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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.
State Government News
Attorney General’s office says Stitt can’t call for constitutional convention vote: Oklahoma’s top legal official says the governor’s executive order calling for a vote on a constitutional convention, which could change the state Constitution, is outside the scope of his power. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma childcare system unlikely to have ‘large scale’ fraud but DHS has risk areas, report finds: Oklahoma’s childcare subsidy system is likely to be resistant to large-scale, coordinated fraud, a state agency investigation found. [Oklahoma Voice]
- DHS reluctance to prosecute could enable child care fraud, report shows [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma childcare subsidy program unlikely to face large-scale fraud, audit finds [News on 6]
TSET Investment Policy on Oklahoma Values Draws Legal Questions: State Treasurer Todd Russ’ push for so-called Oklahoma values to be a big factor in awarding investment manager contracts could land the board that oversees the state’s $2 billion tobacco settlement trust in hot water, one board member said. [Oklahoma Watch]
OSSAA votes to change controversial ‘Linked Rule,’ but leaves parts intact: The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association changed a controversial rule regarding student athletes. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Mazzei wins GOP nomination for Oklahoma governor, Stitt creates beef council and more (podcast): A discussion of Mike Mazzei’s victory in the Republican runoff for governor, N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, and the other GOP winners in statewide races. Also covered: the mixed results for state questions in Tuesday’s election and Gov. Kevin Stitt’s creation of an advisory council in response to President Trump’s call to remove tariffs on imported beef. [KOSU]
‘Focus: Black Oklahoma’: Owasso quarry fight, Cherokee Nation elder nutrition & more (podcaest): This episode of Focus: Black Oklahoma features stories on Owasso’s quarry fight, Cherokee Nation’s newest elder nutrition program and more. [KOSU]
Federal Government News
New challenges to Trump mail-in voting order arrive after US Supreme Court ruling: Democrat-led states and voting rights groups re-filed lawsuits Wednesday to block the Trump administration from executing a new regulation to restrict mail-in voting, while a federal judge lifted a nationwide pause on the policy in line with this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that handed the administration a procedural win. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
State, national leaders worry about prediction markets’ impact on tribal sovereignty: State- and national-level gaming leaders are continuing to express objections to prediction markets’ impact on tribal sovereignty. [Tulsa World]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma’s success depends on our Tribal Nations
Voting and Election News
Mazzei comments on Inola smelter the morning after Republican nominee win: Tuesday, former Oklahoma senator Mike Mazzei beat out his republican counterpart Gentner Drummond as the G-O-P nominee for Oklahoma’s governor, by just 2,000 votes. Mazzei took a moment at a Tulsa restaurant the morning after his win to “set the record straight” about the proposed Inola aluminum smelter – and his plan if elected. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Is aluminum infinitely recyclable? [Oklahoma Watch]
Robert Franklin talks runoff victory, education priorities ahead of November: Republican state superintendent candidate Robert Franklin discusses his runoff victory, plans for Oklahoma schools and priorities ahead of the November general election. [News 9]
Oklahoma state superintendent candidate Jennettie Marshall outlines education plan: Democratic state superintendent candidate Jennettie Marshall says she would focus on educators, curriculum and accountability if elected in November. [News 9]
- Dr. Jenettie Marshall shares vision for Oklahoma superintendent race [News on 6]
Health News
Oklahoma officials outline progress on Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives: Oklahoma is preparing to enter the second budget period of a five-year federal funding opportunity seeking to transform rural health. Leaders from the State Department of Health offered updates on the projects Oklahoma has worked on so far using the more than $223 million award it received from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Justice System News
Execution date set for Oklahoma County killer: Oklahoma County killer James D. Pavatt is set to die Nov. 12 by lethal injection. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday set the execution date. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma convicted murderer James Pavatt set to be executed in November [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma changed its early-release law after Sara Polston’s release. Now she’s fighting it in court: Polston was released after 73 days in prison. A new law bars people convicted of DUI causing great bodily injury from early release on GPS monitoring, and Polston argues the state can’t use it to send her back to prison. [The Frontier]
- Stitt donor Sara Polston sues to stay out of prison for drunk driving [The Oklahoman]
Was your license plate searched in Flock? Oklahoma drivers can check: In a controversial decision, the Oklahoma City Council recently renewed its $270,000 contract with Flock Safety. Opposers of the system expressed privacy concerns over Flock cameras and argued against potential abuse by law enforcement. This lack of transparency motivated a group of record researchers to launch Have I Been Flocked. Through open records requests, they built a searchable database of audit logs, which show if a plate was searched for in the Flock system. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Is OKC teaching residents that being reasonable doesn’t work?: I went to Oklahoma City Council recently for a reason that had nothing to do with Flock cameras. As I sat in the meeting, I listened to residents speak about the Flock camera issue. People were angry. They raised their voices. They yelled. Some said things that made me uncomfortable. But maybe those people weren’t screaming because they didn’t know how to communicate calmly. Maybe they were screaming because they had already tried. [Brandy Torres-DeMark / The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
‘No winner’: Choctaw County property owners face tax hikes after 3 costly lawsuits: Property owners in Choctaw County are expected to see significant increases in their property tax bills owing to multi-million-dollar judgments and settlements against the southeast Oklahoma county’s jail and largest school district. While it’s unclear exactly how much Choctaw County property tax rates will ultimately climb, it could be more than 30 percent once all three cases are final. [NonDoc]
Rehousing initiative closes OKC homeless encampment, houses 75 people: Key to Home is housing 75 people experiencing homelessness in central Oklahoma City. The move follows the closure of a large homeless encampment earlier this month. [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- Embezzlement probe leads to changes in OK County employment practices [The Oklahoman]
- Two dead after explosion rocks Sand Springs business [The Oklahoman]
- Claremore data center is still a go, though the company behind it is yet to be revealed [Tulsa World]
- East Tulsa councilors share their visions for the area. It all hinges on investment. [La Semana via Tulsa Flyer]
- Online conversation around Tulsa City Council race surged, but voter turnout didn’t [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- At this annual conference, Tulsa Latinas take center stage [La Semana via Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“The most effective form of accountability isn’t reacting after frustration becomes a crisis. It’s creating a system where people don’t have to reach that point in the first place.”
– Brandy Torres-DeMark, an Oklahoma City resident, wrote in an op-ed calling on city leaders to create a more responsive system for addressing residents’ concerns. She argues that meaningful accountability requires fixing communication failures before unheard residents become frustrated enough to demand public attention. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
31%
The share of Americans who participate at relatively low levels across political, civic, religious, and news-related activities. Compared with other Americans, they are less likely to vote, volunteer, attend public meetings, follow the news, or engage in political advocacy. [Pew Research Center]
Policy Note
How Americans Are Engaged With News, Politics, Religion and Civic Life: Americans engage with public life in distinct ways: Some are active across politics, community organizations, news, and religion; others participate in community life without much political involvement; many closely follow the news but rarely take further action; and others remain largely disconnected. Older adults tend to participate through traditional activities such as voting, donating, and joining organizations, while younger adults engage more often with news online. These patterns cross party lines, suggesting that civic engagement is shaped by more than political affiliation. People who are more involved also tend to be more interested and knowledgeable about politics and feel more positively connected to their local communities, while those who are less engaged are more likely to feel uncertain about how government and politics work. [Pew Research Center]
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