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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
Oklahoma leaders call for special session to fund food assistance program: Some Oklahoma leaders are asking the governor to call a special session to provide emergency state funding for food assistance programs during the federal government shutdown. Over 680,000 Oklahomans could be cut off from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, on Saturday if the shutdown continues. Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday called on Oklahomans, nonprofits, food banks and religious groups to step up to help fill the gap, but he said the state will not use its savings to replace the program’s funding yet. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Stitt says state is ‘working on it’ as Oklahomans brace for SNAP freeze amid shutdown [The Oklahoman]
- Republican leader says Oklahoma can’t fill SNAP gap amid calls for a special session [The Oklahoman]
- Gov. Kevin Stitt says SNAP funding loss must be resolved at federal level [Tulsa World]
- How can I help? Ways to aid OKC food pantries, items to donate as shutdown halts SNAP [The Oklahoman]
- SNAP benefits could be cut off on Nov 1. Here some things you need to know [KOSU]
- Food assistance funding cliff approaching as shutdown persists [Oklahoma Voice]
Tulsa, OKC mayors say more needs to be done for struggling families at Tulsa summit: Responding to a new report showing that nearly half of Oklahoma households struggle with basic needs, mayors from three cities told an audience in Tulsa that city and state leaders need to work better together on finding solutions. [Tulsa World]
- Read the report: The State of ALICE in Oklahoma
State Government News
Former Corrections Director Approved Million Dollar Deal With AI Company, Then Went to Work For Them: Former Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe approved a million-dollar deal with a private vendor in early April to install AI call monitoring software in seven state prisons. Months later, he resigned from state service and took a job with that company. [Oklahoma Watch]
Shutdown forces Oklahoma agency to furlough thousands: The Oklahoma Department of Human Services on Sunday will begin furloughing 2,300 employees as a result of the federal government shutdown, the agency said. Employees earning a salary of $100,000 or more will be furloughed three days per pay period while those earning $50,000 up to $100,000 will have two furlough days. Those earning less than $50,000 are exempt. [Oklahoma Voice]
- OKDHS to furlough roughly 2,300 employees on November 2 [KFOR]
Oklahoma DHS announces changes to child care subsidy program: The Oklahoma Department of Human Services announced Thursday that changes are being made to the state’s Child Care Subsidy program, effective Nov. 1. A source tells Griffin Media that, in an internal email, OKDHS said the $5-per-day COVID-era add-on incentive for school-age children will be removed for providers. The agency also said new applications and renewals for school-age children will be paused until further notice. [News 9]
Oklahoma lawmakers push ahead with plans to propose state oversight of homeless shelters: Two Oklahoma lawmakers are pushing ahead with plans to propose state oversight of homeless shelters after a more than 3-hour study of the issue at the Capitol. [The Frontier]
Former press secretary at OSDE joins Teacher Freedom Alliance: Former Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ press secretary, Madison Cercy, who was with him in our studio when he announced his resignation on Sept. 24, is now the director of communications for the Teacher Freedom Alliance, where Walters serves as CEO. [Fox 25]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Operation SAFE in OKC, Ryan Walters lawsuit dismissed, sports betting and more: The panelists talk about Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE to move people out of homeless encampments expanding to OKC, new State Superintendent Lindel Fields continues to dismantle initiatives from his predecessor and the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit against former State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Department or Education. The trio also discusses an interim study on sports betting in Oklahoma and nearly 300 new laws taking effect on Saturday. [KOSU]
Opinion: New law protects Oklahoma homeowners from predatory wholesalers: For most Oklahomans, a home represents more than four walls and a roof: It’s a cornerstone of financial stability and personal security. Yet, as our housing market flattens and interest rates are rising, we’re seeing renewed risks for homeowners who may be vulnerable to quick-cash offers and high-pressure tactics from unregulated real estate wholesalers. [Emilykaye Mitchelson / The Oklahoman]
Federal Government News
House Republicans grow anxious about Speaker Johnson’s extended shutdown recess: House Republicans are growing anxious about how they will make up for lost time after Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) move to keep the House out of session for more than a month during the government shutdown, with leaders starting to brace members for long days when the funding impasse eventually ends. [The Hill]
Senate passes resolution to end Trump’s global tariffs; 4 Republicans side with Dems: Four Republican senators voted with Democrats on Thursday to approve a bipartisan resolution to repeal President Trump’s global tariffs, including steeper rates on long-time allies such as the European Union, Japan and South Korea. [The Hill]
Tribal Nations News
Drummond moves to dismiss hunting case against Choctaw citizen, vows to protect tribal nations’ rights to hunting, fishing: Attorney General Gentner Drummond has interceded in a case to drop charges against a Choctaw Nation citizen accused of hunting on a tribal reservation without a state permit. [KOSU]
- Drummond stops Choctaw citizen’s hunting ticket, calls Stitt a ‘petulant lame duck’ [NonDoc]
