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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
Statement: SQ 832 election date is longest delay for a state question in past 10 years: Oklahoma’s governor this week set a June 2026 election date for a special election on raising the state’s minimum wage. The 21-month span between the governor announcing the election date and the election itself is more than six times longer than the median time for all other state question elections during the last 10 years. [OK Policy]
Policy Matters: Voting is the price of democracy: Voting is one of the most important responsibilities we have as Oklahomans. However, too many of our friends and family members choose to sit on the sidelines, treating the democratic process as a spectator sport. It’s baffling to me that so many Oklahomans passively let other people decide who best represents their interests. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
- To update your registration, find your polling place, see sample ballots and more, visit the OK Voter Portal [Oklahoma State Election Board]
Oklahoma News
Ballot measure to increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage set for 2026: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has set a date in 2026 for Oklahoma to vote on whether or not to raise the minimum wage, rather than in November as advocates hoped. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahomans to vote on raising the minimum wage in 2026 [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma voters will decide whether to raise minimum wage in 2026 [Public Radio Tulsa]
- 2026 vote set for state question on upping Oklahoma’s minimum wage [Tulsa World]
- From OK Policy: SQ 832: Minimum Wage Increase Info & Resources | What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
State Government News
State Lawmakers Approve LOFT Report into OSDE Funding, Set Date for Second Investigation: State lawmakers are digging into funding concerns at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency is developing two reports looking at how OSDE has applied for and disbursed federal funds. [News 9]
- Investigation into Oklahoma’s education department will focus on these spending concerns [The Oklahoman]
- Panel reveals scope of investigation into State Department of Education [Tulsa World]
Anti-ESG group that includes Oklahoma treasurer, auditor may face SEC investigation: An organization that worked with Republican officials in several states to target companies with environmental, social and governance policies, is now, itself, being targeted by a watchdog group and could be part of a federal investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. [The Oklahoman]
- Opinion: ‘Keep politics out of my pension,’ says retired teacher about state’s financial blacklist [Johnnie June Miller / The Oklahoman]
Former legal officer tapped as interim director of Oklahoma’s juvenile affairs office: Laura Talbert was named interim director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs Tuesday by the office’s board. Talbert, formerly the office’s chief legal officer, will start in her new position Sept. 16. She replaces Jeffrey Cartmell who Gov. Kevin Stitt tapped to lead the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. [Oklahoma Voice]
Lawmakers study reviving prison rodeo after 15-year hiatus: The state’s prison rodeo could make a comeback after a 15-year hiatus due to lack of funding. State Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, held an interim study with the Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday on the Department of Corrections rodeo and the funding required to revive it. [The Journal Record]
Federal Government News
Child care providers brace for end of ARPA funding, proposed DHS rule changes: Pandemic relief funds will expire at the end of September, putting child care providers and parents who relied on the extra funding in a tight spot. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma congressman links power plant proposal to China: A $3.1 billion hydroelectric power plant proposed for the Kiamichi River Basin in southeast Oklahoma has ties to the Chinese Communist Party, according to U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen, a Republican from Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District. [The Journal Record]
Oklahoma Delegates Weigh in on Trump, Harris Presidential Debate: Oklahoma’s political representatives are weighing in after the debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, which might be their only face-off before the November election. [News 9]
Tribal Nations News
Cherokee Nation to consider taking control of hospital: Cherokee leaders have described Indian Health Services facilities as “chronically underfunded” and plan to take control of one such hospital. A new Cherokee Nation resolution aims to give operational responsibility of the federally run Claremore Indian Hospital to tribal health leaders. [ICT]
- Cherokee Nation purchases 10 new ambulances [Tulsa World]
