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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
New Report: Oklahoma enacted one of the five biggest tax cuts for millionaires in 2025: Oklahoma lawmakers this year passed an income tax cut that, when fully implemented, will be one of the nation’s most significant income tax cuts for millionaires, according to a new analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. [ITEP & OK Policy]
Oklahoma News
More than 280 new laws will take effect on Nov. 1 in Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Legislature tackled a range of topics during its 2025 session. and soon, over 280 of the bills introduced will become law on Nov. 1. Of those, here are five notable laws to know. [The Oklahoman]
- DUI changes among five new laws taking effect Nov. 1 in Oklahoma [Tulsa World]
Texas think tank influences Oklahoma laws on homeless encampments, addiction treatment: An Austin, Texas-based think tank is acting as a powerful force behind Oklahoma legislation that aims to criminalize homeless encampments and mandate addiction treatment. The Cicero Institute is a conservative public policy organization that drafts model legislation related to homelessness, health care, education, public safety and regulatory reform. [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
With workers injured at youth facility, COJC in Tecumseh faces ‘crisis’ scenario: Repeated unrest at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh edged toward pandemonium last weekend, with local police responses rejected by Office of Juvenile Affairs leaders and Department of Corrections employees ultimately called in to quell the chaos and fill key positions vacated by injured staff members. According to state lawmakers, the town’s police chief and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the situation has spanned at least six weeks, with a significant percentage of COJC employees now on medical leave or workers’ compensation claims. [NonDoc]
- OJA director Tim Tardibono resigns amid COJC issues [NonDoc]
- Gov. Kevin Stitt names a new leader for the state’s Office of Juvenile Affairs [The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma: A Landscape Report of the Youth Justice System and Recommendations for Reform
Oklahoma’s 2024 annual financial report delayed until next year: The state’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2024 has yet to be released and the Oklahoma State Auditor, Cindy Byrd, says it won’t be ready until next year. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is the agency responsible for putting all of that information together and handing it off to the state auditor. [KFOR]
Lawmakers Get Earful As Oklahoma Home Insurance Rates Skyrocket: Oklahoma’s reputation as a low-cost-of-living state is taking a hit after recent hikes to home insurance premiums, with lawmakers grappling for solutions after getting an earful from constituents. [Oklahoma Watch]
- Lawmakers consider causes of rising home insurance costs in Oklahoma [Tulsa World]
Stitt sues Oklahoma legislative leaders over expansion of Commission for Rehabilitation Services: Gov. Kevin Stitt is suing state legislative leaders over a new law expanding the state Commission for Rehabilitation Services from three seats to seven. According to legal findings, Stitt believes the law is unconstitutional. [KOSU]
Oklahoma attorney general attacks managed Medicaid in letter to OHCA director: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sent a letter to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s new chief executive, demanding answers from the agency on “failures within the managed Medicaid care system.” [KGOU]
Oklahoma City Democrat stripped of committee assignments amid probe: The House speaker stripped an Oklahoma City Democrat of her committee assignments Friday following a lawsuit against her from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Rep. Ajay Pittman stripped of committee assignments, suspended from Democratic caucus [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Stitt appointments have led to scandals, but I see hope for Oklahoma: Over the decades, bipartisan reformers rolled back “pork barrel politics” driven by corrupt appointments in a range of state agencies. But changes since then have given Gov. Kevin Stitt control over appointing leaders for several state agencies. The resulting mismanagement and scandals have not been helpful in attracting new investments in Oklahoma. [John Thompson / The Oklahoman]
Opinion: To the Oklahoma lawmakers who didn’t get a pay raise: Welcome to your constituents’ world: I’m counting my blessings that we have a state board who is refusing to kowtow to pressure from the Oklahoma legislative elite to boost lawmaker pay. Because judging from the pushback the Legislative Compensation Board received after refusing to give our lawmakers a pay raise, it’s obvious that some of our elected leaders have such an inflated ego that they believe they should earn far more than the average Oklahoman does while working far fewer hours. [Janelle Stecklein / Oklahoma Voice]
Federal Government News
USDA won’t shuffle funds to extend SNAP during shutdown, in about-face from earlier plan: The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a memo Friday the agency’s contingency fund cannot legally be used to provide food assistance benefits for more than 42 million people in November, as the government shutdown drags on. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Fact Sheet: 1 in 6 Oklahomans use SNAP to put food on their tables [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
- Oklahoma WIC still running, but federal funding could end Nov. 1 as shutdown continues [The Oklahoman]
- Veterans, rural residents, older adults may lose food stamps due to Trump work requirements [Oklahoma Voice]
- Infant Crisis Services offers extra aid for families with babies, toddlers during shutdown [The Oklahoman]
- Church in need of donations to help hungry families [KFOR]
- From OK Policy: Leaders shouldn’t ask nonprofits to do government’s job (Policy Matters)
US Rep. Tom Cole says FAA training center will move out of OKC ‘over our dead bodies’: U.S. Rep. Tom Cole says efforts by some Texas politicians to move aviation training out of Oklahoma and to Texas would happen “over our dead bodies, politically.” [The Oklahoman]
