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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
Policy Matters: The shutdown held a mirror to Oklahoma’s choices: The recent federal shutdown reminded Oklahomans just how fragile our state’s so-called “self-reliance” really is. When federal paychecks stopped and programs stalled, thousands of our neighbors suddenly saw the truth: Oklahoma’s stability rests on investments that our own lawmakers haven’t made. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
A clemency board found that Tremane Wood shouldn’t be executed. He’s still scheduled to die: Tremane Wood is set to be executed on Nov. 13 for the 2002 killing of 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf, who was stabbed in the heart during an ambush robbery. Wood’s brother confessed to the stabbing. [USA Today]
- After a controversial trial, an Oklahoma man makes a final plea to avoid execution [The Guardian]
- Family visits Tremane Wood for what could be the last time before execution [KFOR]
As federal government reopens, Oklahomans still struggle with food insecurity: Although Congress voted to reopen the government, the long pause on funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, continues to drive up demand at Oklahoma food pantries even as some benefit recipients see partial payouts. [KOSU]
- Some Oklahomans received partial SNAP payments, but they didn’t go far [Tulsa Flyer]
- Food Bank prepping for mass food distribution event as effects of SNAP pause linger [KFOR]
- Who is eligible for SNAP? See who can apply, how to receive food stamps in Oklahoma [The Oklahoman]
State Government News
‘I’m embarrassed’: Amid confusion, new commission hikes officials’ salaries for first time since 2009: In a pair of meetings largely defined by chaos, confusion and admissions of ignorance, nine citizens appointed to set salary levels for all Oklahoma legislators and 11 statewide elected officials created new bonuses for four legislative leadership positions and made a flurry of changes that moved the governorship from being the top-paid post to the eighth-highest. [NonDoc]
- Panel approves over $500,000 in raises for Oklahoma statewide officials [Oklahoma Voice]
Panel again votes to keep Oklahoma legislative salaries at current levels: The Legislative Compensation Board decided to keep legislative base pay at $47,500 despite the urging of some members to reconsider the Oct. 21 vote. [Oklahoma Voice]
Was Oklahoma’s constitution the most socialist in America when it was ratified?: No. Though not strictly socialist, Oklahoma’s 1907 constitution, which incorporated many progressive era reforms and used the 1905 Sequoyah Constitution as a framework, was considered to be the most progressive of its time. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
Government reopens after 43 days: Trump signs bill ending record shutdown: The longest shutdown in U.S. history ended Wednesday night when President Donald Trump signed a spending package that reopens the government and funds most of it through January. [Oklahoma Voice]
US Supreme Court maintains temporary freeze on full SNAP benefits for November: The U.S. Supreme Court has extended through Thursday a pause on lower courts’ orders that the Trump administration authorize a full month of benefits for a food assistance program that 1 in 8 Americans use to buy groceries. [Oklahoma Voice]
Congress pushes hemp crackdown after pressure from states, marijuana industry: A provision significantly limiting the sale of intoxicating hemp products made its way into legislation to reopen the federal government just a day before the Senate approved the bill. Its inclusion follows years of pressure from states and the marijuana industry. [Oklahoma Voice]
What have Oklahoma’s GOP lawmakers said about extending Obamacare subsidies?: Oklahoma’s most influential Republican federal lawmakers say they will vote against efforts to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, while a state official warns as many as 100,000 Oklahomans could lose their health insurance if the premium tax credits expire. [The Oklahoman]
Trump Administration to Drastically Cut Housing Grants: In a major shift, HUD’s plan would direct most of the $3.5 billion in homelessness funds away from Housing First to programs that prioritize work and drug treatment. [The New York Times]
US House Dems say newly released Epstein emails show Trump knew about abuse: U.S. House Democrats investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released emails Wednesday they say show President Donald Trump knew about the financier’s abuse of underage girls as far back as 2011. [Oklahoma Voice]
Education News
Education Watch: Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum school year ‘worth a discussion’: In a TV interview recently, Superintendent of Public Instruction Lindel Fields dropped a policy idea that raised a few eyebrows: increasing the number of school days. [Oklahoma Watch]
Lawmaker says Oklahoma City charter school placed on probation raises oversight concerns: One state lawmaker is calling for change after the state placed an Oklahoma City charter school on probation this week amid questionable financial troubles that left it with only one teacher for all 115 of its students. [KFOR]
