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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.
Oklahoma News
Two Oklahoma agencies mismanaged $85 million in federal pandemic funding, auditor says: State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has hammered two large state government agencies she said combined to mismanage more than $85 million in pandemic-era federal funds meant to help keep families and child care programs afloat. [The Oklahoman]
- Pandemic dollars didn’t have ‘maximum impact’ on Oklahoma child care, state auditor says [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma state auditor flags nearly $100 million in mismanaged pandemic relief dollars in new report [KGOU]
- Audit finds Oklahoma may have to pay back nearly $200 million in federal funds the state spent “questionably” [KFOR]
- Read the Fiscal Year 2023 Single Audit Report here
State Government News
Oklahoma State Board of Education calls its own meeting after Walters ‘refused to schedule’: In a rare move, a majority of the Oklahoma State Board of Education has scheduled its own meeting without the consent of state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who board members say has refused to cooperate. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt appointees find workaround to set special meeting of state Board of Education [Tulsa World]
- After Walters canceled monthly meeting, state ed board members call special meeting [The Oklahoman]
- Legal letter demands meeting with superintendent after OSBE meeting cancellation [Fox 25]
Impeachment of Supt. Walters a major topic at Capitol Education Forum Thursday: Following a canceled state school board meeting, an education forum was held at the State Capitol, where Republicans and Democrats heard concerns from Oklahomans. [KFOR]
- After canceled board meeting, Ryan Walters’ opponents meet to brainstorm next steps [The Oklahoman]
Have the reports of explicit images displayed on Ryan Walter’s office television during a meeting been proven impossible to have happened by OMES and the sheriff’s office, as he claimed?: No. Investigations done by OMES and the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office into State Board of Education members’ reports of witnessing naked women on Walters’s television have not confirmed nor denied the incident’s occurrence, and the OCSO has since turned its findings and the investigation over to the Oklahoma County District Attorney. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma lawmaker guilty of domestic abuse, assault gets one-year suspended sentence: A Republican state representative Thursday was charged and pleaded guilty to three domestic-violence related crimes, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said. [Oklahoma Voice]
- ‘Serious charges’: Rep. Ty Burns pleads guilty to domestic abuse, assault involving family members [NonDoc]
- Oklahoma legislator pleads guilty to domestic abuse, assault charges [KOCO]
- Lawmaker’s daughter feared he would kill her as he tried to run van off road, filing says [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma broadband expansion proposal leaves money on the table, critics say: Critics are panning a proposal to return $225 million in federal grants earmarked to expand broadband access, saying it would be wrong to send back any funding while Oklahomans across the state continue to struggle to access it. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma Highway Patrol defends reallocation plan but admits changes needed after AG’s opinion: State public safety officials are saying a proposal to reallocate highway patrol troopers away from urban metropolitan areas has not been undermined ― even after the top Oklahoma law enforcement officer called it “unlawful.” [The Oklahoman]
- Watch: Public safety commissioner defends, explains highway patrol reallocation plan (video) [The Oklahoman]
- County sheriffs ‘disappointed’ in AG’s opinion on OHP plan to withdraw from metro areas [Fox 25]
Competence should count more than politics, says ex-Gov. Frank Keating: If former Gov. Frank Keating is on the program, chances are he’ll be asked about the Oklahoma City Bombing. Such was the case Thursday, when Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell asked Keating how to apply what he learned from that 1995 catastrophe to the present and the future. [Tulsa World]
Hern called to raise concerns about proposed human rights ordinance, city councilors say: First District Congressman Kevin Hern recently made phone calls to several Tulsa city councilors cautioning them against approving an ordinance expanding human rights protections in the city, multiple councilors said Thursday. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma Corporation Commission takes first step toward nuclear energy study: A future with nuclear energy generated in Oklahoma could be decided with the help of a government-funded feasibility study. At the legislature’s behest, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has opened a notice of inquiry to gather information through public comments. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Commission votes to build new Oklahoma governor’s mansion using private donations: The Capitol Preservation Commission unanimously voted to approve construction of a new residence for the governor’s family on the grounds where the current mansion sits. [The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
FY 2026 Federal Appropriations: How much does Congress still have to get done?: The federal government is funded by Congress through the passage of 12 appropriations bills. Here is the current status of the FY 2026 appropriations bills. [News on 6]
Oklahoma Backs Trump’s Call to Put Disaster Response Under State Control: Oklahoma has been at the center of reform talks regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency for months, as the Trump administration mulls over what its future should be. On Thursday, Gov. Kevin Stitt said the state is eager to do away with the existing model. [Oklahoma Watch]
Trump administration says CDC chief ousted, but her lawyer says she hasn’t resigned or been fired: The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t appear inclined to leave her post, despite the Trump administration announcing Wednesday that she’s no longer running one of the country’s top public health agencies. [Oklahoma Voice]
Fed Governor Cook sues Trump, blasts attack on central bank’s autonomy: Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, sued President Donald Trump Thursday, calling his move to fire her an “unprecedented and illegal attempt” that jeopardizes the independence of the board. [Oklahoma Voice]