Chickasaw Nation requests solution to combat USDA food shortage in Washington: A change made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture consolidated services to one national vendor and one national warehouse, causing tribal nations to receive outdated and damaged food items or, in some cases, no food. [KOSU]
OSBI Red Feather Award Recognizes Chickasaw Nation for Efforts in Missing Person Search: When 17-year-old Faith Lindsey went missing in October 2019, the ensuing investigation brought together numerous law enforcement agencies and led to multiple searches across three Oklahoma counties. At every turn, Chickasaw Nation Emergency Management (CNEM) assisted the investigation with manpower and state-of-the-art search tools. [Native News Online]
Study: Indigenous lands more prone to flooding in Oklahoma: A study from the University of Oklahoma showed that tribal lands in the state face higher rates of heavy rainfall and floods and Indigenous populations are the most vulnerable to the conditions. [ICT]
Voting and Election News
Carrie Blumert resignation to trigger Oklahoma County special election: As observers wait for Gov. Kevin Stitt to declare a special election schedule, Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert said she has no immediate plans to endorse any candidate to replace her as she leaves office to take the helm at a Tulsa-based nonprofit. [NonDoc]
Lawton judge dismisses Comanche County sheriff election challenge: A Lawton judge says even though some Democrats and Independents voted in a closed Republican primary earlier this month, the results will stand. The local prosecutor is unsatisfied and vows to illuminate where Oklahoma’s election laws can go wrong. [KOSU]
Could Oklahoma County turn blue in November? How voters are responding to Kamala Harris: Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has the opportunity to be the first Democrat to win a county in Oklahoma in more than 20 years, data from a new poll shows. [The Oklahoman]
Editorial: Election recount waste of time and money: After four days of hand counting 55,611 ballots at a cost of at least $55,000, nothing changed in the Tulsa mayoral race results. Monroe Nichols was the top vote-getter followed by Karen Keith, who will face each other in a runoff on Nov. 5. [Editorial / Tulsa World]
Education News
Multiple Oklahoma school districts to close on Thursday after threats, lockdowns: The cancellations come after schools across Southeastern Oklahoma went under lockdown on Wednesday when parents and students started to report threatening posts on social media. The posts in question saw vague, threatening messages accompany a list of schools with names similar to those in cities across Texoma. [KXII]
Oklahoma governor challenges schools to limit ‘worsening problem’ of cellphones in classrooms: The Republican governor issued an executive order on Wednesday creating the “Oklahoma Phone-Free Schools Challenge” to encourage schools to limit student cellphone use through cost-neutral strategies. He stopped short of issuing a statewide ban on cellphones in schools and is not requiring districts to participate in the challenge. [Oklahoma Voice]
5 Oklahoma colleges ranked in Wall Street Journal’s list of top universities. Who’s on top?: Whether it’s for cost, student experience or overall rating, these five Oklahoma schools were selected as part of the Wall Street Journal’s Top 500 colleges in the nation. [The Oklahoman]
Education Watch: Reading program to combine AI and morality education: The state Education Department recently purchased a statewide dyslexia and reading intervention screener from Amira Learning at a cost of $3 million for the first year, public records show. [Oklahoma Watch]
Health News
OU Health implants life-saving heart devices in pediatric patients: In a significant medical advancement for the state, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health has successfully implanted two different types of life-saving ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients, bridging an important gap for those awaiting heart transplants and broadening treatment possibilities for children in Oklahoma with heart failure. [The Journal Record]
Criminal Justice News
‘Tortured to Death:’ Federal Lawsuit Claims Cleveland Co. Detention Officers, Turn Key Health Denied Medical Care, Falsified Records: A federal lawsuit filed this week claims Cleveland County Detention Officers and Turn Key Health denied medical care, falsified records, and stood idly by as an inmate spiraled into a medical crisis and died in 2022. [News 9]
Citing dementia diagnosis, Garfield County Judge Brian Lovell resigns ahead of removal trial: With a removal action pending before the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary, Garfield County Associate Judge Brian Lovell resigned Monday, saying a recent diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia “explains the behavioral disturbances” that have drawn criminal charges and internet infamy. [NonDoc]
