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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
Watch: SB 1027: How Oklahoma’s New Law Silences Voters (video): SB 1027 has officially passed in Oklahoma — and it could silence millions of voters. This new law limits how many petition signatures can come from each county, making it nearly impossible for Oklahomans to get issues on the ballot. In this conversation with Cole Allen of OK Policy, we break down: What SB 1027 does and why it matters, how it excludes more than 9 in 10 registered voters from petitioning, and why legal challenges are likely and what’s at stake for democracy in Oklahoma. [Cole Allen / OK Policy on YouTube]
Oklahoma News
Raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage would benefit public safety, report finds: Spending on crime, incarceration, and corrections would be reduced in Oklahoma if the minimum wage were raised to $15, according to a report. Higher wages could help break the “cycle of poverty and incarceration” while reducing the burden on law enforcement, according to a report from This Land Research and Communications Collaborative, a nonpartisan research group. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Report links Oklahoma minimum wage plan to public safety benefits [The Journal Record]
- Download the full report: Minimum Wages and Public Safety in Oklahoma (pdf)
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase – Information and Resources
State Government News
Decision to end 300 mental health contracts will ‘directly affect thousands’ in Oklahoma: Citing the need to bring a bloated budget back under control, interim Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Greg Slavonic confirmed plans Tuesday for broad cuts to contracted services that would take effect Oct. 1. [NonDoc]
Lobbyists spent hundreds of thousands in Oklahoma’s legislative session. Here’s where the money went: A push to cut the income tax, solve a state agency’s financial crisis and reduce government spending dominated the 2025 legislative session. Through conversations in the Capitol rotunda, at restaurants and during big receptions, lobbyists pushed for the pro-business legal reforms to become law. [The Oklahoman]
5 things to know about Wednesday’s special meeting of state Board of Education: The Oklahoma State Board of Education is meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, after the regular August monthly meeting was canceled on short notice last week due to transitions within the agency’s staff and legal team. [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma State Board of Education to meet for first time after TV scandal fallout [KOCO]
- Avoiding legal showdown, Walters posts notice of special OSBE meeting [The Oklahoman]
- What to expect in Wednesday’s State Board of Education special meeting [News on 6]
Education Department Forced to Release Key Card Data for Matt Langston: Texan Matt Langston has kept his campaign business running while collecting a six-figure salary as the Department of Education’s chief policy advisor, though he rarely comes into the office. Langston badged into the department’s office on North Lincoln Boulevard on 27 days in 2023. In 2024, that dwindled to 11 days. [Oklahoma Watch]
Gov. Kevin Stitt indicates state might clear homeless from state-owned properties in Tulsa: The Governor’s Office has been in talks with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other state agencies about clearing the homeless from bridge underpasses, rights of ways and other state-owned properties in Tulsa — an effort that could begin within the next week, according to multiple sources familiar with the operation. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma daycare providers outraged after audit finds OKDHS mismanaged pandemic relief funds: Oklahoma daycare providers are outraged after the State Auditor’s Office found the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) mismanaged millions of dollars in federal COVID relief funds meant to keep childcare centers afloat during the pandemic. [KFOR]
Lawmakers renew discussion of food dyes, chemical additives: A discussion about artificial dyes and other chemical ingredients commonly found in foods continued on Tuesday at the state Capitol. An interim study by lawmakers also focused on the exceedingly high costs of diet-related chronic health conditions in Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Federal Government News
Federal judge blocks in-state tuition for unauthorized migrant students in Oklahoma: A federal judge quickly and quietly cut off in-state college tuition for Oklahoma students without legal immigration status on Aug. 29. [KOSU]
- Judge says law allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition is unconstitutional [The Oklahoman]
Judge: Planned Parenthood clinics can remain Medicaid providers while lawsuit continues: A federal judge ruled Friday against the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Medicaid funds from primarily Planned Parenthood-affiliated abortion providers. [Oklahoma Voice]
Pentagon authorizes up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press. [AP via Public Radio Tulsa]
Judge warns of ‘national police force’ in ruling Trump broke the law sending Guard to LA: President Donald Trump’s move to send National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles this summer violated a federal law against military members conducting domestic law enforcement, a federal judge in California ruled early Tuesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: I’m a Republican, and I say we need tougher gun laws: Republicans in Congress are choosing party politics over principle, and it’s costing lives. Since my last column on this topic, mass shootings have continued to plague our country, leaving families shattered and communities fearful. As I write this, at least two children are confirmed dead from a recent tragedy in Minnesota. [Clay Lightfoot / The Oklahoman]
Education News
