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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
Policy Matters: Trust but verify – Getting election-ready for November: Oklahoma runs one of the nation’s most secure election systems. So, when the governor announced last week — just weeks before the November presidential election — that more than 450,000 voters had been removed from the state’s voter rolls over the previous three and half years, the numbers were eye-popping. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
Oklahoma inmate nearing execution absent action by governor: Emmanuel A. Littlejohn, 52, was set to die by lethal injection at 10 a.m. today at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Aug. 7 voted 3-2 to recommend clemency. Absent a grant of clemency from Stitt, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections planned to move forward with the execution, said Kay Thompson, an agency spokesperson. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma plans to carry out third execution of 2024 unless the governor grants mercy [Frontier]
- Oklahoma death row inmate recommended for clemency now faces Thursday execution [The Oklahoman]
- There are 5 executions set over a week’s span in the US. That’s the most in decades [AP]
- The Late Pastor Reed urged Gov. to stop Emmanuel Littlejohn execution [The Black Wall Street Times]
State Government News
- From OK Policy: SQ 832 Information & Resources
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt recovering from heart surgery, officials say: Gov. Kevin Stitt is recovering from heart surgery and has returned to work, his spokesperson said Wednesday. Stitt, 51, underwent intravenous surgery on Friday to repair a blockage in a main artery of his heart. [The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Oklahoma business leaders meet lawmakers in Washington to discuss future tax policies: Members of the State Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., as part of the Chamber’s annual fly-in. The event serves as an opportunity for Oklahoma business leaders to express their concerns and learn about developments in the nation’s capital that could impact them. [NEWS6]
Federal court rules in favor of KFOR, grants restraining order and injunction: A federal judge granted Oklahoma City TV station KFOR’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against state Department of Education officials after a hearing in federal court Wednesday. [KOSU]
- Federal judge issues restraining order requested by KFOR against Ryan Walters, spokesman [The Oklahoman]
- Judge grants temporary injunction requiring Ryan Walters to let KFOR cover meetings [NonDoc]
Tribal Nations News
Muscogee Nation argues in federal court Alabama tribe violated repatriation law: A years-long dispute between two federally recognized tribes – the Muscogee Nation from Oklahoma and Poarch Band of Creek Indians from Alabama – over the future of the remains of people from which both tribes claim descent was heard in the Federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. [KOSU]
Cherokees could stop issuing car tags to citizens outside reservation, chief says: The Cherokee Nation will stop issuing car tags to its citizens who live outside its reservation if a disagreement between the tribe and Gov. Kevin Stitt can’t be worked out soon, Cherokee Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. [Tulsa World]
Watchdog group decries FAFSA snafus, demands stronger leadership: Even as colleges across the nation deal with yet another Free Application for Federal Student Aid deadline of Dec. 1, tribal colleges still struggle with miscommunications from the U.S. Department of Education – and delays in software updates, which, in turn, delay processing of applications. [ICT]
Voting and Election News
SD 47 debate set for open Edmond, OKC-area seat: The two candidates for the open State Senate District 47 seat have agreed to participate in an Oct. 16 debate ahead of Oklahoma’s Nov. 5 general election. Retired U.S. Army Col. Kelly Hines and business owner Erin Brewer are looking to succeed term-limited Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-OKC). Brewer, a Democrat, faced no party challenger in the SD 47 primary. Hines defeated OKC nurse anesthetist Jenny Schmitt in an August Republican primary runoff. [NonDoc]
Opinion: Low voter turnout a reflection on how many are struggling in our community: The Tulsa mayoral election was one of the most interesting and hotly contested races of my career. And yet, despite an interesting race with three solid candidates, over 14,000 Tulsans who voted for mayor in 2020 decided not to vote on that Tuesday. [Emilee Bounds / Tulsa World]
Education News
Edmond Schools flag policy at center of Thursday OSDE meeting: A policy regarding the public display of flags at Edmond Public Schools will be front and center at Thursday’s Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting, officials say. [NEWS9]
- OSDE expected to discuss investigation into Shawnee superintendent among other items on agenda [KOCO5]
- State Superintendent Ryan Walters to address Bible mandate at Thursday’s OSBE meeting [FOX25]
Green Country superintendents call out Ryan Walters, ask for support: Superintendents from Sand Springs, Bixby, Owasso, Jenks, Union, Broken Arrow, and Tulsa school districts gathered at an education summit hosted by the Tulsa Regional Chamber Wednesday morning. Though no one mentioned Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters by name, Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller delivered a pointed rebuke of a “state leader” who wrote an op ed in “a national publication” claiming schools are teaching “skewed” accounts of history. Fox News published an opinion piece by Walters this week. [Tulsa Public Radio]