Rare cockfighting-related trial ordered for Newalla man: A Newalla man charged with 59 cockfighting-related felony counts after nearly 100 game-type birds were confiscated from his property last year was ordered to stand trial on just one of the counts after a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court. [NonDoc]
County’s preferred jail site judged ‘environmentally clean’ as suit against OKC proceeds: Land that Oklahoma County commissioners want to use for a new county jail is littered with abandoned concrete slabs, three long-plugged oil wells and an old plugged dry hole, but the 70-acre parcel at 1901 E Grand Blvd. has no environmental issues, a site assessment shows. Meanwhile, the county’s plans remain in court, at the county’s request. [The Oklahoman]
All 77 counties to receive sheriff office assistant grants through Attorney General’s Office: House Bill 2914 created the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office Funding Assistance Grant Program during this year’s legislative session and appropriated $18 million to the fund. [Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office]
Opinion: Oklahoma’s capital punishment system is broken; reforms needed before new executions: The capital punishment system in Oklahoma is broken. It does not work as it should. From start to finish, it is so badly broken that we cannot know whether someone who has been condemned to death is actually deserving of the ultimate penalty. [Andy Lester / The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahomans grapple with critical housing crisis (video): Oklahoma, along with the rest of the nation, is facing an affordable housing crisis. OK Policy’s Sabine Brown spoke with the Oklahoma News Report. [OETA on YouTube]
- From OK Policy: Oklahomans will go another year without solutions to housing crisis (2024 Legislative Wrap-up)
‘We’re ready for the fight’: Southeast Oklahomans push back on proposed hydropower project: Southeast Oklahoma Power Corporation, an energy company, wants to create two reservoirs just south of Talihina on the Kiamichi River. Locals say project would have wide consequences for the community. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Tulsa residential care facility for people experiencing homelessness moves forward: A residential care center for people experiencing homelessness is set to open by the end of the year in north Tulsa. The Tulsa Board of Adjustment approved a special exception to city zoning code Tuesday to allow for the center to be built. [KOSU]
Community News
Meet the most influential faith leaders in Oklahoma: Community builders, advocates and spiritual confidantes: The Oklahoman has put together a list of leaders behind the helm of some of Oklahoma’s most powerful and influential faith groups, coalitions, communities and congregations. [The Oklahoman]
They lost their sons to suicide. Now they help kids recognize and rally against bullying: Two local fathers have several things in common, but there’s one aspect of their lives they wished they didn’t share. Jim Stewart, of Edmond, and Ben McAllister, of Oklahoma City, both had sons who died by suicide. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Preparations to demolish the former Myriad Convention Center and arena begin [The Oklahoman]
- Sand Springs working to attract new businesses and development [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised that the governor is deciding to play politics with the lives of working Oklahomans. This is over 320,000 Oklahomans who have waited over 15 years now to see their wages increase through an increase in the minimum wage, and they’re going to have to wait two more years.”
– Amber England, a spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma, said in her response to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order Wednesday assigning SQ 832 to the 2026 primary. [Oklahoma Voice]
Number of the Day
644
The governor this week set the SQ 832 election date for June 16, 2026, which is 644 days away from the executive order that established the election date. SQ 832 would raise the state’s minimum wage incrementally to $15 per hour by 2029. This 21-month span between the governor announcing the election date and the election itself is more than six times longer than the median time (96 days) for all other state question elections during the last 10 years. [OK Policy]
Policy Note
State Earned Income Tax Credits Support Families and Workers in 2024: Proven and effective income supports (like Earned Income Tax Credits) are more important than ever. Too many workers face low and slow-growing wages while simultaneously facing high costs for housing, child care, and other basic household expenses. In 41 states, low-income households also pay a higher share of their incomes in state and local taxes than the richest households. This leaves working families with even fewer resources to make ends meet and contributes to income and wealth inequality. Creating or expanding a state EITC can counteract this inequity in state tax codes. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
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