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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.
Oklahoma News
Ryan Walters resigns in letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt: ‘Not leaving the fight’: Oklahoma’s firebrand state schools superintendent, Ryan Walters, has officially resigned. In a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Walters — a far-right Republican — said he was stepping down effective Tuesday, Sept. 30. [The Oklahoman]
- Ryan Walters resigns as Oklahoma state superintendent [KOSU]
- Walters Issues Official Resignation Letter, Exits Early [The Black Wall Street Times]
- Ryan Walters officially resigns; OSDE budget request in limbo [Fox 25]
- Ryan Walters sends letter to Oklahoma parents on last official day as State Superintendent [News 9]
- State lawmakers looking ahead after Ryan Walters submits official resignation [KFOR]
- Dozens of Lawsuits and Hundreds of TV Appearances: A Look Back at Superintendent Walters Tenure [Oklahoma Watch]
- Lawmaker files ethics complaint against Ryan Walters after he announces departure [The Oklahoman]
Walters submits resignation letter, Stitt expected to name replacement soon: With Ryan Walters’ formal resignation now submitted, Gov. Kevin Stitt is free to appoint a new state superintendent—and sources tell News 4 he may already have someone in mind. [KFOR]
- Ryan Walters submits resignation letter, but his replacement is still unclear [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt chooses retired CareerTech administrator to serve out Walters’ term, sources say [Tulsa World]
State Government News
Oklahoma state troopers worked with ICE to detain 125 immigrants. How were they arrested?: State troopers say they helped U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest 125 people in western Oklahoma. One official called the three-day sweep the “biggest instance” of Oklahoma working with ICE as the Trump administration moves to arrest and deport people who are in the country without legal permission. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Highway Patrol, ICE conduct illegal immigration operation [KFOR]
- What is Operation Guardian? [News 9]
- Oklahoma troopers arrest more than 100 people in 3-day immigration blitz [KOSU]
Oklahoma DPS to continue to immigration enforcement effort focused on truck drivers: Oklahoma’s Public Safety Commissioner vowed Tuesday to continue the crackdown on commercial truck drivers passing through the state without legal status. [Oklahoma Voice]
State lawmakers seek solutions to Oklahoma’s rising homeowner’s insurance costs: Oklahoma lawmakers Tuesday probed why Oklahoma consumers face the highest insurance rates in the nation and what steps they can take to mitigate those soaring costs. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Lawmakers hold study with experts about rising home insurance cost in the state [KFOR]
Former Board of Education Secretary claims wrongful termination, urging audit on OSDE: As State Superintendent Ryan Walters resigns from office, he leaves behind a hefty bill to Oklahoma taxpayers for his self-promotion. [Fox 25]
Federal Government News
Government shutdown begins as nation faces new period of uncertainty: Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline. [Associated Press]
- ‘We’re headed to a shutdown’: White House meeting ends with no deal as deadline nears [Oklahoma Voice]
- Oklahoma governor, others call for Congress to avert federal shutdown but differ on how [Oklahoma Voice]
- Senator Lankford shares thoughts on looming government shutdown [KSWO]
About 750,000 federal workers will be furloughed in shutdown, nonpartisan CBO projects: A government shutdown could have significant economic consequences, though an analysis released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said it’s difficult to pinpoint ramifications without knowing the length of a funding lapse or how exactly the Trump administration will try to reshape the federal workforce. [Oklahoma Voice]
Fake video of Dem leaders posted by Trump draws fire amid shutdown fight: A group of Democratic caucus leaders on Tuesday blasted a vulgar deepfake of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted by President Donald Trump on social media. [Oklahoma Voice]
USDA will no longer track hunger among Americans. That concerns food advocates: People working to address hunger say the canceled report is a main resource to understand where and how people are experiencing food insecurity across the country. [Harvest Public Media via KOSU]
- From OK Policy: Data shouldn’t be political
Oklahoma hunger advocates concerned over proposed SNAP changes: There could be more changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new changes to requirements for retailers who accept SNAP benefits. These changes would create stricter stocking rules for those retailers. [KFOR]
FCC votes to move forward with cellphone jamming, a longtime priority for some prison leaders: A plan to allow cellphone jamming in state prisons can move forward, the Federal Communications Commission decided Tuesday. The three-person commission’s unanimous vote represented a major win for state officials who have long said jamming is the best way to deal with an inundation of contraband cellphones in the state prison system. [Oklahoma Voice]
Trump Targets U.S. Cities as War Zones, Black America Sees Echoes: President Donald J. Trump stood before more than 800 military commanders today in Quantico, Virginia and declared the “era of the Department of Defense is over,” renaming it the “Department of War” and laying out a vision that extends the reach of America’s armed Troops far beyond foreign battlefields. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Tribal Nations News
Jurisdiction decisions: Alicia Stroble asks SCOTUS to take tax case as court considers Keith Stitt petition: Starting an appeal that could have ramifications across Indian Country, Muscogee National Council Secretary Alicia Stroble filed a petition for a writ of certiorari on Monday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that found her subject to state income taxation despite longstanding federal case law. [NonDoc]
- U.S. Supreme Court to decide on the fate of Oklahoma income tax in Indian country [KOSU]
Cherokee Nation increases funding to build ‘world-class system of wellness’ for citizens: Cherokee Nation leaders are upping their commitment to citizen wellbeing in a newly signed version of the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act — allocating millions more for additional health investments. [KOSU]
