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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
More lawmakers take issue with Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Hiett: Two state House lawmakers say they’re considering a writ of prohibition due to concerns about potential impartiality from Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett. Reps. Kevin West, R-Moore, and Tom Gann, R-Inola, may ask the higher courts to intervene after Hiett chose not to disqualify himself from OCC cases involving Oklahoma Natural Gas. [Journal Record]
License granted to medical marijuana business owner after a year of waiting: After over a year of waiting on the state’s regulatory agency to approve his ownership of a medical marijuana grow, Kyle King said his license was finally approved two days after his story was publicized by Oklahoma Voice. [Oklahoma Voice]
Commissioners of the Land Office manages land sales, sets education funding record: The cost of land in Oklahoma makes it a prime target for developers looking to locate a data center or a factory, and many approach the Commissioners of the Land Office about buying property. “We’re one of the largest, if not the largest, landowners in the state,” said Dan Whitmarsh, secretary of the state agency. [Journal Record]
Oklahoma’s veterans agency director discusses three priorities in his new role: The new director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs shared his goals for the agency at a meeting Friday morning. Rear Admiral James Bynum, the new director who began Aug. 1, said he wants to focus on standardizing care for veterans, getting the department’s finances in order and working to support employees. [Tulsa World]
Capitol Insider: Search for new higher ed chancellor; lawmakers announce Freedom Caucus: State regents begin their search for a new chancellor, and a handful of state legislators announced the formation of what they are calling the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus. [KGOU]
This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Election results, Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate and more (audio): The panel talks about the expected changes in the state legislature after summer primary and runoff elections, a group of far right Republicans announce the creation of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus and State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate. [KOSU]
Opinion: Legislative caucuses have their uses, but the new Freedom Caucus is a weed Oklahomans don’t need: Nonpartisan caucuses that focus on uniting lawmakers of diverse backgrounds through shared experiences and free food can sometimes make for meaningful decisions from your state government. But the latest addition to the list — the Freedom Caucus — appears to be an invasive, noxious species of weed that, if allowed to take root, could begin to take over our legislative process. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
First Watch: Stuff You Should Know: A bipartisan group of senators, including Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin, demanded immediate action from USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack after several tribal nations reported that a federal food distribution program they rely on failed to fulfill orders for months, and in some cases delivered expired food, the Associated Press reported. [Oklahoma Watch]
Opinion: Oklahoma veterans who were exposed to military hazards could find relief through the PFAS Act: Thousands of veterans develop cancers every year due to military environmental and occupational hazards, such as asbestos, Agent Orange, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The VET PFAS ACT, introduced to the Senate on July 17, 2023, recognizes that illnesses developed during service in the military, where PFAS exposure was inevitable, are a service-related disability. [Jonathan Sharp / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Osage Nation gets approval for the largest fee-to-trust application in Oklahoma history: The Osage Nation’s fee-to-trust application for 41,521 acres is approved. It’s the largest fee-to-trust acquisition in Oklahoma history and the second-largest in U.S. history. The Osage Nation Ranch is the home of hundreds of bison, cattle, grazing land, oil and gas hardware, water features, arbors and is used to share Osage traditions and stories. [KOSU]
Muscogee Nation pushes back against standard Oklahoma tribal boundary signs: The Muscogee Nation and ODOT are at odds over the decision to create uniform tribal boundary signs on roadways across the state. These signs will be brown and white, omit the word “reservation,” and use the names of the affected tribal nations as listed in the Federal Register. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Oklahoma tribal nations advise motorists of extra step for vehicle registration: Under the new law, newly purchased vehicles must begin a pre-registration process within two days of a sale. Paper tags are issued and must be replaced with a metal plate within 10 days. Tribal nations advise their drivers to pick up those paper tags before registering with their tribal nation. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Oklahoma Democratic Party database drama: ‘Cut out’ Keith irks fellow Democrats by blaming ‘activists’: The central committee of the Oklahoma Democratic Party voted 23-1 to revoke Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith’s access to the party’s voter database Thursday because her campaign is employing prominent Republican campaign consultants. [NonDoc]
- State Democrats deny Karen Keith access to voter database; she blames ‘far-left activists’ [Tulsa World]
Mayoral recount hits halfway mark with few changes in count: Friday’s second day of Tulsa’s Aug. 27 mayoral election recount produced very little drama and not much change in the vote totals. Out of more than 28,000 ballots examined in the last two days, officials said Friday afternoon that around 20 had been ruled out as “overvotes” — ballots with marks next to more than one candidate’s name. The resulting losses were spread more or less evenly among the top three candidates. [Tulsa World]
Second Tulsa mayoral forum and City Council candidate event set at TU: The Tulsa World, the University of Tulsa, the Tulsa Press Club and the Tulsa Voter Coalition will sponsor a free public forum on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Voters will be able to meet the two candidates for mayor and those in three City Council districts who will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. [Tulsa World]
Education News
Ryan Walters, Ed Board ordered to disclose why former Norman teacher’s license was revoked: A federal judge is giving state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and members of the State Board of Education until Thursday to explain why they revoked the license of a former Norman teacher in August. [The Oklahoman]
