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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
The challenge of reforming Oklahoma’s property tax: Representative Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, has assumed chairmanship of the House Subcommittee on Finance after the resignation of former Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, and Fetgatter wants to look at lowering the property tax burden and finding ways to replace the revenue. He has certainly identified an issue deserving attention. Real property taxes are among the least popular taxes. [Steve Lewis / Capitol Update]
State Government News
Federal budget uncertainty complicates efforts to plan future Oklahoma road, bridge projects: The federal government shutdown is not yet impacting Oklahoma highway projects, but could prove problematic if Congress is unable to reach a long-term funding agreement, Oklahoma’s top transportation official said. [Oklahoma Voice]
- I-35 bridges over Oklahoma River, dozens of highway projects hit with rising costs, delays [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma DOT eyes $8 billion in improvements amid federal funding uncertainty [KOSU]
- Inflation forces ODOT to delay road projects [Tulsa World]
New superintendent Lindel Fields tells Oklahoma parents ‘we must hold fast to kindness’: Taking a page from his predecessor, new state schools Superintendent Lindel Fields is reaching out directly to Oklahoma parents. Ryan Walters often used emails to parents to highlight his efforts to inject culture-war issues into public schools. Fields is taking a different tack. In a letter sent Monday, Oct. 6, he struck a conciliatory and hopeful tone. [The Oklahoman]
Ex-OSDE employee reveals turmoil under former Supt. Ryan Walters, investigations resume: They were coming into work at the Oklahoma Department of Education, terrified that each day might be their last. Luckily, we’re hearing things are rapidly changing for the better for employees at the state agency since former Superintendent Ryan Walters resigned, and, in turn, for Oklahoma children. [Fox 25]
State lawmakers study artificial intelligence in education during interim study: State lawmakers dove into artificial intelligence and its impact in Oklahoma schools during an interim study on Monday. The ethics of AI was also studied. [Fox 25]
Opinion, former State Rep. Mark McBride: Oklahomans deserve a direct voice in who runs our schools, not just the governor: When Oklahoma became a state, our founders intentionally spread authority across multiple elected officials, boards and commissions. They were suspicious of too much power being vested in one person, having seen firsthand how unchecked authority can be abused. That’s why we have so many independently elected statewide offices — superintendent, treasurer, auditor, insurance commissioner, attorney general and more — and why our state boards were originally built with staggered terms and diverse appointing authorities. [Former Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Trump Vowed His Mass Deportation Efforts Would Target ‘the Worst of the Worst.’ Here’s What the Data Shows: The data seems to contradict the Administration’s narrative that it has prioritized the “worst” criminals as it has deported tens of thousands of people and detained many others. [Time Magazine]
- Civil rights jobs have been cut. Those ex-workers warn of ICE detention violations [NPR]
- ICE agents work around the clock despite government shutdown. What to know. [News 9]
- Shuttered Watonga prison to reopen as ICE facility [Tulsa World]
Supreme Court declines to take up tribal jurisdiction case involving governor’s brother: An attorney representing Gov. Kevin Stitt’s brother expressed disappointment Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an Oklahoma court ruling, which held that the city of Tulsa could cite Keith Stitt for traffic violations despite him being a member of a federally recognized tribe and the violation occurring within the Muscogee Nation reservation. [Tulsa World]
- Governor’s brother challenged Tulsa speeding ticket all the way to US Supreme Court. He lost. [The Oklahoman]
- SCOTUS declines to hear case involving Gov. Stitt’s brother, tribal jurisdiction in Oklahoma [KOSU]
- Supreme Court declines to take up tribal jurisdiction case involving governor’s brother [Tulsa World]
Conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors goes before the Supreme Court: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case that could reverse or solidify state laws across the country that ban a controversial counseling practice for LGBTQ+ youth. [Oklahoma Voice]
Are we getting an IRS stimulus check in 2025? Any tariff rebates? Here’s what to know: Rumors and unsupported speculation spread online about a new stimulus check in varying amounts from $1,000 to $2,000 coming to Americans this year, according to false reports. There has been no official confirmation from Congress or the Internal Revenue Service to support these claims, and any such news should be taken with caution, as it could be misinformation or attempted fraud. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Immigrating legally shouldn’t be hard. Harassing immigrants shouldn’t be easy: Nearly all of us have ancestors who came to the United States to find a better life. I guarantee that the government forced few if any of your forebears to live outside the law, or to submit to official thuggery. Those of you who claim to care about legal processes but have zero interest in making legal immigration feasible should tell us which immigrants deserve legal protections and which do not. [Brian Lyman / Alabama Reflector]
Tribal Nations News
Indigenous environmental advocates say data centers risk water, culture and informed consent: As massive data centers begin popping up across Oklahoma, Indigenous organizers are sounding the alarm saying projects backed by tech giants such as Amazon and Google are moving forward without public input, often under non-disclosure agreements that block elected officials from sharing details with their own communities. [Tulsa Public Radio]
Stroble files petition for U.S. Supreme Court review in tax case: On Sept. 29, Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen Alicia Stroble asked the United States Supreme Court to review the decision made by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which decided she must pay state income tax despite previous lower court decisions. [Mvskoke Media]
