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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
Oklahoma State Treasurer pushes Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust board to file shareholder proposals (Capitol Update): Oklahoma Watch reported recently that State Treasurer Todd Russ is driving an effort to get the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Investors to make proposals to corporations in which the board invests the $2 billion trust fund. The proposals are intended to sway the companies’ behavior regarding ideological issues. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
Oklahoma News
Gov. Kevin Stitt says Operation SAFE will continue to target homeless encampments: Gov. Kevin Stitt said Monday that Tulsans can expect to see Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers in the city for a while as part of Operation SAFE, an initiative launched by the state last week to clear homeless people from highway underpasses, rights of way and other state-owned properties. [Tulsa World]
- Nichols trashes governor’s Trump-like political ambitions as Stitt uproots Tulsa’s homeless [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Mayor Monroe Nichols addresses Tulsa’s ongoing efforts to combat homelessness [Fox 23]
- Mayor Nichols says there’s been no communication from Governor on Operation SAFE [KTUL]
- Governor Stitt’s Operation Safe displaces homeless people in Tulsa, sparking criticism [KTUL]
- Governor Stitt’s Operation SAFE initiative not happening in OKC [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources
State Government News
Oklahoma agency head steps down following spat with AG: The head of a major Oklahoma agency announced his resignation Monday, days after the state’s chief law enforcement officer sent the governor a letter questioning his actions. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Gov. Stitt announces departure of Office of Management and Enterprise Services director [Fox 23]
- Top state officials resign as Drummond accuses Stitt of political misuse of power [KFOR]
Was the vote to build a new Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion legal? Lawmaker asks for AG opinion: A Democratic state lawmaker is asking the Oklahoma attorney general to determine whether a state commission had the power to approve the construction of a new $6 million Governor’s Mansion. [The Oklahoman]
Reprimanded special judge attributes ‘hateful’ behavior to not being a ‘morning person’: Although Special Judge Emily Mueller received a public reprimand from the Oklahoma Supreme Court for patterns of “rude conduct” and “disrespect toward certain attorneys,” the Lincoln and Pottawatomie County district judges who control Mueller’s appointment have declined to say whether she will be removed from the bench amid findings of “bias.” [NonDoc]
Judge Attempts to Quash Press Investigation With Gag Order: On August 29, Oklahoma County Special Judge Michelle “Shel” Harrington heard arguments on an Adult Protective Services motion to restrict all visitation for Estelle Simonton, 91. Harrington did not restrict all visitation, but she came close. Then she added a couple of stunners: ordering her son, Matthew Simonton, not to discuss his mother’s case with his mother and barring him from talking to reporters. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s leaders are failing. Our students shouldn’t be political footballs: Our politicians don’t get it: Make public education a priority. The Founders insisted public education is the cornerstone of our democracy and the incubator of learning, thought and critical thinking. Our children need the tools to become contributing residents to this state and nation. [Phil G. Busey Sr. / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Trump signs order to change name of Department of Defense to Department of War: Just before Trump signed the order in the Oval Office late Friday afternoon, he and Pete Hegseth, the secretary in charge of the department, who stood next to Trump during the signing, said the renaming reflected their intention to return to a more aggressive mindset for the military. [Oklahoma Voice]
Protesters in D.C. flood the streets demanding an end to Trump’s military deployment: Thousands marched in Washington, D.C., Saturday to protest President Donald Trump’s continued deployment of National Guard troops and the increased federal law enforcement on the streets of the nation’s capital. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let it block $4B in foreign aid funding: The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s ruling and allow it to withhold $4 billion in foreign aid that was previously approved by Congress. The case is one of many lawsuits challenging the White House’s efforts to supersede Congress’ spending authority by canceling funding without lawmakers’ explicit approval. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump campaigned on closing the Education Department. Reality is more difficult: President Donald Trump’s aim to shutter the Education Department faces steep hurdles in Congress, where Republicans’ legislative efforts to abolish the agency remain stalled and appropriators have rejected many of his proposed cuts to education spending. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump penalty of $83M in E. Jean Carroll case upheld by appeals court: A federal appeals court on Monday upheld that President Donald Trump must pay an $83 million penalty for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll in 2019, rejecting Trump’s argument that presidential immunity shields him from the punishment. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Choctaw Nation feeds nearly 30K kids with 650K summer meals: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) served nearly 30,000 students and 650,000 meals this summer through two essential food assistance programs: the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Program and the Summer Food Service Program. The initiatives fill gaps in food assistance left by the absence of school meals during the summer break. [The Journal Record]