Voting and Election News
Signature gathering begins for State Question 836: Undeterred by Wednesday’s blustery weather, supporters of an initiative petition that would significantly alter Oklahoma’s election system began gathering signatures to get the proposal on the ballot as State Question 836. [Tulsa World]
Health News
Oklahoma hospitals bracing for impact of Medicaid cuts in communities ‘already at risk’: Steep cuts to Medicaid funding are creating a new wave of uncertainty for small rural hospitals. Oklahoma hospitals are projected to lose $6.7 billion over 10 years as a result of the funding changes, which were approved by Congress in July as part of the GOP-backed spending and tax megabill. Rural hospitals — and the people who rely on them — are expected to be among those hardest hit. [The Oklahoman]
Racial health disparities could widen as states grapple with Trump cuts, experts warn: Racial health disparities may widen as states, universities and nonprofits grapple with federal funding cuts to programs that were aimed at filling gaps in care, public health experts say. As part of its federal restructuring and crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, the Trump administration has been shuttering federal offices and rescinding grants dedicated to addressing worse health care access and outcomes for racial minorities. [Oklahoma Voice]
Criminal Justice News
Cutbacks cursed the OK County jail from the start. Will new one have everything it needs?: Important things were left out of the Oklahoma County jail for lack of funding: strategic financial planning, adequate supervision of construction, even structural steel and other literally cut corners. [The Oklahoman]
Three more exhumations Thursday in Race Massacre graves search at Oaklawn Cemetery: Three sets of remains were exhumed from Oaklawn Cemetery on Thursday, officials said, bringing the total to six for the current phase of the search for unmarked burials from Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre. [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Capital cases are expensive. Panel would serve victims, taxpayers, rule of law: Lawmakers should fund the Capital Homicide Resource Committee and then hold us to the discipline it demands: We should ensure justice is done once, and for all. [District Attorney Jason Hicks / The Oklahoman]
Opinion, Rep. Tammy West: New Oklahoma laws give released inmates realistic path to rebuild their lives: Fines and fees should be used to hold people accountable, not hold them down. By modernizing the system, Oklahoma is reducing unnecessary barriers that keep people stuck in poverty. [Rep. Tammy West / The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Developers break ground on $1B data center near Tulsa: State and local leaders touted economic benefits and innovation as they helped break ground on a large-scale data center near Tulsa Thursday. Beale Infrastructure is the developer behind a $1 billion data center known as Project Clydesdale. The 500-acre facility — planned for East 76th Street North and North Sheridan Road — will be used for digital cloud storage. [Tulsa Flyer]
- Massive data center complex breaks ground in Tulsa County [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma union workers rally as Starbucks Workers United prepares to strike: As union Starbucks workers across the country vote to authorize a strike, workers in Oklahoma joined a national wave of rallies on Thursday. [KGOU]
Community News
OKC Mayor Holt says new civil rights monument ‘speaks to the kind of city we want to be’: Efforts from longtime civil rights activists, business, civic, and faith leaders will culminate with the Nov. 1 dedication of a monument that pays tribute to civil rights icon Clara Luper and 13 NAACP Youth Council members who took part in the first sit-in at Katz Drug Store on Aug. 19, 1958. [The Oklahoman]
Opinion: As demographics shift, adult day centers remain lifeline for caretakers, loved ones: Since the emergence of adult day centers in the mid-1960s, they have been an invaluable resource for the adults they provide care for and their loved ones. Today, there are more than 5,000 adult day centers across the United States and more than 40 in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Human Services contracts with these centers to provide specialized care for adults with disabilities and members of our state’s growing aging population. [Talena Ford / The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“(Data) just drives everything that we do. And when we go (with data) we don’t have to talk about issues as pie in the sky or because we’re ‘bleeding hearts.’ You cannot build a sustainable economy with half your people barely being able to get by. It won’t work.”
-Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, speaking on a panel about a new report that shows nearly half of Oklahoma households struggle with basic needs. The mayors told a Tulsa audience that city and state leaders need to work better together on finding solutions. [Tulsa World]
Number of the Day
13.7%
The share of rural households receiving SNAP benefits, compared to 11.4% of households in metropolitan areas. [U.S. Census via The Daily Yonder]
Policy Note
Halt in SNAP Benefits Will Hurt Millions of Rural Families: The pause in food stamp benefits that will hit Saturday, November 1 will disproportionately hurt rural families. Other groups that will be more affected by the Trump administration’s freeze on benefits are households with children and residents of the core counties of the nation’s larger urban areas. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is halting because Congress has not approved a spending bill and the Trump administration, unlike previous administrations, has refused to use contingency funds to keep the program running during the government shutdown. [The Daily Yonder]
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