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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
Entering into 287(g) agreements harms Oklahoma families and communities: When Oklahoma police departments enter into agreements with ICE, they erode community trust, divert local resources, and harm all Oklahomans, citizens and non-citizens alike. Instead of collaborating with ICE to deport Oklahoma residents, local law enforcement agencies must focus on protecting public safety for everyone. [Gabriela Ramirez-Perez / OK Policy]
- From OK Policy: Which Oklahoma counties, cities and agencies have federal 287(g) agreements for immigration enforcement?
Oklahoma News
Congress Passed the Biggest Housing Bill in Decades, but Oklahoma Advocates Say the State Still Has Work to Do: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes 59 provisions aimed at increasing the nation’s housing supply and making homeownership more accessible amid an affordability crisis in which even low-income units are out of reach for some Americans. Two months after the comprehensive Congressional bill passed, Oklahoma advocates and policymakers are looking to it as a tool to help solve the state’s affordable housing deficit. [Oklahoma Watch]
‘Water is life’: As Cedar Lake wells run dry, OWRB finds ‘no interference’ by upstream dams: Cedar Lake residents packed the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s meeting room and spilled into its hallway July 21, wearing “Got Water? We Don’t” stickers and watching the board vote to table action on a half-dozen unpermitted dams above their community until its Tuesday, Sept. 15, meeting. [NonDoc]
- Cedar Lake residents challenge findings from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board [KFOR]
Data center opponents add open meetings, records violation claims to lawsuit: Opponents of a Sand Springs data center have filed an amended lawsuit — this time including Open Meeting and Open Records Act violation claims — after a judge dismissed it earlier. [Tulsa World]
State Government News
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt keeps copies of past calendars secret: When The Oklahoman requested copies of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s calendar, it took two weeks for his staffers to decide if they thought records of his meetings and appointments were public. The answer? No. [The Oklahoman]
OG&E-Google deal could save Oklahoma ratepayers $6.84 a month by 2036: Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company has reached an agreement with a Google subsidiary on a multi-year power agreement that utility officials say could translate into residential ratepayer savings of $6.84 a month by 2036, but the Oklahoma Corporation Commission still has to approve a final order. [The Oklahoman]
Divorce becomes next battleground as states debate family values: In recent years, more conservatives have turned to divorce as a “family values” talking point, with some pushing to make it harder for couples to divorce. By doing so, they’ve relaunched a national conversation that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few years ago. [Oklahoma Voice]
Capitol Insider: 10th Circuit approves application of Oklahoma ‘anti-discrimination’ in schools law: The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an opinion in favor of enforcement of an Oklahoma law that had been challenged and blocked in part in a lower federal court. The case involves House Bill 1775 that was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2021. It concerns what cannot be taught in Oklahoma public schools and higher education institutions. [KGOU]
- Appeals court clarifies what Oklahoma teachers can and can’t say in the classroom [KFOR]
Opinion: Reporting shows telemarketing calls came from Oklahoma prisons — so much for rehabilitation: Despite having my phone number on the federal Do Not Call Registry, it feels like there’s been an enormous spike in the number of telemarketers trying to sell me on everything from new roofs to insurance policies to political candidates. This continued onslaught of calls is probably why I was so annoyed to read a story from nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Watch that found the state Department of Corrections has been operating four of its own telemarketing call centers from within prison walls. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
Rural Americans feel the sting of sweeping federal food aid restrictions: More than 5 million people are no longer getting food aid in the wake of a slew of cuts and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As changes to the program continue to unfold, rural Americans face unique problems. [KOSU]
Truck drivers who fled Ukraine war are being jailed by ICE in Oklahoma: Dozens of Ukrainian truck drivers have been arrested while working and traveling through Oklahoma. Hundreds have been swept up in an immigration crackdown under the state’s Operation Guardian initiative by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The partnership is one of the most active in the nation. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma immigration arrests up 200% since start of 2024 [KFOR]
OKC Archbishop Coakley urges Trump to halt deportations to Haiti: Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is urging President Donald Trump to halt deportations to Haiti, where violence and instability has increased. [The Oklahoman]
Trump plan to send $5K to every adult projected to cost $1.2T and ‘explode’ the deficit: A proposal by President Donald Trump to give $5,000 to each American adult if Republicans retain control of the U.S. House and Senate in November would “explode” the national deficit and worsen inflation, according to an analysis issued Thursday by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Osage Nation Congress committee questions Chief Tillman’s public school expansion amid budget cuts: During a three-hour Sept. 9 Congressional Cultural Committee Meeting, Osage Nation Congress members asked pointed questions about Principal Chief Joe Tillman’s plan to expand Language and Culture into area public school systems rather than appropriate money into Nation-led programs. [Osage News]
- Osage Nation debates plans to move language, culture education to public schools [KOSU]
Masked ICE agents on Tohono O’odham Reservation sparks Indigenous outrage at Markwayne Mullin: A recent incursion by masked federal agents on Tohono O’odham land didn’t just anger that tribe, which has been trying to block border wall construction along the remote stretch it controls in Arizona. It also infuriated Native Americans around the country who had higher hopes for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the former Oklahoma senator who is only the second Indigenous presidential Cabinet member ever. [NonDoc]
Voting and Election News
