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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
Statement: Eliminating U.S. Department of Education, moving to block grants would be bad for Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction on Thursday published a memo that called for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. Instead, the memo called for moving to block grants to provide federal education funds to states. OK Policy’s Executive Director Shiloh Kantz: “The superintendent’s proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and move funding to a block grant scheme is bad for Oklahoma. And it’s bad for our nation.” [Full statement here]
Oklahoma News
Ryan Walters says Oklahoma schools will focus on protecting patriotism under Trump: Two days after U.S. voters elected former President Donald Trump to a second term, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a memo listing what he described as the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s priorities under Trump. [The Oklahoman]
- Ryan Walters issues memo in support of eliminating U.S. Department of Education [Tulsa World]
- Superintendent Walters prepares Oklahoma schools for elimination of U.S. Department of Education [KGOU]
- Education Watch: Education Policies to Watch Under Trump’s Second Term [Oklahoma Watch]
- Trump won the presidency. What does that mean for education? [Oklahoma Voice]
- Opinion: More school choice, parent rights, attacks on DEI from Donald Trump’s second term [Caitlynn Peetz / Tulsa World]
State Government News
New Human Services office to link Oklahomans with faith-based, nonprofit groups: A new division within Oklahoma Human Services will serve as a connecting point between state government, religious institutions and nonprofits. The Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will link state agencies and their clients with organizations and houses of worship willing to offer services and volunteers. [Oklahoma Voice]
- New state office designed to work with faith-based charities, nonprofits [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma governor says he’s launching a new ‘faith-based’ office [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives unveiled [KFOR]
- Gov. Stitt unveils Oklahoma Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives [KGOU]
- New state office designed to work with faith-based charities, nonprofits [Tulsa World]
Oklahoma tolls to increase more than initially expected: The cost of a massive turnpike extension and improvement project has gone up considerably, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority was told Thursday. The increase will result in higher-than-anticipated tolls. [Oklahoma Voice]
- As OTA goes deeper into debt, Oklahoma drivers will likely pay more at the toll booth [The Oklahoman]
Should cities receive franchise fees and taxes related to the 2021 winter storm?: In 2022, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) issued an order prohibiting utility companies from collecting municipal taxes and franchise fees related to the 2021 Winter Storm. Municipalities in the state would then not receive the tax revenue generated by those fees and taxes. [Fox 25]
Roundup: Drummond fires Stitt’s hire, Texas pays for Red River dispute, Behenna lawsuit tossed: Attorney General Gentner Drummond continues to butt heads with Gov. Kevin Stitt over representation in a lawsuit involving the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and an Oklahoma County District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming the State Department of Health lacks authority to conduct unscheduled inspections of county jails. [NonDoc]
Opinion, This Week in Oklahoma Politics: Trump wins Oklahoma, mixed state question results, Tulsa’s first Black mayor and more: The panel discusses the 2024 General Elections in our state including the Presidential race where for the third time in a row, all 77 counties voted in favor of now President-Elect Donald Trump, two of the three state Supreme Court justices up for retention votes will stay in their seats while another was ousted by just 7,000 votes, and it was a split for State Questions as one failed and another passed. [KOSU]
Federal Government News
Following election results, many wonder if Republicans will implement Project 2025: Now that we know that former President Donald Trump will be back in the White House, many wonder what the next four years of policy will look like. [KOCO]
Lankford shares vision for Trump presidency: Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator addressed area business executives at a luncheon in Pryor on Thursday, answering questions about the country’s change in leadership while appealing for feedback on tax policy. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Lankford downplays Trump threats [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Trump will be president. We hope with self-reflection a leader emerges for all: The people of the United States of America have voted to elect a man blamed for perpetuating the most uncivil politics of our time. As disheartening as that may be to millions of Americans, our wish is that Donald Trump recognizes the paralyzing division among people in this country and sets about the business of healing. [Clytie Bunyan / The Oklahoman]
Tribal Nations News
As construction begins on Coweta Casino Hotel, residents air concerns: Construction for the Muscogee Nation’s $100 million casino in Coweta is underway. Tribal and city officials held the groundbreaking Thursday afternoon for the 35,000-square-foot hotel and gaming house off Highway 51. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Officials break ground for $100 million Coweta Casino Hotel [Tulsa World]
Chickasaw Nation Department of Health earns national award: The Chickasaw Nation Department of Health has earned the prestigious 2024 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. [The Journal Record]
Arkansas passes anti-casino measure that had 2 Oklahoma tribes backing different sides: Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that requires new casinos in the state to be approved by a countywide special election and repeals a Pope County casino license already in the state constitution. [The Oklahoman]
Voting and Election News
Edmond mayor race 2025: Third declaration tees up February election: As voters look to recover from the long slog of a national election season, the gears of democracy continue to grind. [NonDoc]
OKC, Edmond to fill city council positions: The OKC City Council will appoint someone who lives in Ward 7 to serve the remainder of Nikki Nice’s term after she was elected to the state Senate. The position is one of four ward seats up for election in February. The Edmond City Council also has an opening to fill following the resignation of Tom Robins as Ward 1 council member effective Nov. 1. [The Journal Record]
Education News
