OKPOLICY.ORG
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
Policy Matters: The bill always comes due: Campaign promises often make governing sound simple: lower costs while still providing everything people expect from government: better schools, safe roads, fast emergency response, and support for families during difficult times. But that bargain is like a perpetual motion machine — promising more and more while requiring less and less to keep it running. Sooner or later, the numbers stop adding up, and the bill comes due. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
State Government News
Mothers, reproductive rights group sue Oklahoma officials over abortion ban: Two Oklahoma mothers, who said they were forced to leave the state in order to terminate nonviable pregnancies, sued state leaders Wednesday, challenging the limits of the state’s abortion ban. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Two Oklahoma women were denied abortions after receiving fatal fetal diagnoses. Now they’re suing [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Challenge to required Oklahoma Bar Association membership heads to federal appeals court: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday about whether Tulsa attorney Mark Schell should be required to pay dues to the Oklahoma Bar Association in order to practice law in the state. [Oklahoma Voice]
Long Story Short: Campus Conflicts, Tax Credit Gaps and Student Loan Fallout (podcast): Examining an unusually public battle brewing between faculty and administration at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, and revealing significant oversight gaps in a state tax credit program that is now serving as a federal model. Plus, a look into how sweeping changes to the Department of Education’s loan repayment system are hitting home for Oklahomans. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
US House leaves for campaign break without action on AI, affordability: The U.S. House departed Wednesday for a seven-week campaign break after spending less than two weeks in session during August and September. [Oklahoma Voice]
Fed raises interest rates for first time in 3 years, battling persistent inflation: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday for the first time in three years as inflation continues to dog the economy, largely driven by soaring gas and fuel oil prices while the war in Iran drags on. [Oklahoma Voice]
Senate committee considers two Oklahoma judicial nominations: Tribal sovereignty, abortion, diversity and judicial independence were some of the themes running through a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday where two Oklahomans were among six judicial nominees. [Tulsa World]
Tribal Nations News
Congress clears Miami Nation to litigate for compensation of homeland acreage: The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has sought damages for 2.6 million acres of its homelands for years. Congress approved a bill Monday that could help resolve the case. [KOSU]
Education News
Evicted Students Miss Class and Fall Behind. Tulsa Schools Want to Change That: Since 2020, leaders have worked with ImpactTulsa, a nonprofit, to prevent disruption in kids’ education and quickly direct parents under threat of eviction to resources like legal aid and rental assistance. When a student’s address appears in an eviction filing, the parent receives an email from the district offering help. [The 74]
Education Watch: At Town Hall, USAO President Responds to Concerns: On Monday, the president of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma responded to concerns about a slate of changes to academic programs and faculty, KOSU reports. [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma is ending a school meal program. Districts are left to figure out how to feed kids: Oklahoma schools are scrambling to find ways to continue serving students after the State Department of Education recently ended a federally funded school meal program. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Health News
Oklahoma Health Care Authority improves access to medication to treat opioid use disorder: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has implemented a new value-based agreement for Brixadi, a weekly or monthly injectable medicine that treats opioid use disorder. Under the new agreement, SoonerCare members no longer need prior authorization to receive the medication. [KOSU]
An Oklahoma boarding school promised help for troubled girls. Students say they got punishment instead: New Lifehouse Academy markets itself to parents of teenage girls facing emotional and behavioral challenges, but is not licensed to provide mental health treatment. The boarding school is operated by Adult & Teen Challenge of Oklahoma, part of a network of more than 200 Christian recovery programs across the United States that promote studying the Bible to cure addiction and trauma. [The Frontier]
Justice System News
Legal roundup: ‘P-71’ lawsuit renews OKC bombing interest, DAs resign, judge under fire for AI use: More than 30 years after the Oklahoma City bombing, the domestic terrorism attack is still generating litigation. Kathy Sanders, the grandmother of two victims, filed suit Aug. 21 over the remains called “Part-71,” an unidentified leg found in the aftermath of the attack. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma judges warned to beware of fentanyl-laced letters: Oklahoma judges have been warned that a prison inmate has threatened to send letters laced with fentanyl “to courthouses across the nation.” [The Oklahoman]
Former Vernon AME pastor pleads guilty to embezzlement and tax evasion; owes more than $500,000: Rev. Keith Mayes, the former senior pastor of Vernon AME Church in the Historic Greenwood District, pleaded guilty to embezzlement this week. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
For Tulsa’s homeless population, shelter options for pets are few and far between: The National Alliance to End Homelessness found that about 10% of people experiencing homelessness do so with a service animal or pet. Until the Tulsa Day Center opened its pet kennel in 2024, individuals seeking shelter could bring their pet in a carrier or remain outside with them. [Tulsa Flyer]
Community News
Oklahoma City hosts first public El Grito for Mexican Independence Day: The tradition of “El Grito”, which can be translated to mean the call, shout or cry, is one of Mexico’s most meaningful rituals, commemorating the historic call that ignited the fight for Mexico’s Independence. The event in Oklahoma City was inspired by what similarly happens that evening in thousands of public squares across Mexico. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Oklahoma County to seek forensic audit after $10M budget gap surfaces [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County confusion: Accounting errors, embezzlement inquiry spur audit calls [NonDoc]
- City of Tulsa approves ‘eviction prevention’ program [KJRH]
- Latest public safety oversight proposal arrives on Tulsa City Council agenda Wednesday [Tulsa World]
- Services changes and price increases: Here’s what’s new with your Tulsa utility bill in October [Tulsa Flyer]
- Messes and memories: Owasso Public Schools launches first elementary arts program with bond funding [Tulsa Flyer]
Quote of the Day
“If a kid’s hungry, they’re not going to learn as well.”
– Whitebead Superintendent Jason Midkiff, explaining why the district is working to continue providing students with a free third meal despite the state’s discontinuation of its current meal option. [KGOU]
Number of the Day
450,835
The number of Oklahoma students who qualified for free or reduced-price school meals during the 2025-26 school year, representing nearly 70% of total enrollment statewide. [Oklahoma State Department of Education]
Policy Note
School Meals are Essential for Student Health and Learning: Each day, millions of students fuel their minds and bodies with the good nutrition provided by the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. There is considerable evidence of the effective role that participation in these programs plays in alleviating food insecurity and poverty, and in providing the nutrients students need for growth, development, learning, and overall health, especially for the nation’s most vulnerable children and adolescents. This brief reviews the many benefits of the school meals programs, and summarizes the latest research on recent policy changes and innovative strategies that are increasing program access and improving student outcomes. [Food Research & Action Center]
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