- Choctaw Nation summer meal programs serve thousands [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Third Republican lawmaker joins 2026 race for Oklahoma lieutenant governor: A Republican state representative from Mustang is the seventh person to join the race to become Oklahoma’s next lieutenant governor. Rep. Brian Hill filed his candidate committee registration with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission last week. He is the fifth Republican seeking to succeed current Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who is term-limited. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Popular online education program at risk of closure without more funds from Oklahoma Legislature: An online education program serving 33,500 public school students is at risk of running out of money and closing next year unless the Oklahoma Legislature adds more funding, state officials say. [Oklahoma Voice]
Catholic church in Oklahoma plans to open an online school, months after SCOTUS ruling: After their attempt to create what would have been the nation’s first religious charter school was ended by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa have announced plans to open a Catholic virtual school in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s ‘woke’ test is surprisingly lazy: The Oklahoman recently reported on Oklahoma’s “woke” teacher test — an exam that state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters requested from PragerU. What struck me was the exam’s laziness. The test contained dozens of questions, but many were repetitive, with obvious answers. It reads like an exam thrown together at the last minute for an impending deadline. [Michael L. Smith / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Oklahoma mental health providers caught off guard by $40 million in contract item cuts: Mental health providers across Oklahoma are assessing the impacts of $40 million in contract line item cuts from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services made public last week. [KOSU]
Criminal Justice News
Amended protective order petition accuses Commissioner Myles Davidson of sexual assault: A woman who works with Oklahoma’s circuit engineering districts has alleged she was sexually assaulted by Oklahoma County District 3 Commissioner Myles Davidson when he “grabbed my breasts and attempted to kiss me without my consent” in May and “attempted to force me into having sex with him” during a work trip in July. [NonDoc]
- Norman woman alleges Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson sexually assaulted her [The Oklahoman]
- Amended protective order details sexual harassment claims against Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson [KFOR]
Domestic Violence Intervention Services denounces court’s denial of April Wilkens’ resentencing: The Domestic Violence Intervention Services has released a statement regarding the denial of resentencing for April Wilkens. In August of 2025, Wilkens filed an application for resentencing under the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act. The Oklahoma Survivors Act is a new domestic violence law that recently went into effect on Aug. 29. [KTUL]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Mayor Nichols expands Tulsa’s alternative response team, boosts homelessness support: Mayor Monroe Nichols has launched an expansion of the Alternative Response Team 2 after Gov. Kevin Stitt sent Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers to clear homeless encampments. [KTUL]
- Tulsa mayor announces homeless outreach program expansion [News on 6]
- From OK Policy: Community-led crisis response is working, but Oklahoma needs a statewide solution (Commentary)
Veterans begin moving into new MAPS 4 housing in Oklahoma City: The Oklahoma City Housing Authority announced during a meeting Thursday that the first phase of a two-part MAPS 4 homeless housing project is complete and ready for occupancy. Dorset Place, located in Northwest Oklahoma City, is set to provide an additional 70 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness and their immediate family members. According to the OCHA, it already has hundreds of units dedicated to supportive housing for veterans. [The Journal Record]
Economy & Business News
Black Women Face Record Job Layoffs Under Trump: Since the November election, there’s not only been a political shift—there’s also a shift in the labor market. Data suggests federal layoffs, budget cuts and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) rollbacks are among the many factors why Black women are being removed from the workforce in record numbers. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Local Headlines
- For first time in OKC history, pedestrians, cyclists have a safe Oklahoma River crossing [The Oklahoman]
- Tulsa school board approves mascot, branding policy [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“There aren’t enough shelter beds for everyone experiencing homelessness, there aren’t enough treatment facilities, mental health facilities, those type of things don’t exist, so you’re really giving people an impossible option.”
– Meghan Mueller, president and CEO of the Homeless Alliance, speaking on Governor Stitt’s new Operation SAFE. She emphasized that while the initiative claims to offer unhoused people a choice between jail or services, there are not enough services to meet demand, and that criminalizing homelessness is less effective and more costly than simply investing in housing and support. [KFOR]
Number of the Day
61%
The share of states and territories where demand for shelter outpaced the growth in available beds in 2024. This meant most had less capacity to shelter people than they did in 2023, even as more than 600,000 people entered homelessness for the first time that year. [National Alliance to End Homelessness]
Policy Note
State of Homelessness: 2025 Edition: Homelessness in the U.S. is growing across nearly every population segment—from families and youth to individuals — outpacing the ability of communities to respond. Although service systems are managing to assist more people than ever, the gap in shelter, housing, and support capacity remains wide, underscoring a systemic mismatch between need and available resources. The upward trend has taken root in broader structural factors — such as persistently high housing costs, rising rents, and shrinking rental affordability — that erode progress even in areas with increased shelter availability. [National Alliance to End Homelessness]
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