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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
Policy Matters: Oklahoma voters deserve details, not promises: Business leaders don’t make major decisions without knowing the details. Before signing a contract, investing money, or changing a long-term plan, they want to understand the problem, the proposed solution, and the likely results. Oklahoma voters deserve the same level of information before changing our state Constitution. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
State Government News
Lawmakers didn’t budget enough to replace state plane, Oklahoma official says: It will cost millions more than lawmakers budgeted to replace the state plane used to transport the governor and other dignitaries, Oklahoma’s chief operating office said Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Drummond: Secretary of State Ben Lepak should be fired after public intoxication arrest: Oklahoma Secretary of State Ben Lepak plans to address his Aug. 14 charge of public intoxication “through the legal process” and retain his appointed position despite Attorney General Gentner Drummond calling for his firing and citing a previous alcohol-related arrest. [NonDoc]
- Police have cited Benjamin Lepak for intoxication before, records say [The Oklahoman]
- Could Oklahoma official Ben Lepak be charged with DUI? What state law says [The Oklahoman]
OKC couple sues to force release of State Farm investigation: A northwest Oklahoma City couple has filed a lawsuit in Oklahoma County district court asking a judge to compel state Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready to release the results of a state investigation into how State Farm handles roof-damage claims filed by Oklahoma policyholders. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma auditor report alleges more details of embezzlement scheme at Tulsa Public Schools: State Auditor Cindy Byrd released the second part of an investigative audit report Tuesday detailing the mismanagement of funds at Tulsa Public Schools. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Long Story Short: Utility Shock, Housing Protections and Juvenile Murder Laws (podcast): Breaking down what is driving the massive spike in Oklahomans’ electricity bills and examining the lack of legal recourse for tenants dealing with negligent landlords failing to provide essential services. Plus, detailing Oklahoma’s controversial felony murder doctrine, which allows minors to be sentenced to prison for homicides they didn’t directly commit. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
Refugee admissions on track to hit record low: The number of refugees admitted to the United States during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is on pace to hit its lowest level on record, according to a new analysis. The new numbers reflect a steep decline in refugee admissions since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a new analysis of State Department data by the Pew Research Center. [Oklahoma Voice]
Voting and Election News
Election Roundup
- Early voting for Oklahoma’s Aug. 25 runoff election opens Thursday [The Oklahoman]
- Voter Guide: What to know about Oklahoma’s primary runoff election [KOCO]
- State questions, party nominees to be decided in Oklahoma’s August runoff election [OPMX via KGOU]
- School bonds, city taxes to be decided in Oklahoma’s August election [KOSU]
- Tax Hikes, Democrat Donations and Defending Trump: Fact-Checking Claims Made in Runoff Election Ads [Oklahoma Watch]
- Oklahoma Republican runoffs put Freedom Caucus’ future at stake [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma superintendent candidate’s book calls for male authority over women [The Frontier]
- Superintendent candidate Robert Franklin wants ‘political rancor’ out of Oklahoma education [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
- Insurance commissioner runoff: Marty Quinn, Bob Sullivan clash on cause of rising rates [NonDoc]
- ‘Fake Democrat,’ tax payment claims cloud OK County District 1 race [The Oklahoman]
- Judy Eason McIntyre gave Wilson $4,000; campaign says it will return $500 after BWST inquiry [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Tulsa City Council elections: District 2 candidates make their closing arguments [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa City Council elections: District 9 candidates make their closing arguments [Tulsa World]
- Opinion: The August runoffs are nearly here. What a political circus! [Former State Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Education News
15 states have laws that allow corporal punishment in schools. Here’s where, and why: There is broad consensus among psychologists that corporal punishment can be harmful to children, but the U.S. has no federal laws banning it in public schools. Instead, it’s up to states and local districts to decide if it can be used, and many states and local districts still require parents to consent. And while corporal punishment is much less common today than in the past – when it was used for everyday discipline as well as to punish students for speaking languages other than English and, in federal Indian boarding schools, to force Native children to assimilate – it still happens. [KOSU]
