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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
Judges on the 2026 ballot in Oklahoma: What you need to know about judicial retention: Oklahoma is one of 39 states where voters have a role in selecting judges. On Nov. 3, 2026, Oklahoma voters will decide whether to retain four Supreme Court justices, one Court of Civil Appeals judge, and four Court of Civil Appeal judges. Judicial elections usually don’t attract as much publicity as other races, and so far this has held true this year. However, in 2024, conservative dark money groups targeted three Supreme Court justices appointed by Democratic governors. Two of those three Supreme Court justices were retained, however one was not. Across the board, these elections were decided much more narrowly than previous elections. This marked the first time that an appellate judge from Oklahoma lost a retention election. [OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
SQ 847: Voters to consider lowering maximum property valuation increases: Oklahoma voters will decide their second state question about property taxes of the year Nov. 3 when they consider a proposal from lawmakers that aims to stem the tide of rising tax assessments. [NonDoc]
- From OK Policy: SQ 847 Fact Sheet | SQ 847 Explainer Video
- Register for OK Policy’s Oct. 20 town hall on SQ 845, SQ 847
State Government News
Ethics Commission: Rep. Danny Williams ‘stood to benefit from his official actions’: Two weeks after Rep. Danny Williams was censured by the House Rules Committee over findings of sexual harassment, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission released new information today concerning conflict of interest allegations that involve potential “misuse of office” in a manner where “Williams stood to benefit from his official actions.” [NonDoc]
- State lawmaker under investigation for misusing office, Oklahoma Ethics Commission says [Oklahoma Voice]
- Ethics panel details 10 allegations against Rep. Danny Williams [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma childcare advocates call for more subsidy funding, policy changes at legislative interim study: Oklahoma lawmakers heard from childcare experts Thursday as they prepare for the 2027 legislative session next spring. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
AG cites Inola smelter in challenge to proposed ozone rule: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond scattered another obstacle in the path of a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter by publicly objecting to a proposed change in the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality’s ozone rules. [Tulsa World]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Oklahoma gubernatorial debate, Trump’s Durant rally, State Question 843 and more (podcast): This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU’s Michael Cross talks with Civic Leader Andy Moore and former Republican State Senator AJ Griffin about the top two gubernatorial candidates’ only debate before next month’s General Election, President Trump’s trip to southern Oklahoma to rally support for GOP candidates and the State Supreme Court calling an initiative petition to phase out some property taxes as unconstitutional. [KOSU]
Opinion: The GOP left my values behind. Becoming independent was overdue: I believe I am the first person who is registered as an independent to hold statewide office in the state of Oklahoma. Recently, I made a trip to my local election board and changed my Republican registration; it has been a long time coming. When I came into public office 18 years ago in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Republican Party was an entirely different entity from what it is today. For that matter, so am I. [Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
Trump auto-enrolls 10s of millions in child investment accounts: Every child in the United States with a valid Social Security number is now enrolled in a tax-advantaged investment account, titled a “Trump Account,” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. [Oklahoma Voice]
4 Oklahoma counties receive federal assistance to cover July storm costs: Four counties in Oklahoma will receive federal disaster assistance for cleanup after severe storms this summer. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
When is early voting in Oklahoma? Registration deadline, key dates for midterm election: Oklahomans have until Friday, Oct. 9, to register to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, and until Oct. 19 to request an absentee ballot. Early voting in Oklahoma begins the Wednesday preceding the general election and runs through Saturday. This year’s midterm elections, which include the Oklahoma gubernatorial race, will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voters must vote in the county where they are registered, though polling locations may differ from your typical site. [The Oklahoman]
Education News
Oklahoma Jewish charter school expects only 10 students, per email to Tulsa rabbi: A first-in-the-nation Jewish charter school seeking to open in Oklahoma expects to enroll only 10 students — far short of original projections — in its first year of operation, according to an email the school’s leading founder sent to local faith leaders. [Oklahoma Voice]
Education Watch: Feds Announce New Probes of School District Handling of Sex Crime Reports: Federal officials are now targeting school districts in eight more states with investigations of their handling of staff-on-student sexual misconduct allegations. [Oklahoma Watch]
Health News
Urban, rural hospitals closing at similar rates, study finds: Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA. [Oklahoma Voice]
Medicaid recipients urged to check eligibility before new work rules take effect: At least 1,600 people have made use of an online interactive screener launched by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to help Oklahomans understand new work requirements that will apply soon to adults who want to receive Medicaid benefits. [Tulsa World]
- From OK Policy: “Work requirements” won’t work for Oklahoma
Justice System News
Footage shows arrest at center of OHP excessive force lawsuit (video): Dash cam video has been released from the arrest of a 69-year-old woman who has accused an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper of excessive force and Fourth Amendment violations in a federal lawsuit. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
Oklahoma Housing Providers Say Housing-First Is Working. The Federal Government Is Done With It: Housing-first, a model rooted in the belief that people need a stable place to live before addressing other problems, has been central to federal government housing policy for more than a decade. That approach is disappearing under President Donald Trump’s second administration. The upheaval, providers and advocates said, threatens the most vulnerable people in the nation. [AP & Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma City Housing Authority breaks ground on workforce housing project: Construction on a new mixed-income housing project in west Oklahoma City is underway. [KGOU]
- $57M mixed-income housing project breaks ground in OKC [The Journal Record]
Local Headlines
- Legal battle over Norman Central Library faces another delay [KGOU]
- Greater OKC Chamber discusses proposed 25-year county jail tax [The Journal Record]
- Tulsa Public Schools: Closure proposal will not impact English language learner services [Tulsa World]
- Tulsa Public Schools: No current plans for any potentially vacated buildings [Tulsa World]
- Parade, festival and Cain’s concert headline Tulsa’s Native American Day celebration [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- We’re building a north Tulsa neighborhood guide. We want your help. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Quote of the Day
“It’s important to me that our community believe in each of these individuals that are our neighbors, potentially our siblings, our relatives, people that we should all care about. When we care about people, we want them to be in a safe facility. We want them to be in a position that they’re able to get access to resources and help as they’re needed.”
– Perrin Duncan, program officer at the Arnall Family Foundation, speaking about the importance of ensuring people incarcerated in Oklahoma County have access to safe facilities, behavioral health services, and supportive resources as voters consider a proposed sales tax to fund the new county jail and behavioral health center. [The Journal Record]
Number of the Day
38%
The estimated share of Oklahoma’s prison population experiencing symptoms of a serious mental illness — nearly seven times the 5.5% of U.S. adults estimated to have a serious mental illness. [Healthy Minds Policy Initiative]
Policy Note
State Legislation Issue Brief Series: Trends in Mental Health and Criminal Justice State Policy: People with mental illness are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, with approximately two in five incarcerated individuals having a history of mental illness. Many are incarcerated for minor, nonviolent offenses related to untreated mental health conditions, leaving jails and prisons to function as de facto mental health facilities. Expanding access to mental health care and diverting individuals from incarceration can support recovery, reduce recidivism, and improve community safety. The Sequential Intercept Model identifies opportunities to connect individuals with mental health and substance use conditions to treatment and support at different stages of criminal justice system involvement, from before law enforcement contact through probation. Key policy recommendations focus on diversion programs, juvenile justice, conditions in custody, reentry services, competency restoration, and civil commitment, with an emphasis on improving access to appropriate mental health care and reducing unnecessary incarceration. [National Alliance on Mental Illness]
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