Higher ed leaders prioritize partnerships with industry to get graduates workforce-ready: To help turn out graduates who are more workforce ready, area higher education leaders say they will continue to look for ways to promote partnerships with business and industry. [Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Wagoner County settles civil jail death lawsuit for $13.5 million: The estate of a woman who died in the Wagoner County jail will receive $13.5 million as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit settlement. In the past 13 months, two other federal civil rights lawsuits involving detainees who died in jail have ended in judgments for the detainees’ estates. [Tulsa World]
Inmates transported to hospital after dense fog causes prisoner bus crash in Oklahoma: A bus carrying prison inmates flipped into a ravine Wednesday morning after colliding with another vehicle just northeast of Oklahoma City. [The Oklahoman]
OKC police release man following deadly shooting: Police released a man pending further investigation after a deadly shooting Wednesday in south Oklahoma City. The shooting death is considered the 66th homicide in Oklahoma City this year. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: ‘Accessories to the knife’: God’s Misfits case leaves us pondering the nature of good and evil: The latest chapter in the God’s Misfits story has been revealed, adding to our knowledge of how two Kansas women were murdered the Saturday before Easter last — they were stabbed to death — but contributing little to our understanding of why. [Max McCoy / Oklahoma Voice]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Neighbors appeal decision on homeless care center near north Tulsa golf course: A group of neighborhood residents is appealing a city of Tulsa Board of Adjustment ruling granting the city a special exception to the zoning code to operate a residential care center for the homeless in north Tulsa. [Tulsa World]
Dilapidated properties near Tulsa homeless outreach program demolished: The City of Tulsa recently confirmed that Stephen Buford demolished six dilapidated properties he had refused to rehabilitate unless Night Light Tulsa moved from its decade-old home under the Interstate 244 overpass at the intersection of Reconciliation Way and Maybelle Avenue. [Tulsa World]
Lawton City Council wants to explore options before making homeless camping illegal: City Council members are committed to cracking down on homeless people who sleep on sidewalks and other public places, but are still trying to decide what alternatives that law enforcement can offer such people. [The Lawton Constitution]
Norman City Council, nonprofits seek new location for homeless shelter: Providing safe shelter for the homeless is an issue growing cities often face — and there’s no one size fits all solution. City leaders in Norman are working to find one that works for their community. [KGOU]
Economy & Business News
Pork is one of Oklahoma’s biggest industries. But are companies doing enough for animal welfare?: The Kirkpatrick Foundation and other animal advocates across the country are continuing to raise questions regarding the confinement of animals, with concern over laying hens, veal cattle and pregnant and nursing pigs leading the way. [The Oklahoman]
Generation Z is getting rich in these 10 states. Did Oklahoma make the cut?: Generation Z is the latest age group to enter the workforce, and a recent study aimed to determine which U.S. states offer the best opportunities for young professionals to get rich. Oklahoma ranked sixth among U.S. states where Gen Zers are more likely to become rich. [The Oklahoman]
How much hail damage will total a car? Here’s what to know before filing an insurance claim: Residents and motorists in the Oklahoma City metro experienced large hail Tuesday evening, undoubtedly leaving many scrambling to find cover for their vehicles. Hail is notorious for leaving dents in cars, and sometimes even totaling them. But how much hail will total a car? Here’s what we know: [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Opinion: How we need to rebuild our community connection: Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world—indeed it is the only thing that ever does. Believing this is crucial in today’s world as the data shows we live in a world where people are increasingly isolated and disengaged. [Kathy Taylor and Anna America / Tulsa World]
My name is Srijita. Reclaiming my name empowered me in professional spaces: From cities to small towns across the U.S., professionals grapple with the challenge: how to bring their whole selves to work without fear of judgment or exclusion. A 2013 Deloitte study found that 61% of employees cover or downplay aspects of their identity in the workplace, including their names. This statistic represents countless individuals compromising their authentic selves to fit into spaces not designed for them. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Hack causes city of Tulsa to be defrauded of almost $192,000 [Tulsa World]
- What’s happening with Edmond’s city manager? [The Journal Record]
Quote of the Day
“This is a pattern. Oklahoma — and eastern Oklahoma in particular — has a crisis on its hands. The medical care provided in our jails is dangerously defective. People are dying as a result.”
–Dan Smolen, an attorney who represented the estate of Angela Liggans, who died in the Wagoner County jail. Her estate will receive $13.5 million as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit settlement. [Tulsa World]
Number of the Day
32.8%
Portion of income spent by a single-parent family on center-based infant care in Oklahoma. [First Five Years Fund]
Policy Note
Prime for Overhaul: Policy Tools for Solving the Child Care Crisis: This report explores the current state of the U.S. child care industry and reviews solutions that other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have employed to address their own child care challenges. It reviews four policy options that could be leveraged to address the child care crisis in the U.S. at the federal level — universal prekindergarten (pre-K), child care provider subsidies, expanded tax credits, and subsidies for employers that offer child care as a worker benefit — and examines the benefits and downsides of each if used individually or in tandem. [The Baker Institute at Rice University]
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