When are midterm elections 2026? Oklahoma to decide governor, senator, more: Oklahoma is a few months away from the midterm election that will decide the next governor, a U.S. Senate seat, and several other statewide offices. After the primary and runoff elections narrowed the races to the final handful of candidates in June and August, voters will head to the polls again in November to decide the future of Oklahoma politics. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahomans are ‘ready for a change,’ says gubernatorial candidate Cyndi Munson: Campaigning in heavily Republican north Edmond, Cyndi Munson gets a standing ovation coming into the Kickingbird Golf Club. But it’s unclear whether there are many Republicans in the room that Munson can win over to her side, a key goal if she hopes to defeat her opponent, Mike Mazzei, a former state senator. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Regents at Oklahoma liberal arts college approve major policy changes, despite protest: Several hundred people attended last week’s Board of Regents meeting to protest policy changes at the University of Science and Arts that included eliminating all references to tenure in school policy, changes to the academic calendar, reducing access to specialized classes and transferring authority over curriculum from faculty experts to administrators. [KOSU]
University faculty in the South report culture of fear, doxxing and threats: A survey of higher education faculty in the South found professors are concerned about the political environment around higher education, with some fearing for their physical safety. [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: Oklahoma educators need to prioritize civics in digital age: It used to be that students had too much trust in what they saw on the internet, but now they mostly disbelieve anything they get on the digital technology. And the lack of meaningful civics education helped undermine faith in government. [John Thompson / The Oklahoman]
Health News
National report offers grim prognosis for rural hospitals, including some in Oklahoma: More than half of Oklahoma’s hospitals don’t have enough money coming in to cover their expenses, and some may be near a breaking point, according to a new report that finds 18 may not survive much longer and 45 are at risk of closure. [Tulsa World]
Justice System News
OKC police ignored warnings about pursuit policy, court records show: A recent court filing has revealed new details about how Oklahoma City police officers were alarmed by the department’s pursuit policies and unsuccessfully urged change. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Tulsa is halfway to its goal of housing 1,300 homeless by the end of 2026: Nearly a year after launching, more than 650 people experiencing homelessness have been housed as part of Safe Move Tulsa, housing officials said Friday. They also announced the closing of two more encampments, bringing the total to 12. But advocates say more work needs to be done. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Do data centers impact housing in Oklahoma? Realtors are split: A recent study found realtors in Oklahoma and throughout the U.S. are mixed on the subject of data centers and their impact on home values and electric rates in the areas the controversial tech facilities locate in. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Many Oklahomans struggle to afford diapers. We can help.: Children shouldn’t struggle to have enough diapers. You may not know it, but there is a public health issue taking a hefty toll on children and their families in the United States. Right here in Oklahoma, there are parents and caregivers struggling to have enough of something very basic for their babies — diapers. [Miki Farris / The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
After the green rush, Oklahoma’s marijuana industry is in freefall: The rush to fuel Oklahoma’s new marijuana industry spurred thousands of dispensaries and grow operations to open seemingly overnight, creating a scene that law enforcement called the “Wild West of weed.” A massive downsizing is now reshaping every facet of the marijuana industry in Oklahoma. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Oklahoma ranks 40th in happiest states, but near the top in community: Oklahoma ranked 46th in emotional well-being and 43rd in work environment. What saved the state from the bottom 10 was a top ranking in the community and environment rank, where Oklahoma ranked No. 6 in the country. [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma churches push back on political use of Christian faith: Political mail featuring politicians declaring their Christian faith have been delivered to thousands of homes across Oklahoma, and political candidates have walked through churches in television ads claiming Christianity. Several local ministers have looked on with concern. [The Oklahoman]
Where can you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Tulsa? We’ve got some ideas.: From book clubs and crafting to dance performances and immigration workshops, Tulsa-area organizations are in full swing to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and celebrates the diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. [Tulsa Flyer]
Scams targeting Tulsa seniors aren’t going anywhere — and they’re getting more sophisticated: Scams targeting senior citizens are nothing new. But Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma is warning seniors that scammers are getting better at what they do, and they don’t feel bad about it. [Tulsa Flyer]
Local Headlines
- Inola Board of Trustees will decide to extend pause on aluminum smelter construction, ordinance to ban smelting in town [Public Radio Tulsa]
- New errors reveal $10 million less in Oklahoma County reserve fund [KFOR]
- DA recommends forensic audit of OK County finances as errors pile up [The Oklahoman]
- OU students sue school over 2025 bedbug infestation [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“The (federal housing) bill does a lot, but it is going to take a while to build the housing that we need. So, in the meantime, we still need to be protecting folks now and helping folks find and stay in stable housing.”
-Sabine Brown, OK Policy’s Housing Senior Policy Analyst, speaking about impacts from this summer’s federal housing affordability bill. She said the bill doesn’t absolve the state legislature of their duty to ensure Oklahomans have safe, affordable housing. Several of its provisions will require state legislative action. [Oklahoma Watch]
Number of the Day
59
Number of provisions in the federal 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which contains provisions related to housing supply, disaster recovery, manufactured housing, mortgage financing, rural housing, veterans’ housing, public housing, and community banking. [National Low Income Housing Coalition]
Policy Note
What’s in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act?: An overview of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act released March 2, 2026, combining House and Senate housing legislation and outlining new provisions affecting institutional investors, federal housing programs, and other bipartisan reforms. [Bipartisan Policy Center]
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