%
The share of likely undocumented immigrant adults who were uninsured in 2023 — compared to just 6% of naturalized citizens and 8% of U.S.-born citizens. Noncitizen immigrants face significantly higher uninsured rates due to limited access to employer-sponsored insurance, exclusion from many public programs like Medicaid and CHIP, and numerous enrollment barriers including fear, language access, and confusion over eligibility. [KFF]
Policy Note
The Health Costs to Children of Stepped-Up U.S. Immigration Enforcement: Heightened immigration enforcement — including mass arrests, worksite raids, and expanded presence — creates a pervasive climate of fear among unauthorized immigrants and mixed-status households, causing many to delay or avoid vital health care. Children born in the U.S., whose undocumented parents fear deportation, face rising risks of both physical and mental health harms. [Migration Policy Institute]
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