Oklahoma higher education officials ask to raise funding by $95 million, release legislative agenda: Oklahoma’s higher education officials announced Thursday a $1.12 billion budget request for fiscal year 2026 and the board’s legislative agenda for the upcoming session. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education voted to approve the request which is a 9.3%, or $95 million, increase from the board’s previous allocation from the Oklahoma Legislature. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Regents of Higher Education celebrate increased enrollment, approve budget request [Tulsa World]
- Oklahoma higher education regents seek about 9% increase in budget for next fiscal year [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma public college and university enrollment on the rise [KGOU]
Education Department Abruptly Cancels Search for Bible Vendor: With little explanation, the Oklahoma Department of Education canceled its search for a vendor to supply 55,000 Bibles for public school classrooms. [Oklahoma Watch]
Layoffs, pay cuts affect hundreds of Epic Charter School employees: Oklahoma’s third-largest school district, Epic Charter School, has laid off 144 employees, including 42 teachers, and implemented pay cuts amid a financial shortfall from lower-than-expected enrollment. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Epic Charter Schools cuts 144 staffers amid lower-than expected student enrollment [Tulsa World]
Opinion: Casica Hall teaching about freedom, sacrifice by honoring two fallen veterans: A Veterans Day ceremony was planned by Cascia Hall alumni to honor Army Lt. Joseph Lauinger and Army Capt. John David Benien. Both men were killed while serving in Vietnam, and both were highly decorated for their heroism. [Mike Lapolla / Tulsa World]
Opinion: Public education is the most important investment we can make. Let’s demand better:
Public education is the most significant investment we can make. It impacts everything from culture to the economy. Yet consistently we have failed to reform public education and provide maximum funding to make it a premier system. [Phil G. Busey, Sr. / The Oklahoman]
Health News
Opinion: Psychologists prescribing medications isn’t answer to state’s mental health battle: As a child and adolescent psychiatrist who completed four years of medical school, four years of adult psychiatry residency and an additional two years of fellowship, I am deeply concerned about the proposal put forth by some in our state to allow psychologists the right to prescribe medications. This misinformed idea is not only harmful to patients, it will actually worsen mental health care in Oklahoma. [Sara Coffey / Tulsa World]
Opinion: As a veteran with PTSD, counseling saved my life: My military career taught me a lot of skills, such as leadership, teamwork, discipline, problem-solving and more. It was a valuable time of my life. It was also the most stressful time of my life. Many veterans like me experience post traumatic stress disorder. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 7% of all veterans experience PTSD. [Luke Carrillo / Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations: Racist text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the country this week, including Oklahoma, after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies. [Associated Press]
Core samples taken at Newblock Park in search for graves of 1921 Race Massacre victims: The City of Tulsa continues its search for the remains of people murdered in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The massacre was a white supremacist terrorist act that left as many as 300 dead in Tulsa’s wealthy Black Wall Street community. Some remains are still missing. [Public Radio Tulsa]
- Core samples drilled at Newblock Park as Tulsa Race Massacre grave search continues [Tulsa World]
Moody’s affirms Oklahoma County credit rating. How it affects debt on the new county jail: Oklahoma County government’s “very strong” bond credit rating, threatened earlier this year by tardy reporting to financial services company Moody’s Ratings, has been affirmed, meaning the cost of borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars for a new county jail won’t go up with higher interest rates. [The Oklahoman]
Federal grant expands Oklahoma City community violence intervention efforts: A $2 million federal grant will help two nonprofits in Oklahoma City, supporting their efforts to decrease gun violence and disrupt cycles of incarceration. [KGOU]
- WATCH: A community discussion about youth justice in Oklahoma [OK Policy / YouTube]
- From OK Policy: Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
‘Shoved down our throat’: Residents debate ordinance paving way for ADUs in OKC: On Wednesday, an Oklahoma City Planning Commission task force held a meeting with residents to discuss a proposed ordinance allowing for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in certain areas. [Fox 25]
- From OK Policy: Ending single-family zoning and allowing small multi-family homes is a proven path to improved housing availability and affordability
Economy & Business News
OKC energy rivals tout bright futures: After jarring the energy industry with multi-billion-dollar corporate acquisitions this fall, Oklahoma’s two largest publicly traded oil companies say they are riding high with the wind at their backs heading into 2025. [The Journal Record]
Community News
G.T. Bynum welcomes his successor Monroe Nichols to City Hall: Mayor G.T. Bynum welcomed Monroe Nichols to City Hall on Thursday, but as Bynum himself noted, this was not the mayor-elect’s first trip to the top floor of One Technology Center. [Tulsa World]
Local Headlines
- Norman $1B entertainment district plan one step closer to citizen vote [The Journal Record]
- Former Love County treasurer pleads guilty to embezzlement [The Oklahoman]
- With the election over, what are the rules for political signs? What an OKC ordinance says [The Oklahoman]
Quote of the Day
“To those who still despair, this season offers opportunity to nurture your own leadership skills, learn from your disappointment, offer constructive input and do your part in helping our country move forward.”
-Clytie Bunyan, managing editor for opinion and community engagement for The Oklahoman, writing about moving forward following Tuesday’s election. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
13.23%
Percentage of Oklahomans who reported being American Indian or Alaska Native during the 2020 Census, which is the nation’s second highest Native American population. [U.S. Census via the Oklahoman]
Policy Note
How Tribal Nations Are Reclaiming Oklahoma: The McGirt case represented an enormous and long-awaited restoration of Tribal sovereignty, “the ability of a group of people to manage their own affairs,” as Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., put it. In Indian Country, which is the legal term for land reserved for tribes, tribal nations have authority over their citizens—they can adjudicate legal cases, levy taxes, and impose municipal regulations. [The New Yorker]
- November is Native American Heritage Month.
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