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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
New federal grant should strengthen state policy for youth justice efforts (Capitol Update): The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Institute of Justice to examine the effects of Oklahoma’s legislative and administrative reforms in the field of juvenile justice, which have resulted in an increased utilization of community-based services. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Board Rescinds Contract with Catholic Charter School: Following weeks of delays, the Statewide Charter School Board on Monday rescinded its contract with a Catholic online school to comply with an order by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The board’s motion included a caveat that the contract would be reinstated immediately if the U.S Supreme Court reverses or vacates the state Supreme Court’s June 25 decision, which found the school unconstitutional. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Oklahoma board rescinds Catholic charter school founding contract [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board ends contract with St. Isidore [Journal Record]
- Statewide Charter School Board rescinds St. Isidore contract [KGOU]
- State board finally follows Oklahoma Supreme Court order to rescind St. Isidore contract [Tulsa World]
- Statewide Charter School Board votes to rescind contract with St. Isidore [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma minimum wage state question has number of signatures needed to appear on ballot: Supporters of an effort to increase the state’s minimum wage secured enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot, organizers said Monday. The Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office has verified 157,287 signatures, well above the 92,263 signatures required to get State Question 832 before voters, said Raise the Wage Oklahoma. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Minimum wage state question is one step closer to Oklahoma ballots [The Oklahoman]
- Vote on Oklahoma minimum wage increase may be closer [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma minimum wage increase moves closer to ballot [KOCO]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase Info & Resources | What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
State Government News
‘Alarming number of complaints’: Ryan Walters open records issues draw Gentner Drummond letter: As allegations of transparency law violations continue to mount against the agency he runs and the board he chairs, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters received a July 16 letter from Attorney General Gentner Drummond asking him to respond to numerous complaints made about unfulfilled media requests for public records. [NonDoc]
- State Superintendent Ryan Walters, OSDE face pressure over open records delays [KOCO]
- Oklahoma AG on Open Records Requests for Dept. of Education and Walters’ response [Fox 25]
- AG chastises Ryan Walters, says unanswered open records requests ‘unacceptable’ [The Oklahoman]
House Republicans’ grumbling about Ryan Walters grows louder: Three Oklahoma state representatives, including one from Bixby, chastised State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a fellow Republican, on Monday amid signs of waning support among GOP lawmakers. [Tulsa World]
- Sources: ‘Numerous’ House Republicans sign letter calling for investigation into possible impeachment of Ryan Walters [KFOR]
- Republican Legislators Seek Investigation into State Superintendent Ryan Walters [News 9]
Additional defendants accused in $100 million bidding scheme in Oklahoma: A federal grand jury in Oklahoma City has indicted a Weatherford-based erosion control company and a top executive in a price-fixing conspiracy that targeted more than $100 million in publicly funded transportation contracts across the state. [The Oklahoman]
Legislative Leaders Approve Various Interim Studies: It’s been mostly quiet at the Oklahoma State Capital as several lawmakers campaign to keep their seats in the Aug. 27 runoff election. That will soon change. In late July, House and Senate leadership approved more than 125 interim studies on topics ranging from mental health treatment in jails to corporal punishment in schools. [Oklahoma Watch]
Bobek named state’s chief operating officer: Brian Bobek, an Oklahoma City businessman whose brief membership on the Statewide Virtual Charter School board triggered its approval of a state-funded religious school, was named the Stitt administration’s chief operating officer on Monday. [Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
GOP lawmaker squares off with USDA, tribes over farm bill land transfer: The decades-long battle over nearly 9,500 acres in Oklahoma is coming to a head in Washington, D.C. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) secured a farm bill provision that would block transfer of the land, which currently hosts a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) research facility and sits atop sizable oil and gas reserves, “except as otherwise specifically authorized by law.” [The Hill]
Tribal Nations News
Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot: It’s not easy to make public health decisions without access to good data. And epidemiologists and public health workers for Native American communities say they’re often in the dark because state and federal agencies restrict their access to the latest numbers. [KFF Health News]
Cherokee Nation travels U.S. in effort to unify tribe: The Cherokee Nation is on a cross-country tour to connect with its community at-large. It’s currently stopped on the East Coast and will continue on to Texas, California and Arizona. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
SD 15 runoff: Robert Keyes, Lisa Standridge quip about ‘suspenders’ and ‘cheap lawn chair’ in tense debate: During a Senate District 15 Republican runoff debate, disagreements over which candidate is most “conservative” led to tense moments, back-handed compliments and contrasting views on the value of negotiation. [NonDoc]