GOP Lawmaker Can’t Explain Trump’s Drug Prices and Grocery Failures: At a recent town hall, an Oklahoma constituent asked Rep. Josh Brecheen (R–OK2) two simple, kitchen-table questions: Did Donald Trump really lower prescription drug prices, as he often claims? And what bills has Congress passed to ease grocery costs for struggling families? Instead of providing clarity, Rep. Brecheen sidestepped. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Nation will pause new citizenship cards following Freedmen descendant ruling: Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill issued an executive order on Thursday, pausing the issuance of new citizenship cards to descendants of Freedmen in the wake of a tribal court’s ruling requiring the nation to grant them citizenship. [KOSU]
Kiowa Tribe tire recovery events aim to prevent illegal dumping on tribal members’ land: The Kiowa Tribe is hosting two events next week to help people dispose of their unwanted tires. The tire collection events are open to anyone, but Kiowa Tribe Environmental Program Gap Coordinator Ronnie Satepauhoodle said the goal is to protect Kiowa people and their lands from harmful open dumps. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Education Watch: Who’s in the Race for State Superintendent?: So far, five candidates are running to lead Oklahoma’s public education system as state superintendent in 2026. [Oklahoma Watch]
Two Democrats are running to become Oklahoma’s next lieutenant governor: Two Democrats have entered the race to become Oklahoma’s next lieutenant governor. It is the first race among Democratic candidates that will require a primary. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
See Oklahoma’s best public high schools according to US News & World Report (video): Three Oklahoma high schools were ranked among the top 500 in the nation. And of the top 10 schools in Oklahoma, the majority are in and around OKC. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
COVID is spiking again, especially in these states: The U.S. is seeing a late summer surge in COVID-19 cases, tracking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. The spike is particularly pronounced in one region of the country, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where about 15% of COVID tests reported to the CDC are turning up positive. [KFOR]
Oklahoma agencies seek input for Rural Health Transformation Program state plan: Three state agencies are gathering input from people living and serving in rural areas for a state plan for a new $50 billion rural health fund established in President Donald Trump’s megabill. [KGOU]
Data show more Oklahoma parents are choosing to not vaccinate their kids (podcast): This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU’s Michael Cross talks with StateImpact Oklahoma health reporter Jillian Taylor about her recent story on the rising number of parents choosing to not vaccinate their children. [StateImpact Oklahoma and KOSU]
Mercy opens Oklahoma’s first perinatal behavioral health clinic: Oklahoma’s first perinatal behavioral health clinic is helping to fill a significant gap in local maternity care, guiding patients through the unique mental health needs of pregnancy, childbirth and the first year with a new baby. [The Journal Record]
Here’s how Oklahoma would deal with flesh-eating screwworms as worries rise of U.S. return: Although flesh-eating screwworms have not been found in Oklahoma, awareness in the state is heightened after a Maryland man returning from Central America was found to have contracted the parasite this month. [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Oklahoma’s top prisons official is resigning. One reform advocate calls it a ‘great thing’: The executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is resigning, a move that some advocates for prison reform say is long overdue. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Department of Corrections director announces resignation [KGOU]
Opinion: Who polices the police? A tale of power and politics: It’s a fundamental American principle that we are a civilian-run society, not militarily-ruled or -controlled. And yet Trump now threatens to send federal troops to other “blue” cities like Chicago. [Arnold Hamilton / The Journal Record]
Economic Opportunity News
Editorial: On this Labor Day, let’s declare our support for a minimum wage increase: Since 1882, Labor Day has been observed to honor the social and economic contributions of American workers. This year, we believe it’s the opportune time to endorse the idea of an increase in the minimum wage in Oklahoma ― something that hasn’t happened since 2009 when the federal minimum wage was increased from $6.55 to $7.25. [The Oklahoman Editorial Board]
- From OK Policy: This Labor Day weekend, let’s celebrate more than labor’s past. Let’s act on our state motto today.
Community News
Why are flags at half-staff today in Oklahoma? Flags will remain lowered until Aug. 31: President Donald Trump issued the order on Aug. 27 to remember the victims of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Two children were killed and 17 people were injured as they were attending mass to celebrate the first week of school. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Todd Chesbro named new associate district judge for Tulsa County [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa City Council approves ordinance restricting use of medians, sidewalks [KOSU]
- Pinnell touts aerospace as growing part of Tulsa’s future in “State of the State” speech [News on 6]
- Delta Dental of OK Foundation launches Moore’s first free dental clinic [The Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“It’s past time for Oklahoma to put its financial house in order. And if you take away anything from this, take this – if mismanagement of your tax dollars continues, then state taxes will go up, federal taxes will go up and government services will plummet.”
– State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd delivered sharp warnings after her office’s annual Federal Single Audit revealed millions in mismanaged federal COVID-19 relief funds by Oklahoma agencies, including money intended for rental assistance and child care programs. [The Oklahoman]
- Read the Fiscal Year 2023 Single Audit Report here
Number of the Day
7,659
The estimated number of Oklahomans who could have received rental assistance during the pandemic but were denied. State Auditor Cindy Byrd found the Office of Management and Enterprise Services mismanaged more than $21.8 million in federal grant funds, much of which went to nonprofit management fees instead of housing support. [The Oklahoman]
Policy Note
States Should Fund Rental Assistance as a Frontline Strategy to Address the Housing Affordability Crisis: State-funded rental assistance is a critical frontline strategy for addressing housing affordability and reducing instability among low-income tenants. Programs should be designed to deliver sustained, voucher-like support — rather than one-off or time-limited help — to provide meaningful relief and housing security. Establishing dedicated, predictable funding streams enhances program resilience and equity, while source-of-income protections help ensure renters can access housing in the face of discrimination. [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities]
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