Langston students, faculty frustrated as infrastructure issues push classes online: Since the fall semester started Aug. 5, multiple buildings on the Langston University campus have been closed because of several infrastructure issues, such as broken air-conditioning units, newly found asbestos, water outages and a burned-out mechanical motor component in the campus boiler system. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma lands federal literacy grant as questions loom over state’s handling of other funds: The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $58.9 million grant over five years to the Oklahoma State Department of Education in what the national agency says is a focus to boost literacy rates for children. The award arrives amid larger questions of the state Education Department’s handling of federal grants. [The Oklahoman]
Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate proves unsurprising for Oklahoma atheists: The director of Atheist Oklahoma said Ryan Walters’ decree violates the principle of separation of church and state inherent in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. He also thinks the mandate is part of Walters’ plan for the religious indoctrination of public school students. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Oklahoma Christian University hopes survivor tree plaza serves as place to find common ground: This year, Oklahoma Christian University is humbled and honored host a dedication for our Survivor Tree Memorial Plaza, a special spot on campus that is open to the public and includes two more natural examples of resilience. [Christine Merideth / The Oklahoman]
Criminal Justice News
Three prisoners died at an Oklahoma private prison after guards skipped security checks and falsified records: Prison contractor The Geo Group tried to negotiate a $3 million pay increase with Oklahoma this year. But records show state prison officials found the company violated its contract by failing to lock prisoners in their cells, conduct security checks and leaving prisoners alone in pods without staff supervision. [The Frontier]
Oklahoma nonprofit hosts weekly grief counseling sessions in jail, women’s prison: The nonprofit Calm Waters has expanded its reach to offer free grief counseling sessions at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, Oklahoma’s largest women’s prison. [KOSU]
How an Oklahoma prison newspaper helps inmates ‘live a life of purpose’: On a recent Tuesday afternoon inside the medium-security Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, the small staff of reporters and editors, either serving life or decades for their crimes, put the finishing touches on the first edition of the prison’s new newspaper — The Mabel Bassett Balance. [The Oklahoman]
Social media ‘normalization’ of guns is a concerning trend, police say after shooting at party: Tulsa authorities are hopeful that an incident last weekend in which a 17-year-old was accidentally shot at a party can serve as a wake-up call for local teens and parents. But they are well-aware of forces at play that make that more difficult. [Tulsa World]
Attorney: Mayor Bynum to testify in Sheila Buck’s trial: A woman arrested after she refused to leave the area outside former president Donald Trump’s 2020 rally in Tulsa finally faces her trial — and her attorney says Mayor G.T. Bynum is set to testify. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Oklahoma County sales tax proposed to help fund new jail: Oklahoma County officials are considering how to pay for a new jail, including the first sales tax the county has ever seen. County commissioners said voters approved a bond issue two years ago to build the jail, but the $260 million allotted won’t be enough to cover the cost. Those funds would pay for a jail with 700 beds when officials say up to 2,400 beds are needed. [KGOU]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Tulsa’s proposed residential care center for the homeless goes before zoning board Tuesday: The city of Tulsa goes before the Board of Adjustment on Tuesday to make its case for locating a residential care center for the homeless near Mohawk Park in north Tulsa. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
EV startup Canoo says it will bring engineers to Oklahoma: Financially troubled electric vehicle startup company Canoo has announced plans to relocate engineers to Oklahoma. The company, which has plans for EV production at a 500,000-square-foot facility in Oklahoma City and for battery production at the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, has not turned a profit as it has produced relatively few vehicles. [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma drought conditions intensify as summer ends: Drought is worsening in Oklahoma, especially in the southwest, according to the Oklahoma Mesonet. Conditions have intensified in the last two months. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows southwestern Oklahoma in extreme drought. [KGOU]
Community News
Community says farewell to longtime preacher and civil rights activist at memorial service: The Rev. John A. Reed Jr., who died on Aug. 26 at 86, was lauded by a steady stream of former and current elected leaders, ministers and civic leaders who spoke about the longtime preacher at the community memorial. [The Oklahoman]
Which Oklahoma counties saw the most population growth after the pandemic?: National and in-state population shifts that have occurred since the start of the pandemic have resulted in growth in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas and economic gains for Oklahoma. [Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Partner Tulsa inks deal for major development in Arts District [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa County hires local to head parks and recreation [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Opinion: Tulsa is America’s most generous city [Tulsa City Councilor Phil Lakin Jr. / Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Taxes are how we pay the bills. If we keep cutting taxes without a plan to replace revenues, we’ll be up a muddy creek without a paddle when our economy eventually heads south again. In an oil-dependent state like Oklahoma, we know it will.”
-Janelle Stecklein, editor of Oklahoma Voice, writing in a commentary about concerns arising from the legislative priorities from the newly announced “Oklahoma Freedom Caucus.” [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
15.4%
Percentage of Oklahoma households reporting that they had experienced food insecurity in 2021-2023. Oklahoma had the nation’s fifth highest rate of food insecurity, behind Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. [U.S. Department of Agriculture]
Policy Note
Food Insecurity Rises for the Second Year in a Row: Food insecurity increased in 2023, from 12.8 percent in 2022 to 13.5 percent in 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest food insecurity report finds. Food insecurity has risen two years in a row, reversing a downward trend; food insecurity rates had fallen to a two-decade low in 2021, when significant relief measures, such as expanded food assistance benefits and an expanded Child Tax Credit, were in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in food hardship shows that Congress should protect and improve upon policies that help families afford a healthy diet. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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