Health News
New book details impacts of drug rehabilitation industry on patients, inspired by story in Oklahoma: America’s opioid epidemic has been a prolonged public health crisis, resulting in countless overdose deaths and billions in settlement funds from opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers. But another crisis is afoot. That’s what investigative reporter Shoshana Walter from The Marshall Project presents in her first book, “Rehab: An American Scandal.” [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Criminal Justice News
FCC allows prisons, jails to charge more for phone and video calls: The Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back limits on how much companies can charge incarcerated people and their families for phone and video calls. [Oklahoma Voice]
OK County jail trust hit with resignations as top jailer points to seized contraband: The Oklahoma County jail trust has lost seasoned leadership, again, as the jail itself tightens up operations with cell-by-cell searches to crack down on contraband, something an outsider, in an intercepted phone call to a detainee, said was working, calling the jail “too hot” to infiltrate. [The Oklahoman]
Title theft victims now have more protections, but filing fake titles can land you behind bars: Tulsa County is increasing protections for victims of title theft and real estate fraud. It coincides with a new state law that went into effect Nov. 1 increasing penalties for people who commit the crimes. [Tulsa Flyer]
Opinion: Errors in capital cases are costly. Oklahoma needs independent oversight: Errors in capital cases are costly. They harm the victims, the wrongly convicted and the system of justice itself. They also cost taxpayers millions. Glossip is costing the taxpayers $1.7 million and climbing daily. [Andy Lester / The Oklahoman]
- From OK Policy: Oklahoma Death Penalty Tracker
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
2% of funding for homeless services in 2023-24 came from City of Tulsa, report finds: Only 2% of the funding that went to pay for services dedicated to assisting Tulsa’s homeless in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 came from the city, and of those dollars, 87% were federal passthrough funds, not city dollars, according to an analysis conducted by Housing Solutions. [Tulsa World]
Economy & Business News
Can Oklahoma really support resource-heavy data centers? The potential impact isn’t clear: Oklahoma is already home to 35 data centers, according to datacentermap.com and Baxtel, another tracking site. And more than a dozen data centers are being built or proposed throughout Oklahoma as companies race to create the infrastructure for artificial intelligence and crypto mining. [The Oklahoman]
Community News
Oklahoma food banks face long recovery after government shutdown: The government shutdown has left Oklahoma food banks struggling to meet increased demand, with recovery expected to take months even after reopening. [KOCO]
Local Headlines
- Construction begins on affordable housing units in NW OKC [KFOR]
- Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols delivers first State of the City Address [News on 6]
- City of Tulsa launches Mayor’s Health Coalition to strengthen quality of life for Tulsans [Fox 23]
- Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols hosts first State of the City Address since taking office [Fox 23]
- Tulsa Mayor’s plan for Feb. 10 sales tax vote nixed; Council decides to send it back to committee [Tulsa World]
- VA takes ownership of new Tulsa hospital named for Sen. Jim Inhofe [Public Radio Tulsa]
Quote of the Day
“Oklahoma taxpayers, victims and residents deserve better than a capital punishment system that produces so many wrongful convictions.”
– Andy Lester, former United States magistrate judge and current professor of law, emphasizing the financial and moral costs of repeated errors in capital cases. He noted that wrongful prosecutions have already cost the state millions and continue to erode trust in the justice system. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
25
The number of people currently incarcerated on death row in Oklahoma. Of those, only one has been recommended for clemency, while the rest await execution dates. Maintaining Oklahoma’s death penalty system continues to cost the state millions of dollars each year in legal proceedings, housing, and appeals. [OK Policy]
Policy Note
The Cost of Life: The Economic Impacts of the Death Penalty: The death penalty places a heavy economic burden on public finances, with costs for capital trials, appeals, and death row incarceration substantially exceeding those for life-without-parole cases. These elevated costs stem from longer proceedings, more complex legal safeguards, and extended stays on death row — all while executions remain rare and carry uncertain deterrent or public-safety benefits. Redirecting resources to alternative justice measures could free up funds for crime prevention, rehabilitation, and community safety without sacrificing accountability. [University of Wisconsin–Madison Undergraduate Journal of Economics]
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