An Iowa college student’s research led to the return of a 1,000-year-old statue to Muscogee Nation: Through documents, essays and conversations with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a college student learned that a statue in the college’s Native American art collection had been transferred among several hands and institutions after being removed from a burial site by an amateur archeologist in 1886. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
‘Critical’ GO bond election highlights OKC housing needs: Oklahoma City is among the fastest-growing cities in America, but that also carries complications like strained infrastructure and rising housing costs that outpace wages. The city’s latest attempts to address those particular problems are part of the 2025 Oklahoma City general obligation bond package that voters will decide Tuesday, Oct. 14. [NonDoc]
- $2.7B bond package goes before Oklahoma City voters Oct. 14 [Fox 25]
- The biggest municipal bond in Oklahoma history is up for a vote. Here’s how it works. [KOSU]
Education News
Stricter scoring causes major drop in Oklahoma math, reading test results: Statewide test scores for reading and math have dropped significantly in Oklahoma public schools since the state returned to more rigorous scoring, according to results the state Department of Education released publicly on Monday. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Less than half of Oklahoma students score on grade level in state testing [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma State University separates from $200 million foundation created by opioid settlement: A foundation holding more than $200 million in assets from a 2019 opioid abatement settlement between Oklahoma and Purdue Pharmaceuticals has officially severed ties with Oklahoma State University. [KOSU]
Undocumented students at Oklahoma colleges face deadline after ruling against in-state tuition: Several nonprofits and state organizations are working to help the nearly 400 undocumented college students across Oklahoma afford tuition after a recent ruling on in-state tuition. [KOCO]
- From OK Policy via Oklahoma Voice: Leaders’ decision to target immigrants won’t improve Oklahoma education outcomes
Opinion: In-state tuition for undocumented students is not a loophole. It’s a lifeline: The recent push to eliminate in-state college tuition for certain undocumented students has also been echoed by some Republican legislators. It’s a calculated attempt to erase opportunity, punish resilience and send a message to innocent immigrant youths that they don’t belong. However, these young students are not strangers. They are Oklahomans in virtually every way that matters. They’ve been raised and schooled in our communities and ultimately graduated from one of our high schools. [Vance Winningham / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Uncertain future ahead for state harm reduction programs, should legislation not be extended: Critical services for Oklahomans facing life-threatening addiction could be shut down next summer if state lawmakers don’t step in. Harm reduction programming was approved by lawmakers in 2021 for four years. They tried extending the programming this year, but it stalled in the Senate, which means it has to be approved by the 2026 Legislative Session. [KFOR]
Criminal Justice News
‘Hastened his death’: Lich Vu dies nearly a year after OKCPD encounter left him seriously injured: Lich Vu, an elderly man whom an Oklahoma City Police Department officer slammed to the ground during a traffic stop argument last year, has died, his attorney announced Saturday. [NonDoc]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma City houses 37 veterans experiencing homelessness at newly opened Dorset Place: The first site of its kind in Oklahoma City, Dorset Place will now provide affordable housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Phase one includes 37 new supportive housing units. About $1.9 million in MAPS 4 Homelessness funds were invested into the project, along with a $2 million loan from Alliance Bank. The facility was a former assisted living facility. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Tulsa homeless need housing, not handcuffs: Gov. Kevin Stitt came to Tulsa with Operation SAFE and declared victory after encampments were swept from state land. But what looked like action was really displacement. People were given two choices: accept shelter or treatment that may not exist, or face removal and possibly jail. That is not compassion. It is coercion. And it costs Tulsa more than real solutions would. [Tiffany Tagbo / Tulsa World]
Quote of the Day
“Clients have told me, ‘I pay my fees before I pay rent because I don’t want to go back to jail. I pay my fees before I buy food.'”
-Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma attorney Ed Wunch, who helps people involved with the justice system to get out from under court debt. [Law 360]
Number of the Day
19%
A study of 21 states showed a 19% median decrease in fines and fees deposited into state general funds between FY2018 and FY2022. The year-to-year changes to fines and fees revenue adds more evidence to the finding that fines and fees are an ever-declining revenue stream and, therefore, risky for governments to use and depend upon. Yet it remains a consistently reliable source of harm to individuals who cannot afford to pay what is imposed on them. [Fines and Fees Justice Center]
Policy Note
Sentenced To Debt: The Growing Fight Over Court Fees: Most jurisdictions charge criminal defendants some jail or court fees on top of any fines that serve as punishment. The fees’ supporters say they’re necessary to fund the jails and courts, and that taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for defendants’ crimes. But a growing group of activists, attorneys and legislators working to abolish these fees say they force indigent defendants to go without food and medicine or commit new crimes to find the money to pay them. Some even wind up back in jail simply for failing to pay their debt. [Law 360]
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