Social Security payments to rise 2.8%, a tick below inflation rate: The 75 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits will see a 2.8% increase in payments next year, the Social Security Administration said Friday. [Oklahoma Voice]
North Dakota ranchers say Trump’s market meddling is bad for beef: Ranchers are pushing against a Trump administration proposal to import beef from Argentina, a move they say is causing chaos in the market. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma oil magnate among list of donors paying for White House ballroom: An Oklahoma oil magnate has been named by the Trump administration as one of the donors helping to fund a new ballroom in the White House’s East Wing, USA Today reports. [The Oklahoman]
- Trump press secretary defends White House ballroom project amid East Wing teardown [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: History shows us it’s everyday Americans who pay the price for tariffs: History taught us that when Washington starts tinkering with tariffs, everyday Americans are the ones who pay the price. We can’t afford to ignore to ignore the lessons. [Former Oklahoma Rep. Mark McBride / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
Oklahoma tribal nations prepare to fill food gaps as SNAP benefits could be suspended: As food benefits for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans could be canceled Saturday, tribal nations are pulling together resources for people if their benefits run dry. [KOSU]
Mullin and Cortez Mastro File Bill to Allow Marshals to Help with MMIP: New legislation, introduced on Thursday by Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, would allow the U.S. Marshals Service to help tribal law enforcement find missing children. In tribal law enforcement’s stead, the service would also be able to search for and arrest suspects with warrants. Under current law, the U.S. Marshals Service can assist local law enforcement but not tribal. [Oklahoma Watch]
Choctaw Nation hosts interim study on drone technology: Oklahoma state leaders visited the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) to learn about the Tribe’s growing aviation technology program. CNO hosted a legislative interim study focused on how drones can help reduce fatal accidents on rural roads. [The Journal Record]
MCN Tvlse District runoff a rematch between Lucian Tiger III, Leonard Gouge: The Muscogee Nation’s Tvlse District is certain to have an experienced legislator holding its “B” seat after the Nov. 8 runoff election, with either incumbent Rep. Leonard Gouge or former Rep. Lucian Tiger III set to take office. The runoff marks a rematch of the 2021 election, where Gouge narrowly ousted Tiger with 52.8 percent of the vote. [NonDoc]
Voting and Election News
Opinion: State Question 836 is important reminder on what our Constitution was built on: When I started posting videos explaining State Question 836, I expected debate. What I didn’t expect were tons of people saying they’ve never had the chance to vote for local officials — sheriffs, district attorneys, county commissioners, etc. Reading those remarks made me think about the many unheard voices in our state. This is the story of hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who are willing to show up yet have no choice in choosing the local leaders who impact their daily lives most. [Andrea Miller / Tulsa World]
Education News
In wake of Ryan Walters, no paper trail for PragerU ‘partnership’ exists: Officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Education say they have not found any written documentation detailing the terms of the agency’s 2-year-old partnership with a California nonprofit organization. [The Oklahoman]
Ryan Walters threatened schools over accreditation. Now board members want a ‘reset’: Some members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education are questioning the credibility of the school accreditation process during the tenure of former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. [The Oklahoman]
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New superintendent, new priorities: Lindel Fields on his plan to improve student literacy [Tulsa World]
State officials took over an OKC-area school in 2021. Here’s what has happened since then: As it transitions from a dysfunctional school district once taken over by the Oklahoma State Department of Education to one now moving in the right direction on accreditation, Western Heights Public Schools has a reason to celebrate. [The Oklahoman]
Report: Enrollment up at Oklahoma colleges and universities: Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities saw enrollment increase by 3.6% this fall semester, which officials attributed in part to a rise in first-time students. [Oklahoma Watch]
A mom’s calls unreturned, an Oklahoma college freshman found dead. What happened to Logan Musil?: On Sept. 30, Erin Musil reported her son missing to SWOSU police. Officers conducted welfare checks on Logan’s dorm room but could not find him. By the morning of Oct. 8, Logan had been found. His decomposing remains were discovered in a wooded area near Veterans Lake in Sulphur, more than 150 miles away. Investigators believe he was slain. [The Oklahoman]
Health News
With federal funds set to expire, the future of Oklahoma’s 988 Lifeline remains uncertain: Efforts to establish long-term funding for Oklahoma’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have been unsuccessful. With federal funding expected to run dry next year, mental health advocates are urging lawmakers to create a plan to cover costs. State lawmakers held an interim study at the Capitol Oct. 15 to discuss possibilities. [KOSU]
Mental health experts started taking calls at Tulsa’s 911 center. It’s saving taxpayers money: Tulsa police have historically been the first — and sometimes ill-equipped — responders to every mental health crisis called in to 911. That all changed in March, when mental health experts were placed at the 911 center around the clock, freeing up police to prioritize public safety calls and saving taxpayers money in the process. [Tulsa Flyer]
OU Southwest Prevention Center receives $50 million grant to lead national suicide prevention: The Southwest Prevention Center at OU Outreach received a five-year, $50 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to continue leading the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center. [KOSU]