Citizen Potawatomi Nation offers free education advising to all: The Citizen Potawatomi Nation‘s Department of Education is expanding access to its “continuing education advising” program, which provides free support for students and adults pursuing higher education or vocational training. [The Journal Record]
Voting and Election News
‘We have to stop the chaos’: Former El Reno Supt. announces he’s running for State Superintendent: The former Superintendent of El Reno Public Schools is throwing his name into the hat for State Superintendent. [Fox 25]
Opinion: Oklahoma Democrats should reform platform, not rewrite election rules with SQ 836: State Question 836 (SQ 836) is an attempt by Oklahoma Democrats to give themselves more influence in our elections without doing the work of reforming their party platform into something the majority of Oklahomans want to vote for. [James Greiner / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: What’s That? Open Primaries
Education News
Did Ryan Walters appoint the creator of the Libs of TikTok account, whose posts have led to bomb threats against Oklahoma schools, to a state library advisory committee?: Yes. In January 2024 Ryan Walters appointed right-wing social media influencer Chaya Raichik, whose posts are believed to have sparked at least 21 bomb threats, to the OSDE’s Library Media Advisory Committee, which makes suggestions on school library materials. [Oklahoma Watch]
Local teachers union says state government needs to do more to keep special education teachers: In recent reports from the National Learning Center and State Department of Education, there are over 660,000 students in Oklahoma and one in every six receive some sort of special needs services. The number of teachers certified and capable to serve those students is dwindling in this state. [Fox 23]
Health News
Saint Francis celebrates top trauma care designation: Officials with Saint Francis Hospital celebrated their recognition as a top trauma care provider with a live trauma drill on Tuesday, while reiterating why the recognition is so important. [Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
World Day Against the Death Penalty Unites Oklahoma Leaders: With Oklahoma’s death penalty under mounting scrutiny, state leaders and advocates will gather at the State Capitol on Thursday, October 9, to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty and call attention to the human, moral, and financial costs of executions. [The Black Wall Street Times]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Long Story Short: Withheld Evidence Emerges in Another Old Murder Case (podcast): J.C. Hallman and Haley Parsley attended a press conference hosted by the NAACP of Oklahoma on the occasion of a motion by the Innocence Project of Oklahoma in the case of Joshua Christon, who was convicted of murder in 2008. [Oklahoma Watch]
Pryor couple convicted of embezzling funds from nonprofit they ran: A Pryor couple awaits formal sentencing after a jury found them both guilty of embezzling thousands of dollars in funds linked to a nonprofit addiction recovery program they operated from 2017 to 2023. [Tulsa World]
Tulsa man pleads guilty in homeless man’s beating death: A Tulsa man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to beating a homeless man to death in January. [Tulsa World]
Can you smoke marijuana in public? Here’s what Oklahoma law says: Oklahomans have been able to purchase and consume medical marijuana since 2018, but can they smoke it in public? There are numerous laws governing the state’s marijuana industry and the patients who utilize it, both on the state and local levels. Ultimately, the answer to the question comes down to this: Where are you? [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Modular homes offer a hybrid affordable housing solution: Nearly 1 in 5 new single-family houses in Oklahoma is a manufactured home, a new Construction Coverage report reveals. The analysis of all 50 states shows that more than 22 million Americans live in manufactured homes, and their popularity is gaining amid the housing affordability crisis brought on by elevated real estate prices, mortgage rates and rents. [The Journal Record]
Community News
Several types of scams target older adults in Oklahoma. Here’s what to look out for: What are some of the other common scams that older adults in Oklahoma are experiencing? Companion scams, imposter scams and identity theft are the three most prevalent in Oklahoma and across the country. [The Oklahoman]
Watch: Experience Oklahoma City’s largest Latino festival, Fiestas de las Américas parade (video): Beginning in 2006, OKC celebrates the Fiestas de las Américas during Hispanic Heritage Month with a day-long festival and parade. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa negotiating with Dallas developer to build downtown convention hotel [Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities.”
– Rachel Snyderman, managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center and former White House budget official, commenting on the federal government shutdown and the debates over how public funds should be allocated. [Associated Press]
Number of the Day
$3,600
The per-child state tax credit amount needed in Oklahoma for children under 18 to cut child poverty in half. For children under 6, the amount would need to be slightly higher — $4,320 per child. Well-designed child tax credits not only reduce poverty but also improve children’s health, educational outcomes, and long-term economic stability. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
Policy Note
State Child Tax Credits and Child Poverty: A 50-State Analysis: State child tax credits (CTCs) are among the most effective policies states can use to reduce child poverty and strengthen family financial stability. When structured to be fully refundable, accessible to families with little or no earnings, and adjusted for inflation, they deliver the greatest impact for low-income households and communities of color. While costs vary by design, these investments are fiscally feasible for most states and bring broad social benefits by reducing hardship, narrowing inequities, and supporting children’s long-term success. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy]
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