Health News
AI use is growing in healthcare. An Oklahoma researcher found rural hospitals are slow to adopt it: Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated into healthcare to predict risks, monitor patients and automate administrative tasks. New research from Oklahoma State University found that rural hospitals are lagging in AI use and makes the case for investments in facilities that lack the funds to evaluate and implement it safely. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s new cancer screening requirement isn’t as transparent for patients as it should be: Oklahoma’s new cancer coverage laws, Senate Bill 109 and House Bill 1389, became law last year. They were written around a simple idea: no patient should skip an extra test just because they could not afford it. Lawmakers expanded coverage for supplemental breast imaging and inherited cancer genetic testing because early detection can improve cancer treatment outcomes. This was a meaningful bipartisan agreement. Yet the law does not always tell a patient what will happen when they hand over their insurance card. [Rahhul Elangovan / Oklahoma Voice]
Justice System News
Judge denies qualified immunity for detective in Glynn Simmons case: A judge has denied an Oklahoma City police officer’s “qualified immunity” claims in a federal lawsuit brought by the man who served the longest wrongful conviction in United States history. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma Highway Patrol make arrests at encampment on state property in Norman: Early Wednesday morning, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers were back at the site of an encampment in Norman they cleared last week — this time dozens of arrests were made. [KOSU]
- Arrests made after troopers clear homeless encampment on state property in Norman [KFOR]
OK County commissioners decline sheriff’s ICE agreement proposal: The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office will not have deputies trained to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after the Board of County Commissioners declined to take up Sheriff Tommie Johnson III’s proposal. [The Oklahoman]
Tulsa County has a new agreement with ICE that goes beyond the jailhouse to special task forces: The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the jail to the streets. The sheriff signed a new 287(g) agreement in July that gives certified officers the authority to conduct immigration enforcement. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Community News
Heartland Flyer will continue Oklahoma, Texas service into 2027: The only passenger rail connection in Oklahoma will survive for at least another year thanks to officials in Texas. In a presentation to the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Transportation Director Michael Morris brought “good news.” The good news, he said, is that Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer route between Oklahoma City and Ft. Worth will continue in 2027. [The Oklahoman]
- Heartland Flyer avoids shutdown, for now [KGOU]
Local Headlines
- Deputy Chief Brooks expected to be named Tulsa police chief in coming days [Tulsa World]
- Google announces it’s behind data center in Tulsa County known as Project Clydesdale [Tulsa World]
- Judge dismisses lawsuit brought by Sand Springs data center opponents [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“These are scary times for my community here in Oklahoma City. Please don’t make them any scarier.”
– State Rep. Sam Wargin Grimaldo, an Oklahoma City immigration and criminal-defense attorney, criticizing Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III’s proposed agreement with ICE’s 287(g) program. Grimaldo warned that allowing sheriff’s deputies to enforce federal immigration laws would undermine community trust and make people afraid to seek help or access the courts. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
86
The number of Oklahoma police departments, sheriff’s offices, and state agencies with 287(g) agreements that deputize local officers to help ICE enforce federal immigration law. Under the “task force” model, officers can use that authority during routine policing — not just in jails — making everyday interactions with local law enforcement more frightening and dangerous for immigrant communities. [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]
Policy Note
A Deep Dive into the Dangerous 287(g) Task Force Model: As 287(g) agreements rapidly expand across the country, more law enforcement agencies are being radically transformed into a sweeping immigration enforcement machine. Police agencies are choosing to enter into the most expansive and harmful 287(g) agreement available, the Task Force Model. This policy brief provides a breakdown of the Task Force Model and how it provides carte blanche for rampant racial profiling, unbridled civil rights abuses, and little to no federal oversight. [Immigrant Legal Resource Center]
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