Opinion: A thank you to Sen. Mullin for supporting diabetes patients: The 340B Drug Pricing Program was created to help safety-net providers purchase outpatient medicines at steep discounts, with the intention that those savings would be used to serve vulnerable patients. Over the years, however, the program has grown far beyond its original scope. [Kim Koleber / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
New report urges more individualized justice system responses for women: A new report from the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice warns that policies and practices across the nation’s criminal justice systems are failing to address the distinct factors that drive women into the system — and in doing so, are harming families and undermining public safety. [Oklahoma Watch]
‘No trust in the trust’? Budget team grills new OK County jail administrator, scolds trust: Tim Kimrey, the new interim administrator for the Oklahoma County jail, has two related problems to tackle: deciphering the muddled finances of the jail budget and what one member of the county’s Budget Evaluation Team characterized as “no trust in the (jail) trust.” [The Oklahoman]
EPD ‘failed’ to offer sexual assault response training to 2024 police academy: While responding to allegations from sex crime victims that some Edmond Police Department officers handled their cases indelicately, an EPD lieutenant revealed last month that the department unintentionally “failed” to include state-mandated sexual assault training for cadets in its 2024 police academy. [NonDoc]
Tulsans try their hand at transitioning back to society after time behind bars: Life after jail comes with a set of struggles only those who experience it can imagine. On Friday, dozens of educators and nonprofit workers got a glimpse through a simulation hosted by Tulsa Community College. [Tulsa Flyer]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
ALICE report shows 45% of Oklahoma households can’t afford basic needs: The number of Oklahoma families who work hard but still can’t get ahead is growing as the cost of basics needs has increased faster than overall inflation for more than a decade, a new report released by Tulsa Area United Way reveals. [The Journal Record]
- Read the full report: The State of ALICE in Oklahoma
Homelessness in Tulsa: Officials consider funding mechanisms with tens of millions needed: The latest proposal to address Tulsa’s homelessness problem would cost a lot of money. Approximately $60 million in the first three years and approximately $30 million a year for the foreseeable future. That’s on top of what the community — primarily through the private sector — is already spending on the issue. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Payne County commissioner raises water concerns over planned Google data center complex in Stillwater: A Payne County commissioner is raising new concerns over the massive amount of water a planned Google data center complex in Stillwater could use. At a recent legislative interim study on the impact of data centers, Payne County Commissioner Rhonda Markum warned state lawmakers that the region’s water supply might not be able to meet the project’s long-term demand. [KFOR]
Who are Oklahoma’s biggest landowners? The biggest private landowner owns 433,000 acres: Who truly holds the most land in Oklahoma? In a state known for numerous farms and sprawling cattle ranches, the biggest private landowner at the top of the list might surprise you. According to the latest 2025 data from World Population Review, the Drummond family controls a staggering 650 square miles of land across the state. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: Eric Olson and Jason Walter: If we want to take advantage of AI, let’s start with electricity: Artificial intelligence is supposed to make the economy more productive, not more inflationary. Yet, the next wave of AI expansion could do the opposite. As data centers multiply and their appetite for electricity surges, the U.S. energy sector may struggle to keep up. If regulatory bottlenecks prevent new generation and transmission from coming online quickly, rising demand for power could trigger an old-fashioned inflation shock. [Eric Olson and Jason Walter / Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Dozens of Tulsans show up to speak out against plan to burn medical waste [Tulsa Flyer]
- Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols names Greenwood Trust executive director [Tulsa World]
- Enrollment starts for new OKC high school; Burns Hargis bio released. Oklahoma education news [The Oklahoman]
- Delaware Co. jailer and interim jail administrator fired after inmate sex investigation [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“If you are pushing people into homelessness at the rate of a fire hydrant every month by evicting people who are one month behind rent and some fees, and then they can’t find a place to live where they’re not going to be cost-burdened, you’re not going to have a decrease in homelessness.”
-Rachel Freeman, City Care chief executive officer, speaking about the 1,300 evictions that occur in Oklahoma County every month. She said this is a sign that there is not enough affordable housing for low-income earners. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
51.8%
The share of eligible people in Oklahoma who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in 2022, down from 53.1% in 2016. Nationally, eligible pregnant people and children ages 1–4 are most likely to miss out on WIC’s proven benefits, which include improved pregnancy outcomes and stronger health and developmental outcomes for children. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
Policy Note
WIC Works: A Cost-Effective Investment in Improving Low-Income Families’ Nutrition and Health: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program delivers strong returns on investment by improving maternal and child health — such as reducing preterm births, increasing birth weights, and promoting better nutrition — while concurrently lowering long-term medical, educational, and productivity costs. Its benefits extend beyond health, contributing to better early development and school readiness. Maintaining and expanding WIC is one of the most fiscally sound ways to support low-income families and strengthen public health outcomes. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]
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