Education News
‘Unreasonable’: $250,000 for Okla. public schools inhaler funds stalled in OSDE: Lawmakers said they approved the money to cover the cost of emergency inhalers for all Oklahoma public schools. It was sent to Governor Stitt’s office where he signed it into law. But the $250,000 allocated to the foundation stalled in the state Department of Education. [2 News Oklahoma]
Oklahoma CareerTech schools receives over $4 million in lottery funds: Oklahoma CareerTech awarded $4.61 million in scholarships and grants using the funds it received from the Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund’s revenue. [Oklahoma Voice]
Greenwood Initiative drives Bloomberg’s $600 million gift to HBCU medical schools: [Monday], Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a new $600 million gift to help bolster the endowments of the nation’s four historically Black medical schools: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Here’s how to keep Oklahoma roads safe as the new school year begins: As summer draws to a close, most Oklahoma students are returning to schools across the state. That means inexperienced drivers, school buses, and student pedestrians and bicyclists are all sharing the road. [KOSU]
Opinion: Oklahoma ranks among lowest in some key education factors: Grading Oklahoma: How does Oklahoma compare with the rest of the U.S. in learning? Grading Oklahoma takes a look at state education data to see how we rank in different aspects as a new school year begins. [Todd Pendleton / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma Health Care Authority Board approves nursing home rate increase: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority Board (OHCA) approved a nearly $29 million increase in state Medicaid funding for regular nursing facilities during its Monday meeting. That appropriation will attract additional federal dollars to improve long-term care provider rates. [KGOU]
Opinion: We have an epidemic of untreated mental health conditions, substance use disorders: In a perfect world, Oklahomans struggling with mental health and substance use disorders would be able to get the care they deserve without jumping through hoops, but that’s not our reality. [Janet Cizek / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Del City leaders submit petition for investigation into Myles Davidson: Del City leaders have turned in more than 5,000 signatures requesting a grand jury investigation into Oklahoma County Commissioner Miles Davidson. This all stems from the location for the new county jail. [KFOR]
Interview with juvenile justice center director David Parker: Last month, Tulsa County’s board of commissioners took over the area’s juvenile detention center. With their takeover, commissioners appointed former Tulsa County jail administrator David Parker to oversee the Family Center for Juvenile Justice. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Seeking treatment funds ‘not feasible’ for county: Garfield County leaders expressed frustration with a state program designed to provide counties with money for community-based diversion and treatment programs. Counties could apply for money from the fund, but only 36 of 77 counties applied. [Enid News & Eagle]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
As students move back for OU, OSU classes, how do Norman, Stillwater’s rent markets compare to national trends?: In Oklahoma, major college towns are seeing a median rent lower than the national median, but the growing pains from increasing enrollment are still evident in market trends. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Gov. Stitt refused a kids’ summer feeding program. He can reverse the decision for 2025: Oklahoma faces a critical issue of child food insecurity, with more than one in five children lacking adequate access to nutritious food. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s decision not to participate in the Summer EBT program in 2024 was a missed opportunity. It is imperative that Oklahoma reverse this decision for 2025. [Chris Bernard / The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- The Paris Olympics were fabulous. But OKC is now on the clock. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma State Fair launches new policy for minors after incident at previous fair [The Oklahoman]
- Edmond putting $231 million bond on ballot, settling with innocent man Glynn Simmons [NonDoc]
- NTEDi: 20th Annual Back-2-School Extravaganza in North Tulsa [The Black Wall Street Times]
- $25 million being spent to convert Beacon Building downtown into apartments [Tulsa World]
- Price Tower closes its doors in September [Public Radio Tulsa]
Quote of the Day
“If we could have gotten this money, we could have hired a full-time counselor to help with the mental issues of many of our inmates. If we are expected to be a mental health facility along with a jail, we need more funds. This really doesn’t seem fair. We expected this money for years, and they made it so hard to get with so many requirements, it’s almost like they didn’t want us to have it.”
– Daylen Rivers, Garfield County Detention Facility Administrator, explaining county officials’ frustration with the state’s distribution of SQ 781 funds. State lawmakers put $12.5 million into the County Community Safety Investment Fund this year, but fewer than half of Oklahoma’s 77 counties applied for the funds. [Enid News & Eagle]
Number of the Day
4.9%
Rate of food insecurity reported by older residents in rural areas, compared with 4.4% for older residents in urban areas. [University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center]
Policy Note
Study: Injury, Food Insecurity and Inadequate Social Supports Put Older Rural Adults at Risk: While rural older adults are statistically just as likely as their urban counterparts to suffer from injuries, food insecurity and social isolation, their lack of access to healthcare puts them at greater risk for negative health outcomes as a result, a new study found. [Daily Yonder]
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