Signing bonuses draw 151 special education teachers to Oklahoma schools: An Oklahoma signing bonus program, intending to fill a critical workforce shortage in public schools, will reward 151 special education teachers up to $20,000 this school year. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma expands teacher signing bonus for special education [The Journal Record]
Are Oklahoma public schools ranked almost last in per-pupil funding?: Yes. Oklahoma is ranked No. 49 in both per-student funding and expenditure, according to the most recent data from the National Education Association. In the 2023-2024 school year, Oklahoma public schools’ revenue and expenditure per student were $13,028 and $11,311, respectively; both numbers are just two-thirds of their respective national averages. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters’ PragerU-backed ‘woke’ teacher test impossible to fail: State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ new PragerU-backed “America First” test for out-of-state teachers is now live. And despite Walters’ claims the test will weed out “woke” teachers, it is impossible to fail. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
- PragerU, Ryan Walters release Oklahoma teacher test questions: Can you pass it? Try here [The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Lawyer claims victory for ex-Ringling coach Phil Koons after criminal charge dismissed: Legal counsel for an ex-Ringling football coach accused of abusing student athletes struck a victorious tone after the criminal case against the coach was recently dismissed, arguing he had been vindicated from “a false and meritless allegation.” [The Oklahoman]
New execution date could soon be set for Death Row inmate Tremane Wood: A new date for the execution of Oklahoma Death Row inmate Tremane Wood could soon be set following a delay requested by the Oklahoma Attorney General. Wood, sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old during a robbery in 2002, was set to be executed on Sept. 11. [News 9]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Long Story Short: As Oklahoma Prisons Embrace AI, Critics Warn of Risks (podcast): Keaton Ross and KOSU’s Sierra Pfeifer recently collaborated to report on the Oklahoma Department of Corrections’ full-sprint effort to deploy artificial intelligence in state prisons. Paul Monies has an update on how state agencies are faring with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order mandating a return to office. Haley Parsley discusses her story on two lawsuits filed by BCBS, alleging a scheme in which recruiters got recovery patients in Oklahoma to attend treatment facilities in California. [Oklahoma Watch]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Tulsan goes from homeless to higher ed: Navigating college admissions can be a challenge for anyone. For Melissa Hillebrandt, college marked the end of a long road that began with homelessness on the streets of Tulsa. Years ago, Hillebrandt was surviving day to day near 81st Street, just down the road from Oral Roberts University. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Are OKC home prices going to keep climbing? Here’s what a local expert says: Home prices recently hit a record high in Oklahoma City. According to Multiple Listing Service data, the average home in the city sold for $275,000 — good news for sellers, but not for buyers, and for the many who feel they’ve been priced out of the market, political and economic trends are not favorable. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma ranks low in AI preparedness but sees growth potential: Oklahoma is the eighth least prepared state in the country to win the artificial intelligence (AI) race in 2025, according to a recent report by Brainly, a New York-based education technology company. [The Journal Record]
Community News
New study ranks Oklahoma in bottom 10 for gender equality. See the study: Researchers considered 17 different factors within the spheres of education, workplace and political empowerment, such as income disparity, entrepreneurship rate, educational attainment, and share of representation in elected positions. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Two new municipal judges installed; one is former state senator [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“When people can earn a fair wage, they are less likely to be pushed toward crime and more likely to build stable, thriving lives. This new analysis clearly shows raising the minimum wage isn’t just about higher wages, it’s about building better, safer communities, while saving taxpayers millions of dollars.”
– Rob Moore, principal researcher at Scioto Analysis, which co-authored a report with This Land Research and Communications Collaborative examining how raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 could reduce crime, lower incarceration rates, and save taxpayers millions. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
$840 million
The annual social costs Oklahoma could avoid by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Research shows that higher wages are associated with reductions in certain types of crime, particularly among young and low-wage workers. These reductions not only mean safer communities, but also lower incarceration and corrections costs. Altogether, the avoided costs add up to an estimated $840 million in social benefits each year, with violent crime reductions accounting for the largest share. [Scioto Analysis]
Policy Note
Minimum Wages and Public Safety in Oklahoma: Economists theorize that low wages reduce the opportunity cost of engaging in crime, while higher wages can incentivize lawful employment and reduce crime. The report finds that a $15 minimum wage could yield significant public safety benefits for Oklahoma, particularly by reducing violent crime and its associated human and economic toll. These effects are most concentrated among young, low-wage populations and may help mitigate some of the state’s historically high incarceration rates while promoting reintegration into the workforce. [Scioto Analysis]
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